A taste of home, yerba mate is a shared bond for many World Cup fans

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Alongside their flags, jerseys and songs, fans at World Cup matches are bringing along their cups and straws to share a sip of yerba mate as they root on their national teams.The caffeinated beverage that is ubiquitous in some South American countries has spread alongside the multicultural appeal of soccer, including in the United States, where it’s become a drink of choice for star athletes on the pitch and off.When reigning World Cup winners Argentina arrived at their hotel in Kansas City, Missouri, fans were outside pouring and sharing yerba mate in gourd cups with metal bombillas, the straw that acts as a filter for the steeped leaves. At Cafe Corazon, one of the biggest importers of yerba mate in the Midwest, a line of fans wearing sky blue-and-white striped jerseys was nearly out the door on Monday, the day before Argentina played their first match of the World Cup.“Our mate has been flying off the shelves,” said Dulcinea Herrera, one of the co-owners of C