Understanding the ‘Amexican’; the next generation U.S Soccer fan.

As a an avid fan of the US National Team, and member of the American Outlaws supporters’ group, I was appalled by some of the things I had read regarding fan behavior towards American fans at the Gold Cup final. This was neither the first time the US faced Mexico at an important match nor at a top tier Hispanic market. The beer and objects throwing, jeering of the national anthem, foul language, etc…are just inexcusable forms of behavior regardless of the circumstances surrounding the event. Most disconcerting is the fact that this happened within our own walls, not in Mexico or Central America.

The blame of what took place in Pasadena can be placed on different parties including CONCACAF, the USSF and even the USMNT fans (where were we?). But to use this occasion as a launching pad for anti-immigrant sentiment and to speak against the growing trend of this nation’s multiculturalism is just plain ignorance . It’s evident the individuals making such suggestions are neither knowledgeable of the inherent nature of the sport nor are they aware of what this speaks regarding the growth of the sport in the U.S.

As much as I want to remain upset, the logical and rational side of my brain allows me to recognize that the behavior depicted by Mexican fans is no different than any seen across the world as it relates to intense sport rivalries. One might argue that this behavior is actually common for a sport like soccer, which due to its trajectory, is filled with historical clubs and organizations that represent oppressed and undermined societies that often use soccer stadiums as an outlet to let their sentiments out.

As a sport, we have learned that soccer transcends identity and historical landmarks like no other source of all-consuming indulgence. You don’t need to go too far to learn how the Glasgow Celtics served as a hub for persecuted Irish Catholics living in Scotland in the late 19th century; how FC Barcelona’s motto (“more than a club”) truly means what this organization represents to Catalan culture; and how major clubs throughout Europe have often been utilized as platforms for political movements.

What we saw in Pasadena was just another example of specific segments within a society coming together to support a ‘cause’. It’s a well-documented fact that the Mexican National Team U.S. tour is typically a sold out event at each city where lands. The matches are more than just a cultural or regular sporting event; to Mexican fans living in the U.S, the property appeals to their sense of culture, nationalism and nostalgia. It has the ability to create an ‘Avid fan’ out of someone who would have been a casual fan at their home country.

But what we are missing is the opportunity that this represents from a marketing and U.S. soccer fan perspective. The ‘Amexican’, as we would like to refer to them, is the second/third generation Mexican-American , bicultural and assimilated, who fluently speaks both languages and supports soccer in both countries. Due to the relative youth of soccer in the U.S. (keeping in mind that the USMNT have only been relevant to the World of soccer since 1990; and that the MLS is barely 15 years old ) they were raised in a household where soccer was only relevant to their Mexican heritage.

These fans would be the ‘Grey’ states, the ‘battlegrounds’ if you will, of soccer in the U.S. They are often forced to pick a side between the US and Mexico during the ‘rivalry’ (most often supporting Mexico), but supporting the other team when this match is not on schedule. There are cases when these fans show up at USA-Mexico matches wearing a uniform that supports both. And though there really aren’t any studies to quantify what this segment represents in the overall soccer landscape, we estimate that 33% of Mexican National Team fans can be considered ‘Amexicans’.

While the concept was first brought to surface by Univision (“El equipo de todos” when they only had rights to the USMNT and not the Mexican National Team) we are now seeing brands like Nike trying to appeal to this feeling by creating a jersey that speaks to both cultures.

And, while U.S. National Team fans may have felt alone during this match, the impressive sight of the Rose Bowl Stadium on June 26th suggests that a new wave of ‘Amexicans’ are on their way. A segment from which our beloved USMNT will benefit from in years to come.

In the meantime, we should all take exception to claims that the occurrences at the Rose Bowl on June 26th were signs of an anti-American movement happening within our walls. Instead, we should take this for all that it really meant: the two toughest kids going at it in the school backyard.

About Oscar Allain – Oscar is a Multicultural Marketing professional, with close to 10 years of Hispanic Marketing experience. His two main areas of expertise are: 1) Helping brands leverage sponsorship of Hispanic/Soccer platforms and 2) Development of strategic, tactical and creative thinking based quantitative and qualitative data. He is currently an Account Director for Multicultural Marketing at Octagon, where he works under the Group Director to help lead the agency’s US Hispanic soccer efforts and the development of 360-degree programs for clients such as Allstate and Sprint. His work for both Allstate and Sprint include the management of onsite experiential marketing initiatives to help create awareness of the brands’ sponsorship of the Mexican National soccer team and the CONCACAF Gold Cup (respectively). Oscar also leads the division’s research efforts as it relates to new business.