All 9 Mexican soccer games this weekend with be closed to public because of swine flu

Mexico weekend soccer games will be without fans

MEXICO CITY — All nine Mexican first-division soccer games this weekend will be played behind closed doors, a move aimed at stemming the spread of swine flu.

Three games last weekend around the capital were played without fans. The Mexican Football Federation said Tuesday it’s closing off all games with the outbreak continuing to spread.

“This decision was made … in full awareness of the health emergency confronting Mexico,” the federation said.

The nine games are Tecos-Pumas, Cruz Azul-Ciudad Juarez, Monterrey-America, Pachuca-Jaguares, Chivas-Puebla, Morelia-Atlas, Necaxa-Atlante, Toluca-Tigres and Santos-San Luis.

CONCACAF, soccer’s governing body in North and Central America and the Caribbean, also said it’s postponing its Beach Soccer Championship, which was scheduled to begin Wednesday in Puerto Vallarta.

The announcement came a day after the organization canceled the remainder of its under-17 tournament “to safeguard the health of players, officials and fans.” The semifinals, featuring Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico and the United States, had been scheduled for Wednesday in the border city of Tijuana.

CONCACAF said it was evaluating different options with local authorities and has not set a new date for the beach championship.

The effort to contain the swine flu outbreak was hitting Mexico’s 18 first-division clubs the hardest. Matches draw 200,000 to 300,000 fans each weekend.

Mexico sports newspaper Record estimated clubs could lose about $2 million in ticket sales if all matches are closed. Clubs rely on ticket sales for the majority of their revenue.

Mexicans playing soccer abroad are also under scrutiny. Striker Carlos Vela was allowed to return to practice Tuesday for English club Arsenal. He was kept out of Monday’s practice over concerns about a visit of friends from Mexico.

Panic is evident.

On Tuesday, a Necaxa club official shrugged off reports that forward Alejandro Castillo had come down with swine flu. Team spokesman Rosendo Duhart Gonzalez said Castillo, a substitute player, was treated in a hospital for simple flu.

“He’s feeling better … and there’s no way he had swine flu,” the spokesman said.

Mexican baseball league officials also announced Tuesday that all games will be played behind closed doors until at least Thursday.

Volleyball’s world governing body said it was considering moving, postponing or canceling the women’s junior world championship set for Tijuana from July 16-25. FIVB official Theofanis Tsiokris said the group was “carefully considering the situation in Mexico and is analyzing all relevant issues.”

Swine flu is suspected of killing more than 150 people in Mexico.

A regional basketball tournament to qualify teams for the world championship next year in Turkey may also be at risk. The 10-team event is set for Aug. 26-Sept. 6 in Mexico City and Mexicali.

“It’s very early to say that the tournament’s in doubt, but if the epidemic grows — obviously we’re not going to put anyone at risk,” said Horacio Murature, president of FIBA Americas.

CONCACAF also postponed the second leg of its Champions League final, which was scheduled for Wednesday in Cancun between Mexican clubs Cruz Azul and Atlante. The game will be played May 12. Atlante won the first matchup 2-0.

A top Mexico City baseball team is also moving its games this week to northern Mexico, a weekend diving tournament was held without any fans, and NASCAR Mexico has called off this weekend’s race in the central city of San Luis Potosi.