Simpsons soccer game: Why fans are remembering 1997 episode before Mexico vs. Portugal originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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Open wide for some soccer!
Mexico face Portugal at the Azteca Stadium on Saturday. But will the match determine once and for all which is the greatest nation on earth?
You might be wondering what in the world we're talking about.
This will be the sixth official international between Mexico and Portugal. El Tri are yet to taste victory, having lost at the 2006 World Cup, the 2017 Confederations Cup and in a friendly encounter in between. There have also been a couple of draws.
But for some, the most iconic encounter between the two nations happened in 1997 and didn't actually happen at all. It took place in the United States. Just don't ask anyone which state, because no one knows.
MORE:Where is Cristiano Ronaldo? Why Portugal star is not playing friendlies vs. USA,Mexico
Simpsons soccer game: Mexico vs. Portugal episode
In 'The Cartridge Family', episode six of season nine of The Simpsons, Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie are in their familiar position in front of the living-room television at 742 Evergreen Terrance.
Not for the first time — see their ill-fated trip to Itchy and Scratchy Land — a bombastic advertisement on the TV set has caught the family's attention. International soccer is coming to Springfield.
"It's all here: fast kickin', low scorin'... and ties? You bet!" howls our narrator, before telling viewers that Mexico and Portugal will settle the argument, once and for all, over who is the greatest nation on earth.
Homer doesn't need too much persuasion to part with hard-earned wages from the nuclear power plant, and the five of them, along with most of the rest of town, head to Springfield Stadium for Mexico vs. Portugal, which has bagged the slot the night before "Monsters of Poetry".
Excitement is at fever pitch, until the action — in the loosest possible sense — begins. Mexico pass the ball around in midfield and "hooooold it" in front of their static opponents. The crowd become restless and a riot ensues because people are trying to rush out of the stadium all at the same time. Moments later, large chunks of Springfield are up in flames. I guess we should be grateful that Moe and Barney weren't watching Arsenal trying to bait the Manchester City press during last weekend's Carabao Cup final.
This is simply a tee-up for an episode that skewers American gun culture in acerbic fashion (unconvinced by the extortionate price of "Ex-Con Home Security", Homer sets out to buy a gun to protect his family from any future riots). But in 1997, MLS attendances were tumbling in the fading afterglow of the 1994 World Cup as soccer scrambled to get a foothold in the mainstream American sports scene. As such, the sport was ripe for the Simpsons writers' room to get stuck in.
But if you're in the fairly large middle of the Venn diagram for Simpsons aficionados and soccer fans, then the sight of Mexico and Portugal squaring off will only make you smile.
Why Pele is the 'King of the Soccer Field'?
Pele is arguably the greatest soccer player of all time. In 1997, pre-Messi and Ronaldo, he had an even stronger case. But that didn't put him above some playful Simpsons joshing.
In his post-career, Pele became a prolific ambassador for numerous commercial brands, from MasterCard to Viagra.
In 'The Cartridge Family', he is introduced onto the field before kickoff at Springfield Stadium and addresses the crowd.
"Pele is king of the soccer field," he begins, before getting to the matter at hand. "To be king of your kitchen, use Crestfield wax paper." Pele is then handed a sack of cash and he walks off to let the ill-fated game begin.
Although The Simpsons boasts a huge array of special guest stars over its 37 years on the air, perhaps unsurprisingly, Pele did not lend his voice to this moment. Regular cast member Hank Azaria did the honours.