Uruguay Beats Brazil to Win America Cup
Uruguay, looking to reassert itself after missing last summer’s World Cup, upset Brazil, 5-3, on penalty kicks Sunday at Montevideo to win the America Cup for a record 14th time.
After the teams played to a 1-1 tie in regulation, goalkeeper Fernando Alvez saved Brazil’s third penalty kick by Tulio, enabling Uruguay to win its first South American championship since 1987.
“Uruguay needed this victory so much,” Uruguay Coach Hector Nunez said. “It was a great win when you consider that we beat a team of outstanding players.”
Brazil, a four-time champion in the World Cup and America Cup, hadn’t lost in 25 consecutive games dating to 1993 and continued its streak of never having won the America Cup away from home.
Cheered on by a capacity crowd, Uruguay matched Argentina for the most America Cup titles and maintained its record of having won all seven America Cup championships played at home.
Uruguay’s Enzo Francescoli and Pablo Bengoechea and Brazil’s Roberto Carlos and Zinho converted their chances to leave the score 2-2 in the shootout. Jose Herrera gave Uruguay the lead before Alvez stopped Tulio. Alvaro Gutierrez increased Uruguay’s lead and after Dunga scored to make it 4-3, Sergio Martinez clinched the victory by scoring against Brazilian goalkeeper Claudio Taffarel.
Tennis
Andre Agassi overcame blistering heat and humidity to win his first tournament since assuming the top ranking, outlasting Stefan Edberg, 6-4, 2-6, 7-5 in the finals of the $675,000 Legg Mason Classic at Washington.
Agassi, who 14 weeks ago ascended to No. 1, joined Jimmy Connors and Guillermo Vilas as the only three-time winners of the 26-year-old event. Agassi also won the tournament in 1990 and 1991.
Gigi Fernandez and Lindsay Davenport led the United States into the 1995 Fed Cup final, joining forces in doubles for the first time and beating Nathalie Tauziat and Julie Halard of France, 6-1, 7-6 (7-1).
The United States beat France, 3-2, in the semifinal at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington. The Americans will travel to Spain for the Nov. 25-26 final. Defending champion Spain beat Germany, 3-2.
After completing a comeback victory over Sergi Bruguera, French Open champion Thomas Muster defeated Jan Apell, 6-2, 6-2, in the final of the Mercedes Cup at Stuttgart, Germany, for his eighth title this year.
It was Muster’s 31st career title and enabled him to regain the No. 3 ranking in the world, moving him ahead of Boris Becker. The hard part for Muster came in the rain-delayed semifinals, when he battled over two days to defeat Bruguera, 6-7 (7-5), 7-6 (7-5), 6-2.
Track and Field
Colin Jackson is blaming the British Athletic Federation for destroying his hopes of defending the world 110-meter hurdles title in Sweden next month.
Jackson, who left Britain’s team with an adductor muscle injury, says he would have been on the starting line in Goteborg had he not been “pressured” into proving his fitness.
On Monday, when the British team was announced, Jackson was told he had seven days to prove his fitness to be included. After a testing training session, he pulled out last Friday.
Miscellany
Mike Dodd of El Segundo and Mike Whitmarsh of Del Mar defeated Adam Johnson of Laguna Beach and Jose Loiola of Manhattan Beach, 15-7, to win the $100,000 Miller Lite Open Pro Beach volleyball tournament in Milwaukee.
Names in the News
Orlin Norris was released from Royal London Hospital after an overnight stay for observation following his eighth-round knockout loss to Nate Miller. Miller won the WBA cruiserweight title. Norris was taken from the ring on a stretcher after he collapsed and was moved to the hospital.
Malcom Elliott of Chevrolet/L.A. Sheriffs won the 34th Chevron Manhattan Beach Grand Prix cycling event defeating teammate Trent Klasna in a sprint finish. Rebecca Twigg, a two-time Olympian, won the women’s criterium.
