Original subtitles

[♪ upbeat drumming]

[Longoria, in Spanish] In Aguascalientes we have two types of fans:

those who are not involved with the team

and, on the other hand,

the fans who give their lives for Necaxa.

[♪ gentle jazz music playing]

Necaxa is a team with lineage.

-[producer] A what? -Lineage… very old.

Sometimes it does well,

sometimes it does poorly,

although I don't know why.

What I remember hearing about Necaxa in my childhood…

I mean, well…

I used to hear a lot that Necaxa

wasn't good. [chuckles]

It pains me to say it, but it's true.

There was a time when Necaxa was embarrassing.

[crowd jeering]

It had their worst season in history.

[crowd chanting] Son of a bitch.

They were selling players.

You get attached to a player,

that player is playing their asses off,

all of a sudden, they sell him and you're like, "OK."

Then they bring an unknown player

who doesn't bring anything.

"Who is that? I don't know him."

Constantly, for almost six months.

Necaxa's good eye has paid off 30 million dollars

Necaxa's million dollar business model

[fan 1] You can't start rooting for the team out of the blue.

If they do their job the way that they should,

then we also have a commitment to them.

What the hell?

[fan 2] What fans are doing nowadays

I think is going to be beneficial for Mexican soccer.

They aren't filling the stadiums.

It's not fair that the fans keep paying and paying,

and going to a stadium to see a game

that's a sorry excuse of a spectacle.

[fan 3] No, no, no.

You have to stick with them through thick and thin.

In their good times and their bad times.

[Longoria] You can have a big budget,

bring in the best players,

have an amazing stadium,

and have the best coaches.

But if the fans don't have your back,

you're in trouble.

[♪ "Nos Pertenecemos" playing]

♪ Tú y yo ♪

♪ Ya nos pertenecemos ♪

♪ Por una eternidad ♪

♪ Ah ♪

♪ Tú y yo ♪

♪ Juntos siempre estaremos ♪

♪ Por una eternidad ♪

[song ends]

[Fentanes] There.

Good.

You can understand

how it has affected Necaxa's fan base.

The fans' first thoughts are,

"Damn, here we go again.

Our players will start leaving again."

Because that's how our story's been

and that's been the fans' biggest complaint,

"The minute they start doing well, you sell them."

I understand where

the fans' frustration comes from.

But, unfortunately, we haven't been able

to maintain a regular attendance.

Good, Alexis.

[Peña] Honestly, it's a part of the sport.

Every time the team changes,

things get complicated again.

When I was 15 years old, I went to Pachuca.

Diego Alonso arrived to the first team.

He asked me to take part in the pre-season with that team.

Everything went well.

I come back from my vacations

and one afternoon I get a call:

"There's an opportunity for you to join Necaxa."

And boom, it felt like a stab to the heart.

I felt like my parents had kicked me out of the house.

I adapted well to the Necaxa team,

I did quite well.

But then my luck ended

and I got sold.

[chuckles]

So I left Necaxa for Chivas,

but the feeling of uncertainty remained,

since I didn't play, what is going to happen to me?

I asked myself, "What the hell is going on?"

And then

several teams start to call: "ta, ta, ta."

Until Cruz Azul makes the call.

They beat everyone and boom,

"Shit, here I go again."

I grabbed my things, just the essentials,

I throw them in my car and I drove off to Mexico City,

to Cruz Azul.

I felt about myself,

my conscience was clear,

my body was telling me that I was working like crazy.

We were champions,

[audience cheering]

but I didn't play.

And I left again,

now with a lot more experience,

and I return to Necaxa.

[players clamoring]

[coach] Come on, come on.

It's very important for us to change

the way the town sees the team.

We want to strengthen our heroes

and we want to avoid

selling our best players.

[commentator] Goal!

[Longoria] The first step for the fans to truly believe

in us is to make it to playoffs.

That's what the fans want to see.

[commentator] The shot!

-Goal! -[screaming]

[fans chanting]

[all, in English] Wrexham!

How far is Necaxa, like…

It's, like, an hour and a half from Mexico City.

So, the major differences between Wrexham and Necaxa fans, for example,

is Necaxa, the moment that they started to lose, they dropped Necaxa.

Whereas with Wrexham, the people were all in,

and the reason is because Wrexham was in the town of Wrexham

for 160-some years.

Whereas with Aguascalientes, Necaxa came in,

and they essentially just lost for some years.

If you have a bad season, you go back down a league,

until you're back in a beer league.

Mmm. Also, a little bit of local knowledge, uh, Rob,

did you know that "Aguascalientes" means "hot springs"?

Yes.

[clicks tongue] Great. Is this what the show is gonna be, Rob?

Is it gonna be you rehearsing Spanish for 65 days,

shooting one episode and making me look like a… like a tit?

[in Spanish] Of course.

[in English] Where's the goalie from?

Uh, Arthur Okonkwo,

-he came through Arsenal. -[Longoria] Yeah.

[Rob] Signed him to a three-year contract, so it wasn't just a one and done.

[Longoria] My investment at Necaxa,

it stabilized the team, and then we almost made playoffs.

Like, our strategy worked.

So, imagine Rob and Ryan money, now, taking it a little further, right?

So yeah, I will be asking them for money.

-[laughing] -[crew member speaks indistinctly]

Ow. I pull… I pulled a rib.

I'm gonna leave, see if they score a goal again.

-[Rob] Yeah. Okay, good. -Yes. It was you all along. [chuckles]

[commentator 2] …intervention was timely. Here's Elliot Lee.

And up to Palmer. And Marriott!

Oh, it's a beautiful Wrexham goal!

[all cheering]

[commentator, in Spanish] Los Rayos of Necaxa have had enough time

to lick their wounds after last Closing Season 2023.

A bitter but blurred closure, and now a new start

because the 2024 Opening Tournament has begun.

[Hanan] With a lot of balls,

a lot of effort, motherfuckers, OK?

The goal is always to qualify for the playoffs,

and once you make the playoffs, aim to be a champion.

[whistle blows]

We are the most foul-mouthed on the team.

My name is José Hanan Menendez,

I'm the sports director at Club Necaxa

and my friends call me Pepe.

[sighs]

The job of a sports director?

Every day is different.

[Fentanes] Go! Come on, come on.

[Hanan] You have to manage,

you have to scout for players,

you have to put together the squad,

which is the main job, assemble a team.

This dude is here to earn his spot, dude.

Budgeting.

You have to be a friend when they need a friend.

You have to be a son of a bitch

when you need to be a son of a bitch.

But it's really great.

I love the city.

I love the club.

And I care a lot about Necaxa

because it's my first opportunity

in the First Division.

Let's trust the team,

it's what has brought us this far, damn it.

The goal is very clear,

it's to win back the respect

that Necaxa deserves,

that Aguascalientes deserves.

Keep in mind that it's very important

to get in there,

to keep fighting our way up. Come on, guys.

We're at home, where we've earned their respect, come on.

I want to make it a lead team,

that is respected and competitive,

that it's a winner.

And to inspire them to achieve important things.

You've seen that when we're together

no one can beat us. Let's go.

[thunder rumbling]

[commentator] A rainy afternoon in Aguascalientes,

but that doesn't discourage

the attendance in the Victoria Stadium.

Los Rayos are in the seventh spot,

after losing to the Tigres and defeating Puebla.

On the third day of the Opening,

they face Monterrey,

the team that defeated them in the last tournament.

Revenge is on the table.

Monterrey is a great team

and the budget they have for their players,

and for their coaches…

it's huge.

I can tell you, it's a lot larger than ours.

I hate it, I hate it when money wins.

It really bothers me.

[Fentanes] It's our third game against Monterrey

since we got together.

We've played good first halves but that's it.

But today, motherfuckers, we have to change the story.

Today we change the fucking story, got it?

I don't give a shit how much they make in a month.

Today, here, each of you is better.

Let's go out there convinced of that.

Let's kick their ass together.

Let's play our style

and get the three points, motherfuckers!

Let's change the story!

Today we change it!

Big payrolls, expensive players,

players who have played a lot, who have experience.

At any time,

from the individual quality they have on their roster,

to those on the pitch or those on the bench,

they can change the game.

And they do it with collective work.

[all] One, two, three, Necaxa!

-[audience cheering] -[kickoff whistle blows]

[commentator] Here we go.

The action starts now, the ball is in play

and the party started at the Victoria.

Here are Los Rayos of Necaxa.

José plays it for Cambindo. He's in the area.

Cambindo shoots!

Andrada saves it.

Goddammit!

[commentator] Rayados of Monterrey in charge,

playing it for Tecatito,

Canales requests it in the center. Hand up.

Cortizo shoots…

Goal for Rayados!

[Hanan] Fucking hell.

Unsain had that.

You can't give these guys a one-goal advantage.

You can't give them a millimeter on the field.

They're good.

[commentator] Brayan Garnica with Palavecino

in the middle of the field.

Now Paradela has it, he tries the long-distance shot,

but it's still alive in the area.

Andrada's sets it up,

the shot.

Goal!

Los Rayos tie it up.

[blows whistle]

[commentator] But here the referee appears.

The referee is stopping the celebration,

there's a flag. They're going to check the play.

The fans don't understand what's going on.

Get the linesman!

Gather them all and get the linesman, it's a goal.

Make them go after the linesman. Tell everyone.

[commentator] They're also checking

for a possible offsides by Cambindo.

We'll have to see if he's offside or not.

Since it comes from a rebound.

The Rayados player kicks it, it can't be offside.

My ruling is offside, number 27.

Son of a bitch! Fucking thief!

The idiot marked offside.

[commentator] In the midst of everything,

red card for Necaxa's Rayos,

the referee just expelled Brayan Garnica.

[Fentanes] When you feel that it's a referee's mistake,

that there's an ulterior motive,

that's when you get more worked up.

That's basically what happened.

It was the third time in four games

that we felt wronged by the referees.

The players on the field

get frustrated with those things too.

[blows whistle]

[commentator] This looks like a tragicomedy.

Fifteen minutes left in the game,

Los Rayos must seek the tie with a man down.

This couldn't get any worse.

Oh. Man down, it's Alexis Peña.

He looks to be hurt on the field.

Let's hope it's nothing serious.

Necaxa needs hope, they can't lose their captain.

[Peña] They kind of step on me

and when they step on me they cut me by the ankle

and I kind of feel the hit.

[commentator] Captain Peña's injury appears to be

more severe than previously believed

and right toward the end of the match.

-[whistle blows] -Whistle and end of match.

The faces of the Necaxa players show helplessness.

They did everything they were supposed to,

but it wasn't enough.

A controversial play costs them the point for the championship.

[Hanan] The fucking referee walked away laughing.

He's laughing with all of them. Fuck him!

Tell him we were robbed!

They stole it from us.

They always shit on us!

Always!

They always shit on us! Always!

[Hanan] Come on, keep your head up.

I don't give a fuck right now,

I'm going to start a shit storm.

When you lose for shit like this,

I don't care if I get kicked out,

I'm going to start a fucking shit show.

We had everything to win.

Raise your head, be proud of what you did.

And leave it to me.

I'll fight for you, guys.

The jersey is heavy.

Some jerseys make you feel more valiant

and some jerseys make you less valiant.

That's how it works.

There's a moment when you can't do anything more.

They're doing everything.

I'm doing everything. Help us up there.

Tigres demolished us, now them.

We can't do anything about that.

Help me with that.

If somebody doesn't respect the Necaxa jersey,

then I fully support you getting in their face.

We deserved it.

Fucking soccer is unfair. Today it was unfair.

[Hanan] I felt indebted to the team.

We couldn't stand around with our arms crossed.

They leave themselves on the field

and sometimes you have to fight for them.

Referee's Room

[Fentanes] Hanan came out and…

well, he complained and questioned the decision.

I really appreciate it and I get it.

[Hanan] I told them what I thought,

in my own way, that I disagreed with his decision

and that I wasn't going to allow them

to leave my team feeling like shit over a bad decision.

He said, "I don't care."

No, no, you should care

because your family eats from the same work

as me and the boys.

They eat thanks to soccer. You have to care.

He was silent.

Like he was agreeing with me.

[♪ dramatic music playing]

[Longoria] You know what happened?

We reached into your chest

and we ripped out your heart.

If you feel like heartbroken,

welcome to Necaxa.

[music ends]

Operation / Injury

[Peña] I can resist a lot of pain.

I have a very high pain threshold.

If I can't continue,

it's because I was really hurt, you know?

[Sergimundo] He called me.

Whenever he has something important, he calls me.

I went to his house to meet with him.

And I didn't like how his foot was.

No, that's not OK.

And I said,

"I want you to see the specialist

to check you out.

I don't care how you do it,

ask for permission and get it checked out."

And…

[breathing shakily]

…he turned around, looking straight at me and said,

"Are you scolding me, Dad?"

"No," I said,

"You're my son."

They did some tests

and they told him he needed an operation,

I prayed and I went to church every day.

It was so hard.

May God take good care of him,

the whole team and the technical team.

Blessings for you Alexis, your family and all of the players.

[indistinct chatter]

[groans]

My retinaculum was damaged, broken.

I go to the hospital. I stay the night.

And the next day… surgery.

They fixed it for me.

They anchored it to the bone,

they drilled, screwed, nailed, and hammered it.

And now it's like a new retinaculum

anchored to my bone.

[♪ upbeat music playing]

Right now I'm in recovery, getting treatment,

to come back as soon as possible

to be with my teammates

and fight together.

[indistinct chatter continues]

[♪ banda music playing]

[server] Good afternoon

I'll bring one for everyone.

I'm Héctor Hugo Calderón Huerta,

I'm 18 years old,

I am a waiter in a seafood restaurant.

I'm in college and I'm from Aguascalientes.

My family is small, but it's also very close.

It's like my mom wanted to have kids every World Cup.

I was born in 2006.

My brother Edson was born in 2010.

My brother Bryan in 2014,

and my other brother during Russia 2018.

It's as if my mom planned it and said,

"Every World Cup, I'll have a child." [laughs]

I've been very helpful to my mom regarding my brothers.

I always tried not to be like a father figure,

but to say, "Hey, this is wrong."

I mean, well, yeah, an older brother.

More than anything my future aspiration

right now is college,

because I want my mom to struggle less.

I'm not that into soccer,

but my mom likes Club América. [laughs]

I watched the matches and thought:

"Oh, these guys are good."

Like I said, I'm not a superfan,

but when people ask me who I root for,

I tend to say Club América.

How long has Necaxa been in Aguascalientes?

What have we won?

No, no way, Necaxa always loses.

-There's no point in going. -Not many people

root for Necaxa. It's mostly América and Chivas.

But now, Necaxa is…

they're trying.

They're trying to be better.

[♪ upbeat music playing]

[chattering]

Come on, Rayos!

Not all of Aguascalientes is rooting for them.

But there's a few people around who support them.

They even have their own fandom name: Hidrorayos.

To have the people of Aguascalientes

completely on their side,

Necaxa has to win.

If they can win one season,

it would be like breaking a streak they're dragging on.

You connect with your city

and you have something to brag about.

"I gave Aguascalientes a title."

Since it's a small city,

it feels proud when it's in the spotlight.

[♪ uplifting music playing]

[Longoria exclaiming]

[phone buzzing]

[gasps]

-[on phone] Hello? -Hi, Pepe.

Hi, Eva, how are you?

Good. And you?

Is the Leagues Cup important or is it like extra?

-I don't understand. -No, it is important.

It's a tournament played between clubs

in the Mexican League and the MLS.

Eighteen MLS Teams

against eighteen teams in the Mexican League.

Now that we don't have Alexis,

what are we going to do?

Is the Leagues Cup going to be hard?

It's a big problem

because he's our captain.

He's a guy who gives us a lot of experience,

a lot of hierarchy.

He is highly respected by our rivals.

And now some young player will have their chance

to assume that role of an experienced player

and that hierarchy role that Alexis is leaving.

Most likely Fernando Arce is going to play.

[in English] Okay. I have to feed my husband.

[in Spanish] We'll see you here. Bye, bye!

[in English] I'm a Mexican wife at the end of the day. [chuckles]

[commentator, in Spanish] The new captain chosen

by Fentanes' technical staff is Fernando Arce,

who will be debuting as captain in the Leagues Cup.

Hi, I'm Fernando Arce of Club Necaxa, midfielder.

[♪ uplifting music playing]

I was born in Chula Vista, California.

Being born there gave me the opportunity to represent

the United States in a pre-World Cup.

Having Mexican and American passports,

I could choose either one.

[commentator] Arce takes the ball.

[Arce] But I'm very happy playing with Necaxa,

I'm living the dream.

[commentator] Arce's display!

My father was a footballer too.

-This is my son. -[chuckles]

I've known him my whole life.

[commentator] Arce! Arce! Arce!

Goal! Arce for the goal!

[Arce Jr.] My father is 17 years older than me.

I remember my father being a national team player,

scoring goals, and he was very good.

[commentator exclaims] Goal!

[Arce Jr.] At 17, he was in his prime,

and I was just getting started.

[commentator] Monreal sets it up for Arce's shot! Goal!

[Arce Jr.] I was lucky enough to train with him.

We were in, I think, two preseasons together.

We trained together. He was right on my side.

So I say it was a blessing,

because not every kid can play

alongside their father.

[Arce] He was my substitution during a match

and it was the most amazing experience

I've had in my soccer career.

[Arce Jr.] The hardest part of being

a footballer's son is everything.

People expect more from the son, right?

Comparisons are also very complicated,

"The father won this,

and the son at the same age hasn't."

I put on myself the pressure of being like my father.

He gave me the advice, but that's it.

He was never angry,

or telling me things angrily, or something like that.

He kept his distance because he understood

where I was coming from and how difficult it is.

So I'm grateful for that and that has made me

who I am now and has shaped me

to get as far as I've gotten.

It's my chance to wear the captain's insignia,

and I'm ready, ready to take on a new challenge.

You know, life is full of challenges

and I'm ready for one more.

[in English] Arce has to step in and deal with the anxiety

of being the captain, and then also,

probably much more emotionally, has to fill in his father's shoes,

who, in and of himself, was an incredible player.

So, the pressure of being the captain and stepping in,

when an entire group of people, town, team, nation are counting on you, is, uh…

[Reynolds] It's a lot of anxiety.

I also deal with anxiety.

Um, I'm in a minute-by-minute showdown with this, uh, every single day,

and I also have a father who I, you know, was a profound, uh, disappointment to.

[whispers] So, yeah.

Movie star, everything… Nothing. No… [stammers] Wasn't good enough.

Just, uh, the hole in the bottom of the bucket, and we just keep filling.

And it keeps, uh, just… just pouring out.

[chuckles]

[♪ "De Peda por California" playing]

[in Spanish] I'm here to assist you during the flight.

[commentator] Attention, fans! Los Rayos of Necaxa have arrived

in the United States to participate in the Leagues Cup.

The Leagues Cup is the tournament

where every summer, the Mexican league

and the United States league pause

so that the 47 Liga MX teams

and the MLS teams go head to head.

The teams are divided into groups of three,

where each team plays two games.

The top two in each group advance to direct elimination

and that's where the good stuff begins.

If you lose, you go home.

If you win, you keep dreaming.

In the end, the one who raises the cup

not only takes the trophy and the glory,

but also a ticket straight to the Concachampions.

Come on, Rayos!

[whistle blows]

[commentator] Bad luck for Fernando Arce Jr.

in Necaxa's debut at the Leagues Cup against Minnesota.

An early error by Arce caused a penalty for Minnesota.

And they showed no mercy.

Necaxa failed to answer

and the match ended 1-0.

If they lose one more game,

they're out of the tournament and on their way home.

As captain, Fernando Arce carries the weight

of this result and has a lot to think about.

-[Longoria, Hanan] Hey. How are you? -Hello.

-Nice to see you. -Welcome to Seattle.

It's very important for me

that Necaxa is here,

playing at the Leagues Cup.

The stakes are higher in this match

because we're playing against a Major League Soccer team.

And we're in front of fans

who probably don't know who Necaxa is.

[gasps]

-It's the new one! -It's very Mexican.

It's specially for this tournament.

-Yes. -They're using the…

the colors of Mexico. Tell her why, Pepe.

-Tell her why is that. -Why?

We are the only team in Mexico

that can play wearing Mexico's flag.

Many years ago,

Necaxa represented Mexico

in an international tournament.

How cool! Yes, I love it.

-I love the colors of Mexico. -And the ten?

What does the ten mean?

Well, usually the ten is for the best player we have.

[all laugh]

-So? -Well, of course I'm number ten. [laughs]

Tell me, how do you feel?

We have to win this match

-in 90 minutes. -[Longoria] We have to win the game.

We need to win to be able to move forward and travel to play.

-How's Alexis doing? -He's our captain

and it's a formidable loss, you know?

Because of what he does on the field

-and what he does off the field. -Yes.

Losing Alexis is like…

losing the soul of the team.

But hopefully Arce can…

help us come through.

Otherwise, the opportunity to win more fans

will be gone from our hands.

[in English] You look good.

-Did you cut your hair? -I did just get a haircut.

-Thank you for noticing. -[laughs]

I just met with our guys.

Do you know what I love about them?

They care so much about the total player.

That's awesome. It really… That goes a long way.

Yeah. The bad news right now is,

our team captain, Alexis, had surgery on his ankle.

He had a huge injury.

I mean, that sounds catastrophic.

They said he's out two months.

Okay. Well…

Y'know, i-it is amazing to think

how quickly some of the young professional athletes, uh, heal.

-It would take me four years to… -Yeah.

…to come, uh…

We're gonna win. I feel it. I feel it.

[commentator, in Spanish] Necaxa will prove their worth in the Leagues Cup.

Fernando Arce must be feeling the pressure as captain,

they will have to double their efforts

after the loss to Minnesota.

If Los Rayos lose today, they will go home.

[Longoria] Being in a stadium

with Necaxa in the United States,

it's kind of like a clashing of my two worlds,

my Mexican identity and my American identity.

To see our team

come out on the field in the colors of Mexico,

it gave me goosebumps.

Come on, Rayos!

Hey, boss!

-[in English] Say hi. -They're giving me the baby?

[anchor] A star-studded night at Lumen Field.

Eva Longoria was in town to watch her team, Club Necaxa.

It is a great responsibility to represent Mexico and represent la Liga Mexicana.

You know, it's the most watched league in the United States

because they… of the amount of Latinos and Mexicans that we have here.

And that's a beautiful thing.

[in Spanish] Come on, Rayos!

-[crowd cheering] -[kickoff whistle blows]

[commentator] The 90 minutes of pure emotion starts now.

Necaxa arrived with red and white stripes.

Something is building for the Seattle team.

Vargas with the touch.

[crowd] Ooh!

[crowd cheering]

[commentator] Goal for Seattle!

[Longoria] I don't like to assume

if I'm good luck or bad luck

when I go to games,

but I do feel responsible

if I'm at the game and we lose.

[commentator] Paradela. Good ball. Palavecino!

-[crowd cheering] -[commentator] Goal!

-Goal! -Bravo!

[commentator] And that leaves us with one to one!

Paradela to Cambindo!

-[crowd cheering] -[commentator] Goal!

[commentator] Here comes Rosero. His first touch of the match…

[♪ dramatic music crescendoes]

Goal!

The Necaxa fans are going crazy!

As they should? They just won the game!

This was a huge win.

We killed them.

We destroyed them.

And it was a huge win for us,

to be on this big global stage,

with everybody watching

and asking around, "Who are they?"

Well, we are Necaxa.

[crowd cheering]

[Fentanes] Guys, congratulations on the result.

When you believe, things can be achieved.

Never doubt yourselves, guys,

or what we're building here together.

We know how to overcome adversities.

Today we got some wind in our sails

and we ended up first place in the group.

[players cheering]

[Hanan] I am very happy for the players.

I see their daily effort,

their sacrifices, the companionship they have.

And today, thanks to them, people respect Necaxa.

[commentator] With this victory in Seattle,

Necaxa advances to direct elimination

where they will face the San José Earthquakes.

Los Rayos are pumped.

[players] One, two, three! Necaxa!

[commentator] Tonight, everything is at stake.

Necaxa has been strong throughout the tournament

but now it's the most important moment.

This confrontation against the San José Earthquakes

will decide everything.

Continue or go home.

[kickoff whistle blows]

Counter attack by San José. They approach dangerously.

Here's Yueill with the shot!

-[crowd cheering] -[commentator] Goal!

A great start for the San José Earthquakes!

Lopez runs, making space… long distance!

Goal! Goal! Goal! Goal!

San José is playing their best in the PayPal Park.

Pellegrino returns.

Goal!

And that's the third of the match!

Necaxa's dream is in ruins.

Ebobisse shoots and that's the fourth!

A disastrous end for Necaxa…

Los Rayos were thrashed 5-0,

it's a long trip back to Aguascalientes.

Now they have to wait for the opening tournament

to resume in two weeks.

[Hanan] What a fucking nightmare.

When we throw caution to the wind,

this shit happens.

These things happen in soccer.

There are setbacks that catch you off guard.

God knows if things would've been different with Peña.

I would contribute everything that my position demands.

I would give my all, everything I have,

but that's all I can say.

We're a team, every one of us makes a difference.

The starters, the subs, those who don't play.

We're all important.

[barks]

Paco.

He left it…

-Fucking shit! -[Sergimundo] Fucking hell!

[♪ "What's Your Secret" playing]

[commentator] The 2024 Opening Tournament resumes,

and Necaxa returned to action

with a resounding victory 3-0 over Juarez,

but then fell 2-3 to Santos.

With these results,

Los Rayos are in 11th place in the overall table.

Necaxa is getting ready to face Pumas,

who are in 9th place in the table.

But because rooting for Necaxa is to suffer,

the bad news doesn't stop.

Captain Alexis Peña is still out with an injury

and his replacement, Fernando Arce,

wasn't cutting it in the Leagues Cup,

costing him the captaincy at the start of this tournament.

Now, without that weight on his shoulders,

we'll see if Arce can put his father's legacy on high.

[Fentanes] In the conversation that I had yesterday with him,

I asked him to be honest.

He said he was self-critical.

Fernando Arce has been reporting

higher levels of stress.

[♪ melancholic music playing]

[Arce Jr.] The last year has been tricky.

With ups and downs.

I've been captain,

I've been on the bench,

I've been training hard meditating a lot.

But I never give up.

I've never thought about giving up,

they're just slumps we all go through.

I'm the son of a former footballer.

It did affect me a little.

Everyone is watching, everyone is judging you,

because of the surname Arce.

[in English] I think anytime people meet anxiety, make friends with anxiety,

and then do something great in spite of it, is…

Those are moments where you are able to lessen it

and understand that it is something that is inside of you

that can be controlled to a certain degree.

So I commend this man for going out there and… anyway, and doing it.

Y'know, that's a big deal for someone who's dealing with that.

And it feels like that transcends language, culture…

-[scoffs] …era. -Mm-hmm.

-That just seems to be, uh, human. -Yeah.

[♪ electronic dance music playing]

[in Spanish] Good evening. Welcome to Victoria Stadium.

Where the Necaxa Club is loved.

We are few, but very crazy.

[♪ electronic dance music continues]

[commentator] Necaxa's fans don't lose faith.

Los Rayos are playing more than just a match against Pumas,

respect is at stake along with three key points

to keep dreaming about the playoffs.

You can feel the tension,

but there's also faith that this is the day.

[Fentanes] The effort has to be extraordinary

to win the points and maintain our respect at our home,

as we have been doing.

A fucking extraordinary effort

to get the points, motherfuckers. Come on.

[crowd cheering]

[commentator] The referee's whistle, ladies and gentlemen.

It looks like professor Fentanes has not yet lost faith

in Fernando Arce.

The young midfielder will be one of the eleven

starting against Pumas.

Let's hope that faith is positive for the team.

Here's Palavecino,

Holding it. What a good feint!

Sends the ball back, the cross,

a very bad shot from Arce.

A terrible, aimless shot.

And here comes Paradela. Still Paradela.

Paradela passes to Arce, alone…

Second and counting.

He couldn't do it with his left.

And now the same with the right.

That's his good foot.

He sends it just above the crossbar.

In one minute Fernando Arce had two chances to score.

[halftime whistle blows]

The first half is over.

Los Rayos' effort hasn't been nearly enough.

[Fentanes] Don't focus on the referee.

Don't talk to her.

Play more like the player you were.

The support is there. So let's give it back, fuckers.

That goes for everyone, let's not get lazy,

concentrate, let's get creative and take the points.

[commentator] We are 0-0 and the second half is up and running.

We have to win now, we have to win now.

[commentator] Here comes Palavecino.

Palavecino. It's Palavecino,

changes profile, kicks, shoots.

The goalie rejects Cambindo.

Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!

They're playing horrible. Horrible.

[commentator] Cambindo has the ball,

he gives it to Paradela.

Paradela doesn't want to shoot.

[♪ dramatic music playing]

Palavecino shoots!

Goal!

Goal!

Rayos!

And in the 56th minute,

Necaxa are now winning the game.

[Hanan] We were dead.

The team started to show more prominence,

to take control of the ball

and Palavecino with one of his greatest gifts,

the middle-range shot,

makes a very good goal.

[commentator] Foul by Caicedo on Paradela,

it will be a free kick for Necaxa

and a valuable opportunity to put the game away.

There's Arce, who had two chances in the first half.

[whistle blows]

Palavecino was the one who shoots, Cambindo.

[♪ tense music playing]

Arce! Arce! Arce! Arce!

Counterstrike!

Goal!

Goal!

Rayos!

Fernando Arce!

Fernando Arce!

He finally did it!

Necaxa beats Pumas 2-0,

they end up in the general table's 10th place.

[Arce Jr.] Soccer has its rewards.

It was my turn to score

an important goal for the team.

It's all thanks to the team,

they were working really hard,

always looking for the goal.

We're happy for the win and for the team.

It changed everything for me.

It was beautiful because now,

I'm back and I'm ready.

[Hugo] Today was my first game

seeing Necaxa and soccer in general.

I never thought it would feel like it felt today.

My Necaxa spirit soared a little because it was dead.

[♪ inspiring rock music playing]

It kind of lit a spark, you know?

[Hanan] It's wonderful to win, especially like that, fuckers.

Let's go for more like this one.

Let's keep working,

let's all stick together

and keep leaving the heart that you have.

Congratulations, guys.

[Fentanes] God asks you not to just do the ordinary,

but to also be the extraordinary.

It has to do with our identity.

We played an extraordinary game and we got the points.

[Longoria] This is Necaxa.

We fall, we struggle,

it hurts, but we never lower our heads.

Because for us it's not about just winning matches,

it's about fighting with everything we have.

And right in those moments,

when every feeling is on the surface,

is when we really start to win people over.

One heart at a time.

[Hugo] I finally understand why they're there,

why the Necaxa fans are always there.

[♪ inspiring rock music ends]

[♪ "La Bamba" playing]

♪ Para bailar la bamba ♪

♪ Para bailar la bamba Se necesita una poca de gracia ♪

♪ Una poca de gracia Y otra cosita, y arriba y arriba ♪

♪ Ay, arriba y arriba y arriba iré Yo no soy marinero ♪

♪ Yo no soy marinero Soy capitán, soy capitán, soy capitán ♪

♪ Pa' que seas mi cuñado se necesita Que me des a tu hermana ♪

♪ Que me des a tu hermana, la más bonita Y arriba y arriba ♪

-♪ De compasión que se acabe la bamba ♪ -♪ Qué cosa ♪

♪ Que se acabe la bamba Y me encuentro el sol ♪

♪ Ay, arriba y arriba ♪

♪ Ay, arriba y arriba y arriba iré Yo no soy marinero ♪

♪ Yo no soy marinero Soy capitán, soy capitán, soy capitán ♪