Group play concludes with two Group C games in Houston: Mexico-Panama on Univision and Honduras-Cuba on TeleFutura. Mexico advances to the quarterfinals with a win. A tie or loss could set up a USA-Mexico meeting in the quarterfinals and a loss could knock the Tri out altogether.
Tag: gold cup
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Efficient U.S. attack overruns El Salvador at the Gold Cup
The Gold Cup is derided for its slipshod organization and paltry promotion in English-language outlets, but as a competitive event, in many respects it stands up. Case in point: For all the importance placed on a team winning its first game, just doing so is no guarantee of advancement, even with two of the three third-place teams qualifying for the quarterfinals along with the top two in each group. El Salvador opened with a 2-1 victory over Trinidad & Tobago the same day the USA scraped past Guatemala, 1-0, at Home Depot Center. By the time they met at Gillette Stadium Tuesday, the Americans were rolling and the Salvadorans reeling. Result: 4-0 to the USA, thanks to a DaMarcus Beasley blinder (scored two goals, set up another), single tallies by Taylor Twellman and Landon Donovan, and the Salvadorans’ bothersome habit of misfiring on the few chances they had to claw their way back into the competition.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
RECORD CARD: Beasley has a blinder against El Salvador
Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney grades the U.S. players’ performance in their 4-0 Gold Cup win over El Salvador …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
De Rosario leads Canada to Group A title at Gold Cup
Houston Dynamo star Dwayne De Rosario scored twice within three minutes in the first half to give Canada a 2-0 victory over Haiti Monday at Miami’s Orange Bowl in the final day of Group A action at the Gold Cup. The victory gave Canada first place in Group A ahead of Costa Rica, which beat Guadeloupe, 1-0, on Walter Centeno‘s goal on a free kick in the 13th minute of Monday’s other Group A finale.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
2007 Gold Cup Television Schedule
The USA is back in action on Tuesday when it faces El Salvador in a game televised on Fox Soccer Channel and TeleFutura …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
USA remains on course by grinding out points
Three days after clinching a spot in the Gold Cup quarterfinals by beating Trinidad & Tobago, the USA finishes Group B play against El Salvador at Gillette Stadium needing only a point to clinch first place and with some questions to resolve (TV: Fox Soccer Channel and TeleFutura, live, 7 pm ET). Which forward combination, not to mention alignment, is best? Which of the eight defenders Coach Bob Bradley has used in the first two games will get the call, considering that Carlos Bocanegra and Frankie Hejduk are carrying cautions and will be suspended in the quarterfinal if they receive another one? If Pablo Mastroeni, who sat out the first two Gold Cup games serving a suspension he received at the World Cup last summer, gets a start, who plays with him in midfield? Is this a good time to recall Oguchi Onyewu, who is eligible after serving a suspension against T&T? Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney examines all of Bradley’s options …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, What They're Saying
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
“Mexico is the best team in the area, the best team in CONCACAF, and it is going to the Confederations Cup. To go to the Confederations Cup means you have to win the Gold Cup. There can be no excuses. We have to win the Gold Cup, and [Coach] Hugo Sanchez and all the players know it.”
— Justino Compean, president of the Mexican soccer federation, a day after the Tri’s 2-1 loss to Honduras, its first defeat ever to a CONCACAF team in group play at the Gold Cup. Compean also revealed that Mexico would meet the USA at Azteca Stadium on Sept. 9. (La Opinion)
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Problems continue for Los Angeles and Columbus
[MLS WEEKEND WRAPUP] Rough times for the Crew and Galaxy continued, and the Fire lost at home again. D.C. United, Houston and Chivas USA extended their winning streaks, and FC Dallas kept its lead in the Western Conference. For Ridge Mahoney’s breakdown on all the MLS action …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Mexico loss at Gold Cup is Costly
Carlos Costly scored two goals, the second in the 90th minute, to give Honduras a stunning 2-1 victory over Mexico on Sunday before 68,123 fans at Giants Stadium in the Gold Cup. The loss — only the second ever for Mexico in group play at the Gold Cup — came two days after the Tri had to rally from one goal down to beat Cuba, 2-1, in its opener. Panama, which beat Honduras, 3-2, on Friday night, tied Cuba, 2-2, to take over the Group C lead. Long-range goals by 42-year-old Jocelyn Angloma and David Fleurival gave upstart Guadeloupe a 2-1 win over Canada Saturday night in Group A.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
USA cruises into Gold Cup quarterfinals
With 10 different starters from the team that opened the Gold Cup on Thursday, the USA defeated Trinidad & Tobago, 2-0, Saturday to clinch a berth in the quarterfinals of the Gold Cup. Goals by Brian Ching and Eddie Johnson gave the Americans the victory before an announced sell-out crowd of 27,000 at the Home Depot Center. After two games, they are the only team to have clinched a berth in the final eight.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
2007 Gold Cup Scoreboard
After two games, the USA is the only team to have clinched a berth in the quarterfinals. Surprise Guadeloupe leads Group A. In another surprise, Panama is first in Group C ahead of Mexico going into their clash on Wednesday night in Houston. For complete game summaries …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Mexico’s Sanchez eyes Gold Cup title — and revenge
[GOLD CUP PREVIEW] A Gold Cup title in his first big test as Mexico’s national team coach would be a feather in the cap of Coach Hugo Sanchez. If that means beating the USA in the final in Chicago, all the better. Revenge for the 2-0 loss to the USA in his Tri coaching debut is certainly on Sanchez’s mind. Like U.S. coach Bob Bradley, Sanchez will have to have to take into account that his Tri will have to play in the Copa America right after the Gold Cup, but he has selected a full-strength squad for the CONCACAF competition in which it opens against Cuba on Friday at Giants Stadium.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Rising star Perez leads Panama’s Canaleros
[GOLD CUP PREVIEW] Panama headed to the Gold Cup with one of the rising stars of CONCACAF soccer. Blas Perez scored two spectacular goals to lead Colombian champion Cucuta to a 3-1 win over Boca Juniors last week in the first leg of the Libertadores Cup semifinals, but he wasn’t with Cucuta for the second leg Thursday night in Buenos Aires. Perez, who will play next season for Spanish club Hercules, and Jose Luis Garces of Portuguese club Belenenses should give the Canaleros one of the most dangerous frontlines in the tournament.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Absences cast doubt on Honduras’ chances
[GOLD CUP PREVIEW] On paper, Honduras has more talent than any team in the Gold Cup except Mexico and the United States, but absences and injuries have taken their toll. Among others, star David Suazo, rumored to be headed to Inter Milan from Cagliari, is injured and unavailable for the Gold Cup. Julio Cesar “Rambo” Leon, another Italian-based player, will miss the Bicolor’s first two games against Panama and Mexico because of Genoa’s Serie B promotion playoff against Napoli on Sunday.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Cuba is the underdog in Group C
[GOLD CUP PREVIEW] Cuba returns to the Gold Cup for the fourth straight time — a record for a Caribbean team — having finished third at the 2007 Caribbean championship. Coach Raul Gonzalez’s goal is to reach the quarterfinals, though Cuba finds itself the underdog in arguably the toughest group with four-time Gold Cup champion Mexico, 2005 runner-up Panama and Honduras.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Shaky U.S. win not much to build on
Only in light of the fact the U.S. can play erratically against a regional minnow and still win can any satisfaction be derived from its 1-0 victory over Guatemala in the Group B opener of the Gold Cup at Home Depot Center Thursday night. Guatemala had scraped out a 0-0 tie when the teams met in late March and threatened a few times to do the same after falling behind to a Clint Dempsey goal in the 26th minute set up by his former New England teammate Taylor Twellman. The USA can take some credit for preserving the victory against a spunky opponent and enduring the final 17 minutes a man short, but too often it frantically scrapped and flailed, rather than using its superior class to govern the tempo.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
REPORT CARD: Donovan and Beasley stand out
Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney grades the U.S. players’ performance in their 1-0 Gold Cup win over Guatemala …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
2007 Gold Cup Television Schedule
The USA is back in action on Saturday when they face Trinidad & Tobago in a game televised on Fox Soccer Channel and TeleFutura. Univision will show Mexico games on Friday night and Sunday afternoon. For complete Gold Cup results and TV listings …
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Depleted Dynamo still strong enough to zap Rapids
Every team needs a Stuart Holden, a local lad with talent and spirit and a willingness to work his way off the reserve squad, onto the regular 18, and occasionally onto the field. Holden, who had played just 78 minutes this season prior to Houston’s game with Colorado Thursday, scored the winning goal just seconds after replacing Chris Wondolowski as Houston downed Colorado, 2-1, for its second straight victory despite missing five players because of national-team duty or injury.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Trinidad & Tobago falls into chaos
[GOLD CUP PREVIEW] Call Trinidad & Tobago “Team Chaos.” If the Soca Warriors didn’t have enough troubles because of a dispute between members of their 2006 World Cup team and the T&T federation over World Cup bonuses, they ran into more trouble when they tried to fly to the United States from Honduras on Monday after their 3-1 loss to the Catrachos on Saturday. Eight players were delayed in Honduras on Monday due to visa problems, while another player, Andre Toussaint, was detained at George Bush Airport in Houston for having a visa that only allowed him to enter the United States from Trinidad & Tobago. The Soca Warriors have been seriously depleted. Sixteen 2006 World Cup veterans were ruled out because of their threatened lawsuit, and five others are boycotting the national team in solidarity. That left only one World Cup veteran — midfielder Densil Theobold — in the team for the Gold Cup.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
El Salvador looks for small successes
[GOLD CUP PREVIEW] Mexican Carlos de los Cobos is looking for small successes for El Salvador at the Gold Cup. The El Salvador coach hopes his team, which has struggled badly in recent years, earns some respect and develop a solid nucleus for World Cup qualifying, which starts next year. He also hopes some players use to the Gold Cup to get seen and sign with clubs abroad.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Guatemala hopes to end long winless streak
[GOLD CUP PREVIEW] Guatemala has a long record of futility in the Gold Cup. It’s played in the last six Gold Cups yet has won only one game in that span — a 3-0 win over St. Vincent & the Grenadines in 1996. The Chapines take a 12-game winless streak into their opener against the United States on Thursday night.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
Guadeloupe earns tie in Gold Cup debut; De Guzman leads Canada past Costa Rica
Playing its first game ever in the Gold Cup, Guadeloupe earned a 1-1 tie against reigning Caribbean champion Haiti on the opening day of play in Group A. In the first game at Miami’s Orange Bowl, Julian De Guzman of Spanish club Deportivo Corun scored twice in the second half to give Canada a 2-1 win over Costa Rica.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
USA strikers hot going into Gold Cup opener
[GOLD CUP PREVIEW] The first competitive match of the Bob Bradley Era – the Gold Cup opener against Guatemala Thursday (9 p.m. ET, Fox Soccer Channel) – give him and his team a chance to redeem a goalless draw the teams played March 28. As Soccer America’s Ridge Mahoney reports, odds look good for the USA if Taylor Twellman and Eddie Johnson bring their MLS hot streaks to tonight’s game …
Posted inSoccer America Magazine, Story
Tim Howard Lands on His Feet
Three years after losing the starting job at Manchester United, U.S. keeper Tim Howard is back in the nets for Premier League rival Everton. There isn't much down time for Tim Howard these days. The demanding pressures of club and country commitments fill up his datebook, so the narrow window between the end of the […]