The United States’ rise to challenge _ their fans would say usurp _ Mexico’s soccer dominance in this part of the world has created a rivalry perhaps as heated as any in the sport. Think Yankees-Red Sox, or Duke-North Carolina, but with respect replaced by hatred, fans hurling not taunts but batteries and urine bags.
Landon Donovan is the object of El Tri’s hatred, but the player American fans despise more than any other is Rafa Marquez, El Tri’s hot-headed captain who head-butted Cobi Jones in 2002 and kicked Tim Howard last year; the same Marquez who will make his MLS home debut at 6 p.m. tonight vs. Donovan and the visiting Galaxy.
“It’s normal. There is rivalry all over the world, like Barcelona and Real Madrid.
(It’s normal) that people love me and not love me, and I only know I have to work in the field to help my team,” Marquez said of his status as Public Enemy No. 1 among U.S. fans, somewhere between Darth Vader and Hannibal Lecter.
Still, the 31-year-old defensive midfielder _ be it sincere or sandbagging _ gushed with effusive praise of Donovan.
“(He’s a) great player,” Marquez said of his Yank counterpart. “They love win here in the United States and I think he’s a star for the American people and I’ve got a lot of respect for him.”
Marquez, along with Nery Castillo in Chicago and Omar Bravo _ who agreed to join Kansas City next season _ will not only tap into the ever-growing Mexican fan base that’s so vital for MLS, but provide veteran tutelage for a host of young American prospects. And Marquez has no problem with that.
“No, not at all,” Marquez said. “Mexico has a lot of resources to grow and keep going. I don’t think we need like they need here foreign players. I think they are still growing and they need us here, people with experience to MLS.”
Marquez teamed with Thierry Henry to help Barcelona to a Champions League title and unprecedented sextuple, and joined him as a Red Bull this month.
“I think (Henry being here) helped. Maybe he knows a little bit more than I know about this league. But definitely he’s a friend of mine; we can work together and do great things,” said Marquez. But even though his French friend loves the fast-paced electricity of New York, Marquez prefers to visit the city and is searching for a quieter place to settle down for the next 4 ½ years.
“I don’t know yet. I’m staying in a hotel in the city but I haven’t made up my mind where I’m going to live. I think it’s unbelievable; I love it. (But) I’m looking for something more relaxed and private place for me.”
Marquez acknowledged that the already-large _ ands rapidly-growing _ Mexican community in the area was a factor in his deciding to join Red Bull.
According to the census bureau, there were an estimated 46.9 million Hispanics in the United States as of two years ago, making them not only the country-‘s fastest-growing group but the U.S.’ Hispanic population the second-biggest in the world behind only Mexico. And there are over 30 million with Mexican ancestry in the U.S., over a million here in New York.
“We do believe we are the league for a new America,” MLS commissioner Don Garber said at the time of Marquez’ signing. “This is a country that is overly focused on the Hispanic market on our game. Rafa Marquez will help us more deeply connect with the Hispanic market, particularly that large and ever growing Mexican-American population.”
