SOCCER CONCACAF GOLD CUP : U.S. Not So Neighborly to Mexico This Time, 2-0
In a result that had 41,103 fans shaking their heads in disbelief, and probably will make soccer fans the world over believe they have seen a misprint in this morning’s newspaper, the United States upset Mexico, 2-0, Friday night at the Coliseum.
The victory not only earned the U.S. players the respect of a stunned Mexican team but also a berth in the final of the first Confederation of North and Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Gold Cup Sunday against Honduras, which upset Costa Rica, 2-0, in the other semifinal.
Midfielder Hugo Perez, whose fortunes--like the national team’s--have been revived since Bora Milutinovic became the United States’ coach two months ago, assisted on both second-half goals.
In the 48th minute, he sailed a free kick from the right side into the penalty area to defender Marceloa Balboa, who flicked the ball with his head to John Doyle. Doyle caught goalkeeper Pablo Larios out of position and scored from 10 yards.
Sixteen minutes later, forward Peter Vermes, after a pass from Perez, fought off a Mexican defender’s attempt to knock him off the ball and put a left-footed shot from 25 yards over Larios’ head and into the net.
Since they first played in 1934, the United States has won only two of 25 previous games between the teams. The series has been so one-sided that even a 2-2 tie with a team consisting primarily of Mexican second-teamers earlier this year at the Coliseum was considered an accomplishment for the U.S. team.
But that was several accomplishments ago. Since Milutinovic arrived to coach the United States in May, the team has lost only once in nine games and owns its first four-game winning streak in full international competition since 1968.
In Wednesday night’s final first-round game, Milutinovic’s new team won, 3-2, against one of his former teams, Costa Rica, which he coached into the second round of the 1990 World Cup in Italy. Four years before, he coached host Mexico to the quarterfinals of the 1986 World Cup.
The U.S. team hoped Milutinovic’s knowledge of the opponents would work as well against the Mexicans, but Mexico Coach Manuel Lapuente did not appear concerned before the game.
“Bora knows Mexico, but Mexico knows Bora,” he said.
Although Milutinovic is the coach, the United States reverted to the style of his predecessor, Bob Gansler, in the first half, kicking the ball downfield and chasing it like greyhounds after an artificial rabbit.
Nevertheless, the United States seemed to be on the verge of taking the lead in the 29th minute when Perez was fouled in the penalty area. But the United States was not awarded a penalty kick--and an almost certain goal--because linesman Mike Siefert of Canada ruled that Perez was off-sides when he was fouled.
After Milutinovic’s halftime instructions, the United States returned to the more methodical style that has been so successful in recent games. The U.S. players mounted charge after charge on counter-attacks, finally catching the rabbit.
