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Patriotism stirs passion for soccer
By JENNIFER FARRELL, Times Staff Writer
Halfway through the night shift at La Campesina, a Mexican bakery on Gulf-to-Bay Boulevard, sweetness hung thick in the sweltering kitchen and flour caked the men's dark green aprons. Trays of pastries, vanilla creme puffs, cookies and breads waited on racks near the front window. In less than 45 minutes, a delivery driver would come to the back door for the day's first pick up. As a rule, the pair doesn't have much time for games. They work 11-hour shifts seven days a week, sending all they can spare to family back home. But like thousands of Mexican immigrants living in Clearwater, both men love soccer. So early Monday, they made time, enough at least to watch the beginning of the second-round World Cup soccer match between Mexico and the United States. Taking turns leaning against a large wooden pastry table, Correa, 24, and Cruz, 29, stared quietly at a small television perched above the sink on a stainless steel shelf. Behind them, a tiny Mexican flag hung from an industrial mixer, stiffening in the heat with sticky brown cookie dough. Shouts of "Viva Mexico!" drifted in from next door, where diehard fans gathered in the middle of the night to cheer at El Chicanito Restaurante. Combined, Correa and Cruz have spent five years in Clearwater, but neither man hesitated when asked who he was rooting for. "Mexico," they each said, smiling. Cruz sighed heavily in the first half when the U.S. scored early. He looked up from a tray of pig-shaped cookies and silently watched the replay, shaking his head. At El Chicanito, Clearwater City Auditor Robin Gomez and his wife, Julie, were among the small crowd drawn to the game, which ended with a surprise 2-0 upset victory for the United States. For Gomez, who was born in Mexico, the match was a test of loyalties. "It's difficult to root for one or the other," he said. "It's like being a parent and having one child at the University of Florida and the other at Florida State." To show his support, Gomez brought flags from both countries to the game. Broadcast live from Korea, the game ended about 4:20 a.m., Clearwater time. On Cleveland Street, at Los Amigos Restaurant, the crowded parking lot was mostly empty by halftime. "The problem is, everybody is working tomorrow," said Jorge Nava, co-owner of Los Amigos, as he stood in front of large speakers broadcasting the game throughout the bar. After the U.S. team scored the second goal, a handful of men wearing sombreros and waving a Mexican flag grew quiet. Thomas Vargas, 34, fell to the floor in exasperation, letting his white straw sombrero slip down over his head. He lay on the floor as friends draped the American flag over his back, consoling him with assurances that it wasn't too late for Mexico to rebound. But chants of "Si se puede" ("Yes we can") slowly faded to silence. When it was over, Rosalio Martin, a waiter who had come from work in his tuxedo shirt uniform, stood up to leave. "It's a game. It's like that," he said, shrugging. "We were expecting a better game from the Mexican team, unfortunately." -- Staff photographer Douglas R. Clifford contributed to this report. Jennifer Farrell can be reached at 445-4160 or farrell@sptimes.com.
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