By MARK LORENZANA At a Christmas party that I attended with my wife here in Mexico City on Sunday, Dec. 4, organized by the Philippine Embassy in Mexico, something caught my attention: not just the Filipino food, which my Mexican wife and I both enjoyed immensely, or the fun games and activities, but the Filipino choir that sang during
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By MARK LORENZANA Brazilian soccer superstar Neymar on Monday, Dec. 5, returned from an ankle injury to help his team cruise against South Korea, 4-1, and advance into the World Cup quarterfinals in Qatar. The Seleção scored early in the match, at the seventh minute, courtesy of a goal by Vinícius Júnior, and then Neymar got in on the action
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By MARK LORENZANA Just hours after Roberto Elías Martínez, a control judge in the northern Mexican state of Zacatecas, died of gunshot wounds he had sustained during a shooting by suspected members of a drug cartel the previous day, that state’s main penitentiary, Cieneguillas, registered a violent prisoner riot and attempted prisoner escape on Sunday, Dec. 4, followed by a
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By MARK LORENZANA After a somewhat inconsistent showing in the group stages, England on Sunday, Dec. 4, defeated Senegal, 3-0, in a blowout to barge into the World Cup Quarterfinals in Qatar. Sure, the Three Lions — the oldest international soccer team in the world, having played its first international match against Scotland in 1872 — was dominant in its
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By MARK LORENZANA The Japan National Team, known internationally as Samurai Blue, continued to impress in Qatar as it upset Spain on Thursday, Dec. 1, and eliminated Germany in the process. Japan opened its World Cup campaign with a stunner of a win against Germany on Nov. 23, and subsequently lost a close game to Costa Rica in its second
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By MARK LORENZANA Leave nothing to chance. That statement may be painfully cliché, but it’s something that the players from the Mexican National Team should have taken to heart as early as the first half of their opening game against Poland on Nov. 22, when they played aggressive, controlled possession and had countless shots at goal. One could say that
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By MARK LORENZANA American Soccer superstar Christian Pulisic literally sacrificed his body to send the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) into the knockout round of this year’s FIFA World Cup in Qatar. With his team needing a goal, Pulisic scored in the 38th minute against Iran, but collided with the goalkeeper and ended up in the hospital for an
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By MARK LORENZANA It seemed as though Neymar’s absence for Brazil’s match against Switzerland on Monday, Nov. 28, due to an ankle injury would come to haunt the Seleção, as the South American squad couldn’t find the net for 82 agonizing minutes. Richarlison, the hero for Brazil against Serbia, scoring two goals — one an impressive, athletic shot — on
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By MARK LORENZANA In the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Germany failed to advance to the knockout stage, thanks — or no thanks, depending on whose perspective it is — in large part to an inspired first game by the Mexican National Team. Mexican winger Hirving “Chucky” Lozano’s lone goal back then, against Germany, four years ago, was enough to give
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By MARK LORENZANA Brazilian forward Richarlison came through for his team in Qatar after teammate Neymar suffered an ankle injury and limped off the field, giving the Seleção a 2-0 win against a tough and physical Serbian team on the afternoon of Thursday, Nov. 24 (Mexico City time). Richarlison, who also plays for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, initially scored
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