Mexico Gets Another Shot
Mexico, which was knocked out of the 2002 World Cup when it was beaten, 2-0, by the United States in South Korea in June, will have the chance to atone for that defeat -- at least in part -- in two months’ time.
Coach Ricardo Lavolpe announced in Mexico City on Thursday that his team will play Argentina, Spain and the U.S. in February as it prepares for the CONCACAF Gold Cup, to be held most likely in Foxboro, Mass., Miami and Washington, July 12-23.
The locations and dates of Mexico’s games against Spain and the U.S. have not been finalized but will take place in the latter half of February. Lavolpe debuts as national coach against Argentina on Feb. 5 at the Coliseum.
Galaxy to Spain?
The Galaxy and the San Jose Earthquakes, Major League Soccer’s 2002 and 2001 champions, respectively, are negotiating to take part in the La Manga Cup in Spain as part of their preparation for the 2003 season, according to Soccer America magazine.
Brazilian Semifinals
Santos and Corinthians advanced to the Brazilian league’s championship final Thursday as they disposed of Gremio and Fluminense, respectively, in the second match of the two-game semifinal series.
Gremio managed a 1-0 victory over Santos in Porto Alegre on a Rodrigo Fabri goal, but it was not enough to overcome a 3-0 first-game defeat. Santos, seeking its first championship since 1984, went through, 3-1, on aggregate.
Fluminense had won its first semifinal game, 1-0, on a Romario goal, but when the 1994 World Cup winner left the second game because of groin strain, Corinthians took full advantage and won, 3-2, with Guilherme scoring twice.
That evened the aggregate score at 3-3, but Corinthians, led by Brazil’s 1994 World Cup-winning coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, advanced to the final because of their better regular-season record.
Cheesesteak United
The Philadelphia Eagles will not be the first football team to play at their new home, Lincoln Financial Field. Manchester United will be, although the English Premier League club’s opponent for the Aug. 3 match, part of a four-game tour of the U.S., has not been announced.
Manchester United will play Juventus of Italy on July 30 or 31 at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., and two other games before that are being arranged for the Coliseum and Foxboro, but can’t conflict with the Gold Cup, which ends July 23.
Mexican Quarterfinals
Defending champion Club America had to come from behind twice to earn a 3-3 tie on the road against Santos Laguna as the quarterfinals of the Mexican league playoffs continued to produce surprises.
Santos Laguna got two goals from its Chilean striker, Rodrigo Ruiz, in the 30th and 65th minutes, to go along with one in the 61st minute by Eduardo Lillingston, but Club America countered with a pair of goals by Argentine forward Hugo Norberto Castillo in the 38th and 70th minutes after a 33rd-minute strike by Cuauhtemoc Blanco.
In another quarterfinal match Wednesday night, Guadalajara scored twice in the final six minutes to the delight of 60,000 at Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara as Chivas upset Toluca, 2-1.
Paraguayan striker Jose Cardozo had given Toluca the lead in the 56th minute, extending his scoring streak to 12 consecutive games, but Guadalajara tied it on a Jair Garcia goal in the 84th minute and won when Emilio Mora scored three minutes later.
Also, Morelia all but secured its place in the semifinals with a 3-1 road victory over UAG, while Cruz Azul and UNAM played to a 0-0 tie.
The games were the first in a two-game series which continues over the weekend.
Russian Riot
One man was sentenced to four years in prison and three-dozen other people are being charged in connection with the riot in Moscow that followed Russia’s 1-0 loss to Japan at the 2002 World Cup, ITAR-Tass reported.
The fans had been watching the game on a large-screen near the Kremlin and overturned vehicles and set them afire after Russia was ousted from the tournament.
