Tigres supporters Libres y Lokos travel from Texas, elsewhere to support team in Leagues Cup and more

They’re there for Leagues Cup. They’re there for Concacaf Champions League. They’re there for league matches.

No matter where Tigres play, their fans are there — spearheaded by passionate supporters’ group Libres y Lokos.

A significant number of those supporters make their home in Texas, with Dallas and Houston among the largest chapters based in the U.S. but groups also based in Austin, the Valley and San Antonio.

“For us, the support of Libres y Lokos United States is fundamental,” Samuel Reyes, leader of Libres y Lokos told The Striker Texas. “We’re organized in various cities in Texas, Chicago and Los Angeles, mainly, there also are smaller groups in New York, Florida, Oklahoma and Denver, but it’s principally in Texas. It’s very important for us to have them present for Tigres matches."

A few hours before Tuesday night’s Leagues Cup match in Seattle against the Sounders, fans will gather at a cantina near Lumen Field, singing, waving banners and seeing old and new friends before marching to the stadium and making their presence known.

For Tigres fans in the U.S., it’s something they’ve been waiting for for months.

“Imagine. From when we get the information that Tigres are going to come to Texas or the United States, well, the adrenaline, the excitement gets going,” said Heiler Rios, one of the leaders of the Dallas chapter of LyL. “We start to prepare trips, get tickets and everything.

“When the day arrives, man, it’s a carnival. There’s no explanation, but it’s an amazing party.”

That festive mood is a big part of what makes traveling for Tigres matches fun and keeps fans coming back, with the club well supported during a recent swing through Texas for preseason matches. There’s also a feeling of responsibility, especially with how strong Seattle’s fans typically are during matches.

“We have to come in concentrated, play them as equals,” midfielder Jesus Duenas said Monday. “We played Seattle in the Concacaf Champions League in 2013 and saw how the fans support them and we’ll have to be concentrated and give everything to get the victory tomorrow.”

For that reason, the Tigres fans who made the trip and those who already live in the Seattle area are ready to yell themselves hoarse so manager Miguel Herrera and his squad feel the love and passion the fans have in any stadium where they may play.

“It’s the reason the group exists, to support the team in every situation, especially in adversity. When the team is the visitor, it’s tougher, with the home fans supporting, and we know that Seattle’s fans are among the best in the U.S.,” Reyes said. “We always try to be there, but even more when the team needs it more — in this case, on the road.

“We’re the majority group among the Tigres supporters and have the commitment to bring the name and prestige of Tigres on our shoulders is worth the big effort to follow the team.”

Why are there so many Texans in the group? Simple migration patters are one factor. Tigres and rival Monterrey are among the best supported teams in the state, with thousands of people moving from Nuevo Leon to the Lone Star State.

Another reason is just how passionate people are for their clubs in Monterrey. Former Mexico manager Juan Carlos Osorio felt Monterrey was Mexico’s Manchester or Rosario — a city outside the capital that, in part because of its status as a secondary city, lives out a passion for soccer more strongly than in other parts of the country.

“I was born in Monterrey and born with that passion in my blood. Whether you’re Tigres or Rayados, the passion is there in you,” Rios said. “Everyone I know here likes to travel, to follow the team where it may be that they play. Where they’re going to be, they go. That’s what we try to do. Fans feel it’s part of their identity and feel almost like they were in Monterrey.”

The presence of an organized group can also keep that passion alive and encourage things like traveling thousands of miles for an away day in a relatively new tournament.

For Tigres fans, especially the legions of supporters they have in Texas, there’s never a question. If Tigres are playing and they can get to it, they’ll be there, showing their support and love for their club.