EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP)—Vindication. Satisfaction. Domination.

After finally earning a win against the Americans on U.S. soil, Mexico’s players used all of those words Sunday to describe the 5-0 romp that gave them their fifth Gold Cup championship.

Oh, and one other noun: pride.

“I believe this is a great win for Mexico because we showed the pride we have in our hearts today,” Giovani Dos Santos said. “This is a huge step for us in the process.”

That process had included no progress this decade when the United States hosted its southern rival. The Mexicans were 0-9-2 since a March 1999 victory at San Diego.

They snapped that victory drought before an overwhelmingly pro-Mexico crowd of 79,156 at Giants Stadium with an offensive onslaught in the second half. Captain Gerardo Torrado scored on a penalty kick in the 56th minute, then the inexperienced U.S. squad came unglued.

“When a goal is scored, there’s always a change in the game and we didn’t respond well,” coach Bob Bradley said of the worst American home loss since a 5-0 stinker against England on June 16, 1985.

As the green-clad fans rocked Giants Stadium, game MVP Dos Santos and Carlos Vela scored 5 minutes apart despite several brilliant saves by Troy Perkins. Indeed, it seemed the goalkeeper was the only American on the field during the 11-minute blitz in which Mexico’s attackers could have sprinted all the way back to Azteca Stadium without being touched.

The fiesta was on.

“That’s soccer,” Dos Santos said of the penalty kick after he was fouled in the area by Jay Heaps. “Afterward, you must still do your job. That’s how it is, how it must be.”

While the Mexicans kept at it, the Americans wilted.

Jose Antonio Castro and Guillermo Franco put the finishing touches on Mexico’s dynamic win. Castro scored off a great through-pass from Vela, a substitute who energized Mexico when he entered the game after halftime.

The United States, fielding a raw squad after the top team finished second in the Confederations Cup last month, could not maintain American dominance of its continental rival. Not even close.

We were chasing the game a lot in the second half, and it tired us out,” said forward Brian Ching, a regular with the ‘A’ team who missed the Confederations Cup with an injury. “Look at anybody in the United States and this loss has to anger you.”

Mexico fell 2-0 in February in a World Cup qualifier in frigid Columbus, Ohio, the most recent meeting of the archrivals. The nations meet again in Mexico City on Aug. 12, but then the full American roster will be on hand, along with several of the players who carried El Tri to this Gold Cup crown.

But that is another tale. For now, after a 10-year wait, there was sweet victory in commanding style.

“The win injects us with some motivation, confidence and maturity,” Dos Santos said.

At the final whistle, the green-clad Mexican players stormed onto the field in jubilation, mobbing Dos Santos and coach Javier Aguirre. Then they saluted the crowd that made the Meadowlands sound more like Mexico City, making a tour of the pitch with the trophy in hand.

Mexico’s Guillermo Ochoa, …
AP - Jul 26, 7:38 pm EDT

“This ends here in this locker room,” Aguirre said. “we’re celebrating now, but that’s it. Tomorrow is another day and we begin working for Aug. 12, and that’s a different story.”

For the Americans, it was a return to reality. After Bradley coached them to a runner-up finish in the Confederations Cup in South Africa, he gave most of the players a pass for the Gold Cup. Still, the untested fill-ins showed versatility and fortitude—at least until Mexico ran over them in a spectacular 45-minute scoring burst.

“We have to learn from this,” midfielder Stuart Holden said, “and use it in the future.”

Notes: Mexico has won the Gold Cup in 1993, ’96, ’98, 2003 and this year. The United States also has four titles: 1991, 2002, 2005 and 2007 … Heaps drew a second yellow card and was ejected in the 88th minute … Mexico’s Guillermo Ochoa needed to make just one save … The United States had a 58-game home unbeaten string against CONCACAF opponents snapped. The last loss was Sept. 1, 2001, to Honduras.

PHILADELPHIA (AP)—Two years ago, the United States defeated Panama in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup en route to its fourth title. If the U.S. hopes to defend its championship, it will have to beat Panama again.

“Our preparation is the same and we have great respect for Panama,” U.S. coach Bob Bradley said Tuesday. “Many of their players are the same. We will take the same approach as we do with the national team in preparation for Saturday’s game.”

The U.S. plays Panama in the quarterfinal round Saturday at 8 p.m. at Lincoln Financial Field. Canada and Honduras will meet in the first quarterfinal matchup at 5 p.m.

The U.S. was 2-0-1 in Group B play through the first round and tied Haiti 2-2 last Saturday in Foxboro, Mass. The Americans, looking for their third consecutive title in the championship of North and Central America and the Caribbean, finished first in Group B.

GLENDALE, Ariz. (AP)—Banished to a suite in the grandstand, suspended Mexico coach Javier Aguirre liked what he saw in a 2-0 victory over Guadeloupe Sunday afternoon in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Gerardo Torrado and Miguel Sabah each scored as El Tri won Group C with two victories and a draw.

“We qualified and we feel good,” Aguirre said through an interpreter. “We seemed lighter on our feet and more confident. I hope that we stay that way.”

Mexico will face Haiti in the quarterfinals on July 19 in Arlington, Texas. Guadeloupe, the second-place Group C finisher, will take on Costa Rica on July 19, also in Arlington.

In the 41st minute, Torrado gathered in a feed from Efrain Juarez near the top of the penalty area, then drilled a right-footed shot past diving goalkeeper Yohan Bus and inside the left post. It was Torrado’s second goal and Juarez’ second assist of the tournament.

Guadeloupe’s chances all but died when two players were sent off late. Alain Vertot drew his second yellow card for pulling down a Mexican attacker, and Ludovic Gotin got a straight red on a dangerous tackle.

With Guadeloupe down to nine men, Sabah headed home the clincher on a pass from Pablo Barrera in the 85th minute.

“We keep working hard, and now we are more confident, more relaxed and that helps us a lot,” Torrado said.

Guadeloupe also played without four injured players and another who was suspended.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP)—The United States had just two minutes left to avoid its first loss ever in CONCACAF Gold Cup group play.

Haiti was heading for its first win over an American team by since May 1969, when it won 1-0 in San Diego.

Then Stuart Holden stepped up.

The Houston Dynamo midfielder sent a 25-foot shot past goalkeeper Jean Dominique Zephirin into the upper right corner in the first minute of second-half injury time, giving the United States a 2-2 tie Saturday night in its final first-round game.

“We were pushing the whole second half,” said Holden, who also assisted on Davy Arnaud’s goal in the sixth minute. “We kept knocking on the door and the chance fell to me.”

The Americans, seeking their third straight title in the championship of North and Central America and the Caribbean, finished first in Group B and will play Jamaica or the third-place team in Group C next Saturday in Philadelphia. The United States (2-0-1), which already had clinched advancement, improved to 23-0-2 in Gold Cup group play.

The United States once again started a young lineup, with goalkeeper Luis Robles, and midfielders Sam Cronin and Colin Clark making their first international appearances. So did 32-year-old defender Jay Heaps, a member of the New England Revolution and veteran of 301 MLS games.

Six of the starting 11 made their first national team starts, with those four joined by forward Arnaud and defender Brad Evans.

“The experience of today will be something that they can draw from” the rest of the tournament, U.S. coach Bob Bradley said. “You use these three games to gain experience. You use these three games to get confident. We use some of the things that happened today as reminders.”

Haiti (1-1-1) finished third in the group round and also advanced. The two best of the three third-place teams move on.

Haiti had taken the lead with goals in the first four minutes of the second half by Sirin Vaniel and Mones Chery.

“What an irony,” Haiti coach Jairo Rios said. “The poorest country in the world against what could be considered the superpower of the world and they (the Haitians) could be able to hold themselves on the field, demonstrating the real passion for the game from the players.”

Holden set up the first goal with a short pass to Arnaud, who gathered it in at the top of the penalty area, to the left of defender Frantz Bertin. Arnaud then rolled a soft shot with his left foot to the right of Zephirin, who came out of the net to try and cut down the angle.

“Goals give anybody confidence,” said Arnaud, who plays for the Kansas City Wizards. “It was a good start, but more importantly, I’m part of the group now.”

The United States controlled play for the first 40 minutes before Haiti became more aggressive.

“Before the tournament started everybody thought that we were just going to come and make a fool out of ourselves,” Rios said.

Haiti nearly tied the game in injury time at the end of the first half. A crossing pass from the left side eluded Fabrice Noel just in front of Robles. But the ball continued on to Vaniel, who fired a shot that Robles managed to kick out with his knee.

Vaniel got it back but shot the ball off the outside of the net.

The Haitians didn’t miss their next two big chances.

In the first minute of the second half, Leonel Saint Preaux sent a crossing pass from near the right corner that soared over the outstretched right hand of Robles. Vaniel got to it before it hit the ground and headed it into the net.

A poor judgment play by Robles led to the next goal. He left his net to try and get to a ball to his left. Before he reached it, the ball was passed out to Chery. Robles raced back to get in position, but Chery sent a 25-foot shot into the upper left corner as the goalkeeper was still running in that direction.

Trailing, the U.S. inserted Charlie Davies in the 73rd minute and Brian Ching in the 76th.

“When you begin the tournament, the goal is to win your group and advance,” Bradley said. “So the first thing that we said after the game is, `We’ve accomplished that goal.”’

SEATTLE (AP) – A young U.S. lineup easily beat up on Grenada in the Americans’ opener at the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

“Today is important to start the Gold Cup the right way,” U.S. coach Bob Bradley said after Saturday night’s 4-0 win. “It was a really good team effort, four different guys scored tonight, so all things are important.”

Freddy Adu scored the opening goal in the seventh minute and Stuart Holden doubled the lead in the 31st, both fed by Robbie Rogers.

Rogers made it 3-0 in the 60th minute and Charlie Davies, one of the few players kept on from the Confederations Cup, got the final goal in the 68th.

The 12th-ranked Americans, seeking their third straight title in the regional championship of North and Central America and the Caribbean, outshot the No. 88 Spice Boyz 25-3.

Seven of the U.S. starters entered with a combined 11 international appearances, with goalkeeper Troy Perkins playing just his second match for the national team.

Right back Steve Cherundolo, sidelined with a hip injury for most of the past six months, was the only regular starter in the lineup. He was joined by three frequent national team backups: left back Heath Pearce, and Adu and Davies, who got a key goal against Egypt at the Confederations Cup.

“Physically, I felt fine,” said Cherundolo, who played 62 minutes. “There’s still a little rust that needs to come off, but it was OK. It’s always good to get back on the field.”

Most regulars were not included in the initial 23-man U.S. roster, allowing them to either take time off before the start of the European season or to return to their Major League Soccer teams. CONCACAF then decided to allow the U.S. to expand its roster by seven, and some of those seven could be called in later in the tournament.

The U.S., 22-0-1 in group play in the Gold Cup, next plays Honduras on Wednesday in Washington, D.C. The Americans close the first round against Haiti on July 11 at Foxborough, Mass.

It was just the second time the U.S. soccer team has played on the Fourth of July – the other was a 1-0 loss to Brazil in the second round of the 1994 World Cup at Stanford, Calif.

The U.S. was coming off its first-ever final in the FIFA tournament, a 3-2 loss to Brazil last Sunday in the Confederations Cup at Johannesburg in which the Americans failed to protect a two-goal halftime lead. Davies was the only player to start both matches.

Adu, who was on the Confederations Cup roster but didn’t get into a game, scored the opening goal to excite the crowd of 15,387. Rogers sent a cross from the left, and Adu beat goalkeeper Desmond Noel from near the penalty spot.

“When Robbie gets the ball out wide, sometimes he likes to cut the guy inside,” Adu said. “Sometimes, you get it right, and sometimes, you don’t. In that instance, I was able to read it, and it was just a great all-around play starting from him. The ball was there, and all I had to do was finish it.”

Adu’s goal was just his second for the national team – the other was in a World Cup qualifier against Guatemala last November.

Holden, who turns 24 next month, became the first American to score in his international debut since Eddie Robinson against Sweden in January 2008, and Rogers scored his first goal in his second appearance. It was the third goal for Davies.

“Robbie got involved in the game early. He did a nice job of setting up the first goal,” Bradley said. “The ability for him to find good spots inside, out wide helped us create some chances.”

Grenada, an island of 90,000 making its first Gold Cup appearance, had faced the U.S. just twice before, losing a pair of matches in 2004 during qualifying for the 2006 World Cup. It fell behind by two goals when Holden scored on a leaping header from 6 yards that went in off the bottom of the crossbar.

Rogers beat Noel from the top of the arc, and Davies slotted the ball in off a pass from Pearce.

“I didn’t think we passed the ball that well,” said Grenada coach Tommy Taylor, a former West Ham defender. “I think we got about three or four shots in 90 minutes, and that isn’t enough to win anything. We need to work up and move as a unit, as well as come back as a unit.”

SEATTLE (AP)—Carlo Costly headed in a free kick by Walter Martinez in the 76th minute on Saturday, helping Honduras open group play in the CONCACAF Gold Cup with a 1-0 victory over Haiti.

Martinez took the free kick from the left of the penalty area about 2 yards up from the goal line. He drove it into the box, and Costly went up and flicked it off the left side of his head and into right corner of the net, well beyond the reach of Haiti goalkeeper Jean Dominique Zephrin.

Honduras will take on the United States next Wednesday in Washington, D.C., in the second of its three Group B games. Haiti will play Grenada, also next Wednesday in Washington.

Costly, who has four goals in World Cup qualifying, nearly had another on Saturday just four minutes after he put Honduras on the board. But his 35-yard shot toward a wide-open net was kicked off the line by Haiti’s Pierre Richard Bruny.

Haiti had the run of play during the early part of the game and had two near-misses. Honduras goalkeeper Donis Escober dove to grab the ball of the foot of Fabrice Noel directly in front of the post before Noel could get off a shot in the 19th minute. Noel then went inches wide of the left post on a 25-yard shot in the 32nd minute.

Honduras had two excellent scoring chances in the final eight minutes of the half. A shot by Martinez from 10 yards away was saved at the post by goalkeeper Jean Dominique Zephrin. In the final seconds before the first-half whistle, Nery Medina’s shot from 30 yards away on the right side was heading toward the upper left corner before Zephrin leaped to knock it away at the last moment.

CARSON, Calif. (AP)—Osael Romero scored two goals, including the winner in the 86th minute, to give El Salvador a 2-1 victory over Costa Rica in Group A at the Gold Cup on Friday night.

El Salvador and Canada share first place with three points apiece after Canada defeated Jamaica 1-0.

Romero broke a 1-1 tie by intercepting an attempted defensive clearance and scoring on a low 16-yard shot before an overwhelmingly pro-El Salvador crowd that erupted after the goal. One man ran onto the field with a flag to give to El Salvador coach Carlos de los Cobos, but security stopped him.

El Salvador broke a 12-game winless streak against Costa Rica dating from 1997.

Romero scored his first goal in the 20th minute on a diagonal 8-yard shot. Warren Granados tied the score in the 64th minute with a sliding 5-yard shot under the crossbar.

CARSON, Calif. (AP)—Ali Gerba scored in the 75th minute to give Canada a 1-0 victory over Jamaica in the opening game of the Gold Cup on Friday night.

Gerba volleyed Mike Klukowski’s left-wing cross inside the left post from 7 yards while being marked tightly by Jamaican defender Claude Davis.

Goalkeeper Greg Sutton kept Jamaica scoreless with two saves in a 10-minute span. In the 54th minute, Sutton dived to his right to stop Damion Stewart’s 13-yard line drive.

Then in the 64th minute, Sutton blocked Ricardo Fuller’s 14-yard shot off a breakaway. Sutton, released recently by Toronto FC of MLS, finished with four saves.

Canada took the lead in Group A thanks to Gerba’s fifth Gold Cup goal.

On the winning score, Klukowski dribbled down the left side before sending a perfect pass to Gerba, whose brilliant volley skimmed past keeper Donovan Ricketts.

Jamaica received five yellow cards in the match.

NEW YORK (AP)—The United States can expand its roster for the CONCACAF Gold Cup by seven players to 30.

The decision was made by soccer’s North and Central American and Caribbean governing body because the U.S. team is coming off the Confederations Cup, where it lost to Brazil 3-2 in Sunday’s final in Johannesburg.

The U.S., seeking its third straight Gold Cup title, included just two regular starters on its 23-man roster announced last week: forward Brian Ching and right back Steve Cherundolo. They missed the Confederations Cup because of injuries.

“With the objective of providing the best performance possible for the public, and in recognition that the back-to-back tournaments strain players and their clubs, CONCACAF will give permission to any team who also is participating in the Confederations Cup in the same year to enlarge their roster to 30 from the 23 already permitted,” CONCACAF general secretary Chuck Blazer said Tuesday. “This allowance will be extended to any team in the future that finds itself in the same situation.”

Teams can dress 18 players for any match.

The U.S. opens Saturday against Grenada at Seattle.