Mexico Claims Gold Cup With Stunning Five Goals In Second Half

It seemed like a close match for over a half, as Mexico and the U।S. battled to a scoreless draw. But in the second half, Carlos Vela entered the match, Mexico turned on the jets and the U.S. team was left in the dust.

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ.--It was a festive atmosphere in New Jersey as a mostly Mexican crowd numbering 79,156 packed it in on a balmy Sunday afternoon, celebrating as Mexico defeated their regional rivals, the United States, by five goals to claim the Gold Cup title.First HalfThe much anticipated final gave the Mexicans another chance to try and get a win on American soil, and they did not disappoint their fans.The United States came out in a similar line-up to the one that got them through the earlier knock-out rounds, with only Chad Marshall in for the concussed Jimmy Conrad.Mexico put out an attacking line-up with Giovani Dos Santos, Miguel Sabah, and Alberto Medina leading the three-man forward line. The game opened with a controlled pace as Mexico attempted to impose its style on the game. The Mexican faithful responded by chanting ole’s within the first twenty seconds. The first real chance fell to Mexico in the 7th minute as Sabah danced around Chad Marshall and fired a low pass through the six, but Medina could not get on the end. The Americans came close again in the 14th, when Stuart Holden’s corner was left bouncing in the box, but Brian Ching could not connect cleanly and Mexico cleared. Robbie Rogers made his presence felt in the 28th minute as he broke past his defender and cut inside. He turned down the opportunity to play in his forwards and instead opted for the onrushing Holden, but he couldn’t keep his shot on frame as he missed wide right of Ochoa’s net.As the game wore on, it became clear that the Mexicans were content to allow the Americans to attack in possession with the Mexican forwards waiting to counter-attack. A tactic that would pay off in the second half, however, they failed to click early on with several promising plays falling apart on the last pass. The American’s did not fare much better with their finishing. Beckerman shanked two shots from the top of the box well wide. On either side of Beckerman was Rogers’ low percentage shot on a break-away, which sailed high into the stands. In the 44th, Giovani Dos Santos tracked down a loose ball and opened up the American defense with a pass leading Medina. However, Clarence Goodson came across confidently and shut down Medina twice. A minute later they were back at it. Giovani created space for Medina on the left again, but his shot rolled wide of the far post.Second HalfThe second half opened with a much more frenetic pace than the first. In an obvious move for Javier Aguirre, the largely ineffective Alberto Medina was replaced by Carlos Vela at the half.Holden and Rogers combined again to create the first goal scoring opportunity of the second half. Holden’s cross floated over the head of Jose Antonio Castro, where Rogers took it down cleanly, but couldn’t keep his half-volley down. This was closely followed by a long ball seeking out Davy Arnaud. Arnaud rushed his shot and it was easily handled by Ochoa. It would be all Mexico for the last forty minutesThe new forward line of Giovani, Vela and Sabah combined again to break the game open in the 55th minute. Giovani received the ball near the penalty mark, backing down Jay Heaps. The two tumbled over and the referee wasted no time pointing to the spot. Captain Gerardo Torrado stepped up confidently and pounded the ball high to the right past Perkins. The Mexicans took full advantage of the game opening up as they created three more chances quickly after the goal. First, Israel Castro, then Sabah, and finally Giovani found themselves clear in on goal saw their efforts saved by Troy Perkins. Finally, in the 62nd minute, Giovani’s creative play paid off. Vela broke free down the left, cut back around Goodson, who deflected the ball to Sabah, whose shot was saved by Perkins right into the path of Giovani for a tap-in.Bob Bradley responded by bringing in Kenny Cooper and Santino Quaranta for Davy Arnaud and Logan Pause, respectively, shifting Holden to the middle. Aguirre pulled his team back into a 4-5-1 with Sabah as the lone striker, but that did not stop Giovani from creating more goals. In the 67th minute, Giovani drove at the American center backs and flicked the ball between them to an onrushing Carlos Vela, who coolly chipped the ball over Perkins. With the Americans stretching to get back into the game Mexico was finding more and more space behind the American defense. Giovani ran into space down the right all the way to the box, where he was upended by Rogers, but the referee took pity on the Americans and declined to award the Mexicans a second penalty.The Mexicans combined beautifully one more time in the 79the minute, as Jose Antonio Castro got forward from defense and onto the end of a nice pass splitting the American defense. He touched the ball past the onrushing Perkins for the fourth goal.Jay Heaps brought his day to an early end in the 88th minute, picking up his second yellow trying to bring a ball down and instead catching Carlos Vela cleats up in the thigh. His first yellow came in the first half for taking down Medina to break up a counter-attack.As if four goals were not enough, the Mexicans knocked in the fifth and final goal in the 90th minute. Giovani received a ball over the top after settling into the space left vacant by the departed Jay Heaps. He played the ball into substitute Guillermo Franco, who took a touch at the top of the box and fired the ball into Perkins’ near post.