Argentina captures sixth title

Argentina won the FIFA Under-20 World Cup for the sixth time, rallying to beat the Czech Republic, 2-1, Sunday in Toronto on Mauro Zarate’s goal in the 86th minute.

Martin Fenin put the Czechs ahead in the 60th minute but Sergio Aguero tied the score in the 62nd. Zarate’s low shot from the edge of the penalty area handcuffed goalkeeper Radek Petr. Argentina also won FIFA’s Under-20 title in 1979, 1995, 1997, 2001 and 2005.

Aguero won the Golden Boot Award as tournament top scorer with six goals and also was voted the Golden Ball as top player, finishing ahead of Argentina’s Maximiliano Moralez and Mexico’s Giovani Dos Santos.

Aguero, who came on as a substitute in the 2005 final against Nigeria, became the second player to play on the winning side in two U-20 finals. Portugal’s Jaoa Pinto did it in 1989 and 1991.

Chile beat Austria, 1-0, in the third-place match.

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Mexican standout Cuauhtemoc Blanco’s debut with the Fire gave Chicago fans a sample of his gifted play and the promise of what he can bring to the struggling team in Bridgeview, Ill.

Amid his stutter-step dribbles and uncanny passes, there was a goal during the Fire’s 1-1 tie in a “friendly” with Celtic FC of the Scottish Premier League.

Blanco got around a Celtic FC defender and then maneuvered past goalie Artur Boruc who’d come out to challenge, giving him a wide open path to the goal. He converted easily for the score 30 minutes into the game, setting off a crowd of 15,719, which was more than 4,000 under capacity.

In the 43rd minute Blanco just missed another score.