Mexico Win 2011 Gold Cup, Beat USA 4-2 In Final

 
Gold Cup Final 2011 USA Vs. Mexico: 2 : 4







Mexico Win 2011 Gold Cup, Beat USA 4-2 In  Final



PASADENA - CALIFORNIA: Tonight, in the final of the 2011  Gold Cup, the 
United States came out and played an ambitious style. They put  their best 
technical players on the pitch, threw caution to the wind for the  most part, 
and tried to beat Mexico at their own game. For 22 minutes, it  worked. Then 
Mexico came out of their fuzzy state of disbelief, started playing  football, 
and scored four goals in a row. Despite a valiant effort on the part  of 
the USMNT, El Tri were just too much tonight, and they are the Gold Cup  
champions after winning by a final score of 4-2.

Mexico started extremely strong in the opening minutes of the game, but  
could not find a goal. In the 9th minute, it appeared as if they would live to 
 regret their misses, as the United States got on the board with a goal 
against  the run of play. Steve Cherundolo and Freddy Adu combined down the 
right flank  to create a corner kick, which Adu took for the U.S.. He hit a 
ball to the near  post which Michael Bradley ran onto and headed into the back 
of the net, and  just like that the United States had a shock lead.

Unfortunately for them, Cherundolo sustained an injury either creating that 
 corner or shortly before, and he was forced out of the game with an 
injury.  Jonathan Bornstein came into the match, forcing Eric Lichaj to right 
back, and  that changed the game considerably.

Still, despite that setback, the U.S. was able to find a fantastic second  
goal through Landon Donovan. The USMNT's all-time leading goal scorer 
started  the game as a lone striker, but when he struggled to find the ball, he 
was  swapped with Dempsey. That move paid off instantly for Bob Bradley, as 
Freddy  Adu, Dempsey and Donovan combined for an impressive goal, created by 
Donovan's  off the ball run from behind Dempsey.

That 2-0 lead didn't hold long, though, as Mexico would find a goal against 
 the run of play in the 28th minute. The injury to Cherundolo proved costly 
as  Bornstein was caught out of position on a counter-attack, allowing 
Pablo Barrera  to get inside him and run onto a through ball, then score past 
Tim Howard.

Before halftime, Mexico would find an equalizer through Andres Guardado,  
who was an injury doubt before the start of the match. His 35th minute goal 
was  the second in seven minutes for El Tri, and just like that, the USMNT's 
lead was  erased. The two teams would go into halftime tied 0-0, but Mexico 
had the  obvious momentum.

However, for all of Mexico's momentum, they still had setbacks. Two members 
 of their starting back line, Carlos Salcido and Rafael Marquez, picked up 
knocks  in the first half and had to be substituted out, robbing 'Chepo' 
Jose Manuel de  la Torre of two tactical subs. Salcido was replaced by Jose 
Torres Nilo, who has  plenty of experience, but Marquez was replaced by a 
debutant, Hector Reynoso of  Chivas de Guadalajara.

Those injuries did not affect Mexico much at all in the second half, and  
Mexico claimed the lead that most knew was coming eventually in the 49th 
minute.  Pablo Barrera showed off his speed again, powering through a 
disorganized United  States backline to give himself space to shoot, then curling a 
fantastic finish  around Howard to put Mexico ahead for good.

Clint Dempsey almost brought the United States back into the game when he  
hit the crossbar with a brilliant shot in the 59th minute, but that would be 
the  closest the United States came to getting back into the match. In the 
76th  minute, Giovani dos Santos capped off what was arguably a man of the 
match  performance with what was easily the most brilliant goal of the six 
scored in  the game, as he hit an absolutely audacious chip into the upper 90 
at the far  post from 15 yards away. That goal was the dagger, and Mexico 
took the trophy  with a 4-2 win.

The United States will walk away from this match disappointed, just like  
they would after any loss, but despite giving up four unanswered goals, they  
shouldn't walk away ashamed. They took the game to Mexico early and 
attempted to  beat them with an attacking style instead of playing in a defensive 
shell, and  for that they should be commended. El Tri just had too much 
quality on the  night, and their win was well deserved.






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Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez, Mexico; Jermaine Jones,  USA; Gold Cup final 
_ (http://www.goal.com/en-us/photo/gallery?id=134885#fullSizeFeatureImage)  

 
 
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Jun 25, 2011 
_Andres Guardado; Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez, Mexico, Gold  Cup_ 
(http://www.goal.com/en-us/photo/gallery?id=134886)  

 
 (http://www.goal.com/en-us/photo/gallery?id=134885) 
Jun 25, 2011 
_Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez, Mexico; Jermaine Jones, USA; Gold  Cup 
final_ (http://www.goal.com/en-us/photo/gallery?id=134885)  

 
 (http://www.goal.com/en-us/photo/gallery?id=134884) 
Jun 25, 2011 
_Michael Bradley and Freddy Adu, USA (Getty Images)_ 
(http://www.goal.com/en-us/photo/gallery?id=134884)  

 
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Jun 25, 2011 
_Josh Saunders, LA Galaxy; Steven Lenhart, San Jose Earthquakes;  MLS_ 
(http://www.goal.com/en-us/photo/gallery?id=134883)  

 
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Jun 25, 2011 
_Ravel Morrison, Manchester United_ 
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Jun 25, 2011 
_Copa Oro_Rose Bowl_Pasadena, California_ 
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Jun 25, 2011 
_Final Copa Oro 2011_USA_México_ 
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 (http://www.goal.com/en-us/photo/gallery?id=134879) 
Jun 25, 2011 
_Final Copa Oro 2011_Rose Bowl_USA_México_ 
(http://www.goal.com/en-us/photo/gallery?id=134879)