U.S. Set to Defend Gold Cup
The United States begins defense of its CONCACAF Gold Cup title tonight when it takes on El Salvador at Foxboro, Mass.
The two-week, 12-team tournament, which crowns the regional champion of North and Central America and the Carribean, also will feature a game today involving Canada and Costa Rica.
Mexico opens group play Sunday at Mexico City against Brazil, which has sent its Under-23 team to compete.
“We definitely want to come out strong against El Salvador,” midfielder Earnie Stewart said. “You want to get that win in the first game. It sets the right tone.”
The U.S. is 9-1-4 all-time against El Salvador, including a 4-0 victory in January 2002 in a Gold Cup quarterfinal game at the Rose Bowl.
El Salvador is coming off a 2-1 victory over Mexico in a friendly last weekend at the Home Depot Center.
Coach Bruce Arena said midfielders Claudio Reyna and DaMarcus Beasley will be available.
Reyna played Sunday in a friendly against Paraguay for the first time since October after sitting out because of a knee injury. Beasley, arguably the team’s most dynamic player the last several months, has an arm injury and also suffered a mild ankle sprain in practice this week.
The U.S. concludes group play Monday, matching up for the first time against Martinique.
Coliseum Double
Olimpia of Paraguay will play San Lorenzo de Almagro of Argentina tonight at 7 at the Coliseum in the Recopa final, although the undercard might steal the show.
At 5 p.m., Argentine champion River Plate will take on popular Mexican club Chivas de Guadalajara in what amounts to a friendly, although fans can get a look at the team (Chivas) that will take on the Major League Soccer All-Stars on Aug. 2 at the Home Depot Center.
Olimpia and San Lorenzo are matched up in a game featuring the 2002 champions of the Copa Libertadores and the South American Cup. The Coliseum will continue to play host to this event for the next four years.
Ricardo Tavarelli, who played one game for Paraguay at the 2002 World Cup, will be in goal for Olimpia. San Lorenzo is led by striker Alberto Federico Acosta, 36, who could be playing his last game.
Chelsea’s First
New Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich can’t be faulted for his efforts in trying to land top-quality talent for the English club, having been turned down on $50-million-plus bids for Arsenal’s Thierry Henry and AC Milan’s Alessandro Nesta.
But Friday he finally made his first deal, agreeing to a transfer with Real Madrid for Cameroon midfielder Geremi Ndjitap for $11.3 million.
Spencer Fined
Colorado Rapid forward John Spencer, who made a questionable gesture toward the crowd after scoring the goal in a 1-0 victory over the Galaxy on Wednesday, was fined $250 by MLS.
The fine, however, was levied for Spencer’s gesture toward a referee’s assistant after he was ruled offside on an apparent goal earlier in the game.
Quick Passes
Cal State Fullerton sophomore goalkeeper Karen Bardsley will play for England’s Under-19 national team in the women’s European Championship, which will be held July 25-Aug. 3 at Leipzig, Germany.... River Plate midfielder Andres D’Alessandro, one of Argentina’s top young players, will transfer to VfL Wolfsburg of the German Bundesliga for a reported $11 million.... Carlos Alvarez of Colombia, a onetime player for Necaxa of Mexico’s first division, was arrested at Mexico City’s international airport because he allegedly tried to take about $1 million out of the country without declaring it.
Times wire services contributed to this report.
