US Falls Apart Against Mexico

Americans Drop Gold Cup Final on Five Second Half Goals

July 27, 2009

A sellout crowd of 79,156, most of them pro-Mexico, watched a young U.S. squad – one very different from the Confederations team – allow chance after chance in a disastrous five-goal second half that also saw Revs’ defender Jay Heaps get sent off for a second yellow card.

Playing their 13th game in 54 days, the U.S. had the better of play in the first half against Mexico, but in the 55th minute Mexico earned a penalty kick that shifted the momentum. After Gerardo Torrado’s conversion, the U.S. pushed forward in hopes of the equalizer and Mexico was able to capitalize with four more goals in for a 5-0 victory.

Revs' defender Jay Heaps earned two yellow cards in Sunday's defeat. (CHRIS ADUAMA/aduama.com)

The loss to Mexico ended the USA’s 11-game unbeaten streak on U.S. soil against their archrival dating back to 1999, and was the team’s first loss to a CONCACAF opponent at home in 58 matches.

“There’s no doubt that you want competitors and we are competitors,” said US coach Bob Bradley. “The second half for us is not what we're all about. When you have a game that feels like this at the end you don’t forget it. It’s something that we will always on the inside talk about, be honest about, and hopefully we can use it in a way that we’re better from it today.

“Our focus now is on playing Mexico in Azteca during World Cup qualifying. We start over on that day and have a chance to do something the U.S. hasn’t done before.”

Pace quickened in the opening minutes of the second half as Carlos Vela came on to join the Mexico attack and, along with dos Santos, gave the weary U.S. defense fits. Both teams aggressively pursued attacks to goal, but it was the U.S. starting the second half with their best chance of the game. In the 48th minute a Stuart Holden floater to the back post was controlled by Rogers with a trap. He hit a rising half-volley that sailed just over the cross bar.

The turning point came in the 56th minute when Giovani dos Santos received the ball in the area with his back to goal, and drew a penalty in a collision with Heaps, who briefly grabbed his jersey. Torrado converted the opportunity to give Mexico a 1-0 lead.

In the 62nd minute, though, Mexico took a 2-0 advantage. Defeating an offside trap, Vela came in alone on the left side. As Goodson closed, Vela tapped the ball to Miquel Sabeh – the top scorer at the 2009 Gold Cup – and Troy Perkins was called to make a third straight save. The rebound fortuitously bounced right into the path of a crashing dos Santos, who drove the ball into the empty net.

Five minutes later, dos Santos choreographed another Mexico goal. Torrado used an elbow to keep Kyle Beckerman off a 50-50 ball near midfield and turned the ball up field where he found dos Santos. As he dribbled through the middle, he found Vela making a 60-yard run with Heaps trailing. A perfect through ball to Vela set up a perfect chip over Perkins for the Arsenal midfielder that Goodson couldn’t catch up to keep out of the goal.

Two more Mexico goals came down the stretch, the first in the 79th minute. Heath Pearce let Jose Antonio Castro go as he crossed the U.S. backline and Vela slipping a perfect pass through. Alone on goal with Perkins charging, Castro found the lower right corner of the net.

In the final minute, Guillermo Franco closed out the scoring after Heaps was sent off for his second yellow card. Johnny Magallon, who, before Sunday, was one of only three Mexico players to score against the U.S. on U.S. soil this decade – played the ball up the left wing vacated by Heaps where Fausto Pinto could dribble forward. He squared the ball to Franco who had plenty of time to pick out the near post from 19 yards out.

With the victory, Mexico moves back ahead of the U.S. in Gold Cups won, with a 5-4 advantage after the U.S. closed the gap with titles at the 2005 and 2007 events. The next CONCACAF Gold Cup will be played in 2011, when a berth at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup will again be on the line.

U.S. Men's National Team Match Report

Scoring Summary:
MEX – Gerardo Torrado (penalty) 57th minute
MEX – Giovani Dos Santos 64th
MEX – Carlos Vela (Giovani Dos Santos) 70th
MEX – Israel Castro (Carlos Vela) 79th
MEX – Guillermo Franco (Fausto Pinto) 90th

Lineups:
USA: 1-Troy Perkins; 16-Jay Heaps, 4-Chad Marshall, 3-Clarence Goodson, 2-Heath Pearce; 10-Stuart Holden, 8-Logan Pause (20-Santino Quaranta, 64), 5-Kyle Beckerman (15-Sam Cronin, 81), 7-Robbie Rogers; 11-Brian Ching (capt.), 22-Davy Arnaud (17-Kenny Cooper, 64)

MEX: 1-Guillermo Ochoa; 15-Juan Antonio Castro, 21-Juan Valenzuela, 2-Jonny Magallón, 5-Fausto Pinto; 6-Gerardo Torrado (capt.), 22-Efrain Juarez, 8-Israel Castro (16-Carlos Esquivel, 89); 17-Giovani Dos Santos, 14-Miguel Sabah (10-Guillermo Franco, 70), 7-Alberto Medina (11-Carlos Vela, 46)

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