AFTER BEATING THE YANQUIS, ALL IS RIGHT IN MEXICO.

Byline: Paul Oberjuerge Staff Writer

MEXICO CITY - Manuel Vilchez was giddy. And not just because he was holding 13 beer cups stacked one inside the next.

``My girlfriend drank at least five of them,'' he insisted, and she nodded her beaming assent.

Vilchez was one of 110,000 hap-hap-happy futbol aficionados who streamed out of Estadio Azteca after Mexico defeated the feared and loathed Yanqis de los Estados Unidos 2-1 in a World Cup qualifying game Sunday.

``This means a lot,'' he said in polished English. ``And it's not just about football.

``I have a brother who is living in Denver, so I know what it's like to live in America without papers, and how hard it is. This triumph over the Americans means a lot.''

Given: Mexico loves soccer; Americans barely acknowledge it.

But a significant subplot to these soccer games is Mexican gut-level antipathy toward its northern neighbor.

The typical Mexican is convinced his emigre countrymen are mocked, persecuted and maltreated by Americans and their government - although many of those who have gone to ``El Norte'' earn wages far above what they could make here, and the average expatriated Mexican sends home $1,000 annually, helping to prop up a weak economy.

Mexicans believe they can strike back at the United States by defeating it in the world's game. Some of them get carried away; fans chanted, ``Osama! Osama!'' at an Olympic qualifying game in Guadalajara last year.

Before Sunday's contest, Mexican midfielder Hector Altimirano ``dedicated'' the game to all those wretched Mexicans living in the United States.

``American-bashing is really popular here right now,'' said Jonathan Clark, a correspondent for the Herald, the English-language edition of Mexico City daily newspaper El Universal.

``It's like terrorism in the U.S.; everybody agrees on it. Every political candidate, all the media, because it's an easy issue.''

The political undertow was the least attractive aspect of the game, which otherwise was an Easter Day fiesta for Mexico.

Mexico clutches to the idea that it is the king of North American soccer, although it had won only one of its previous eight confrontations with the Yanks.

A huge sign on the south side of Azteca read, ``El Gigante No Ha Muerto'' - or ``The giant is not dead.'' The giant being Mexican soccer.

The day began with the U.S. team and a record American media contingent traveling to Azteca in three buses, escorted by nearly 30 policemen.

The ``Capitalinos'' seemed to know what the ruckus was about; they waved Mexican flags at the entourage and shouted mostly good-natured warnings.

At the cavernous stadium, almost as tall as it is wide, most fans wore the green, red and white of the home country.

They chanted patriotic slogans before and during the game. They did the wave. They bought tacos and tapas from vendors.

Predictably, they jeered and whistled throughout the U.S. national anthem. Also predictably, they thought the referee was beyond redemption.

Overall, they were ``not as rambunctious as I thought they would be,'' U.S. midfielder Landon Donovan said.

``They were pretty mellow.''

Perhaps because Mexico never trailed.

The Americans played execrably for 45 minutes, and it was 2-0 at half. Fans erupted after each goal, and at halftime everyone seemed to buy a beer and get ready for the thorough humiliation of the Americans they yearned for.

Four-nil would be a good finish.

Mexican soccer stresses individual skills; it feels a bit like the bullring, with matador flair prized. It is no accident Mexicans shout, ``Ole!'' when their soccer players are stringing together passes.

But the stadium got quiet when former UCLA star Eddie Lewis scored for the visitors in the 59th minute. You could feel 103 million Mexicans suddenly get nervous.

Mexico must win in Azteca. It practically is the law. A tie would be nearly as bad as a defeat.

Fumed one Mexican journalist: ``It's always bad for us to get a 2-0 lead, because we think it's over, and we relax, and look what happens.''

The U.S. comeback stalled, Mexico improved its record vs. the U.S. to 22-0-1 on home soil and, south of the border, anyway, the world had returned to its proper axis.

``For us, it's another game against a big rival.'' said U.S. defender Carlos Bocanegra, a former UCLA standout.

``For them, it's life and death.''

The game, and the week before it, proved illuminating. It seemed to the two of us who drove nearly 2,000 miles through Mexico to get here (we fly back, by the way) that Mexico and Mexicans usually are friendly and fair.

Patriotic, just like we are. Proud of their country, like we are.

So, yeah, they get a little nutty about soccer. Maybe we can let them slide there; it sometimes seems like all they've got.

From Tijuana to Tampico, it was a good day Sunday. A very good day.

From the shanties of Mexicali to the jungles of Chiapas, Mexico had redeemed its sports pride.

After the final whistle Sunday, it seemed even easier for Mexico to be hospitable to the visitors from the north. Smiles all around for the gringos ... who were going home losers to ``El Gigante.''