Mexico Defeats Brazil in Gold Cup

Mexico captured its second consecutive CONCACAF Gold Cup on Sunday before more than 75,000 at the Coliseum, winning 2-0 against an under-23 Brazilian team preparing for the Summer Olympics.

The United States, which lost, 1-0, to Brazil in the semifinals of this regional tournament, beat Guatemala, 3-0, for third place.

Mexico scored twice in the second half against Brazil, a guest at this nine-nation event for countries from North and Central America and the Caribbean.

None of the players for Brazil in this game were on the squad that won the 1994 World Cup.

Luis Garcia scored the opening goal for Mexico on a 10-yard shot in the 54th minute after Alberto Garcia Aspe headed the ball into the area following a poor clear by Brazil.

Cuauhtemoc Blanco made it 2-0 in the 75th on a run from the right side after a feed from Garcia Aspe from the middle.

Mexico had not beaten a Brazilian national team since 1970, when it won, 1-0, in Rio de Janeiro.

As Gold Cup champion, Mexico will represent CONCACAF in the Intercontinental Cup in Saudi Arabia in 1997.

In the third-place game, Eric Wynalda became the all-time scoring leader in U.S. soccer when he struck in the 35th minute on a 10-yard header off Claudio Reyna’s cross.

* U.S. WINS: Eric Wynalda scored one of three U.S. goals in a victory over Guatemala for third place in Gold Cup. C5