‘It’s going to be awesome’: Mexico-USA rivalry takes center stage at WBC

HOUSTON — They stomped their feet, danced in the aisles, screamed, sang, partied, and proudly waved their green, white and red Mexican flags Sunday night in every single section of Daikin Park.

When the crowd of 36,380 finished singing a rendition of “El Rey’’ at the end of the game, they headed to the parking lots, climbed into their cars, and horns could be heard blaring for more than an hour after the game.

And this was for a simple ho-hum game against an outmatched Brazilian team, winding up in a 16-0 rout, called after six innings with the mercy rule being implemented after Julian Ornelas’ two-run home run, the third-largest blowout in World Baseball Classic history.

So imagine what the raucous atmosphere will be like Monday night (8 p.m. ET on FOX) when Mexico takes on powerful Team USA in their critical World Baseball Classic matchup at Daikin Park in Houston, with a little trash-talking already being exchanged between the two rivals.

“It’s going to be insanely loud,’’ Mexico first baseman Rowdy Tellez says. “It’s going to be sold out, standing room only, and everyone going crazy. The Mexican fans and the U.S. fans are high-energy, and they’ve both been anticipating this game. It’s going to be awesome.

“Really, this is what everyone’s been waiting for since the last time we played them.’’

The teams last met back in 2023, when Mexico stomped USA, 11-5, en route to reaching the semifinals, and was three outs away from eliminating Japan in the semifinals. They were the team that would have faced the USA in the championship game, with the Shoehi Ohtani-Mike Trout matchup never existing.

And, as everyone in Mexico will tell you, they were convinced that if they had gotten past Japan, they would have beaten the USA in the championship game, just as they have the last three times they’ve played.

Now, they’ve got their chance again, knowing that a victory will put them in the driver’s seat for a spot in the quarterfinals, with the opportunity to become the first sports team from Mexico to win an international championship.

“If that happens, you’re going to see a party in Mexico like you’ve never seen,’’ says Vinny Castilla, Mexico bench coach and former All-Star third baseman, born and raised in Oaxaca, Mexico. “It would be the greatest sports moment in the history of Mexico. It would be unbelievable. I don’t even have the words to even imagine what it would be like.’’

Well, Mexico manager Benji Gil certainly can, and already is envisioning the country-wide celebration.

“That’s going to be awesome to be the first team to win the championship in Mexico,’’ Gil tells USA TODAY Sports. “I can see myself at the ballpark hoisting the trophy, and just watching all of our players and coaches and staff celebrating with their families, and red and green confetti coming down.

“Yeah, it’s going to be special.’’

Teams Mexico knows the road to the title goes through the United States, at least in this Pool B, and with a victory Monday it could virtually write its ticket to the quarterfinals, leaving Mexico three victories away from winning the WBC championship.

“It’s going to be unbelievable,’’ Castilla said. “I don’t know the words to describe how happy we would be to win it all, man. I mean, especially with all of the names the other teams have like USA, Dominican and Venezuela.

“We have a great team, we know we can do this.’’

While Team Mexico certainly respects Team USA, there is absolutely no fear. When Gil announced that 37-year-old Manny Barreda, who pitched last season for the Wei Chuan Dragons of Taiwan, would be their starter against Cy Young winner Paul Skenes, Gil was immediately reminded about USA manager Mark DeRosa’s comments a day earlier.

“Honestly, I think we have the best 30 players in the world in that clubhouse,’’ DeRosa said Saturday night, “and they’re coming together as a team. I don’t really think it’s going to matter who [Mexico] starts.’’

Gil’s reaction?

‘Do you want me to get into a pickle here?’ Gil said. “But, yeah, he’s right. It doesn’t matter who is the opener for us. And I can say the same thing about them. It doesn’t matter. It’s an American pitcher against a Mexican pitcher. One is going to play against the other.

“Does he have the 30 best players in the world. I think the Dominican Republic has something to say about that. I think Japan has something to say about that, too. I don’t know if they have the best 30 players out there, but the Dominican Republic should have the right. Japan should have the right to say something. Venezuela should have the right to say something as well.

“I don’t know if they’re the best in the world. We just want to be the best players of that day.’’

Gil took a breath, and kept going.

“They are a super team,’’ he said. “They have a roster full of stars. They got All-Stars, MVP candidates, Cy Youngs, Golden Gloves, Silver [Sluggers]. But it’s not about rewards, it’s about a game. And we’re going to go out there and give it our best.’’

Mexico knows they will have the home-field advantage, even though they technically are the visiting team. Houston has the third-largest Hispanic population in the country, with more than 600,000 residents born in Mexico, and nearly 12 million Hispanics and Latinos residing in Texas.

The place will be jammed, it will be loud, and the Mexico fans will definitely be ready to celebrate long into the night with a victory over their bitter rivals.

“It’s a big ticket,’’ Gil said. “It’s not just a baseball game, it’s one of the most anticipated baseball events of the year. … We have such fans, countrymen who saved money, probably two or three weeks worth of salary, to travel and come here. I appreciate all of them.’’

It wouldn’t be this way, of course, if Team Mexico was a pushover, but they’re for real, and they’re a serious threat to USA’s title hopes.

“Credit to the ugly duckling, which is Mexico,’’ Gil said, “that maybe never should have been their rival, but we’ve done it by doing our job on the field.’’

Indeed, Mexico-USA has blossomed into a rivalry since Mexico has given the Americans fits. Mexico hasn’t lost to the United States in the WBC since 2006, losing the first game 2-0, and winning the three games since, outscoring USA, 18-8.

“We love representing Mexico,’’ Tellez. “We’re Mexican. We’re proud of where we’re from, so for us to come here and be able to wear Mexico in the front means everything for us. And with every win, we just bring more and more pride to the country. We know that soccer is the No. 1 sport, but we want to be neck-and-neck.

“But if we win this WBC, we’ll go down as the greatest Mexican sports team in the history of the country.’

While this is easily the most talented team that USA has fielded, it’s also Mexico’s best team, too, even with only one major league starting pitcher in Taijuan Walker, who pitched 3 1/3 hitless innings Sunday. Their newcomers include Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran, catcher Alejandro Kirk, shortstop Joey Ortiz and infielder Nick Gonzales. They also have perhaps the most talented bullpen at the back end with All-Star closer Andres Munoz, Robert Garcia, Javier Assad and Robert Garcia.

“We still think about how close we were last time, and it motivates us, because we proved what we can do,’’ Team Mexico GM Rodrigo Lopez, who spent 11 years as a big-league reliever. ‘Now, it’s taking the next step. We have the opportunity to make history in our country.

“We can be the first sports team in Mexico to win a championship.’’

And Mexico can take that massive first step with a victory against USA, showing the world they can beat anyone, and everyone.

“We’re excited to play another great team,’’ Gil said, “and we know they’re great. But we’re just going to try to be just a tiny bit better.

“Even if we win by half a run, we’ll take it.’’

Follow Bob Nightengale on Bluesky and X @Bnightengale.