Miguel Sifuentes is a fixture in the stands at the Colorado Rapids’ suburban stadium. He can be found joyfully beating a drum behind the south goal, where the soccer club’s most ardent supporters stand and chant in hopes of creating a fortress that opponents fear.
Sifuentes, 38, used to give little thought to one chant pervasive in his native Mexico — shouting “puto!” when opposing goalkeepers boot goal kicks downfield.
Translated from Spanish, “puto” means male prostitute. But like a lot of words, it has different meanings depending on your point of view and, even moreso, your identity.