Thousands of soccer fans hit downtown Atlanta
Alicia Rodriguez said this was the best birthday gift she has received in her 37 years.
Originally from Michoacan, Mexico, she and her three children celebrated her birthday Wednesday by driving from their home in Anderson, S.C., to Atlanta so that all four of them could watch the Mexican national team for the first time.
"I'm happy and excited," she said.
She was one of thousands of fans of "El Tri" who were gathered at the "Futbol Fiesta" party outside the Georgia Dome, waiting for the gates to open so that they could watch their team take on Venezuela.
Some wore the green or white jerseys of Mexico, others wore sombreros with slogans written on them, and others draped themselves in flags in every way imaginable.
For many, this was the first time getting to see their team play.
"It's important to be here," Jordan Martinez, 17, of Atlanta, said. "I never get to see them. They are always in L.A. or out West."
Martinez is one of 470,000 Mexican-Americans living in metro Atlanta, and one of 700,000 Latin-Americans.
And, amid the chants of "Viva Mexico," the air horns, and the drums, there was one fan wearing the maroon of Venezuela.
Karen Medina, 17, laughed when told she seemed to be the only one who wasn't rooting for Mexico.
"I'm really excited because there's no one else here to root for them," Medina, 17, of Sandy Springs said.