"OAKLAND On Facebook and in group chats with fellow Mexican-American immigrants, Luis Ortega saw rumors and messages urging to exercise caution. He ignored them. Clearly, so did thousands of other festive soccer fans, dressed in a sea of red, green and white, who partied well into the night inside and out of the Oakland Coliseum. Amid a federal immigration crackdown, the Mexican national team's tour stop in Oakland on Saturday that ended in a 0-0 draw against Japan"
"For supporters of El Tri, the team's first visit to Oakland since 2011 offered them potentially their only chance to see their squad leading up to next year's World Cup. While the tournament will come to Santa Clara, those matches are unlikely to feature the Mexicans, who will either play in Estadio Azteca or Los Angeles' SoFi Stadium if they emerge from the first stage in the top two in Group A, as expected."
Rumors circulated on social media urging caution about Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but many fans ignored them and celebrated. The match at Oakland Coliseum drew an announced sellout crowd of 45,278 and ended in a 0-0 draw against Japan. Supporters wore team colors, tailgated, and partied into the night with little trepidation. The friendly served as a warmup for Mexico, which carries momentum from first-place finishes in the Gold Cup and Nations League. Japan, ranked 17th, provided a strong opponent for Javier Aguirre's 13th-ranked squad as Mexico prepares for next year's World Cup.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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