If the U.S.-Mexico men’s soccer rivalry has ever had a face, it was almost certainly furious, anguished, sneering or smug. It probably was one of antagonism. For all the blending and bonds that exist between the two countries, those ties rarely were evident on the field.
On the lists of all-time goals and appearances for the U.S., for example, there’s only one player of Mexican descent in the top 20: Carlos Bocanegra. And the former captain wasn’t someone whose life story or career embodied all those complex cross-border connections, at least publicly. Playing for Mexico wasn’t really an option.