Daniel Correa’s Mexican national soccer team jersey was soaked with sweat as he jumped inside a small garage in the Skyline area on a recent hot, muggy Friday night.
“Rooting for Mexico is my passion,” said the ecstatic Dallas resident while fixing his gaze on a Mexican flag with the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe embroidered in the center covering a bar table.
Correa is part of “Los de Arriba Texas,” a group of 50 fans, mainly from the Mexican city of León, who gathered in the garage to rehearse chants they like to use during Mexico’s matches.
The group is preparing to support El Tri in an upcoming June 8 friendly against Brazil in College Station, which is expected to set an attendance record in the United States.
They will also be present at the Copa America matches, which will be played across the United States from June 20 to July 14.
The México-Brazil match, which could exceed 100,000 fans, will be the last for both teams before the start of Copa America. Fourteen venues in the U.S., including AT&T Stadium in Arlington, were selected to host the tournament that’s spanning two continents.
Copa America will be a do-or-die contest for Mexico and its coach, Jaime Lozano, after losing to the United States in the Concacaf Nations League Final, played at AT&T Stadium in March.
Lozano will likely need to take El Tri deep into the tournament to keep his job until the 2026 World Cup.
Fan support during the tournament will be critical for Mexico to match its best performance, which happened in the 1993 Copa America played in Ecuador when Mexico fell 2-1 in the final against Argentina.
Addiction for El Tri
The two-car garage in Skyline has a big-screen TV and a bar with drinks including rum, tequila and whiskey.
On the floor, a giant boom box was playing cumbias, a rhythm originally from Colombia that can make anyone dance.
The mixed sound of drums and cymbals creates a festive atmosphere, encouraging the group members to jump and sing nonstop.
Although it was just a rehearsal, the music and chants made the garage feel like a soccer match was being played in a crowded stadium.
“Supporting Mexico is like an addiction for us,” trumpeter Ariel López, 40, said.
The garage is decorated with images, posters and photographs of Club León, one of Mexico’s oldest and most storied soccer teams.
Los de Arriba Texas started 10 years ago as an entity to support Club León. It later evolved into a group of fans accompanying the Mexican national team in most of its games in the United States.
“I am proud of my national team because it represents the land where I was born. You feel it. You carry it in your blood,” Correa, 31, said.
Unconditional support
The Mexico-Brazil confrontation has become a bitter rivalry over time.
The first match occurred in the 1950 World Cup, which took place on Brazilian soil. Brazil won 4-0.
Since, the teams have faced each other 41 times. Brazil has won 24, lost 10 and drawn seven times.
Although Brazil has been superior in the series, between 1999 and 2007, Mexico achieved a streak of six wins, two draws and one defeat against the five-time world champion.
Mexico’s victory over Brazil in 1999 was the Confederations Cup final held at Azteca Stadium. That is the only FIFA trophy a Mexican team with no age limit has won.
Mexico won the gold medal at the London Olympics, beating Brazil in 2012.
“The game against Brazil is a classic for us. It is a game we cannot afford to lose,” said Juan Rodríguez, a fan who is part of Los de Arriba Texas.
Los de Arriba Texas members are Dallas residents who are construction workers, heavy equipment operators, gardeners and property maintenance workers, among others.
All of them have found a way to divide their time among work, caring for family and supporting the Mexican team.
Local fans are preparing to support Mexico in the upcoming Copa América.
For the tournament, Mexico was placed in Group B along with Ecuador, Venezuela and Jamaica.
The United States, Uruguay, Panama, and Bolivia are in Group C.
USMNT’s first game of the Copa America will be June 23 against Bolivia at AT&T Stadium.
If Mexico finishes in first place in Group B, it will face the first runner-up in Group A at AT&T Stadium, which could mean the presence of Lionel Messi and Argentina in North Texas.
“We want Mexico to win every game no matter what, but if they lose, our passion for Mexico won’t diminish. We will always be here to support our national team,” Correa said.
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