Field conditions aside, Mexico City provides electric atmosphere for Chiefs-Chargers
The flags blanketed the field inside Estadio Azteca, side by side in unity. Red, white and green on the left. Red, white and blue on the right.
As the Star Spangled Banner led off, a portion of the capacity crowd yelled “Chiefs!” over the final word of the last verse. In one loud, booming word, they had made their presence known.
And then they got one-upped. The Mexican crowd stood for its anthem, their voices echoing in unison throughout, a singer left with no option but to shout if she wanted to override the proud hometown fans.
Minutes before kickoff here in Mexico City, the locals in the stands had made the atmosphere distinctly theirs.
And distinct it was.
The NFL’s third trip to Estadio Azteca since 2005 presented a unique environment, a contrast to the league’s 32 home cities Monday, when the Chiefs beat the Chargers 24-17.
“It was amazing, honestly,” Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes said. “We watched videos before we came here of the amazing games and stuff that had been played in this stadium before, so to be a part of that is awesome. Something I’ll be able to tell my kids, hopefully, later in life.
“And then the fans were amazing. They really were. They were cheering the whole game. It was loud. It was a great atmosphere.”
There were mixtures of boos and cheers for both teams during the pre-game player introductions, supplying a college-like feel in terms of partiality. Recognized as the home team, the Chargers had a larger following, if only slightly.
It didn’t matter. Mahomes drew the loudest roar as he approached midfield for the coin toss. Other Chiefs were booed for no particular reason. The noise grew with each big play, no matter who made it on the divot-riddled field.
And through it all, one consistency remained.
The noise.
“I loved every moment of it,” said Chiefs safety Daniel Sorensen, who sealed the win with an interception. “The people have been great. The stadium (and) the environment have been awesome. We’ve been treated so well here. We love the people and their passion for the game.”
The anticipation picked up long before kickoff. The fans reacted to each player shown on the small JumboTron screens inside a venue that opened in 1962. The Chiefs were even booed — rather noticeably — as position groups trickled onto the field more than an hour before kickoff.
Some fans packed Mexico City for a walk to the stadium, others hanging out in nearby hospitality areas. They dressed in an assortment of NFL jerseys. Mahomes, sure. Phillip Rivers, sure. But also Tom Brady and Drew Brees, Ben Roethlisberger and Cam Newton. Heck, one even wore a Roger Staubach uniform. Staubach last played in 1979.
According to the league’s own research, Mexico is home to 22 million NFL fans. The league says one-third of those are “avid” fans.
But they’re still learning. Ten minutes before kickoff, the venue offered an instructional video of sorts, complete with Spanish references to The Office and Chappelle’s Show ... with English subtitles. Investing in the fact the game served as the Chargers’ home date, the video directed fans to cheer loudly on L.A.’s defensive third downs. (Many obliged.)
But they still erupted as the Chiefs scored the game’s initial three touchdowns. Loudly when tight end Travis Kelce extended for a difficult catch in the end zone.
“I was happy to play in front of these fans,” Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu said. “It looked like it was a packed house. They stayed all the way through the game — that was real encouraging.”
They packed the stadium full. They stayed late. They even remained in their seats during halftime, joining in song as lyrics played over the screens like karaoke.
For one night, they made the NFL their own.
This story was originally published November 18, 2019 at 9:57 PM with the headline "Field conditions aside, Mexico City provides electric atmosphere for Chiefs-Chargers."