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.

SEATTLE (AP)—Stephen King scored early in the 5 minute of overtime after Seattle teammate Nate Jaqua had tied the game in the 89th minute, boosting the Seattle Sounders into the U.S. Open Cup final with a 2-1 victory over the Houston Dynamo on Tuesday night.

The Sounders, a Major League Soccer expansion team, will meet defending Open Cup champion D.C. United on Sept. 2 in Washington. United beat Rochester of the second-tier USL First Division 2-1 in Tuesday’s other semifinal.

Steve Zakuani set up King’s game-winner, taking the ball into the penalty area. He passed to the top of the box, where King drove it into the right corner, past goalkeeper Tally Hall.

King was happy to see any shot by the Sounders go in as they outshot Houston 12-0 for the second half, 10-5 during the 30-minute overtime, and 26-7 for the game.

“Especially the last 20 minutes when we were really putting it on them and getting chance after chance and it wasn’t going in, it was getting a little bit frustrating,” King said. “We showed the last 20 minutes that we were still going and they were running out of gas.”

Ade Akinbiyi scored in the 32nd minute to give Houston a 1-0 lead. That stood until Jaqua’s shot from 12 yards out, in the left side of the box, glanced off a Dynamo defender and into the net in the 89th.

“We were beat up a little bit there at the end,” Dyanmo coach Dominic Kinnear said of the physical game (40 total fouls). “I’m disappointed for the guys because they left it all out there.”

ATLANTA (AP)—Oguchi Onyewu finally had his first practice with AC Milan.

The first U.S.-born player to sign with the prestigious Italian team, Onyewu is eager to prove he belongs at soccer’s highest professional level.

And he’ll get a first chance, of sorts, on Wednesday, when AC Milan plays Mexico’s Club America in an exhibition Wednesday at the Georgia Dome.

“Obviously in sports, there’s no guarantees,” Onyewu said Tuesday night. “I’m certainly under the impression that I’ll have to play for my spot. I’m still trying to figure out what I need to do because we have a number of great defenders on the squad, and this is the first day that I actually got involved with the team.”

AC Milan organizing director Umberto Gandini, who has hired Brazilian Leonardo as a rookie head coach, hopes Onyewu will be the central piece in a slight rebuilding job for the long-respected team. Captain Paolo Maldini retired when last season ended, and many Milan fans were upset when playmaker Kaka’s contract was sold to Real Madrid.

Gandini replaced coach Carlo Ancelotti, who signed with Chelsea, after Milan finished third last season in Serie A. The team also announced that Massimo Ambrosini will replace Maldini as captain.

SAO PAULO (AP)—Ronaldo is set to play himself in an Iranian movie about a Palestine girl who was killed before realizing her dream of meeting him.

Ronaldo has reached a deal to be part of the movie and will start filming as early as September in Lebanon, according to officials at the Brazil-Iran chamber of commerce, which is helping produce the movie.

Still without a title, the movie is based on the true story of Alneyrab, a 13-year-old girl who dreamed of meeting the soccer star when he visited the Middle East on a humanitarian mission in 2005. She was only able to watch her idol pass through along with his entourage, and later was killed in a conflict in the region.

Ronaldo’s agent, Fabiano Farah, confirmed to Globo’s Web site that Ronaldo has signed a pre-contract for the movie.

The 32-year-old Ronaldo, who is thriving with Corinthians in his comeback from the third serious knee injury of his career, will appear in some scenes that take place in the girl’s dreams, said Farrokh Faradji Chadan, president of the Brazil-Iran chamber of commerce.

Logan Pause is starting to get antsy, looking about as comfortable as if he was taking on the Honduras national team 1 vs 11.
Actually, he might prefer that.
Instead he’s engulfed by a bevy of video cameras, still cameras and three print reporters. It’s a situation he’s not accustomed to; Pause is rarely the object of attention when playing defensive midfielder for the Chicago Fire.
Even though he’s back in the Chicago area and standing on the Toyota Park sod, he’s on a bigger stage for at least a few more days. It’s likely Pause will again start for the United States when it takes on Honduras on Thursday night (6 p.m., Fox Soccer Channel, TeleFutura) at Soldier Field in the Gold Cup semifinals.
For the past few weeks Pause, 27, has taken time off from his club to play for his country, and though his answers are as defensive as his play on the field, it’s clear he knows how special - and fleeting - the opportunity is.
“The highlight is, honestly, to represent your country and to be out here and helping contribute,” Pause said after practice Tuesday. “Obviously, getting my first cap is something special, but we’re here to win this tournament. That’s all behind, and we’re looking forward to Thursday night’s game.”
“Logan’s been a real solid player for the Fire, somebody who does a strong job in the middle of the field every game,” added U.S. coach Bob Bradley, “and I think he’s been able to help our national team with the same type of effort.”
Translation: Everyone knows Bradley brought his “B” team for this tournament, auditioning players for call-ups for this fall’s remaining World Cup qualifiers and the big event in South Africa next June. There are probably only a couple of spots still open. Pause, who earned his first national-team cap in this Gold Cup, probably won’t make the cut again before June unless there are a few injuries.
If you go to ussoccer.com, Pause still isn’t among the 54 listed in the national-team player pool. So what?
“It’s been unbelievable,” Pause said. “I’m fortunate and grateful. It’s an honor and a privilege anytime you get to put on the jersey that represents your country. So I’m just happy to help contribute.”
He has contributed, starting with an assist in that first game, a 4-0 win over Grenada. But offense is not Pause’s role, a fact that might frustrate fans. Since joining the Fire in 2003, the North Carolina graduate has just 1 goal and 7 assists in 160 games.
“If you do the math, they come once every seven years, I guess,” Pause joked about his scoring ability.
That’s OK. He doesn’t have to score to contribute, and his teammates and coaches understand that. He’s comfortable with that, and with the opportunity he’s been given.
“You dream as a kid to represent your country and to play in front of the biggest stage,” Pause said, “and that’s what we’re doing now.”
 

Daily Herald

By Orrin Schwarz
July 21, 2009

Busch stops a one-on-one attack from San Jose and posts 5th shutout of the season
 
CHICAGO, IL (July 22, 2009) – Jon Busch has earned his second MLS Save of the Week nomination after recording a shutout this past Saturday against the San Jose Earthquakes.  Busch made a big save for the Fire as he stopped a one-on-one attack from San Jose’s Ryan Johnson.  He helped the Fire achieve its second win at home since the season opener versus the New York Red Bulls on April 5th.  
 
Busch was also named a member of the 18-man U.S. National Team roster earlier this week, and has been training with the team the past two days in preparation for the U.S. team’s advance to the Gold Cup Semi-final match versus Honduras on Thursday, July 23rd at Soldier Field in Chicago. 
 
Fans can vote for Busch’s save by clicking on this link: http://chicago.fire.mlsnet.com/sights/save_of_the_week.

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP)—Former Brazilian soccer star Romario has been arrested in a child support case involving his first wife.

Police spokesman Analder Lopes says Romario was taken into custody for allegedly failing to make child support payments to Monica Santoro, who has custody of the couple’s children, 15-year-old Romarinho and 19-year-old Moniquinha.

Lopes says he does not know how much Romario owed his ex-wife and added the player’s lawyers promised to present documents proving he had made the payments. He did not provide further information.

In 2004, Romario, one of Brazil’s 1994 World Cup champions, was detained for the same reason, but was released in a few hours after proving he had paid his wife.

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.

MANCHESTER (AFP) - Manchester City’s new signing Carlos Tevez denied on Tuesday that Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson did his best to keep him at Old Trafford.

The 25-year-old Argentinian international striker has signed for United’s city rivals in a 25.5million pounds five-year contract after his two-year deal at United ran out at the end of last season.

As United headed towards their 18th league title at the end of last term, speculation about whether United would extend Tevez’s contract grew ever more debated before Ferguson decided not to keep the Argentinian.

However, Ferguson suggested on Monday that he had in fact wanted to retain Tevez’s services and said that he had tried to contact him in January regarding his future - only to be ignored by his player.

Those claims were comprehensively refuted by Tevez at his unveiling at the City of Manchester Stadium on Tuesday as he insisted that Ferguson had never once been in touch.

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.