The USA-Mexico showdown at the Gold Cup will have to wait for later. Mexico again struggled but held off Panama, 1-0, on Wednesday in Houston to finish second in Group C and avoid a date with the USA in the quarterfinals. Instead, it’s Panama, one of the most dangerous teams in the tournament, that Bob Bradley‘s Americans will meet in a difficult quarterfinal test.
Tag: mexico
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
2007 Gold Cup Television Schedule
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.
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
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
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 …
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Azteca America sets mark for Pachuca-Club America final
Ever heard of Azteca America? Unless you’re a fan of Mexican soccer, you may have never heard of the Spanish-language network, but it drew more male viewers ages 18-34 for its coverage of the Mexican league final between Pachuca and Club America than any other sports programming on U.S. broadcast networks for the week of May 21-27.
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Gold Cup teams to take 22 MLS players
[MAKING A LIST] Twenty-two MLS players were called up for the 2007 Gold Cup. Expansion Toronto FC led all teams with four players (including Chris Pozniak whom Canada is listing as a “reserve.”). New York (which shares the overall MLS lead with New England), D.C. United (last year’s regular-season champion, D.C. United) and Real Salt Lake were the only MLS teams not to have anyone called up for the Gold Cup. The list of 22 players includes Amado Guevara, who is persona non grata at Chivas USA, but not Mexican Cuauhtemoc Blanco, who will later join Chicago from Club America. In addition, six Gold Cup players play in the USL-1.
Posted inSoccer America Daily, Story
CONCACAF releases Gold Cup rosters
[GOLD CUP ROSTERS] CONCACAF released the final rosters for all 12 teams that will compete in the 2007 Gold Cup June 6-24 at six U.S. venues. The roster for each team consists of 23 players. A player may only be substituted in the event of a serious injury up until 24 hours before the team’s first match. For complete rosters …
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Cacho leads Pachuca to Mexican league title
Juan Carlos Cacho, whose two goals gave Pachuca a 2-1 victory over Club America on Friday in the first leg of Mexico’s Torneo Clausura finals, scored in the 82nd minute of the second leg to give the Tuzos a 1-1 tie and their second straight Clausura title. Playing his last game for America before joining MLS’s Chicago Fire, Cuauhtemoc Blanco scored in the 68th minute to pull America even on aggregate, but Cacho, called up for Mexico’s team for the Gold Cup and Copa America, once again came to the rescue and tallied his third goal in two games.
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Fizzling Fire needs a spark
[TV PREVIEW] If ever a team looked in desperate need of a Designated Player, it’s the Chicago Fire. Stuck in a three-game losing streak, Chicago takes on Red Bull New York (7 p.m. ET, ESPN2) at the Meadowlands Thursday without Cuauhtemoc Blanco, who is playing for Club America in the Mexican League finals and Copa Liberatadores. He won’t be available until mid-June at the earliest.
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Santos knocks Club America out of Libertadores Cup
Brazilian clubs Santos and Gremio and Colombian champion Cucuta are first three teams through to the semifinals of the Libertadores Cup. Santos came from behind on Wednesday against Mexico’s America to win the second leg of their quarterfinal series, 2-1, and win by the same score on aggregate. Goals by Tcheco and Teco gave Gremio a 2-0 win over Uruguay’s Defensor Sporting to even their series, 2-2, and the Brazilian club went through on penalties, 4-2. Cucuta, playing in the tournament for the first time in its 47-year history, twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 tie at Uruguayan club Nacional on Tuesday and win, 4-2, on aggregate.
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Mexico calls up Blanco for summer tournaments
[GOLD CUP ROSTER] Mexico included Chicago Fire signee Cuauhtemoc Blanco in its preliminary squad of 28 players for the CONCACAF Gold Cup and the Copa America on Friday. Hugo Sanchez will take 23 players to each of the tournaments, his first major tests as national team coach. Barcelona star Rafael Marquez is expected to skip the Gold Cup but will play at he Copa America.
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Cruz Azul kicked out of Mexican playoffs
Pachuca reached the final of the Mexican First Division’s Torneo Clausura playoffs by forfeit when semifinal rival Cruz Azul was expelled from the competition for using Salvador Carmona in the first leg of the semifinals on Thursday after being informed Carmona had been handed a lifetime ban for doping Wednesday by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland. Pachuca, which won the first leg, 3-1, away faces Club America in the final. With a second-half goal by Ismael Rodriguez, America beat archrival Guadalajara for its second 1-0 victory and advance to the Mexican First Division finals, 2-0, on aggregate.
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Club America takes first leg of Superclasico playoff
[TV SCHEDULE] Twenty-four hours after being held by Santos of Brazil to a 0-0 tie in the Libertadores, Club America returned to Azteca Stadium, where it beat Chivas, 1-0, in the first leg of their semifinal series in Mexico’s Torneo Clausura. Regular-season leader Pachuca looked set to return to the Clausura final with a 3-1 win at Cruz Azul on Wednesday night.
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Boca pays for blunders at home in Libertadores Cup stunner
[COPA LIBERTADORES RESULTS] Martin Palermo scored in the 90th minute to salvage a 1-1 tie for Argentine powerhouse Boca Juniors against Paraguayan champion Libertad in the first leg of their Libertadores Cup quarterfinal series on Thursday in Buenos Aires. Boca star Roman Riquelme and keeper Mauricio Caranta were the goats for Boca. Riquelme missed a penalty kick for Boca, which fell behind when Caranta tried to tip Osvaldo Martinez‘s free kick out of play but missed the ball, which flew into the Boca goal.
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Chivas USA teams up with Mexican paint company
MLS club Chivas USA has signed a jersey sponsorship deal with Comex Group, Mexico’s leading paint company. As part of the multiyear, multimillion-dollar agreement, Chivas USA’s jerseys will be emblazoned with the Comex logo, while Comex’s Frazee Paint brand becomes Chivas USA’s first ever presenting sponsor.
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Atlante leaves Mexico City for Cancun
Mexican First Division club Atlante is leaving Mexico City for the Caribbean resort of Cancun. The move was announced by the government of the state of Quintana Roo, in which Cancun is situated, and the Grupo Pegasus, which owns the club.
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Blanco’s America and Chivas to meet in Mexican semifinals
All the favorites advanced in the quarterfinals of Mexico’s Torneo Clausura. Guadalajara and Club America, Mexico’s two most popular clubs, will meet in one semifinal, while regular-season leader Pachuca, which edged Santos on the tiebreaker (better regular-season record), meets Cruz Azul in the other semifinal.
Posted inCollege Soccer Reporter, Story
Mexico’s U-20s beat Indiana and fall to Notre Dame
Mexico’s under-20 men’s national team split in two recent games against college powers. A Ryan Miller goal in the 79th minute gave Notre Dame a 1-0 win in front of 2,313 fans at a rainy Alumni Field. Goals from Javier Hernandez and Hector Moreno gave Mexico’s U-20s a 2-0 win over Indiana two days later, in front of nearly 6,000 fans.
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Ze Roberto comes to Santos’ rescue in Libertadores Cup
Former Brazil national team midfielder Ze Roberto scored twice to lead Santos from 2-0 down to beat Caracas FC, 3-2, on Thursday and reach the Libertadores Cup quarterfinals, 5-4, on aggregate. Gremio beat Sao Paulo, 2-0, on goals by Tcheco and Diego Souza on Wednesday to win the all-Brazilian series, 2-1, on aggregate, while the Parana and Flamengo, other two Brazilian teams to reach the knockout phase, both are out.
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Road weary Club America plays to 3-3 tie at Atlas in Mexican playoffs
Two days after facing Colo Colo of Chile in Santiago for the second leg of their Libertadores Cup quarterfinal series, Club America was back in action on the road — this time in Guadalajara against Atlas. The Eagles, who traveled 15 hours (including connections) to get from Santiago to Guadalajara, blew a lead three times against Atlas and settled for a 3-3 tie in the first leg of their quarterfinal series in Mexico’s Torneo Apertura.