Gold Reaches New High in L.A.

It was difficult to tell which number was more impressive Sunday: 55,027 or nine.

The former represented the number of fans who made their way to the Los Angeles Coliseum to see a couple of Gold Cup soccer matches.

The latter was the number of goals scored by the four teams as Jamaica held on to defeat Guatemala, 3-2, and Brazil shut out El Salvador, 4-0.

So, on an afternoon that began in sunshine and ended in rain, two myths were dispelled: Soccer is not necessarily a low-scoring sport and Los Angeles fans will turn out in large numbers even if Mexico is not playing.

There was another good number for CONCACAF, whose championship this is. Three WorldCup ’98 teams--Brazil, Mexico and the United States--have reached the semifinals. Another, Jamaica, can do so tonight.

Brazil’s victory, although emphatic, was accomplished in a disappointingly drab match. Only the first 20 minutes and the final 10 saw the game spark to life.

The outcome was clear from the moment Edmundo sprinted past a trio of flat-footed Salvadoran defenders to power a near-post corner kick by Zinho into the net with only 6:20 gone.

The headed goal was greeted enthusiastically by the Brazilian players, who had struggled to find their form in this 10-nation, three-week tournament.

It was received less happily by the Salvadoran fans, who were stunned into almost complete silence a dozen minutes later when Romario, World Cup winner and FIFA world player of the year in 1994, hammered in a second goal.

Again, the pass came from Zinho.

Trailing by two goals with less than 19 minutes played, El Salvador prepared for a long night. But the Brazilians took their foot off the accelerator and it was not until Elber was sent in with a mere nine minutes left that the real Brazil returned.

El Salvador, with Galaxy midfielder Mauricio Cienfuegos and San Jose Clash forward Ronald Cerritos the rare exceptions, simply did not have the talent to overcome the world champions.

Jorge “El Magico” Gonzales was sent on late in the game for El Salvador, but at 38, what magic he had is long gone.

It was left to Elber, taking advantage of two horrendous miscues by Salvadoran defender Vladan Vicevic, to round out the scoring.

First, Vicevic’s goal kick was blocked, with Romario passing to Elber. The striker, fighting to make Brazil’s World Cup team, scored with ease.

Next, Vicevic made a bad back pass that Elber intercepted and back-heeled into the net, to the astonishment of not only the goalkeeper but the crowd as well.

Jamaica’s victory over Guatemala was not as clear cut.

The Caribbean team’s defense lived a precarious existence for 90 minutes, with last-second tackles, deflected shots and timely intervention by goalkeeper Warren Barrett combining to frustrate Guatemala.

Fortunately for Jamaica’s coach, Rene Simoes, resplendent on the sideline in his white “Jesus Saves” sweatshirt, the islanders were able to find the net at the other end of the field.

Jamaica took a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute when Paul Hall tapped the ball in from close range off a rebound. Within a minute, however, Guatemala had tied the score.

Defender Frank Sinclair, one of the latest in a series of England-based players to discover their Jamaican roots in time for the World Cup, climbed all over Everaldo Valencia while heading the ball clear.

Referee Arturo Brizio Carter of Mexico had no hesitation in awarding Guatemala a penalty kick, from which Juan Carlos Plata scored.

Jamaica put the game away in the second half on two well-taken goals. The first, in the 55th minute, saw Deon Burton send a pass in from the left, Hall knocked it back into the path of the on-rushing Andrew Williams, and the University of Rhode Island player powered a low shot into the net to make the score 2-1.

It became 3-1 in the 67th minute when Hall threw himself full length at the ball and powered a header in from about 10 yards.

Guatemala, urged on by thousands of fans, a disgraceful minority of whom pelted the Jamaican players with debris from the stands, closed out the scoring when Victor Gomez beat Barrett with a rising shot off a fine, defense-splitting pass from Plata.

Jamaica held on to win, however, and can clinch a place in the semifinals by beating or tying El Salvador tonight at 8.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

CONCACAF Gold Cup

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Team W L T GF GA Pts Group One xBrazil 1 0 2 5 1 5 Jamaica 1 0 1 3 2 4 Guatemala 0 1 2 3 4 2 El Salvador 0 1 1 0 4 1 Group Two xMexico 2 0 0 6 2 6 Trinidad 1 1 0 5 5 3 Honduras 0 1 1 1 5 0 Group Three xUnited States 2 0 0 5 1 6 Costa Rica 1 1 0 8 4 3 Cuba 0 2 0 2 10 0

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x-advanced to semifinals

* Feb. 1: Trinidad and Tobago 3, Honduras 1; United States 3, Cuba 0; El Salvador 0, Guatemala 0

* Feb. 3: Brazil 0, Jamaica 0

* Feb. 4: Costa Rica 7, Cuba 2; Mexico 4, Trinidad and Tobago 2

* Feb. 5: Brazil 1, Guatemala 1

* Feb. 6: El Salvador vs. Jamaica, ppd.

* Feb. 7: United States 2, Costa Rica 1; Mexico 2, Honduras 0

* Sunday: Jamaica 3, Guatemala 2; Brazil 4, El Salvador 0

* Today: El Salvador vs. Jamaica, 8 p.m. (Los Angeles Coliseum).

* Tuesday: Semifinal, 8 p.m. (Los Angeles Coliseum).

* Thursday: Semifinal, 7 p.m. (Los Angeles Coliseum).

* Feb. 15: Third-place game, 3 p.m. and final, 5 p.m. (Los Angeles Coliseum).

* All times Pacific.