USA and Mexico duel in CONCACAF Gold Cup final
All roads lead to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena Sunday morning for the 2011 CONCACAF final between the perennial regional powerhouses United States and Mexico.
The two squads were the favorites to dispute the prestigious Gold Cup but took different routes to the final match.
The Americans started their campaign in Group C with a 2-0 win over North American rival Canada. But the four-time Gold Cup winners' celebration was short-lived after they were upset by Panama 1-2 in their next match. It was Team USA's first loss in a group match in the history of the biennial tournament. The Americans, however, bounced back with a 1-0 victory over tiny Guadeloupe in their final fixture to secure second spot in the group.
In the quarterfinals, the Americans blanked Jamaica 2-0. An own goal from Jermaine Taylor and Clint Dempsey's conversion in the 80th minute sealed the victory for Bob Bradley's wards.
The Americans met Panama again in the semifinals but they beat them this time 1-0. Dempsey was again the hero for the Americans, scoring the match's only goal in the 76th minute.
US head coach Bob Bradley said he will use the same 4-2-3-1 formation he applied against Jamaica and Panama.
"We like to have the flexibility," Bradley told mlssoccer.com.
"I think our ability to move the ball around and play quickly - you could see it improve in recent years and, in this last stretch, we feel it's something that has helped us, so we'd like to keep building upon that as well."
Bradley, meanwhile, has yet to decide whether he will start Landon Donovan in the final. Donovan was left out of the starting
XI in the quarterfinals and semifinals with Bradley citing fatigue as the reason.
"No competitor ever likes to start on the bench," said Donovan, who set up Dempsey for the winner against the Panamanians.
"What's important for me is not when I play, where I play, how many minutes I’m playing - it's that I'm effective when I do play. I know I’m fit enough to play, I know I'm capable of playing."
Mexico, meanwhile, has yet to lose or draw a match in the tournament. The defending champions swept Group A after posting easy wins over El Salvador (5-0), Cuba (5-0) and Costa Rica (4-1).
In the quarterfinals, the Mexicans came back from a goal down to oust Guatemala 2-1. Aldo de Nigris and tournament leading scorer Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez scored a goal each to lead the Mexicans to a come-from-behind win.
Mexico was again tested in its semifinal duel against Honduras. The match ended goalless after the regulation period before de Nigris and Hernandez scored in extra time to seal Mexico's passage to the finals.
"Both teams are very strong. Regardless, we have to be prepared. We respect our opponent very much and regardless of what’s on paper or what has happened in the past what matters is what’s done inside the field," Mexico head coach Jose Manuel de la Torre told goal.com.
"The rivalry goes back many years and the rivalry has become stronger. It's important for Mexican fans living in the United States. It’s a Clasico and I think that will make the atmosphere greater. But at the end, it's still a soccer game. It will be well coached and keep in mind it took a lot of work to get here."
The United States and Mexico have met in the Gold Cup final four times before with the El Tri winning thrice, including a 5-0 demolition of the Americans two years ago.
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