Four Tiny Tidbits On: Mexico

The World Cup is ominously close! So that you aren't caught offsides (they have that in soccer, right?), we're previewing all the participants, bringing you Four Things You Don't Know About Them. If you have a tidbit on your favorite team, or even a team you hate, send it along to [email protected]. Today: Mexico!

• 1. They Will Conquer You With Style. Mexican coach Ricardo Lavolpe is known to sport blue jeans on the sidelines of high stakes matches. Yeah Mexico, thats your coach! But who could ever forget former goalie Jorge Campos's fashion sense. Ow! My retinas!

• 2. "The Referee Says There Is No More Time." Although he broadacsts from the U.S. and graduated from USC, Andres Cantor is most associated with Mexico, having popularized the signiature call of "¡GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLL!" while working at Univisión. The call became popular during the 1994 World Cup. Cantor made guest appearances on the Late Show with David Letterman during the '94 and '98 tournaments, and the call is being sold as a ringtone on Telemundo's website.

• 3. A Mexico vs. U.S. Matchup Should Be, Um, Interesting. From the USA Today: "After the USA's first two games of Olympic qualifying (in 2004), the U.S. players left the field to chants of 'Osama! Osama!' In past years, American flags have been burned in the stands, bags of urine and feces have been tossed on the field and the likeness of U.S. players have been hung in effigy from the stadium rafters. There is no bigger target than Landon Donovan, who is fluent in Spanish and has been highly critical of Mexico's fans and highly criticized by them. In the Olympic qualifying tournament, Donovan was caught on camera relieving himself near the field which, enraged fans."

• 4. Hugo Sanchez Drills Daily. Mexico's all-time greatest footballer is probably the world's finest soccer-playing dentist. Yes, Sanchez is a dentist, but somehow found time to star on Spain's Real Madrid for seven seasons, which was only topped by a stint with the Dallas Burn of the MLS. Pele even named him to his Top 125 Living Players' List.

(Let's have a big round of applause for Mike Cardillo, who helped enormously. Tomorrow: Ghana.)