Amid boos and expulsion, Mexico draws 0-0 with Japan

▲ Raúl Jiménez wins the ball from Kauro Mitoma yesterday at the Oakland Coliseum. AP Photo

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, September 7, 2025, p. 9

Since past World Cup cycles, Mexico has faced a critical current arguing that the national team has lost the hierarchy that years ago built its role models. Former players and coaches maintain that matches are no longer won solely by pronouncements, but are instead defined by true leaders, and if anything, by the youngest. Against Japan, coach Javier Aguirre found neither. At times, he tried to compete with quick actions and set tactics, but the Asian giant—the first to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup—established a dominance in which no tricolor player, including the experienced Edson Álvarez and Raúl Jiménez, managed to break the 0-0 deadlock to overturn this theory.

Of that winning squad in the Concacaf Nations League and the 2025 Gold Cup, the only one to continue his leading role was goalkeeper Luis Ángel Malagón, who resisted the Japanese team's attacks when César Montes and Johan Vásquez were most in trouble in central defense. Neither could contain the speed of Wataru Endo and Takefusa Kubo, stars at Liverpool in England and Real Sociedad in Spain. Aguirre's own assistant, Rafael Márquez, spoke up from his technical area to order the work of the two Mexican towers. His work was of little use. Not because Malagón was forced to intervene in more shots on goal, but because of the expulsion of Montes, whose performance ended in the final minutes due to a mistimed kick at a Japanese opponent.

In a single friendly, the Tricolor had three different captains: Álvarez (injured), Montes (expelled), and Johan Vásquez, center back for Genoa in Italy. The more than 50,000 spectators at the Oakland Coliseum directed hisses and boos at them and the rest of the national team players chosen by Aguirre after 90 minutes of heartbreak and pain in football terms. During that time, only shots from Erik Lira and Alexis Vega managed to trouble goalkeeper Zion Suzuki, born in the United States but with Japanese roots thanks to his mother. Most striking was the poor performance of the Mexican duo that is expected for the 2026 World Cup, Raúl Jiménez and Santiago Giménez, not only ineffective in their attacks on the penalty area but also lacking a sense of community.

As in Russia 2018 and Qatar 2022, the national team raised the same questions about the lack of role models. Hirving Lozano's return after a lengthy disciplinary suspension excited fans in Oakland, but Chucky , a far cry from the man he was in the victory over Germany seven years ago, joined the long list of players singled out from the stands on their way to the locker room amid boos. In the other friendly on this FIFA date, South Korea—Mexico's opponent this Tuesday—defeated the United States 2-0 in New Jersey.

▲ At 40, Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo maintains a unique and impressive footballing quality. Photo by AFP

From the Editorial Staff, AP and AFP

La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, September 7, 2025, p. 9

At 40 years old, Cristiano Ronaldo scored a brace in Portugal's 5-0 victory over Armenia in the UEFA 2026 World Cup qualifiers, moving him one goal away from equaling the record for all-time goalscorer in World Cup qualifying. With the brace, Ronaldo reached 38 goals in World Cup qualifying for Portugal, surpassing Argentina's Lionel Messi – who has 37 – and is one goal away from Guatemala's Carlos Pescadito Ruiz, who holds the record with 39 goals. El Bicho could break the mark if he scores in Portugal's match against Hungary on Tuesday.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored in the 21st and 46th minutes to propel Portugal to a rout of the Armenians, while Joao Félix also found the net twice (10th and 61st) and Joao Cancelo (32nd) completed the scoring.

Cristiano Ronaldo also extended his record as the top scorer for a national team to 140, confirming his unwavering determination to continue setting milestones in his quest for a sixth World Cup.

England beat Andorra 2-0

England claimed a fourth consecutive victory in as many 2026 World Cup qualifiers, beating Andorra, ranked 174th in the FIFA rankings, 2-0.

The current European runners-up have not conceded a single goal in Group K, which they command before visiting Serbia in Belgrade on Tuesday.

In between, the "Three Lions" had suffered a defeat against Senegal in a friendly, which cast a shadow over the June window for the team led by Thomas Tuchel.

At Villa Park, the German manager lined up with his best available starting XI yesterday, after being deprived of potential starters (Stones, Bellingham, Foden, Palmer, Saka).

The dominance of his team was confirmed after a cross from Noni Madueke that was headed into his own goal by Christian Garcia (25), and with another goal by Declan Rice (67).

Karla Torrijos

La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, September 7, 2025, p. 9

With an own goal from Paola Chavero and another from French player Eugenie Le Sommer, Toluca defeated Pumas 2-1 and secured their second consecutive victory in the 2025 Apertura tournament of the Liga MX Femenil.

Thanks to this result in the matchday 10 match, played yesterday at the Estadio Olímpico Universitario, the Diablas Rojas earned 23 points and moved into third place in the standings, while the Auriazules, who broke a two-game winning streak, remained in fifth place with 19 points.

Both teams came onto the field with great intensity, seeking to open the scoring in the opening minutes. For the Mexican team, Natalia Macías feinted a shot from the center of the box, while the gold and blues' Alejandra Guerrero and Nayeli Bolaños also created threats in the opposing goal, but neither was able to put their team ahead.

The scoreless tie was broken in the 29th minute when, in an unfortunate play, following a pass to the center by the scarlet team, the ball hit Chavero and embedded itself in the university goal, protected by Wendy Toledo, who was unable to prevent the goal.

Lair suffered heat stroke

With a 1-0 lead, Toluca went all out on the attack in search of an extra lead, but their opponents refused to give up, creating a rough game that kept the scoreboards in check before halftime.

The Red Devils got their second goal in their favor (2-0) in the 51st minute through Le Sommer, who connected with a corner kick to send the ball into the back of the net.

Shortly after, Toluca's manager, Frenchman Patrice Lair, had to leave the match after allegedly suffering from heat exhaustion, and was taken to a hospital for medical attention.

When the match resumed, the Auriazules reduced the deficit on the scoreboard in the 76th minute, after their top scorer, Portuguese Stephanie Ribeiro, who at the start of the match was recognized by club president Luis Raúl González for her 100 official matches with Pumas, took advantage of a poor clearance by the visiting goalkeeper, Valeria Martínez, to slot home a powerful cross shot and make it 2-1.

At 85, the scarlet Itzel Muñoz was expelled for pulling an opponent's hair.

▲ In the sixth inning, the Diablos delivered a five-run rally . Pictured here, Rio Ruiz receives honors after hitting a home run. Photo courtesy of Diablos Rojos del México

Juan Manuel Vázquez

La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, September 7, 2025, p. a10

A 17th title was so elusive after a decade of failed attempts that this season the Diablos Rojos were convinced they would fight for a second consecutive crown in the Mexican Baseball League's King's Series . It was more of a certainty than just a wish. Well, the Escarlatas are already well on their way to that mission after winning the Southern Zone championship in six games against the fearsome Campeche Pirates at Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium. Yesterday's score was a resounding 12-6, earning them their fourth and definitive victory.

The Diablos suffered in this regional title series against Piratas, a courageous team that on more than one occasion held off the famous Scarlet attack. With excessive effort, the Rojos tied in Campeche and then secured a victory to return home for the sixth game of the series at Harp Helú. They only needed a win to win the regional championship again and be on the verge of the 18th title, which already has a place in the Infierno's trophy cabinet.

When the Pirates spend more time on land than at sea, they acquire the name filibusters, a corruption of the original freeboat . And this Campeche team has moved so far inland into Mexico City that it has lost the danger it displayed when it played on the coast.

The Devils were slow to wake up. In a Harp Helú Stadium packed to the outfield stands, fans milled through the aisles and shared the optimism of celebrating the South Zone championship yesterday afternoon.

But the Pirates were coming for a prize, and without wasting any time, they went ahead with a knife between their teeth. Two runs immediately to scare the hell out of them. Connor Hollis and former Devil Jesús Fabela stepped on the plate to make the score 2-0 in the first inning, in which they put on a display for Scarlet starter Brooks Hall, who seemed a little unsure of the responsibility.

The Reds seemed tame against such a tough Pirates team. Only a bat as reliable as Robinson Canó's could bring some calm, and he drove in Carlos Sepúlveda's run with a single to keep the visitors from escaping and take a 2-1 lead.

However, in the first innings, the Filibusteros were determined to find a tie in Mexico City. They stepped on the plate twice more in the second inning , and the Diablos fell behind 4-1, with no hope of a solution in sight from the Reds' mound, which was unable to quell the threat from Campeche.

The Return of the Pingos

The Capitals' comeback came in the fourth inning with three runs that turned things around. Venezuelan José Pirela sent Julián Ornelas home , and a home run by Rio Ruiz added two more. The tie game gave a new direction to manager Lorenzo Bundy's team, with a prodigious eye for selecting players, and now it looked like they could put the champagne on ice.

From there, the Reds regained the fury that earned them the nickname of playing like the devil himself. In the fifth inning, they again stepped on the plate three times. They ran the bases in a parade of batters; Ornelas drove in Sepúlveda's run, and Marmolejos drove in Canó's and Ornelas's. The Pirates' mound was crumbling, and Tyler Thomas came out, his nerves shattered, so his teammate Bustamante could get the third out .

The Pirates behaved like true filibusters on the ground and proved their threat was well-founded. Two runs in the sixth inning made it 6-7 and once again made the Scarlets sweat. Before their 17th league championship, they had lost at this stage to the Leones de Yucatán and Pericos de Puebla.

They had to strike, or the Pirates could have a tough time and revive old fears. Then came the "damned sixth" for the Campeche team. The Devils handed them a five-run rally . The pitcher wanted to avoid risks and issued a walk to the dangerous Canó; a bad idea; he had a full base, and that was the beginning of disaster. They scored five runs, including a horse-drawn one when he issued another walk and the bases were occupied. The result was a resounding 12-6 victory, which will send the Pirates back with a pitiful haul of chips.

Now comes the toughest part for the Diablos, who will face Charros de Jalisco starting Wednesday in the King's Series . The Guadalajara native is an underdog, and that makes them even more dangerous, especially as they hope to reverse their 54-year streak without winning a league championship.

Sputnik

La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, September 7, 2025, p. a10

Havana, Cuba. The United States government has yet to approve the Cuban baseball team's request to participate in the 2026 World Baseball Classic, Foreign Minister Bruno Rodríguez denounced yesterday, calling this "delay" part of Washington's aggressive policy toward the island.

"The US government has not yet approved the @MLB request for the #Cuba team's participation in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. This delay is part of the current aggressive US policy against the Cuban people and attempts to hinder the development of our sport and the participation of #TeamAsere," the Cuban foreign minister wrote on social media.

The Caribbean island was scheduled to play in Puerto Rico in the World Cup between March 5 and 17 of next year, after being placed in Group A with Colombia, Panama, and Canada. Mexico will also participate in the tournament, which is hosted by Miami, United States, and Tokyo, Japan.

On Friday, Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said the United States was once again "punishing" baseball by not approving the Caribbean nation's participation in the sixth World Baseball Classic, while the rest of the teams submitted rosters.

In the president's opinion, this is "a political exclusion that violates the spirit of sport," and Cuba deserves "equal conditions."

For its part, the Cuban Baseball and Softball Federation (FCBS) released a protest note on Friday because they have not been invited to complete the necessary procedures to participate in the tournament.

The event organizers stated that, despite requesting participation well in advance, they do not have the approval of the U.S. government, the FCBS reported, noting that this is a "discriminatory policy" against Cuban baseball players.

He also noted that the United States regulations preventing Cuban athletes from attending the event are contrary to the spirit of sportsmanship.

Cuba has been the victim of "unfair, unequal, and politically motivated treatment," the federation emphasized, highlighting the achievements of Cuban baseball players that make them worthy of participating in the World Baseball Classic.

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, September 7, 2025, p. a10

Mexican Esmeralda Patiño had a promising debut at the Liverpool 2025 World Boxing Championship by defeating Italian Lucia Elen Ayari, considered one of the tournament favorites, by split decision (3-2).

The Sinaloa native displayed a good strategy from the opening minutes of the fight and managed to land a series of punches that ultimately led to her victory over the European in the 51-kilogram category.

"I thank God. Without him, I wouldn't have this victory. I feel very happy and satisfied. I know I can perform better and push myself even further. It was the first fight, and I'm moving on to the next one," the psychologist commented.

Patiño came into the fight with high morale after taking first place at the Copa América held in Ibagué, Colombia. Her opponent, the U-22 European champion, tried to intimidate her at the start of the fight, but was unable to stop the Mexican's momentum. The first few minutes were filled with constant exchanges, but by the end of the match, the Mexican landed precise punches that tipped the balance in her favor.

At Liverpool's M&S Bank Arena, Ayari pressed aggressively, but Patiño knew how to counterpunch and take advantage of the openings to raise his fist. The judges' scorecards showed 29-28, 29-28, 28-29, 28-29, and 29-28.

The Sinaloa native's next fight will be on Tuesday against Mungunsaran Balsan of Mongolia, who defeated Yaroslava Marynchuk of Ukraine. The winner will advance to the quarterfinals, where she will face either Feruza Kazakova or Caroline de Almeida.

In other results, Almendra González (65 kg) fell 0-5 to Anna Julia Jenni of Switzerland and Diana Paloma Pérez (57 kg) was defeated 0-5 by Bojana Gojkovic of Montenegro.

The event is the first organized by World Boxing, which will also be in charge of all tournaments, including the Olympic event.

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, September 7, 2025, p. a11

Aryna Sabalenka knelt on the Arthur Ashe Stadium court, covered her face with both hands, and celebrated with a huge smile after winning the U.S. Open final.

The defending champion from Belarus defeated Amanda Anisimova 6-3, 7-6 to become the first woman to win the tournament in consecutive years since Serena Williams more than a decade ago.

"All of this wouldn't be possible without the support of my team. Sometimes I'm very hard on them, but in the end, the results came," she said.

World No. 1 Sabalenka claimed her fourth career Grand Slam title, all on hard courts. However, it wasn't all rosy.

In the second set, she twice took the lead and won 5-4. At 30-30, she had a chance to score, but sent the ball into the net, giving Amanda a break point.

After that terrible miss, the 27-year-old dropped her racket on the court and flashed a rueful smile. Moments later, Anisimova, a 24-year-old American, took advantage of the break to make it 5-5 and pumped her left fist as some 24,000 fans stood to applaud and cheer.

Just 15 minutes later, Sabalenka was celebrating her victory at Flushing Meadows.

▲ Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka earned her fourth Grand Slam title. Photo: AFP

This season, the Belarusian was runner-up at the Australian Open in January and Roland Garros in May.

“All those hard lessons made it worth it,” he said.

Anisimova, meanwhile, repeated the Wimbledon story when she fell 6-0 in the final against Iga Swiatek, defeating her 18th-seeded opponent.

“I'm impressed with what you've achieved,” she told Sabalenka during the trophy ceremony.

In the men's doubles event, after overcoming three match points , Argentine Horacio Ceballos and Spaniard Marcel Granollers took the title.

“Nobody deserved to lose this match; the level of play was truly incredible,” Ceballos said.

Eala, champion in Guadalajara

Filipino Alexandra Eala claimed her first WTA 125 title. The 20-year-old left-hander had to come from behind at the Guadalajara Open to defeat Hungarian Panna Udvardy 1-6, 7-5, 6-3.

The second seed in the Guadalajara tournament had a great reaction after a disconcerting start in which its rival dominated at will.

Alexandra, who is seen as the jewel of the Rafael Nadal Academy, was a finalist this year at the WTA 250 in Eastbourne and reached the WTA 1000 semifinals in Miami.

With information from Ap

▲ Spanish cyclist Marc Soler attacked with all his might, finishing solo at the finish between Avilés and the La Farrapona pass. Photo by AFP

Afp and Ap

La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, September 7, 2025, p. a11

La Farrapona., Spanish cyclist Marc Soler (UAE Team Emirates) won solo yesterday in stage 14 of the Vuelta a España, between Avilés and the La Farrapona pass, on a day that again saw pro-Palestinian demonstrations at the start due to the participation of the Israel Premier Tech team, which announced it had removed the name from its uniform and replaced it with a star and a “P”.

In the competition, two-time Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard (Visma) retained the red jersey as the overall leader, finishing second on the big climb, ahead of Portugal's Joao Almeida (UAE Team), both 39 seconds behind the race winner after a distance of 135.9 kilometres.

At the finish, Vingegaard earned a two-second bonus over Almeida, widening the overall gap between first and second place to 48 seconds. Shortly before the 17-kilometer climb to La Farrapona, Soler attacked with all his might, finishing alone.

Israel's name removed from jersey

The Israel-Premier Tech team announced it was removing the country's name from its jersey, using only its logo for safety reasons in the wake of pro-Palestine protests in the first two weeks of the competition.

This did not prevent a pro-Palestinian demonstration from breaking out again at the start of the stage, when the riders stopped to cross a narrow road filled with people waving Palestinian flags.

The team said its race-ready blue uniforms now feature only a large P and a star. “In order to prioritize the safety of our riders and the entire peloton, given the dangerous nature of some protests at the Vuelta, Israel-Premier Tech has provided riders with a uniform bearing the team monogram for the remainder of the race,” the team said on its official X account.

“The team name remains Israel-Premier Tech, but the monogrammed uniform now aligns with the branding decisions we've made for our vehicles and casual wear,” he added.

Israel Premier Tech's participation forced the cancellation of last Wednesday's stage in Bilbao. Since then, every race has seen constant accusations against the Israeli team for the State of Israel's genocide in the Gaza Strip.

AP and AFP

La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, September 7, 2025, p. a11

Monza. It takes something special to beat McLaren this year, and Max Verstappen knows just that. The Red Bull driver surprised everyone with great speed and precision to set a record lap and snatch pole position for the Italian Grand Prix from Formula One title contenders Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Verstappen will go down in Formula 1 history not only for his four championships, but also for setting one of the most important records in the discipline: the fastest lap at Monza with a time of 1:18.792 minutes after reaching an average speed of 264.7 kph, beating the mark set in 2020 by Briton Lewis Hamilton (1:18.887).

“Yes, guys, yes. That's incredible,” the Dutchman shouted over the team radio after securing pole position . “Relax here, everything's fine,” he said.

Verstappen set the pace in the final stages of qualifying for today's race at Monza, and Norris couldn't match him, finishing 0.077 seconds behind the Red Bull driver. The other McLaren, that of world championship leader Oscar Piastri, will start on the second row alongside the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc, last year's winner in Italy.

Monza is a particularly conducive track for overtaking, thanks to its endless straights. It's no wonder the track, located northeast of Milan, is known as the "Temple of Speed": drivers spend 80 percent of their time with the engine running at full throttle.

“This season the GPs have been a little more complicated for us, but we'll give it our all,” promised the Dutchman.

It can't be any other way if "Mad Max" wants to hold off the attacks of the powerful McLarens or even Charles Leclerc's Ferrari, fourth on the starting grid.

Thus, Verstappen achieved his 45th pole position and his fifth of the season, although only one of his two victories this year has come from the front of the grid.

Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) posted the fifth-fastest time in qualifying, but will start from tenth on the grid, after being penalized for violating speed regulations at last weekend's Dutch GP. "Starting from that position won't be easy, and strategy will be crucial," said the seven-time world champion. With this penalty, the Mercedes drivers of Englishman George Russell and Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli have moved up one position, meaning they will start from sixth and seventh. Argentine Franco Colapinto will start from 17th, ahead of his Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly.