Lapuente Back as Mexico Coach

Manuel Lapuente was named to replace Bora Milutinovic as coach of Mexico’s World Cup-bound national soccer team Friday.

It will be Lapuente’s second stint with the team. The first ended in 1991, when Mexico was beaten by the United States in the CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinals at the Coliseum, 3-2.

Milutinovic was coach of the U.S. that day.

Lapuente, 53, has had far greater success at the club level than the national level. He has coached Puebla and Necaxa to two Mexican League championships each.

Neither the terms nor length of the contract were announced, but the pressure will be on Lapuente almost immediately.

In February, Mexico is scheduled to compete in the 1998 Gold Cup in California and Florida, where its competition will include three other World Cup ’98 teams--world champion Brazil, the United States and Jamaica.

Milutinovic, who was fired Tuesday after the team qualified for France ‘98, coached Mexico to a victory over Brazil in the final of the 1996 Gold Cup.

Lapuente, who has a 232-174-186 record, coached Mexico to third place in the 1992 Gold Cup.