World Cup grabbing attention of Colorado Rockies clubhouse

Adam Ottavino has an Argentina soccer jersey draped over the chair in front of his locker. Carlos Gonzalez has a soccer ball next to his shoes as he gets ready for the Colorado Rockies series opener against the New York Mets on Monday evening.

Baseball may be their jobs but make no mistake that plenty of Rockies players are keeping track of the World Cup as it continues its much-anticipated run in Russia.

That includes CarGo, who has quick to not only talk about his favorite player, but also give his World Cup predictions.

"“My favorite player is Cristiano Ronaldo so I’m pulling for Portugal,” Gonzalez said. “There are so many good teams I like. Spain has a lot of players from Real Madrid, which is my favorite team.“I really like the team France has this team. So many great players. That’s the team that I see winning,” CarGo continued. “The surprise team I think is going to be Belgium. They’re sleepers.”"

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Gonzalez, a Venezuela native, said there is nothing that compares to World Cup in his mind.

"“I think World Cup is the best tournament ever, in all sports,” Gonzalez said. “I love baseball. I play baseball. I think World Cup is best tournament in any sport.”"

Ottavino may be known for his slider but he has also become quite a follower of soccer over the last five years or so, he said. He also said he is drawn to the World Cup because of its unique nature.

"“I’m not really pulling for anyone really,” Ottavino said. “I just like soccer. I watch it all the time. The World Cup is different. People coming together. Weird matchups. Weird teams. I like it.”"

And the most surprising result of the tournament so far in Ottavino’s mind? Was it Mexico downing defending World Cup champion Germany?

"“Mexico is pretty good. I thought Switzerland tying Brazil was pretty good for them,” Ottavino said."

Mexico is the favorite squad for Rockies outfielder Noel Cuevas. A native of Puerto Rico, with his home country not in the tournament, Cuevas has a unique but logical reason for rooting for our southern neighbors.

"“Since Puerto Rico doesn’t have a team and the United States doesn’t have a team, Mexico is the favorite for me,” Cuevas said. “I played winter ball down in Mexico this past offseason. I enjoyed the culture and the way that I was treated down there for two months. They gained my respect and my love. If I’m rooting for someone, it’s Mexico.”"

Next: Will a big trade be worth it for the Rockies in 2018?

The World Cup continues through July 15. As a related note, North America was awarded the 2026 World Cup and Denver is on the list of cities to potentially host matches during the event. That could put future members of the Rockies very close to World Cup action.

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