New players, same result
Different players on the field, but U.S. still tops Honduras
CHICAGO -- You can take the players out of the jersey, but apparently you can't take the jersey out of the final.
For the second time in less than a month, the U.S. men's soccer team reached the final of an international tournament, defeating Honduras 2-0 at Soldier Field to earn a berth in Sunday's Gold Cup final against Mexico at the Meadowlands.
The Americans did it not with experienced senior team members like Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan and Tim Howard, but rather previous unknowns like Clarence Goodson, Troy Perkins and Stuart Holden.
It was Goodson who scored during stoppage time in the first half, becoming the sixth U.S. player to score his first international goal in the tournament. It was Perkins who made four acrobatic saves, including one from point-blank range in the second half to preserve the shutout. And it was Holden who assisted on both U.S. goals, continuing to make the statement that he should at least be part of the conversation when the U.S. brings back its "A" team for the Aug. 12 World Cup qualifier in Mexico.
"We as a group feel like we've come a long way in this tournament," Holden said. "And the job is not done yet. We want to finish this off in the final and cap this off with the championship."
Doing so would be yet another positive sign for the state of U.S. soccer. Earlier this month, the team's regulars upset Spain to reach the final of the Confederations Cup, which they lost 3-2 to Brazil. The second-place finish was the Americans' best-ever in a FIFA-sanctioned tournament.
Then Bradley overhauled his roster, sending home many of his regulars to rest before the European club season gets under way. Ten players have earned their first international cap in this tournament. Yet the U.S. will still play for its third straight Gold Cup championship on Sunday.
"It's a good sign," Bradley said. "We knew from the start of this tournament it would be a new opportunity for a lot of players. But we also made it clear we are the defending champs."
The Americans reached the final by using a solid team effort to wear down Honduras. Perkins' save on Osman Chavez's rocket in the 20th minute helped keep the game scoreless, and the Americans turned up the offensive pressure late in the first half. Holden's free kick in the 43rd tipped over the crossbar. Seconds later, Ching's left-footed shot off a free kick also nicked the crossbar.
But then, in extra time, Holden found Goodson's forehead for the first goal. A day earlier in training, Bradley watched Holden's first corner kick and then pointed to a particular spot on the field where the pass would be most dangerous. It was the exact spot where he found Goodson.
"It was a big goal," Goodson said. "That gave us a psychological lift and was a huge boost. For them to get nothing in the first, I'm sure they went into the half quite disappointed."
The Americans squandered several scoring chances in the second half and Honduras nearly nailed the equalizer with five minutes left in the match, but Perkins saved a shot by Carlo Costly and U.S. defender Jay Heaps slid and blocked a rebound attempt.
Minutes later, Brian Ching and Holden traded passes before Holden tapped a cross to a wide-open Kenny Cooper, who booted the ball past Honduras goalkeeper Donis Escobar to seal the victory for the U.S.
The victory marks the third time the U.S. has beaten Honduras this summer, including the June 6 World Cup qualifier at Soldier Field and the July 8 Gold Cup group-play victory in Washington. The Honduras players must now return to a country that has ousted its president and is on the verge of civil war.
"The word 'returning relaxed' does not exist," Honduras coach Reinaldo Rueda said through an interpreter. "We did not reach our goals, and now we will return to an unsettled home country."
The other semifinal electrified the 55,173 fans that nearly filled Soldier Field, as the game was decided by penalty kicks. Guillermo Franco sent the pro-Mexico crowd into a frenzy with his goal that gave El Tri a 1-0 lead in the 88th minute, but Costa Rica's Froylan Ledezma answered in stoppage time (in the 93rd minute) to force more soccer.
After Ledezma's goal, several players on the Costa Rica bench taunted the predominantly pro-Mexican crowd. Certain Mexican fans spent much of the match throwing cups and other debris any time a Costa Rican player attempted a corner kick.
Neither team scored in the overtime but Mexico would get the last laugh, prevailing 5-3 on penalty kicks. After Mexico's Carlos Vela booted in the game winner, he jumped into the arms of Mexican keeper Guillermo Ochoa, who stopped one penalty kick in regulation and another during the PKs to earn man of the match honors.
Sunday's finale between the U.S. and Mexico will serve as an appetizer for the August qualifier between the two teams, while also giving the U.S. a chance to match Mexico as the only team to win three straight Gold Cups. Also on the line will be the Americans' 58-match home winning streak against CONCACAF opponents, a string that dates back to September 2001. Mexico has not beaten the U.S. on American soil since 1999.
"We've done well so far against them in the United States, and we don't want to be the team that lets them get a result on U.S. soil," Ching said. "There will be a lot of pressure on us, but it's the type of pressure we're looking forward to."
Wayne Drehs is a senior writer for ESPN.com and ESPNChicago.com. He can be reached at wayne.drehs@espn3.com.
