'Coreano, hermano!' Mexico vs. Korea match brings out more romance than rivalry in L.A.
Love was in the air in Koreatown’s Seoul International Park on Thursday, where a sea of thousands of people in red and green jerseys joined together to celebrate soccer’s favorite romance.South Korea fan Ben Lee was performing soccer kick-ups with a pack of Shin Noodles when he saw Kevin Gonzalez walk by in a Mexico shirt and offered him a fist bump.“Hermano!” Lee, 31, exclaimed, and the pair, mere moments after meeting, snapped a selfie as Gonzalez, 28, presented his Korean bulgogi beef quesadilla to the camera with a grin.
“No matter who wins or who loses, it’s all love,” said Lee, who drove from Orange County to attend the massive watch party for the Mexico vs.Korea match.The enduring friendship between Mexican and Korean soccer fans originated at the 2018 World Cup.
After Mexico suffered a crushing 3-0 defeat to Sweden, their hopes of advancing hinged on South Korea’s team pulling off an unlikely victory over Germany.South Korea would not move forward regardless of the outcome, but they indeed delivered on the win, prompting a massive outpouring of gratitude from Mexican fans and the birth of the chant “¡Coreano, hermano, ya eres mexicano!” meaning “Korean brother, you are Mexican now!”“With Mexicans, and myself included, when someone helps us with something really big, we never forget,” said Leo Hernandez, a Mexican American soccer fan from Orange County who is known as El Soccer Guy on Instagram.
This was the only World Cup match where Hernandez said he was not gunning for a decisive Mexico victory.“I’d be happy with the tie,” he said.“I think it would hurt me if South Korea loses against us, but I do hope Mexico and South Korea both advance to the next round.”The two cultures share many similarities: an underdog spirit, strong family values, and a passionate love for a good party, Hernandez said.The cross-cultural romance continued to blossom on the streets of Mexico this summer with videos showing “Gangnam Style�...