Chicago Tribune writer Luis Arroyave has a problem with the recently jailed Oswaldo Sanchez. Arroyave, whose Spanish isn’t so great but covers Soccer and thus has to use it, got into it with Sanchez after Mexico’s pasting of Peru. It seems that Oswaldo wasn’t so cool about Luis’ heavily American-accented Spanish so he decided to mock him in front of the reporter’s pool, who laughed along with the Mexican keeper. Well, at least Arroyave can save some money come Christmas time.

When I asked Mexican goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez a question after the game, he mocked me by responding with an exaggerated American accent. The Hispanic reporters surrounding us laughed because, you know, their English is so great …

I didn’t laugh. I asked him why he felt the need to rip on me. He saw that I was annoyed and answered my question before I walked off to interview another player.

Sanchez saw me a few minutes later and said, “Don’t be mad,” which was decent of him. To which I responded, “Next time I’ll interview you in English and we’ll see how you do.” Right after I said that, he was interviewed by an English-speaking reporter. And by the way, Sanchez had to have a translator right next to him.

We understand Arroyave’s frustration. We wouldn’t be able to get past saying we work for a newspaper in Spanish. Come on, you say it—periodicos. It’s hard, man.

How do you say jerk in Spanish? [Chicagosports.com]
Image [chivas.theoffside.com]