|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Video Plus Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities 
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
Just short U.S. falls 1-0 to Colombia in final warmup
Updated: Sunday February 04, 2001 12:04 PM
MIAMI (AP) -- U.S. coach Bruce Arena thought his team played better in Saturday's 1-0 loss to Colombia than it did in last week's 2-1 win over China. "This match was a plus for us. The quality of speed and play was better," he said after Saturday's friendly. Fred Grisales scored on a counterattack eight minutes into the second half. While the United States, missing all but one of its European-based players, was able to dominate early, the Americans created few scoring chances. "Colombia was a much better team but I thought we gave them trouble," U.S. midfielder Clint Mathis said. "We knew we were coming up against a solid club, and despite that one tough stretch in the second half, I thought we stayed with them the whole match." The game was the final preparation for the United States before it starts the final round of regional World Cup qualifying against Mexico on Feb. 28 at Columbus, Ohio. Colombia is 4-3-3 is South American qualifying, trailing Argentina (8-1-1), Brazil (6-2-2), Paraguay (6-2-2) and Ecuador (5-4-1) and tied with Ecuador.
Colombia went ahead by taking advantage of a mistake by defender Greg Vanney, who turned down a Spanish team earlier in the week to re-sign with the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer. Nestor Salazar, marked by Jeff Agoos, raced toward the U.S. goal. Vanney also went for Salazar, leaving open space for Grisales. Salazar slotted a quick pass and Grisa goalkeeper Tony Meola from 10 yards out for his first international goal. "Defensively we did a good job but just fell asleep on the goal," Arena said. "At the end of the game we just didn't have the legs to get the goal back." Colombia, which has an 8-2-3 advantage into head-to-head games, continued pressuring the Americans' defense. Meola deflected a pair of point-blank shots from Salazar in the 70th minute. The Americans, who hadn't lost since a World Cup qualifier at Costa Rica on July 23, almost tied the match in the 62nd minute. Mathis' uncontested shot from 12 yards was stopped by a diving deflection from goalkeeper Farid Mondragon, and Chris Albright's shot off the rebound went over the crossbar. Mondragon again denied the United States when he easily stopped Landon Donovan, an 18-year-old forward playing just his third international game, started up front but was dropped back into the midfield when Josh Wolff entered the game midway through the second half. Albright had the United States' last goal scoring threat in the 83rd minute, but his sliding shot just inside the 6-yard box was easily covered by Mondragon. Colombia failed to attack the United States' goal area in the first half until Salazar sprinted unmarked down the right wing and reached the penalty area in the 43rd minute. Salazar's shot from a right angle was easily stopped by Meola.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
