San Juan, Mar 17 (EFE).- Puerto Rico went to bed this Friday discouraged and frustrated after its baseball team was eliminated from the 2023 World Classic after losing to Mexico, 5-4, in the quarterfinal round of the tournament world cup.
Hundreds of Puerto Ricans flocked to the T-Mobile District of San Juan to witness the game decided in the seventh inning with a three-run comeback by Mexico to make it 5-4, maintain the lead, get the win and advance to the semifinal round in the IoanDepot Park in Miami, Florida (USA).
Mexico will face Japan next Monday in the semifinal round of the tournament, to which Cuba also advanced, which then awaits the winner between the United States and Venezuela, who will face each other this Saturday.
Only a small group of Mexicans, also carrying their flag and with a small traditional toy known as a matraca, had the audacity to go to the entertainment center and “dance at the top’s house” to support their squad.
The locals, for their part, wearing t-shirts, caps or other clothing alluding to their team, which included men with their hair painted blond in support of “Team Rubio”, stood in front of a large screen located in a square in the District T-Mobile to enjoy the meeting.
The excitement of the Puerto Ricans took hold from the start of the game, when in the first inning they scored their only four runs.
The colors that dominated the T-Mobile District varied between red, blue and white, similar to those of the Puerto Rican flag, known as “La monoestrellada”, for the shirts and caps of the fans who came to the San Juan venue.
The meeting of the hundreds of Puerto Ricans in the entertainment center also included music, led by a group that fused the Puerto Rican plena with the batucada to encourage those present chanting “I am Boricua so you know it”.
It was also in the T-Mobile District where hundreds of Puerto Ricans attended the past matches against Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic to support the ninth, runner-up in the past two editions of the competition.
The support of Puerto Ricans towards sports teams in local and international competitions is not uncommon, much less to gather in large places and celebrate as a family and shout “Puerto Rico! Puerto Rico! Puerto Rico!”.
And this time was no different from other occasions, especially for having in mind and supporting Edwin “Sugar” Díaz, the team’s closer and who unfortunately last Wednesday suffered a serious injury to his right leg after the team’s victory against the Dominican Republic .
However, the optimism of the Puerto Ricans to advance to another round of the World Baseball Classic semifinals ended with the defeat received by Mexico.
