The Mexican National Soccer Team became the victims of a burglary in downtown Oakland this week.
Early Monday morning, the team realized their truck had been broken into, and thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment was stolen.
Despite that, fans still gathered outside the Oakland Marriott City Center to catch a glimpse of the soccer superstars, including Brian Rodriguez
“Dude, I’m so happy, I got all I needed,” said Rodriguez.
Rodriguez waited outside for hours in the sun, and he said that’s no time compared to how long he’s been a fan of the team.
“Since I was born,” Rodriguez exclaimed.
It paid off, the team arrived at the hotel after practice, signed autographs and took photos.
“It’s like my first time ever seeing the players up front so it’s just a special moment,” said Rodriguez. “I really want to get the whole team to sign. I have about half the team right now. I really want to complete it.”
He’s grateful the players are still stopping to see fans despite becoming the victims of a crime earlier this week. Thieves broke into the team’s truck, stealing thousands of dollars of equipment inside.
“I wasn’t really surprised,” said Rodriguez about his reaction to the burglary. “It is Oakland after all. Luckily, no one got hurt. It was just equipment. I’m really glad that no one got hurt.”
The burglary happened just a few blocks from the hotel, on 8th Street, sometime between late Sunday night and early Monday morning.
Oakland Police Officers Association president Huy Nguyen said the team took precautions.
“They backed it up against the wall as tight as they could,” Nguyen explained. “It was locked. So, it was very difficult, they had to pull or push the truck out of the way for the person to get back there and was able to cut the lock and get inside there.”
The thieves stole bags, equipment, and even a cleat steamer, which cost $2,500 on its own.
Nguyen said while crime is down, it’s still not at a tolerable level, and that police staffing is dangerously low with just 515 officers. The city’s own studies show they need at least 877.
He believes the city needs to focus on recruiting and retaining officers,
“We have to make immediate changes to address those issues,” said Nguyen. “We need to focus on public safety and the public safety people are asking for are police officers. They want to make sure when they come here, they’re not going to be a victim of crime.”
But the team’s not letting a little misfortune bring them down, posting on X after the burglary saying, “Monday was all about work and staying focused on what’s ahead”.
And that’s exactly what Rodriguez wants to see them do so they can win against Japan on Saturday.
“They shouldn’t really be focused on the loss; they should be focused on the game,” Rodriguez stated.
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