The eternal chant that surrounds the Mexican team is the same one every four years: when the hell are we going to rub shoulders with the cream of world football? By any chance or by chance, the blessed fifth game – and let's not even talk about the big four – is simply denied to us. We love to play like never before to end up losing like always.
In this national drama, Óscar the “Rabbit” Pérez knows it all, all of it. The man had many hours on the field as the only good guy in Korea-Japan 2002 and South Africa 2010, and now it's his turn to break down the matter from the microphone. Therefore, when the “Rabbit” speaks, the race remains silent and listens.
In a tasty talk with La Opinión, the former goalkeeper did not mince words or mince words. He revealed several truths and made it clear that El Tri's jump in the last World Cup was not bad luck, but rather a reflection of what we are on the soccer map.
The eternal “I already deserve” that sweetened our ears
True to his good-natured but direct style, Pérez acknowledged that they sold us mirrors again and we bought the entire combo:
"I think it is our reality. The first phase made us very excited; we thought that now Mexico was going to transcend and go further. But in the end we were left standing at the same customs office as always and no way, we are still stuck there," he said with a trail of reality more attached to resignation.
And, let's face it, the respectable guy let himself be loved by the start. The team led by Javier el “Vasco” Aguirre looked good, ran well and put their legs in with enthusiasm, making even the most skeptical think that this time we did break the curse.
"What was seen at the beginning was pure emotion, something very cool. The team was walking evenly and they advanced walking, with a perfect step. There, even I believed it and I thought we were in for bigger things," confessed the former Cruz Azul goalkeeper. Much ado about nothing
But the “Rabbit” doesn't like to cover the sun with a finger. One thing is the romance of the first matches and another is the harsh reality of the final rounds. For today's Hi Sports and ESPN analyst, Mexican soccer is still trapped in the same labyrinth.
"The bad thing about the story is that we are left in exactly the same rut as other World Cups. You are supposed to go to the big party to improve what you did in the past, to overcome the previous task, but at the moment, it just couldn't be done," he concluded without anesthesia.
In the end, in order not to leave the atmosphere so funereal, the historic goalkeeper preferred to stay with the only consolation that remains for the depleted Aztec fans: the idyll between the stands and the field.
"I'm left with that spark that they spread from the pitch. Seeing the people motivated, happy, enjoying their team and breaking their hearts on the field... that collective enthusiasm was something incredibly cool, isn't it?", concluded the historic goalkeeper.
