Mexico Beats South Korea 1-0 as 2018 Fan Bond Draws Thousands in Los Angeles
Updated
Updated · Los Angeles Times · Jun 19
Mexico Beats South Korea 1-0 as 2018 Fan Bond Draws Thousands in Los Angeles
3 articles · Updated · Los Angeles Times · Jun 19
Summary
Thousands of fans in Los Angeles watched Mexico edge South Korea 1-0 on Thursday, with celebrations erupting in Boyle Heights and Koreatown after the final whistle.
The watch parties carried an unusually warm tone because many supporters on both sides still embrace a friendship born in 2018, when South Korea’s upset of Germany helped Mexico reach the World Cup knockout stage.
Fans in red and green jerseys traded selfies, food and chants including “¡Coreano, hermano, ya eres mexicano!”, and several said they had hoped for a draw before Mexico held its one-goal lead.
In Los Angeles, that soccer bond also reflects deeper ties: Koreatown is one of the largest Korean diasporas in the U.S. and is slightly more than half Hispanic, with the communities sharing immigrant histories and recent mutual-aid work.