Tokyo Olympics softball: Mexico to take on US in clash of familiar foes and fiancees

After failing to score in their Olympics debut,Mexico'ssoftballplayers came good on their promise that a different team would show up on the second day of the Games.

With their bench ramping up cheering at each turn,Mexicoerased deficits against defending gold medallists Japan and nearly won in extra innings.

Now,Mexicowill need to bring even more fighting energy, as their players described it, to avoid sinking to a third straight loss in the Olympics tournament when theytakeon United States on Saturday.

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Fortunately, it may be easy to muster: nearly all ofMexico's roster hail from the United States, but were effectively passed over for the Olympics run and are qualified to representMexicothrough dual heritage.

Several played for United States previously. Danielle O'Toole, who pitchedMexico's entire 3-2 loss to Japan on Thursday, played on theUSteam in 2017 and 2018 before being cut.

Lead-off hitter Sydney Romero previously competed for the United States, as did starting pitcher Dallas Escobedo, who struggled in a loss to Canada on Wednesday.

The strong links between the two teams are even more personal for some: Shortstops and former pro-league teammates Amanda Chidester of the United States and Anissa Urtez ofMexicolast November became engaged to marry.

Urtez, like others onMexico, said she tried out forMexicobecause she knew "USA wasn't in the cards for me".

Chidester said she and Urtez are "beyond proud of each other for living out our dreams."

U.S. Coach Ken Eriksen told Reuters that his counterparts had excelled at identifying players of Mexican heritage "that were just on the cusp of making it and didn't for whatever reason it was."

"You can't argue with what they are doing right there," he said.

The assemblage was not by chance.Mexicocoach Carlos Caro began scouring rosters ofU.S. colleges for Latinas in 2013, when Tokyo was named Olympics host. He contacted coaches, cousins, everyone he could think of in a years-long recruiting push.

Catcher Sashel Palacios was among the first on board. She roped in Escobedo and the line continued from there.

MexicoSoftballPresident Rolando Guerrero used personal credit cards and sold off real estate to get the team to tournaments, Caro said. After qualifying for the Olympics, the government upped funding.

Palacios said she and others receive criticism on both sides of the border for being a roster of Mexican Americans. Critics inMexicoat least could be silenced by a medal.