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Weak opposition Sharp U.S. game produces big Gold Cup winPosted: Monday January 28, 2002 7:49 PMUpdated: Monday January 28, 2002 8:02 PM
By Ridge Mahoney, Soccer America PASADENA, Calif. -- In and of itself, the U.S. demolition of El Salvador (4-0) in the Gold Cup quarterfinals isn't a major accomplishment. A good win, yes, and really not even as close as a four-goal margin would indicate, but this is an opponent that did not reach the final round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying and is again mired in squabbles. When asked why Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder Mauricio Cienfuegos had not been selected after he had expressed his wish to be included, Coach Jorge Recinos said, "There are secrets you do not know. I pick the players and I decide who plays." Brian McBride netting a hat trick in 21 minutes is a better story, but it is the nature of those three goals that cuts to the essence of his match. His first goal, a solid header of a deflected cross, represented good finishing instincts. His other two goals were virtual tap-ins, simple tasks for any capable player thanks to creative approach work involving several teammates. Cobi Jones beat the Salvadoran offside trap and goalkeeper Santos Rivera to leave McBride with a wide-open net for the second U.S. goal. The third goal was especially sweet. Ante Razov released Eddie Lewis into space. Lewis dodged the keeper, took the ball to the byline and cut it back for Landon Donovan, who trapped and held the ball -- inside the six-yard box -- before laying it off for McBride to drill high into the net.
Lewis, who struggled through a dismal outing against South Korea and didn't play in the Cuba match, looked as sharp and fit as he did in his glory days with the national team in 1999. He dropped out of midfield into a left-back slot that had been occupied by Carlos Bocanegra when DaMarcus Beasley came on in the second half. Razov polished off the rout and atoned for a few earlier misses with a first-time finish of a Beasley cross. Every U.S. goal -- and several other excellent opportunities that were not converted -- were products of sharp passing, crisp movement of ball and players, and exquisite timing. The returns of Clint Mathis and Brian Maisonneuve -- both entered the game as second-half substitutes -- adds depth to the domestic player pool. Arena will need reinforcements quickly, as Bocanegra (ankle) and Razov (groin) picked up injuries against El Salvador that may keep them out of the semifinals and final. Tearing apart El Salvador doesn't portend great feats in South Korea this summer. El Salvador is a team the Americans should have beaten handily even though it had surrendered only one goal to Mexico and shut out Guatemala in its first two Gold Cup games. Had the Salvadorans survived the American onslaught without conceding a second early goal they might have been able to battle their way back into the game, much as Cuba did after surrendering a penalty kick to McBride in the 21st minute. But when McBride scored his second just two minutes after his first, the Salvadorans capitulated, and eventually the U.S. rolled up a victory reflected in its 19-5 advantage in shots. The U.S. plays defending champion Canada on Wednesday night in the semifinals (11:30 p.m. ET; live on closed-circuit TV; tape delay Feb. 1 at 11 p.m. on Fox Sports World). The other semifinal pits Costa Rica against South Korea, raising the possibility that the U.S. could face its World Cup opponent three times during the buildup to the tournament. Ridge Mahoney is a senior editor at Soccer America magazine.
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