Reinaldo Navia, one of Club America's most recent signings, scored twice and set up fellow debutant Ariel Gonzalez's winner in a 3-2 triumph over Mexico City rival Atlante in an opening doubleheader in the 2004 Interliga.
Navia, signed a week ago from Morelia, tallied in the 38th and 52nd minutes to lead America, which was bolstered by a loud, passionate, capacity crowd of 27,000 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.
He set up Gonzalez's 82nd-minute winner, nodding Cuauhtemoc Blanco's far-post cross back across the goalmouth. Gonzalez, a signing from Irapuato, headed past Atlante goalkeeper Federico Vilar.
Santos edged Guadalajara, 2-1, in the first game of a doubleheader to kick off the eight-team Interliga, which will determine Mexico's No. 1 representative in the Libertadores Cup, South America's club championship.
The final is Jan. 14 at the Home Depot Center. The champion will compete in Group 3 of the Libertadores Cup, battling Cruzeiro (Brazil), Universidad de Concepcion (Chile) and Caracas FC (Venezuela).
Mexico's second Libertadores spot will be determined in a late January match between the second- and third-place finishers.
The Interliga is the second event produced by Soccer United Marketing, which is owned primarily by Major League Soccer investors Anschutz Entertainment Group, Hunt Sports, Kraft Group Sports and Kroenke Sports Enterprises, and by Dentsu, a Japanese marketing company. SUM's first event was the Women's World Cup, which made a reported $6 million profit.
Jared Borguetti scored a pair of goals, netting the winner with a superb header in the 55th minute, to lead Santos past Guadalajara in the first game of the Carson doubleheader. The victory sent Santos atop the Group A standings.
In the Group B nightcap — an entertaining and contentious affair that spiraled out of referee Michael Kennedy's control on several occasions — Aaron Padilla fired Atlante ahead in the 21st minute, rounding goalkeeper Adolfo Rios after teammate Sebastian Gonzalez was halted on a breakaway. Navia got the equalizer 17 minutes later, slipping a feed from Juan Antonio Castro past Vilar.
Navia made it 2-1 from a cross that dipped past two defenders above the 18, finding the forward alone on the left side of the box. Sebastian Gonzalez pulled Atlante even off a wonderful sequence in the 70th minute, heading home Fernando Arce's chip following a give-and-go.
Ariel Gonzalez, who scored seven goals for Irapuato last season, tallied six minutes after coming on for Jesus Mendoza. He termed his transfer to America, and his goal, a ''dream come true.''
Navia, who departed to a roar in the 85th minute, nearly had a hat trick, but Vilar stopped his point-blank volley in the 62nd minute. America defender Duilio Davino, who missed most of the last campaign with injury, replaced Navia.
''[Navia] is an authentic forward,'' Leo Beenhakker, America's Dutch coach, said afterward. ''He strikes for the team. That's something we look for in a player, and he's responded well. He's exactly what we were looking for.''
Toluca and Atlas won Interliga openers Sunday at Stagg Stadium on the campus of the University of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif.
Toluca topped Morelia, 1-0, in a Group A clash on Jose Manuel Abundis' 66th-minute goal. Atlas got goals from Jaime Duran in the first half and Manuel Perez in the second to beat Apertura runner-up UNL Tigres, 2-0, in Group B.
Toluca forward Jose Saturnino Cardozo was taken to a Stockton-area hospital for tests after suffering a rib injury.
The U.S. national team, preparing for a Jan. 18 friendly against Denmark, was working on one of the Home Depot Center's training fields until shortly after the first Carson match began. The U.S. players did not stay for the doubleheader.
Action continues Tuesday night at Spartan Stadium in San Jose, with America meeting Atlas and Atlante facing Tigres. Games in Houston and Dallas will follow.
INTERLIGA 2004
Jan. 4 at Stockton, Calif.
Toluca 1 (Abundis 66) Morelia 0
Atlas 2 (Duran 39, Perez 77) UNL Tigres 0
Jan. 4 at Carson, Calif.
Santos 2 (Borguetti 4, 55) Guadalajara 1 (Bravo 2)
America 3 (Navia 38, 52, A.Gonzalez 82) Atlante 2 (Padilla 21, S.Gonzalez 70)
STANDINGS
Group A
W-L-T GF-GA Pts
Santos 1-0-0 2-1 3
Toluca 1-0-0 1-0 3
Guadalajara 0-1-0 1-2 0
Morelia 0-1-0 0-1 0
Group B
W-L-T GF-GA Pts
Atlas 1-0-0 2-0 3
America 1-0-0 3-2 3
Atlante 0-1-0 2-3 0
UNL Tigres 0-1-0 0-2 0
Remaining Games
Jan. 6 at San Jose, Calif.
America vs. Atlas, 7 p.m. PST
Atlante vs. UNL Tigres, 9:30 p.m. PST
Jan. 9 at Houston
Morelia vs. Santos, 7 p.m. CST
Guadalajara vs. Toluca, 9:30 p.m. CST
Jan. 11 at Houston
Atlante vs. Atlas, 1 p.m. CST
America vs. UNL Tigres, 3:30 p.m. CST
Jan. 11 at Dallas
Guadalajara vs. Morelia, 5:30 p.m. CST
Toluca vs. Santos, 7 p.m. CST
Jan. 14 at Carson, Calif.
Third-place game, 6 p.m. PST
Championship, 8:15 p.m. PST