World Cup shows Latin American rivalries, solidarity on the US West Coast

LOS ANGELES/SAN JOSE, California, June 25 : There weren't any whoops of joy among the crowd in the Fuegos Argentine restaurant in Los Angeles when Brazil scored in their 3-0 World Cup win over Haiti.

In fact, French-speaking Haiti were finding more support last Friday night from proudly Argentine customers.

"It is hard for us" to cheer for Brazil, one told Reuters.

"We like them, but football is different."

Up and down the Californian West Coast, Latin American rivalries are simmering as millions of fans find their emotions pulled high and knocked low by the World Cup.

About 40 per cent of the state's population is Latino, with 5 million in Los Angeles County alone, but the proportion is higher in a number of districts where a mix of Mexican, Central American, South American and Caribbean communities weave a rich tapestry.

Relations between the nine Latin American nations competing at the 48-team World Cup vary with shifting political ideologies and historical grudges.

A shared obsession with soccer unites them, though, at least until their teams square off.

"(There's) a lot of Latinos here and we all love football," San Mateo resident Pedro Jr. Rodriguez Flores told Reuters at the San Jose fan-zone.

Rodriguez, 21, was surrounded by hundreds of yellow-clad fans cheering on Colombia as their group match against Democratic Republic of Congo played on the big screen at San Pedro Square.

But he was in a green shirt, one of many Mexico fans getting behind the Colombians at the square.

"I'm Mexican Latino ... And in this World Cup, I'm supporting all the Latino countries."

German Lopez, a Guatemalan wearing an Argentina shirt, drove two hours from Modesto in California's Central Valley to come to the San Jose fan-zone and meet his brother