Dirty players

The ref called the more egregious fouls but otherwise let it go...
In our game, one of their (suspiciously) big kids literally picked up one of our boys and slammed him to the ground, wrestling style. Both got yellows.

That said, my boys and some of their team mates play in a Mexican indoor league and it’s wild. You’d have to pretty much murder someone before they call a foul but it’s all played in good spirits and has definitely toughened them up. You learn to move the ball pretty quick when you’re about to be body slammed onto the wall.
 
In our game, one of their (suspiciously) big kids literally picked up one of our boys and slammed him to the ground, wrestling style. Both got yellows. That said, my boys and some of their team mates play in a Mexican indoor league and it’s wild. You’d have to pretty much murder someone before they call a foul but it’s all played in good spirits and has definitely toughened them up. You learn to move the ball pretty quick when you’re about to be body slammed onto the wall.
In our game, one of their (suspiciously) big kids literally picked up one of our boys and slammed him to the ground, wrestling style. Both got yellows.

That said, my boys and some of their team mates play in a Mexican indoor league and it’s wild. You’d have to pretty much murder someone before they call a foul but it’s all played in good spirits and has definitely toughened them up. You learn to move the ball pretty quick when you’re about to be body slammed onto the wall.
latino league is great for that. The other thing about Latino league, though, is that it’s all for fun. Sure there’s a trophy, but a kids dad isn’t as likely to go off on him if he misses a shot on a 1v1. There’s the attitude that sure we want to win but it’s just a game. My kid for example will after he’s handled the ball put it down and dribble it to the half just for giggles, which he’d never do on a club team. And I’ve seen Latino league players fight and coaches go off on the ref but ultimately there’s (usually) no real hard feelings.

Where the combination is bad is when suddenly winning the game becomes blown out of proportion because of the expectations of parents, a coach, or the demands of a particular club. When the refs are hamstrung but rules (no cards) or politics it becomes even more out of control. And when there isn’t a sense of shared community because it’s a valley Latino team v the white team from Pasadena (they are literally playing different versions of the same game with completely different expectations and understanding)
 
I wouldn't have thought so. But my daughter just played a team that was clearly taught to play dirty. If you played, you know there is a difference between playing physical, people not in control of their bodies, and those that play dirty. These 9 year old girls were trying to injure, pull hair/jerseys, checks/ hits long after the ball was passed, etc.
Which team was this?
 
It's not a cultural thing. It's a different interpretation of the game. The Mexican game takes the trifling exception to the very extreme and physical play (including such fouls) are considered an essential part of the game. You see it in the underletter league under 12 all the time on the boys side whenever you go up against a traditionally latino team. In one Coast game when my kid was U11, the opposing coach was screaming in Spanish "bring them down...put them in the hospital...don't let the f'ers ever get back up" in front of a Latino ref. The ref called the more egregious fouls but otherwise let it go...part of the problem is U12 refs are discouraged from giving cards with even the more egregious fouls.

Interesting. I grew up playing with mostly "Latin" players and they were soft... relative to their white, less skilled counterparts.
 
Interesting. I grew up playing with mostly "Latin" players and they were soft... relative to their white, less skilled counterparts.
I play pickup with a very diverse crowd, and it's noticeable that the South Americans will writhe in pain on virtually any contact so that a foul is called (we ref ourselves and encourage people to call out their own fouls). One of my Chilean pals confessed they're taught to do that as soon as they start playing to try and gain an advantage and it's a hard habit to shake.
 
My son went to play in a Norwalk mexican league after getting invited one free weekend. He was playing well and towards the end of the second half one of the kids for no reason just two foot slid on him with cleats up above my kid's shins, got a red and that was the last time we ever came back.
 
My son went to play in a Norwalk mexican league after getting invited one free weekend. He was playing well and towards the end of the second half one of the kids for no reason just two foot slid on him with cleats up above my kid's shins, got a red and that was the last time we ever came back.
If you have to say "mexican league," is it safe to say your son is not Mexican?
 
If you see dogs and a boom box playing mariachi music, it's Sunday league.
I was just going back 27 years ago to the days of the "Mexican League" I played in on Sundays at the El Monte/Whittier Narrows fields off the 60 and 605. It was pure fun and a blast. I got the call up to the big team because the regular GK got hurt and my father-in-law was team manager and needed me big time. He heard from my wife I played 8 years AYSO. The reason this league was called the Mexican League was because each of the teams had names from professional teams in Mex. As a Gringo, I thought everyone that played in the league was Mexican except me. Anyway, I got to get really close to my back line and one was from Guatemala, one was from Brazil, one was from Chile and one from Honduras. In fact, only our Striker and CM and back up forward was from Mexico. Silly me, lol!
 
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