Results tagged “El Tri” from 100 Percent Soccer

The game begins at noon Sunday on Fox Soccer Channel.

By BARRY WILNER
AP Sports Writer

This was the perfect Gold Cup for an outsider to steal. Honduras, perhaps. Or Canada.

Instead, Sunday's final at the Meadowlands will have that familiar if not comfortable look
when the United States and Mexico, by far the most dominant nations in CONCACAF, meet for the title.

Neither country sent its best team to the biennial event, with the United States fielding
something of a JV squad with players unproven on the international scene. Those players, particularly Rolling Hills Estates' Robbie Rogers, as well as Stuart Holden, Kyle Beckerman and Riverside's Chad Marshall, have performed well on the regional stage after the big boys lost in the Confederations Cup final to Brazil earlier this summer.

Mexico is missing some key players, too, and it has been struggling in World Cup qualifying, sitting fourth behind leader Costa Rica, the Americans and Hondurans. Yet Mexico survived a difficult round-robin in the Gold Cup, beat Costa Rica on penalty kicks in the semifinal, and has every reason to believe it can walk off with the trophy for the fifth time in its sixth trip to the finals.

"The United States is always a very difficult opponent and it will be a challenge for us,"
said Guillermo Ochoa, whose penalty-kick save was the difference against Costa Rica. "But we played well (in the semifinals) and it gives us a lot of confidence for the final."

Ochoa was a backup when the Americans beat the Mexicans for the 2007 Gold Cup.

With Mexico in dire straits in World Cup qualifying, and facing an Aug. 12 home match against the U.S. team --with all of its top players -- Ochoa could do some positive for his career and his nation's chances to make the South Africa 2010 field by beating the hosts.

But winning in the United States has been impossible for El Tri this decade: the Americans are 9-0-2, with some of the games getting downright nasty. Of course, U.S.-Mexico is as heated a soccer rivalry as you'll find in CONCACAF.

"We need to be looking at this final, not the other match," Mexico coach Javier Aguirre
said.

Still, a win Sunday, even with a vastly different lineup than each side will field at Azteca
next month, would be huge for El Tri.

"I don't think it sets a tone," U.S. forward Brian Ching said.

Ching is a rare veteran of international play on this U.S. squad, and wore the captain's band in the semifinal. "But on a personal level, we've done well against them in the U.S. and you don't want to be the team that lets them win at home."

Briefly:

*Mexico will play Guatemala June 28 in San Diego, Soccer United Marketing announced today, with tickets also going on sale today to Visa cardholders over at Ticketmaster. Tickets start at $25. Sales to the general public begins May 5.

The San Diego game comes four days after Mexico plays Venezuela in Atlanta just before the Gold Cup begins. From the SUM press release:

Mexico is no stranger to San Diego having played twice in the last two years in the Southern California soccer hotbed in front of sold-out crowds at Qualcomm Stadium. On Feb. 27, 2007 Mexico defeated Venezuela 3-1 in front of 63,328 fans before falling to Argentina last year on June 4 in front of 68,498 fans. México and Guatemala have played each other a total of 27 times with Mexico leading the all-time series 17-4-6. Guatemala is lead by Chicago Fire midfielder Marco Pappa and former MLS star Carlos Ruíz who now plies his trade for Olimpia of Paraguay.

The games will mark the U.S. debut of Mexican national team head coach Javier "el Vasco" Aguirre since his return to the bench this past April.

*For the second year in a row, KAZA Azteca 54 will air Chivas USA games this season. The eight scheduled Chivas USA home game broadcasts include this Saturday's match against FC Dallas.

*It appears we can expect more Seattle fans to turn out en masse at Galaxy and Chivas USA games in Carson in the future. Great for the game atmosphere whether you're a Sounders fan or not. Details here.

*Former Galaxy assistant coach (and John O'Brien mentor) Afshin Ghotbi is now coach of the Iranian national team. Is there a better time for a U.S.-Iran game?