THE UNITED STATES and MEXICO are bound together by history, culture and geography. Whether they want to be or not. Their ongoing family drama is more evidence that rivalry is a uniquely compelling form of intimacy. In “Sibling Rivalry,” Hal Phillips investigates the fluid, centuries-old associations between the two nations, on field and off. He explores thw byzantine border dynamics, their economic and cultural anxieties, and the North American Derby’s stunning evolution from a one-sided nothing-burger to an intensely contested, ever-escalating blood feud. The partisans are front and center here, but Phillips also draws on the personal narratives of transnational players and fans, breathing more life and nuance into this thoroughly North American story.
San Zusi, the North American Derby's 21st-century Patron Saint. Click above to learn more about Graham's Canonization.
Envy & Scorn Furnish this Rivalry with Curiously Intimate form of Codependence
See below a brief excerpt from Chapter 1 of Sibling Rivalry, 400-odd words that help explain what 200 years of envy and scorn can do to a sporting rivalry. But first, a shout-out to photographer Tony Quinn, whose work is featured throughout the book. This image above captures the unalloyed bliss produced by yet another Dos a Cero! in Columbus, Ohio, on Sept. 10, 2013. The U.S. fan base has become so enamored of 2-0 scoreline, many believe Clint Dempsey botched an injury-time penalty to preserve it. As USMNT vet Cobi Jones was moved to Tweet shortly afterward: Dempsey missed on purpose. #dosacero ... Excerpt: The emotional stakes that make a rivalry rarely take hold in the psyches of either party at the same time, with the same levels of intensity, according to the same sentimental logic. Perfectly symmetrical relations are hard to identify, actually. One party always cares a little more than the other, and that’s where US vs. Mexico stood in 1980. Up to that point, and for the next ten [...]
Lee Nguyen, Still a Great Story. But I Had it First!
Sometimes, when a fellow journalist publishes or posts a story one wanted for himself, the knee-jerk response is annoyance. But Tom Hindle’s fine September piece on former U.S. Men’s National Team luminary Lee Nguyen, for goal.com, brought a genuine smile to my face — despite the fact that I was poised to write Nguyen’s story myself. Back in 2009! Sports Illustrated had agreed to commission that feature, and full disclosure: In the end, I was the one who pulled the plug. What’s more, once the Texas-born Nguyen had returned to the U.S. in 2011, following his extraordinary goal fest in the Vietnamese first division, he subsequently enjoyed 8 productive years in Major League Soccer. Today, it’s altogether fitting that his remarkable journey — now even more fulsome, thanks to a promising coaching strint with the NWSL’s Seattle Reign — has finally been given its due. Still, since 2009, these milestones have felt, to me, like downstream developments to my story! Here’s why: Early in the first Obama Administration, I was living with my [...]
‘What the rivalry means on both sides of the border’
“Hal Phillips examines how the rivalry grew from the heartland of Ohio to Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca, and what the rivalry means on both sides of the border: the shame of Mexicans, the insecurities on both sides, the envy and scorn the two opponents feel about each other in one of international soccer’s most unique and surely complicated rivalries. Really interesting book. Phillips gives also us an important history lesson, not just on the USA-Mexico soccer rivalry and the evolution of the sport in both countries, but on the interdependence between neighboring nations.”
‘Top-Notch Storytelling’
“Starting with Seamus Malin’s terrific Intro, Hal Philllps’ take on the complex U.S.-Mexico soccer rivalry is nuanced, layered, and deeply felt. Top-notch storytelling for anyone interested in understanding what is really going on beneath the surface whenever the U.S. Men line up against El Tri.”
‘A history more complex than participants and supporters can imagine’
“Back in the day, when we were trying to convince editors about a growing audience for soccer, Hal Phillips’ generation came along to back us up. Then, they started carrying the ball — playing the game at a decent level and, now, telling the tales. This is a story that touches home, taking us to origins that predate the first U.S.-Mexico encounter, in 1934, and outlining a history more complex than participants and supporters can imagine. This book untangles the complexities and explains how, despite a clash of cultures, the U.S. and Mexico appear to be finding common ground. Surprisingly, considering most soccer rivalries are eternal, Phillips reveals this one could be headed in an unexpected direction leading up to the 2026 World Cup, and beyond.”
