After years of preparation, a supersized World Cup has finally arrived.
This year's tournament — which is hosted by the U.S., Canada and Mexico — was expanded to 48 teams that will play in 16 stadiums in a record 104 matches over 39 days.
Two of the stadiums are in California: SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles and Levi’s Stadium—temporarily renamed San Francisco Bay Area Stadium. The latter will host six games.
Mexico got the World Cup started today and was a heavy favorite when it hosted South Africa in Mexico City.
Fans filled the Garden at the Line beer garden near Sacramento State to watch the Mexico City game.
Josh Carrillo came out with his family to root for his home country Mexico. He loves soccer because of the loyalty and teamwork that’s involved.
“It’s something that’s been passed down from my dad and now I passed down to my son,” Carillo said. “It’s being part of something bigger and you’re always trying to contribute something, whether it’s a team win or a community win.”
Karina Lopez took the day off work to cheer for Mexico in the opening game of the World Cup at Garden at the Line near Sacramento State.Chris Felts/CapRadio
Karina Lopez took the day off work to come cheer Mexico on. “And it’s so worth it,” she said, adding she doesn’t mind that the temperatures at the outdoor space were already above 90 degrees. “As soon as the game starts, that’s the last thing we’re going to be thinking about.”
Lopez is a middle school teacher and soccer coach and said the sport brings people closer together.
“It brought me to know a lot of kids that I wouldn't [have] otherwise known as students,” she said.
Juan Solorio (left) and Pablo Gonzalez (right) rooted for Mexico in the opening World Cup game. They watched the game at Garden at the Line beer garden in Sacramento.Chris Felts/CapRadio
Juan Solorio, who was born in Mexico, said his earliest memory was soccer.
“I was born into it,” Solorio said. “I played it since I was a kid, all the way up to college.”
He said it’s bittersweet being born in Mexico and raised in the United States.
“We feel like we go over there [Mexico] and we don’t belong,” he said. “And then here [in the U.S.] sometimes we feel like outsiders.”
But watching the games, he said he feels something bigger than pride. “It’s just an unexplainable feeling when you see Mexico play.”
The second game of the day will be between South Korea and the Czech Republic in Guadalajara, Mexico. All four teams are part of Group A.
Canada and the United States will host their first games Friday. The Canadians will play Bosnia-Herzegovina in Toronto while the Americans face Paraguay in Inglewood, California. The first game at Levi’s Stadium is Qatar v. Switzerland on Saturday.
Associated Press contributed reporting.
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