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Prepare to qualify Americans top Mexico 3-0, take home U.S. Cup title
Posted: Monday June 12, 2000 12:34 AM
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) -- Goals are aplenty for the U.S. soccer team these days. Now if the Americans can just keep in up in World Cup qualifying. On a brutally hot afternoon, the United States beat an understrength Mexican team 3-0 Sunday to win soccer's U.S. Cup for the first time since 1995. "Because of the controversy surrounding the Mexican team, we had everything to lose and in some ways nothing to gain," U.S. coach Bruce Arena said. "We would have been ridiculed if we didn't win this." Brian McBride scored in the 33rd minute, and Frankie Hejduk and Ante Razov added goals in the final 15 minutes as the Americans continued their recovery from a last-place finish in the World Cup two years ago. It was the final tuneup for the United States before it starts qualifying for the 2002 World Cup with a July 16 game at Antigua or Guatemala. "The guys have a great understanding of each other," said McBride, agreeing with the team consensus that rebuilding is nearly done. The United States (4-2-3 this year) routed South Africa 4-0 last weekend, then tied Ireland 1-1 in a downpour Tuesday. Ireland played South Africa in the second game of Sunday's doubleheader.
While just an exhibition tournament, Sunday's game marked a number of milestones. Cobi Jones set a record for U.S. men with his 129th international appearance, one more than Marcelo Balboa, and Jeff Agoos became the sixth American man to reach 100. On a sweltering afternoon with a game-time temperature of 90 degrees, the Americans quieted a mostly pro-Mexican crowd of 45,008. Mexico, which had won the previous three editions of this tournament, didn't send its regular national team, instead dispatching a roster stocked mostly from the club Pumas, including the coach. Seven of the 11 starters were from that one team. "It might not be all the veteran players, but they weren't bad players," U.S. midfielder Claudio Reyna said. For the first time since taking over as coach from Steve Sampson in October 1998, Arena had most of his top players, although Joe-Max Moore, Eddie Lewis, Eddie Pope and Robin Fraser were out with injuries. Earnie Stewart filled a key playmaking role, playing after a root canal Wednesday, a filling Thursday and oral surgery Friday. He took an elbow to the right side of his face during the South Africa game, damaging a nerve. Since then, his food had been limited to bananas and other fruit, and he almost was sent home.
"Bruce is very clear on how he wants us to play," Stewart said. "Everybody knows his position and what he has to do in his position." McBride put the Americans ahead in the 33rd minute with his 11th goal in 43 international appearances, scoring from 10 yards out off a cross from Stewart. Mexico's Christian Ramirez was ejected in the 70th minute for getting his second yellow card, and the Americans followed with a pair of easy goals. Ben Olson carried the ball up field in the 79th but goalkeeper Sergio Bernal knocked it away -- right to Jones, whose shot bounced off the far post. Hejduk tipped it in from inches, then broke into an extended dance. Razov scored into an open net in the 85th, four minutes after he entered the game, intercepting a backpass from Paul Cesar Chavez to his goalkeeper. Notes: The U.S. Soccer Federation planned to announce Monday to the sites for home games in the semifinals of World Cup qualifying in the North and Central American and Caribbean region. After opening at Guatemala or Antigua and playing at Costa Rica on July 23, the Americans play Barbados at Foxboro, Mass., on Aug. 16, Guatemala or Antigua on Sept. 3 at Washington and Costa Rica on Oct. 11 at Columbus, Ohio. The round concludes with a game at Barbados on Nov. 14 or 15. The top two teams in the group advance to next year's six-nation regional finals, which will produce three qualifiers. ... Jones, who plays for Los Angeles in Major League Soccer, said four foreign teams had scouts at the game to watch him.
Lineups: United States: Kasey Keller; Tony Sanneh, Jeff Agoos, Carlos Llamosa (Gregg Berhalter, 70th minute), David Regis; Chris Armas, John O'Brien (Ben Olsen, 64th), Claudio Reyna, Earnie Stewart (Frankie Hejduk, 76th); Cobi Jones (Jovan Kirovski, 84th), Brian McBride (Ante Razov, 81st). Mexico: Sergio Bernal; Israel Lopez, Raul Alpizar, Joaquin Beltran, Christian Ramirez; Israel Lopez, Paul Cesar Chavez (Carlos Carino, 85th), Luis Perez (Luis Ignacio Gonzales, 66th), Gerrado Torrado, Daniel Osorno (Ignacio Flores 77th); Jesus Olade, Horacio Sanchez (Jaime Lozano, 46th). Refere: Peter Prendergast, Jamaica.
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