Plenty of Nothing

Toreo de Tijuana, 1964

Source.

2021 Serie del Caribe

Estadio Teodoro Mariscal in Mazatlán. Source.

The 2021 Serie del Caribe is on, running from January 31 to February 6 at Estadio Teodoro Mariscal in Mazatlán, Sinaloa. Mexico has hosted the tournament fifteen times before, Mazatlán five, most recently in 2005.

The stadium is named after Teodoro Mariscal, first president of the Liga Mexicana del Pacífico, which was formed in 1945.

Whitey Ford played for Venados de Mazatlán the winter of 1948-49. The first Serie del Caribe was held in February 1949 in Cuba, but there was no Mexican team in it that year.

This year the participating countries are: Mexico, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, Panama, Colombia. The teams are:

Mexico: Tomateros de Culiacan. These guys have won the tournament twice.

Dominican: Águilas Cibaeñas. These guys have won the tournament five times.

Venezuela: Caribes de Anzoategui.

Puerto Rico: Crillolos de Caguas. These guys have won the tournament five times.

The Panamanian league did not play this last year, so they're sending a national team. Their manager is a Cuban, Alfonso Urquiola.

Colombia: Ciamanes de Barranquilla.

"In Mazatlan" by War.

[Final, February 6th: Águilas Cibaeñas 4 - 1 Crillolos de Caguas]

Gran Teatro de Santa Anna

Opened in 1844, the Gran Teatro de Santa Anna was the Mexican home of opera in the nineteenth century. It was demolished in 1900 to make way for a road. Painting by Pitro Gualdi. Source.

El Increible Blue Demon

Source.

La Calavera Catrina and Friends

Detail from Sueño de una tarde dominical en la Alameda Central by Diego Rivera. You can view the whole mural here.

Grass Surface

CD Guadalajara's Estadio Akron has a grass surface. The stadium is home to CD Guadalajara, current CONCACAF champions. With luck Guadalajara and Kashima Antlers will meet in the FIFA Club World Cup next month. Source.

Morton host Partick Thistle. The Ton sit 6th with 16 points. The Jags are 8th with 9 points. Partick have two wins against Morton, one in league play and one in the League Cup. Morton have not beaten Partick since 2012, so a win today would be a season highlight.

Partick are having a bad time. They are on a 5-game losing streak* and have scored less than a goal a game in league play. Their record away from home in the league is dire: 0W 0D 5L 3GF 10GA.

Morton are coming off a win against Queen of the South and have scored a little bit better than a goal a game.

Partick can finish the day 7th, 8th or 9th. Morton can finish 4th, 5th or 6th; though to finish 4th Morton must win by 7 goals, Dundee United and Queen of the South must draw, and ICT must draw or lose. [No, that's all wrong. Morton had to win, and Qos and ICT had to draw or lose, which they did.]

Jai Quitongo plays for Partick. He has one goal so far, scored against Dundee United.

*Their worst run since ... 2015.

The other matches: Alloa (9th) [0 - 1] Dunfermline (7th)

Dundee United (3rd) [2 - 0] Queen of the South (5th)

Falkirk (10th) [0 - 1] Ayr United (1st)

Inverness Caledonian Thistle (4th) [2 - 2] Ross County (2nd). It's a Highland derby. ICT are on a run of 6 draws in a row, a club record.

[Morton tromp 5 - 1. Goals by Oliver, McHugh (2), Iredale and Tidser. Morton are in 4th place. ICT earn their 7th straight draw.]

Managerial chairs: Brechin City have fired manager Darren Dods.

League Two watch: Edinburgh City [0 - 1] Clyde

Edinburgh City approach today's encounter riding a 12-game winning streak (league + cup).

1928-29. Morton visited East Fife at Bayview Park in Methil and lost 2 - 1.

1951-52. Morton visited East Fife and lost 4 - 1.

How have Morton fared in Match Twelve this decade?

2017/11/4      Morton 1 - 2 Queen of the South

2016/11/5      Falkirk 1 - 1 Morton

2015/10/24    Morton 1 - 0 Alloa

2014/11/8      Morton 2 - 0 Forfar

2013/11/9      Morton 2 - 0 Dumbarton

2012/11/17    Dumbarton 1 - 5 Morton

2011/11/5      Ayr United 0 - 1 Morton

2010/11/6      Morton 2 - 1 Dunfermline

6 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss.

Derek Gaston's clean sheets for Morton, part one:

2012/7/28        Cappielow        Albion Rovers        2 - 0        Challenge Cup

2012/9/1          Cappielow        Dumbarton             3 - 0        league

2012/9/22        Cappielow        Raith Rovers         1 - 0         league

2012/11/13      Cappielow        Albion Rovers        3 - 0        Scottish Cup

2012/11/24      Cappielow        Cowdenbeath        1 - 0         league

2012/12/15      Cappielow        Airdrie United        2 - 0         league

2012/12/17      Cappielow        Turriff United          6 - 0        Scottish Cup

2013/1/12        Falkirk              Falkirk                    0 - 1         league

2013/1/26        Cappielow        Raith Rovers         1 - 0         league

2013/2/9          Excelsior          Airdrie United        0 - 4          league

2013/3/9          Cappielow        Falkirk                   2 - 0          league

2013/3/23        Dumbarton       Dumbarton            0 - 3          league

2013/8/10        Cappielow        Cowdenbeath        2 - 0          league

2013/11/9        Cappielow        Dumbarton             2 - 0         league

2014/4/1          Cappielow        Dumbarton            3 - 0          league

2014/4/5          Cappielow        Livingston              2 - 0         league

2014/4/19        Cappielow        Dundee                  1 - 0         league

2014/7/26        Cappielow        Spartans                1 - 0         Challenge Cup

2014/8/16        Cappielow        Stranraer                4 - 0         league

2014/10/11      Cappielow        Stirling Albion         2 - 0         league

2014/11/1        Cappielow        Airdrieonians          0 - 0         Scottish Cup

2014/11/8        Cappielow        Forfar                     2 - 0         league

2014/11/11       Excelsior          Airdrieonians         0 - 2         Scottish Cup

2014/11/15       Excelsior          Airdrieonians         0 - 1         league

2015/1/24        Cappielow        Dunfermline           2 - 0         league

2015/2/21        Cappielow        Stranraer               2 - 0         league

2015/3/3          Cappielow        Stirling Albion        4 - 0         league

2015/3/28        East End          Dunfermline           0 - 4         league

2015/4/18        Forthbank         Stirling Albion        0 - 2         league

2015/4/25        Stair Park         Stranraer               0 - 2         league

Partick Thistle versus the world:

1886/10/23    Blackburn Olympic 1 - 3 Partick Thistle

1886/11/20    Partick Thistle 7 - 0 Fleetwood Rangers

1886/12/4      Cliftonville 0 - 11 Partick Thistle

1887/1/29      Old Westminsters 1 - 0 Partick Thistle

1963/9/16      Glentoran 1 - 4 Partick Thistle

1963/9/30      Partick Thistle 3 - 0 Glentoran

1963/11/18    Partick Thistle 3 - 2 Spartak Brno

1963/11/27    Spartak Brno 4 - 0 Partick Thistle

1972/9/13      Honved 1 - 0 Partick Thistle

1972/9/27      Partick Thistle 0 - 3 Honved

1976/9/14      Bolton Wanderers 0 - 0 Partick Thistle

1976/9/29      Partick Thistle 1 - 0 Bolton Wanderers

1976/11/8      Partick Thistle 0 - 1 Leyton Orient

1976/11/24    Leyton Orient 3 - 2 Partick Thistle

1978/9/13      Partick Thistle 1 - 0 Mansfield Town

1978/10/3      Mansfield Town 3 - 2 Partick Thistle

1995/6/25      LASK Linz 2 - 2 Partick Thistle

1995/7/1        Partick Thistle 3 - 1 Keflavik

1995/7/8        Metz 1 - 0 Partick Thistle

1995/7/22      Partick Thistle 1 - 2 NK Zagreb

Arthurlie versus Queen's Park: The Spiders met Arthurlie three times in the Scottish Cup, in 1885, 1914 and 1928, and won each time.

Arthurlie versus Kilmarnock and Hibs: I have yet to find any game between Arthurlie and either of these clubs.

Scottish Junior Cup third round:

Auchinleck Talbot [9 - 1] Lesmahagow

UEFA Women's Champions League, Round of 16, second leg:

Glasgow City 0 - 3 Barcelona

The Glaswegians are out.

AFC Champions League final, first leg:

Kashima Antlers [2 - 0] Persepolis

Allsvenskan:

Malmö FF 4 - 0 Örebro SK (Nov 1)

IFK Göteborg [0 - 3] Malmö FF (Nov 4th)

J2: Mito HollyHock [2 - 0] Ventforet Kofu

Kanto University League: Waseda [0 - 0] Tsukuba

Danish 1st Division: Fredericia [1 - 7] Roskilde

Swiss Cup, Round Three (Nov 1): Winterthur 0 - 1 Basel

Swiss Challenge League: Winterthur [3 - 2] Rapperswil

[Winterthur are in the promotion playoff zone.]

Regionalliga Südwest: 1. FC Saarbrücken [5 - 0] 1899 Hoffenheim II

1899 Hoffenheim II has been in Regionalliga Südwest since the division was re-established seven years ago.

SJFA West of Scotland Premiership: Largs Thistle [1 - 1] Kirkintilloch Rob Roy

FAI Cup final (tomorrow): Dundalk [2 - 1] Cork City

It's the first round of the 40th Empress's Cup. Let's!

Match No. 1: JFA Academy Fukushima [1 - 0] Chifure AS Elfen Saitama (N2)

Match No. 2: Hokkaido Otani Muroran High School [1 - 4] Daito Bunka University

Match No. 3: Nippon TV Menina [5 - 2] Kibi Int'l University Charme Okayama Takahashi

Match No. 4: Fukuoka J. Anclas [0 - 3] Waseda University

Match No. 5: Mukogawa Women's University [5 - 4] Kagawanishi High School

Match No. 6: Tokiwagi Gakuen High School [3 - 1] Albirex Niigata Ladies U-18

Match No. 7: Kanagawa University [3 - 2] Ryukyu Deigos

Match No. 8: Norddea Hokkaido [1 - 3] Bunnys Kyoto SC (N2)

Match No. 9: Fujieda Junshin High School [4 - 0] Sakuyo High School

Match No. 10: Seiwa Gakuen High School [0 - 4] AS Harima Albion (N2)

Match No. 11: Seisen University [0 - 6] Teikyo Heisei University

Match No. 12: Angeviolet Hiroshima [4 - 0] Fukui Senior High School

Match No. 13: Sendai University [2 - 5] Okayama Yunogo Belle (N2)

Match No. 14: JEF United Chiba Ladies U-18 [3 - 0] Tachibana High School of Tohoka University

Match No. 15: Nippon University Fields Yokohama [0 - 0] Osaka University of Health and Sport Sciences [Fields win on PK.]

Match No. 16: NGU Loveledge Nagoya [3 - 0] Osaka Toin High School

(N2 means a club is in the second tier of the professional league.)

Partick Thistle mascot Kingsley writes an advice column at Glasgow Live.

Jack Kirby and Olmec Heads

Source. Source.

¡Qué viva México! (1931)

Sergei Eisenstein knew how to do a close-up. Watch.

Diana and Tin Tan in Acapulco

La Diana Cazadora, in Acapulco. Source.

Tin Tan has just been struck by a car on Av Costera Miguel Alemán, near the statue, in Calabacitas Tiernas (1948).

Source.

Stressed Minerva

The Minerva of Guadalajara, Mexico has been undergoing treatment for stress fractures. Source.