Donovan’s hat trick lifts the U.S., 3-1
Galaxy striker Landon Donovan scored a hat trick and the United States rolled over Ecuador, 3-1, in an international soccer friendly Sunday in front of 31,547 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla.
It took Donovan only 35 seconds to give the U.S. the lead when he drilled a left-foot shot into the back of the net from 22 yards after the South Americans failed to properly clear the ball.
Ecuador tied the score in the 11th minute when Felipe Caicedo dribbled through a sometimes porous U.S. backline before beating goalkeeper Tim Howard.
Donovan restored the Americans’ lead 21 minutes into the second half when he took an astute pass from fellow forward Brian Ching and put the ball into the net from just inside the penalty area.
The 25-year-old completed only the second hat trick of his international career and only the 10th in U.S. national team history when he scored in the 67th minute, this time off a pass from DaMarcus Beasley.
Donovan’s other hat trick came when he scored four goals against Cuba in 2003. Sunday’s performance brought his career total to 30 goals and left him only four goals behind all-time U.S. scoring leader Eric Wynalda.
“I thought in the first half we were a little disjointed and got caught up in a back-and-forth game against a team that is probably better than us at that,” Donovan said. “I think at halftime we figured it out.”
Former UCLA midfielder Benny Feilhaber made his debut for the U.S., whose interim coach, Bob Bradley, started seven European-based players and used nine in all, including his son, Michael, in the second half.
The U.S. plays Guatemala on Wednesday night in Frisco, Texas.
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Mexico honored Chivas USA defender Claudio Suarez in Monterrey, Mexico, then went out and defeated Paraguay, 2-1, behind two goals from second-half substitute Jared Borgetti.
The lanky striker entered the game in the 78th minute and promptly scored his 41st and 42nd goals in 81 appearances with the national team.
Paraguay’s goal was scored in injury time at the end of the game by Roque Santa Cruz but was not enough to prevent the team’s Argentine coach, Gerardo Martino, from losing on his debut.
Before the game, Suarez, who used to play in Monterrey for Tigres, was presented with a plaque by Justino Compean, president of Mexico’s soccer federation, and was carried on the shoulders of Mexico’s players, including former Chivas USA teammate Francisco “Paco” Palencia.
“There are no words to express my feelings,” Suarez, who appeared in three World Cups and a record 178 games for Mexico, told Mexico’s TV Azteca.
Mexico plays Ecuador in Oakland on Wednesday night in a game that is sold out.
Mexico and the U.S. are preparing for the CONCACAF Gold Cup in the U.S. and the Copa America in Venezuela, both in June.
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Anaheim High forward Jorge Flores, 17, was selected the winner of a month-long, nationally televised talent search by Chivas USA that attracted more than 2,000 participants.
By winning, Flores earned a spot on Chivas USA’s under-19 team. In order to protect his college eligibility, he declined the other prizes intended for the winner of the “Sueno MLS” event that was televised each week on Univision’s Republica Deportiva show.
Jones reported from Los Angeles.
