Mexican soccer player beats up kidnapper to free himself (The Associated Press)

Caught in a real-life win-or-lose challenge, soccer forward Alan Pulido overpowered a kidnapper, freed himself and then called police for help - a dramatic tale that shows how tough the professional player is, or how incompetent his abductors were. One thing the story does show is how dangerous Pulido's home state of Tamaulipas is. Stretching south from Mexico's border with southern Texas, Tamaulipas has long been plagued by warring drug cartels and ineffectual police.