Futbol drama: The long, strange journey of the Mexican World Cup team

Mexican national coach Javier Aguirre released his preliminary World Cup roster Tuesday, and his decisions were full of surprises, both for who made the list and for who didn't. Among the 17 selected were sure picks, such as goalkeeper Memo Ochoa, defenders Efrain Juarez and Jonny Magallon and forwards Cuauhtemoc Blanco and Javier Hernandez. But among those joining them in next month's training camp were two players who were anything but sure bets: No. 3 goalkeeper Oscar Perez and forward Miguel Sabah.

The Times' Kevin Baxter has been following the team from when all Aguirre would say about the roster was, "The list includes people and lacks people." For more on El Tri's journey to South Africa, you can read Baxter's coverage of the team's preparations for the World Cup, or his profile of Javier Hernandez, who is attempting to become a third-generation member of the national team. But even Baxter can't explain why nearly 1 in 5 Mexicans surveyed said they believed the national team would reach the World Cup final in South Africa when Mexico has never gotten past the quarterfinals -- and the team has not gone that far in 26 years.

Keep reading La Plaza in the coming months for more of Baxter's in-depth coverage of El Tri, and more news from Latin America. 

-- Times staff 

Chile earthquake: Chilean skier to march in Olympics closing ceremony

An Olympic skier from Chile will participate in the closing ceremony after learning her family and friends were safe following the massive earthquake in her country.

Noelle Barahona of Santiago had planned to return home Saturday but could not get a flight. She will remain in the athletes' village instead, her team said Saturday.

Barahona, who is from Santiago, competed in five Alpine events, her best finish 28th in the super-combined.

Chile sent three athletes to the games, all Alpine skiers. The two others skiers had already left Vancouver before the quake struck — Maui Gayme for France, Jorge Mandru for Seattle.

Chile earthquake: Tsunami threat postpones surfing event in Australia

A tsunami warning brought about by the earthquake that struck off the coast of Chile on Saturday has caused event organizers to postpone the ASP World Tour Quiksilver Pro and the ASP Women's World Tour Roxy Pro Gold Coast rounds scheduled for Saturday at Snapper Rocks in Australia.

"We’ve been monitoring the situation with chief meteorologists throughout the night and all projections are indicating the effects to hit the Gold Coast at approximately 8:15 a.m.," said Rod Brooks, Quiksilver Pro contest director.

Continue reading Tsunami threat forces postponement of ASP World Tour events in Australia by Kelly Burgess on Outposts.

Hubertus von Hohenlohe prepares to wrap up his fifth Olympics skiing for Mexico

Fifty-one years old, suited up in an Aztec-themed bodysuit, and with the name of Hubertus von Hohenlohe, Mexico's only athlete in the Vancouver Olympics is perhaps the 'most interesting man' in the 2010 Winter Games.

The alpine skier finished 78th (out of 81 competitors) in the men's giant slalom event this week, and is expected to compete Saturday in the men's slalom.

Regardless of how he finishes, Von Hohenlohe wins points for his highly unusual biography. The skier was born in Mexico City to German royalty, the son of Prince Alfonso Hohenlohe and Princess Ira Fürstenberg, according to Time magazine. That explains the "Prinz" that officially appears before his name.

This is his fifth Olympics representing Mexico, the first being 1984 in Sarajevo. Von Hohenlohe lists his occupation as "artist, businessperson, and photographer" on the Games' official site, and as The Times' Chris Dufresne writes, "Von Hohenlohe lives in Vienna, and spends only two or three weeks a year in Mexico, but that's not really the point, is it?"

Indeed. Von Hohenlohe has generated buzz over his unique look on the slopes -- a brightly colored bodysuit decorated in Mesoamerican-like patterns and an imprint of bandoleers and guns -- making a nod, presumably, to the Mexican Revolution.

"I think I won for artistic impression," the skier said. "It's a pity we get no marks for that, like in figure skating."

And how are other Latin American countries faring so far in Vancouver?

No medals as of Friday, but perhaps that's because only five Latin American countries besides Mexico sent athletes to the 2010 Games. Argentina has seven, Brazil has five, Chile has three, Peru has three (including a 16-year-old) and Colombia has one. All but two Latin American athletes in Vancouver are competing in one form of skiing or another.

-- Daniel Hernandez in Mexico City

Photo: Hubertus Von Hohenlohe of Mexico reacts after finishing his first run of the men's giant slalom in Whistler, Canada, on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2010. Credit: AP Photo/Charlie Riedel 

   

Mexico soccer coach Javier Aguirre apologizes for using a vulgar expression

Javier Aguirre, coach of Mexico's national soccer team, has apologized for using a vulgar expression last week to describe Mexico in reference to the country’s narco-fueled violence.

Aguirre used the term during an interview with a Spanish radio network in which he said that the security situation in Mexico led him to move his children to Madrid. He also mentioned the possibility of returning to a coaching gig in Europe after leading Mexico into the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

"I deeply regret making that [comment] ... in a forum that was inappropriate," Aguirre told reporters in Mexico on Sunday. "We're going to get to work. Believe me, we're going to have a great World Cup. That's the commitment I make today."

-- Daniel Hernandez in Mexico City

A shakeup expected at Chivas USA

It was a sad view: An empty clubhouse, only one player in the locker room. It was no accident that the weeping player was Yamith Cuesta, the Colombian defender whose foul on Mike Magee inside the box resulted in the converted penalty shot by Landon Donovan for the only score of the game, a brutally intense playoff MLS game in the Home Depot Center on Sunday night.

L.A. Galaxy's 1-0 victory (an aggregate of 3-2 in the two-leg match) gave the team, led by Donovan and David Beckham, a ticket to the Western Conference championship game on Friday (Nov. 13) in Carson. It also left Chivas USA with the sour taste of loss for the fourth straight postseason — it lost each time in the first round.

A cleanup should be coming to the Chivas USA team, one with the most connections to Mexico in the MLS. The team owners are Mexican and the fans, for the most part, are also Mexican. However, it is perceived and certainly seen, that the coach, Preki Radosavljevic, prefers to play the non Mexican players. For instance, Eduardo Lillingston, the Mexican forward who led the team in goals this season, played only the last 15 minutes of 180 against Galaxy on Sunday.

Along with the unhappy clubhouse, there is uncertainty about the future of so many players, including Claudio Suárez, Lillingston, Mariano Trujillo and Jesús Padilla, all Mexican. Jorge Flores, a promising Mexican American player, should be back for 2010.

— Ricardo López/HOY

Look for the dramatic video footage taken by HOY of the L.A. soccer battle in the Home Depot Center at www.vivelohoy.com/lagalaxy

Pacquiao thanks Latinos for their support

Just days before his highly anticipated fight against Puerto Rican champion Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas, Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao looks a little distracted this time. 

Pacquiao’s fans, most of them Filipino, filled the Montalban Theater in Hollywood in a send-off for their idol organized by Nike. Pacquiao also took the stage to sing with Melissa R.

Before going on stage, Pacquiao told HOY that he understands the responsibilities of his worldwide fame. The interview took place in a small room with his trainer, Freddie Roach, and about 20 others, including some family members.

The ‘Pacman’ thanked Latino fans for their support. “Les quiero agradecer a los mexicanos” (I want to thank Mexicans), he said in Spanish, when asked about his growing popularity in this community.

Pacquiao said he’s not surprised that so many Latinos admire him, even though nine of his last 10 victories were against Mexican fighters, including greats such as Oscar De La Hoya, Juan Manuel Márquez and Erik Morales.

— Ricardo Lopez/HOY

To read the full story in Spanish this Friday, visit http://www.vivelohoy.com/losangeles