Mexico Imports a U.S. Product
It was an idea that came literally out of the blue.
Last October, Karlo Pedrin was on his way back from Washington, D.C., where he had watched his 15-year-old daughter, Tawnie, and her San Diego Surf soccer team win a national tournament.
“I was on the flight home and I saw an advertisement for the Women’s World Cup next June,” said Pedrin, 41, a restaurateur from Tijuana.
How great it would be, he thought, if his daughter one day could play in a World Cup.
But in women’s soccer, the U.S. talent pool is deep. A world championship in 1991 and an Olympic gold medal in 1996 is proof of that. Tawnie’s chances were slim.
And then the idea struck.
“I’m Mexican,” he said, “born and raised in Tijuana. And I just would feel very, very proud if my daughter one day could wear the Mexican colors.”
Which got him thinking. Women’s soccer in Mexico is in its infancy and the national team is not competitive.
But what if the team were to be reinforced by Mexican American players, women who have come through the United States’ strong club and college systems?
Wouldn’t Mexico then become a factor?
Flash forward 10 months or so, to Thursday, when the Mexico women’s national team left Mexico City bound for Toronto, where the CONCACAF qualifying tournament for next summer’s FIFA Women’s World Cup begins Saturday.
Check the Mexico roster. Among the 18 players are:
* Goalkeepers Ivette Valdez of University of the Pacific and Linnea Quinonez of San Diego State.
* Defender Susana “Susie” Mora of USC.
* Midfielders Dana Vazquez of Pacific, Kendyl Parker Michener of Tennessee and Laurie Hill, a UC Santa Barbara graduate.
* Forwards Regina Oceguera of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo and Monica Gerardo of Notre Dame.
Had defender Lisa Nanez of Santa Clara University managed to get her dual citizenship in time and had forward Monica Gonzalez of Notre Dame not been injured, they too would have been playing for the Tricolor.
There is a distinct touch of red, white and blue in the red, white and green.
And because of that, because Pedrin was able to bring his idea to fruition, Mexico stands a good chance of reaching the June 19-July 10 World Cup in the United States.
But it was a tough sell at the beginning. Last October, Pedrin had to persuade officials of the Mexican soccer federation that his plan was both feasible and worthwhile.
“They didn’t care too much for the idea at first,” he said. “But a couple of days later I got a phone call from Enrique Silva Teran, who is the vice president of the federation, and he was interested.”
Pedrin first got Mexico to send its national team to San Diego, where it was trounced in three games by teams consisting of American club and college players.
That convinced the Mexican federation that its squad needed help. Next, Pedrin had to round up likely reinforcements, any players born in Mexico or with a parent born there.
He called club and college coaches and soon had a list of 30 or 40 likely candidates.
Players cannot represent more than one country, so anyone who had played for the U.S. was eliminated. Conversely, any Mexican Americans who play for Mexico no longer are eligible to represent the U.S.
That makes it a difficult choice for some players. Santa Clara’s Heather Aldama, for instance, already has played for the U.S. under-20 team and has a good chance of playing for the full national team. As a result, she passed up the opportunity to play for Mexico.
But others, like Gerardo, a Notre Dame senior from Simi Valley and a 1995 NCAA champion, jumped at the opportunity. With 53 goals in 76 games, she is only eight goals shy of becoming the all-time scoring leader for the Irish. Even so, her U.S. national team prospects were not good.
“Everyone always wants to play for the U.S. national team, but I realized that’s not going to happen for me and I’ve been able to accept that,” Gerardo said.
“I’ve found this is another means to pursue what I want to do, and that’s to play soccer. I’m just fortunate that this did come about.”
Gerardo’s father, John, was born in Sinaloa and actively encouraged his daughter to take up Mexico’s colors.
“He’s very proud, and the rest of that side of the family is very proud,” Gerardo said, adding that Mexico has a good chance of advancing from the eight-nation qualifying tournament in Toronto.
The winner--expected to be Canada--qualifies for the World Cup, with the runner-up going into a two-game playoff with Argentina for another berth. As host nation, the U.S. qualifies automatically for the World Cup.
“We’ve been together for the last three months or so, playing day in and day out [in the California-based Women’s Premier Soccer League],” Gerardo said. “The tournament pretty much should be between us and Canada.”
USC’s Mora, echoed that belief.
“We’re ranked as the top two teams,” she said. “I think it’s going to be fun and a new experience. I’m excited about it.”
Mora said the chemistry between the Mexican-born players on the national team--including starters Andrea Rodebaugh, a California graduate; Maribel Dominguez, Patricia Perez, Iris Mora (no relation) and Evelin Lopez--and the newcomers is excellent.
“We get along fine. Some of the girls can’t speak English very well, but they’re so nice and so friendly, they make it easier for all of us.”
Gerardo agreed.
“In the beginning, they were hesitant to accept us,” she said. [It was a case of] ‘They’re not really Mexican,’ because we’re not born there, and that sort of thing.
“But we’ve all grown really close and they’ve come to accept that we care about it [playing for Mexico and qualifying for the World Cup] just as much as they do.”
Mexican fans also have become accustomed to cheering for such players as Michener and Vazquez.
“They’re both blond and blue-eyed, so it sort of throws the team off a little bit,” Gerardo joked. “But that’s all right. They’re both just as Mexican as I am.”
While the Mexican federation is delighted at the turn of events, suddenly having a rich source of talented players to elevate its women’s game, the U.S. also is affected.
From now on, the women’s national team coach, Tony DiCicco, and, especially, the under-20 national coach, Lauren Gregg, will have to be more aware than ever of up-and-coming Mexican American players.
They now have a choice of which nation to represent. Another door has been opened.
It’s a watershed event in American soccer, which long has been importing players from abroad to bolster its men’s national team.
Suddenly, the U.S. has become an exporter of soccer talent. And, thanks to Pedrin’s bright idea, Mexico is the first beneficiary.
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The Facts
* What: CONCACAF qualifying tournament for the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup.
* Where: Toronto.
* When: Saturday through Sept. 6.
* Who: Group A: Canada, Guatemala, Martinique and Puerto Rico. Group B: Costa Rica, Haiti, Mexico and Trinidad & Tobago.
* Format: Winner and runner-up from each group advance to semifinals. Winner of tournament qualifies for the 16-nation World Cup. Runner-up goes into a home-and-home series against Argentina for a place in the World Cup.
