Sebastian Cordova Helps Lead Mexico Past Japan for Men’s Soccer Bronze at Tokyo Games

Posted on August 6, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Sebastian Cordova has helped lead Mexico to the medal podium…

The 24-year-old Mexican soccer player scored the first goal of the bronze medal match at the 2020 Tokyo Games to help Mexico beat Japan 3-1 and earn a place on the medal stand.

Mexico dominated the host country in the men’s soccer game on Friday night, ending Japan’s hope of a first Olympic medal in 53 years with a 3-1 win at Saitama Stadium.

Three days after both teams played 120 minutes in their respective semifinal losses, Japan languished against a sharper Mexico side, giving up its opening goal by Cordova from the penalty spot and two more from set plays before Kaoru Mitoma’s consolation strike late in the match.

Japan’s only medal in Olympic men’s soccer came at the 1968 Mexico City Games, when the country defeated the host nation for bronze. This time, the outcome was reversed.

“We were quite strong, we took risks and we did what we had to do,” Mexico head coach Jaime Lozano said. “We didn’t achieve our goal of a gold but we knew we’d get a bronze medal, and not even the hosts could take third place from us.”

Moriyasu’s side beat Mexico in their second group game with an early two-goal assault, but this this time it was the team clad in green breaking a scoreless deadlock in the 13th minute, courtesy of a Cordova penalty sent left as Japan goalkeeper Kosei Tani dived in the opposite direction.

Cordova earned the penalty after he was fouled from behind by midfielder Wataru Endo at the top of the area, close enough to the line to inspire a VAR review that eventually upheld referee Bamlaku Weyesa’s initial call.

Lozano’s squad easily created space it couldn’t find when the two teams first met last month and doubled its lead to 2-0 in the 23rd minute when Pumas defender Johan Vasquez headed in Cordova’s free kick past Tani.

The halftime break allowed Japan to reorganize somewhat, with Reo Hatate replacing Yuki Soma to start the second half. But despite some promising runs on goal, Mexico was by far the sharper of the two sides, scoring its third goal off a 58th-minute Cordoba corner kick duly heated in by Alexis Vega.

Substitute midfielder Mitoma spared Japan the embarrassment of a shutout when he slipped through the Mexican back line before steering his attempt past veteran goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa in the 78th minute.

Aremi Fuentes Wins Weightlifting Bronze Medal at Tokyo Games

Posted on August 1, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Aremi Fuentes is celebrating a bronze performance…

The 28-year-old Mexican weightlifter claimed the bronze medal in the women’s weightlifting 76 kilograms class at the Tokyo Games.

Fuentes lifted 108 kg and 137 kg in the snatch and clean & jerk phases respectively for a total of 245 kg to earn the bronze.

Ecuador’s Neisi Dajomes claimed the gold with a total of 263kg, while Team USA’s Kate Nye won the silver with 249kg.

Fuentes wasn’t among the favorites for a medal at the start of the competition, but she made four of her six attempts to total 245kg, a far better effort than some of her rivals.

It’s the fourth medal for Mexico in weightlifting after the gold of Soraya Jiménez at the 2000 Sydney Games, the bronze of Damaris Aguirre in the 2008 Beijing Games and the bronze of Luz Acosta at the 2012 London Games.

Anissa Urtez Named to Olympic Softball All-Tournament Team at Tokyo Games

Posted on July 29, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Anissa Urtez is an Olympic all-star…

The 26-year-old Mexican American softball player, representing Mexico at the 2020 Tokyo Games, has been named to the Olympic softball all-tournament team.

Urtez was picked as the all-tournament shortstop.

During the fifth inning in Mexico’s game against Japan on Thursday, July 22, Urtez sent Japanese legend Yukiko Ueno’s pitch over the fence for a home run.

It was the first home run in the Olympic Games by a player from the Mexican National Team.

History for Mexico!

This is the first home run in Olympic history for Mexico softball. #TokyoOlympics pic.twitter.com/1gSxZlK5Ky

— #TokyoOlympics (@NBCOlympics) July 22, 2021

while her real-life fiancée Amanda Chidester of the United States was picked as the designated player.

Urtez’s Mexican teammate Suzy Brookshire was picked as the right fielder.

Yamato Fujita of Japan was named most valuable player of the tournament. She hit .389 with three homers and seven RBI in six games for Japan, which beat the U.S. 2-0 on Tuesday for its second straight title.

Four Americans were selected for the all-tournament team, with Chidester joined by left-hander Monica Abbott, second baseman Ali Aguilar and centerfielder Haylie McCleney.

The team also included right-hander Yukiko Ueno and third baseman Yu Yamamoto of Japan and catcher Kaleigh Rafter and first baseman Jenn Salling of Canada.

Also selected were Italian left fielder Laura Vigna and Japanese first baseman Minori Naito, who was picked as the best defensive player.

The team was picked by the World Baseball Softball Confederation and the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee.

Mexico’s Gabriela Agúndez & Alejandra Orozco Claim Synchronized Diving Bronze at Tokyo Games

Posted on July 27, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Gabriela Agúndez and Alejandra Orozco

The 20-year-old Mexican diver and her 24-year-old diving partner have claimed Mexico’s second bronze medal of the 2020 Tokyo Games.

Agundez and Orozco placed third in the women’s synchronized 10-meter platform diving event at the Olympics.

Agundez and Orozco finished with 299.70 points, .54 points ahead of the Canadian team.

It’s Agundez’s first Olympic medal and Orozco’s second. She previously won a silver medal alongside teammate Paola Espinosa in the same event at the 2012 Olympic Games.

Alejandra Valencia & Luis Álvarez Give Mexico First Medal at Tokyo Games

Posted on July 24, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Alejandra Valencia and Luis Álvarez have put Mexico official on the leaderboard at the 2020 Tokyo Games…

The Mexican duo defeated Turkey’s team to win the bronze medal in the archery mixed team event, giving Mexico its first medal at the Summer Olympics

Mexico defeated Germany 6-2 in the first elimination round, then in the quarterfinal Valencia and Álvarez combined to defeat Britain with a 6-0 score.

In the semi-final they failed to defeat South Korea, losing 5-1, but put themselves in a position to secure a medal.

The bronze medal match saw Valencia and Álvarez defeating Turkey’s Yasemin Anagoz and Mete Gazoz 6-2.

“We don’t keep anything for ourselves. We communicate everything we feel, everything we’re thinking,” Valencia said. “We tried to be happy and enjoy the fact we’re here, the fact we made it all the way here.”

https://twitter.com/ASMexico/status/1418838926022819844

Mexico Enters Fernando Frías de la Parra’s “I’m No Longer Here” into International Feature Film Oscar Race

Posted on November 17, 2020 by Tom Castaneda

Fernando Frías de la Parra is representing…

The Mexican Academy of Cinematographic Arts and Sciences has chosen the Mexican filmmaker’s I’m No Longer Here as Mexico’s official entry for the International Feature Film Oscar race.

The film centers on the young leader (Juan Daniel Garcia Trevino) of a small Monterrey street gang from the Cholombiano subculture who longs for home after being forced to move to Jackson Heights, Queens, after an altercation with a local cartel. It premiered at the 2019 Morelia Film Festival, where it won Best Feature and was a selection of this year’s truncated Tribeca Film Festival.

The film received 10 Ariel Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and is Mexico’s official submission for Spain’s Goya Awards.

Netflix acquired worldwide rights back in 2018, and it bowed on the streamer on May 27.

“The news took me by surprise, and I am overwhelmed with happiness and excitement,” said Frias. “I am enormously grateful to the Academy and its members and the entire industry that has supported us, such as Netflix and IMCINE, but also to the people. The public has shown us that they are ready to connect with our stories here in Mexico. That fills me with pride.”

Mexico has seen nine film nominated for the Academy Awards’ International Feature race (it was formerly known as Outstanding Foreign-Language Feature) with films from the likes of Alejandro González Iñárritu and Guillermo del Toro. It’s only one the top prize once, however, for Alfonso Cuarón’s Roma, also from Netflix, in 2018.

Efren Navarro Helps Send Mexico to the Olympic Baseball Tournament for First Time at the 2020 Tokyo Games

Posted on November 18, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Efren Navarro has helped his country make Olympichistory…

The 33-year-oldMexican-American professional baseball first baseman and left fielder hit a broken-bat single against Caleb Thielbar on Sunday to drive in the winning run in the 10^thinning and give Mexico a 3-2 win over the United States at the Tokyo Dome, allowing Mexico to qualify for the Olympic baseball tournament for the first time.

Prior to Navarro’s single,,Matt Clark hit a tying home run off former St. Louis Cardinals pitcherBrandon Dicksonleading off the bottom of the ninth inning.

Mexico joined host Japan, South Korea and Israel in the six-nation field for next summer’s 2020 Tokyo Games and earned the bronze medal in the Premier12 tournament, which served as qualifying.

The United States will play next spring in the Americas tournament, which determines one of the two remaining Olympic berths.

Jo Adell, the 10th overall pick by the Los Angeles Angels in the 2017 amateur draft, homered in the first against Tampa‘s Arturo Reyes. Milwaukee‘s Cody Ponce, the U.S. starter, allowed three hits in five scoreless innings with six strikeouts and a walk.

Clark, who played 16 games for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2014, tied it in the sixth with a bases-loaded, two-out single off Kansas City Royals prospect Daniel Tillo. Clark had missed part of the tournament with an Achilles tendon injury and limped at times. The Boston Red Sox‘s Bobby Dalbec ended a 0-for-10 slide with an RBI single in the seventh off Jesus Riosfor a 2-1 lead.

Under tournament rules, extra innings start with runners on first and second.

Dalbec sacrificed leading off the 10th and the Atlanta Braves‘Drew Walters was intentionally walked. Winner Carlos Bustamante struck out Philadelphia‘s Alec Bohm, then retired Tampa Bay’s Jake Cronenworthon a flyout.

Jon Jonessacrificed on a 1-2 pitch leading off the bottom half against Dickson, who pitched for the Cardinals in 2011 and ’12. Esteban Quiroz was intentionally walked and U.S. manager Scott Brosiusbrought in Thielbar, a left-hander who finished the season in Atlanta’s minor league system and became a free agent, to face the left-handed-hitting Navarro, whose last major league experience was four games for the Chicago Cubs in 2018. Navarro singled to center.

The Mexicans are managed by Juan Castro. He’ll be an infield coach next season for Philadelphia manager Joe Girardi, who was to manage the U.S. team but quit to take the Phillies job.

Mexico had beaten the U.S. 8-2 in the group stage on November 3 at Guadalajara, Mexico. The U.S. got in position to play for a berth only because South Korea defeated Mexico 7-3 and Taiwan defeated Australia 5-1 in the super round.

Japan beat South Korea 5-3 later Sunday for the Premier12 gold medal.

Lazaro Helps Lead Brazil to Under 17 World Cup Title Over Mexico

Posted on November 18, 2019 by Tom Castaneda

Lazaro has lead his team to a major victory…

The Brazilian soccer player scored a second-half injury time goal to give Brazil a 2-1 comeback victory over Mexico in the Under-17 World Cup final on Sunday in Brasilia.

Mexico had taken the lead through a Bryan Gonzalez header in the 66th minute and looked like it would hold on until Kaio Jorgeconverted a penalty in the 84th, with Lazaro the hero for Brazil with his late finish.

It was Brazil’s fourth Under-17 World Cup victory, while Mexico was in its third final in the last eight years in the age group.

Brazil, backed by fervent home support, hit the crossbar twice and had a number of good opportunities to score — outscoring Mexico 10-2 in shots on goal — but Mexico grafted, and held on and managed to keep the score at zero.

Eugenio Pizzuto swung in a deep left-wing cross from Gonzalez to give Mexico the lead and quiet the crowd, but Brazil came from two goals down to beat France in the semifinal and once again mounted a comeback.

The late challenge from Jesus Gomez on Gabriel Veron to give Brazil its penalty was the game’s major talking point, with referee Andris Treimanisinitially not seeing it and then checking it on VAR and awarding Brazil the penalty.

Mexico coach Jose Maria “Chema” Ruiz lamented the decision after the game, indicating the officials were selective in their use of VAR and claiming El Tri was “always the victim’ during the final.

Kaio Jorge made no mistake from the penalty spot, although Mexico keeper Eduardo Garcia got close to pushing the ball out.

The goal gave Brazil the momentum to go for the winner, which Lazaro struck first time from a right-wing cross from Yan Coutoto send the crown at Estadio Bezerrao into wild applause.

Mexico Selects Alfonso Cuarón’s “Roma” for the Best Foreign Language Film Race

Posted on September 17, 2018 by Tom Castaneda

Alfonso Cuarón is ready for a foreign fight…

Mexico has selected the 56-year-old Mexican filmmaker and Oscar winner’s latest film Roma from Netflix as its official submission for the Academy Award race for Best Foreign Language Film.

After its launch in the fall festival space, Roma has been on fire, winning the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival.

Cuarón’s memoir to his homeland reportedly also played in a cinema down in Mexico City during August to qualify. Netflix is working to give Roma a theatrical release in Dolby Atmos, the format the director prefers. The qualifying theatrical run will reportedly start on December 14 in select cities.

Much like how Ang Lee’s Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon received love throughout all Oscar categories outside of foreign language, it would come as no surprise to see the same for Roma.

Cuarón produced, wrote, directed and shot the black-and-white film about his memories growing up in Mexico City.

In 2014, he became the first Mexico-born filmmaker to win the Oscar in the directing category for his sci-fi opus, Gravity.

Guardado Leads Mexico to 3-1 Win Over Jamaica in CONCACAF Gold Cup Title Match

Posted on July 27, 2015 by Tom Castaneda

Andrés Guardado is returning south of the border as Mexico’s new soccer hero…

The 28-year-old Mexican futbol player, who plays for Dutch club PSV Eindhoven and the Mexico national team, scored his fourth goal of the knockout rounds to help propel Mexico to its seventh CONCACAF Gold Cup title Sunday with a 3-1 victory over upstart Jamaica.

Jesus Corona and Oribe Peralta contributed goals as El Tri scored twice early in the second half to ensure this match wouldn’t come down to any calls in the final minutes.

It was a convincing performance for coach Miguel Herrera and his team after some rough play and contentious moments in the previous two games.

Jamaica had made a rousing run to the final, stunning the U.S. in the semis to become the first Caribbean nation to reach the Gold Cup’s championship match. And they looked as though they belonged in the opening minutes, keeping the pressure on Mexico with several promising scoring chances but never putting a shot on goal.

Jamaica hadn’t trailed since early in the second half of its Gold Cup opener before a yellow card helped lead to Mexico’s first goal.

Darren Mattocks scored in the 80th minute to pull the Reggae Boyz within 3-1.

El Tri will face the U.S., the 2013 Gold Cup champions, on October 9 for CONCACAF’S spot in the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia.

The only way Mexico had been able to score in the knockout rounds before Sunday had been on penalty kicks, all three by Guardado. And two of those came on late, questionable calls.

Against Costa Rica in the quarterfinals, a scoreless game was moments from going to a shootout when Guardado converted his penalty in the final minute of extra time. Mexico had been the better team that day, but that wasn’t the case in the semifinals. Down to 10 men, Panama was on the verge of victory when a disputed hand ball set up a penalty for Guardado in second-half stoppage time, and he scored on another for the winner in extra time.

Mexico had gone 272 minutes since one of its players scored on anything other than a penalty when Guardado put El Tri ahead for good Sunday. Jonathan dos Santos found Paul Aguilar out wide on a free kick, and Aguilar crossed it to Guardado, whose left-footed volley made it 1-0 in the 31st minute. It was his sixth goal of the tournament, one behind Clint Dempsey of the U.S.

Guardado came off to a thunderous ovation from the pro-Mexico crowd of 68,930 at Lincoln Financial Field, home of the NFL‘s Philadelphia Eagles.

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