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This news article from October 8, 2015, was published by Jezebel amidst controversy over Donald Trump’s controversial comments targeted at Mexicans during the Republican primaries. Jezebel is a politically progressive media outlet that views politics and the news through a feminist lens. The author documents the political tensions brewing between the two nations in the buildup to the CONCACAF playoff match to be hosted at the Rose Bowl in California. This match was key for both nations as the winner would decide who qualified for the 2017 Confederations Cup.
The value of this article as a primary source comes from its interviews of ordinary people. Felipe Favela, Omar López, and Garrett Bradbury, all fans of the game, each provide a unique and nuanced perspective on what this game and rivalry mean to them. Favela even goes as far as to say any Mexican-Americans who previously had supported the United States should switch their allegiance to Mexico due to the harmful comments Donald Trump made. Additionally, they discuss how this particular match feels more politically charged than usual due to the political climate surrounding the bordering nations.
“We are bringing our BEST to teach them a lesson,” says 23-year-old Mexican American soccer fan Felipe Favela. “There’s more politics in this game than actual politics between the two countries.” Favela, who was born and raised in San Diego by parents from Tijuana, has always viewed soccer as the great equalizer— a way for Mexico to get back at the gringos. He says when he was growing up kids used to tease him for being a proud Mexican but going to school in the U.S. to get a better education. “The American kids would ask, ‘If your country is so great, how come you go to school here?’ Favela said. But when it came to soccer, Mexico always dominated the U.S.—a point of great pride for Favela. That was then. Now the teams are more evenly matched, and Mexico is going to have to fight even harder to reassert its old domination on the field. But for some, the hateful rhetoric spewed by Donald Trump in the Republican primary, should give the Aztecs all the motivation they need to bring their A-game. “I get goosebumps thinking about the game,” Favela says. “Donald Trump is up in the polls, which means a large percentage of Americans are supporting his racist rants. Considering the negative comments made about Mexicans and other immigrants, I think even those Latinos who [normally] root for the U.S. should now root for Mexico.”
October 8, Splinter |., and 2015 | 1:43pm. n.d. “Trump’s Rhetoric Fuels Fire of Heated U.S.-Mexico Soccer Rivalry.” Jezebel. Accessed April 3, 2026. https://www.jezebel.com/trumps-rhetoric-fuels-fire-of-heated-u-s-mexico-soccer-1793851643.