By Clemente Lisi - NEW YORK, NY (Jul 1, 2009) USSoccerPlayers -- With yet another edition (the tenth to be exact) of the Gold Cup to start in just a few days, here are 10 of the most memorable moments in the CONCACAF tournament’s history. Although the tournament has featured only three winners (the US, Mexico and Canada) since the 1991 inaugural edition, there have been many exciting moments involving many teams in the previous nine editions.
It’s no coincidence, however, that the US is involved in many of those moments. A protagonist since the beginning, the Americans have won four titles (tied with Mexico) and figure in six of the 10 most exciting moments in tournament history.
10. Mexico Beats US Before Massive Crowd
February 15, 1998 - With the rivalry between the US and Mexico heating up during the 1990’s, it reached a climax at the 1998 Gold Cup final when the two sides met at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum before an astonishing 91,000 fans. Although the pro-Mexico crowd cheered on El Tri and jeered Team USA for much of the contest, the Mexicans only won 1-0 with Luis Hernandez netting the lone goal in the 43rd minute. The goal was Hernandez’s fourth during the tournament – making him top scorer alongside Costa Rica’s Paulo Wanchope – and the win marked Mexico’s third straight Gold Cup title.
9. US Rallies Against T&T
June 29, 1991 - In the USA's first-ever Gold Cup game, the Americans downed Trinidad &Tobago 2-1 on goals from Bruce Murray and Marcelo Balboa in a span of two minutes. Down 1-0 before 18,000 fans at the famed Rose Bowl in Pasadena, the Americans rallied, tying the score in the 85th minute with Murray. Two minutes later, Balboa netted the game-winner to complete the amazing come-from-behind win.
8. “Shaky” Start
June 28, 1991 - The first-ever Gold Cup game literally had the players trembling after an earthquake hit California on the day the tournament was slated to start. The quake killed two people and triggered several landslides, but no significant damage occurred at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, allowing a doubleheader featuring Canada-Honduras and Mexico-Jamaica before a crowd of 13,374 to go on as planned at the venue. Honduras defeated Canada 4-2, while Mexico routed Jamaica 4-1 in the second game.
7. Ooo, la, la, Guadeloupe
June 21, 2007 - Although Canada finished ahead of the competition in Group A (played at the Orange Bowl in Miami), they were beaten 2-1 by the tiny Caribbean nation of Guadeloupe, who also drew with Haiti before suffering a defeat in its last match against Costa Rica. The win sent the Ticos through to the next round, while Guadeloupe, a French territory and not a FIFA member (featuring former Les Blues star Jocelyn Angloma), also qualified as one of the best two third-place finishers. On June 17, Guadeloupe stunned Honduras 2-1 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, before ending its Cinderella run four days later -- losing 1-0 to Mexico at Chicago's Soldier Field. In the end, the team’s goalkeeper, Frank Grandel was named the tournament’s top shot-stopper and a starter on the all-CONCACAF team.
6. Oh Canada!
February 27, 2000 - Canada, who hadn’t qualified for a World Cup since 1986, stunned CONCACAF by defeating guest participant Colombia 2-0. For once, a Cinderella team won the competition, breaking the stronghold Mexico and the US held on the tournament. A 2-1 upset of Mexico in the quarterfinals was followed up with a 1-0 victory of Trinidad & Tobago. That year the tournament featured an expanded field (an increase of four teams to 12) and also included Peru and South Korea as the two other squads from outside CONCACAF to be invited to participate. In the final at the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles before just 7,000 fans, goals from defender Jason deVos and striker Carlo Corazzin sealed the win for the Canucks.
5. Kooiman’s Golden Goal
July 22, 1993 - In the semifinals, the US and Costa Rica battled at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas for 90 minutes. When regulation failed to yield a winner, the game went to overtime. With both sides near exhaustion, the match was settled in the 103rd minute on a golden goal – then a FIFA experiment to use sudden death OT after tie games – by Cle Kooiman. The win extended the US’s unbeaten Gold Cup streak to nine games. The US lost to Mexico 4-0 in the final three days later before a capacity crowd of 120,000 at the Azteca Stadium.
4. Lucky Seven
July 7, 1993 – In Mexico’s first game, El Tri shellacked hapless Martinique 9-0 at the Azteca Stadium. Striker Luis Zague scored seven (to this day a tournament record) against the former French colony in a contest that turned into a training session for the Mexicans. Zague finished as the tournament’s top scorer with 12 goals. He went on to score a total of 30 times for Mexico.
3. US Takes Revenge On Mexico
June 24, 2007 – The US won its second straight Gold Cup title and equaled Mexico for most crowns with four, rallying from a first-half deficit to beat El Tri in the final 2-1 on Benny Feilhaber’s dramatic right-footed volley from outside the penalty box in the 73rd minute. Down 1-0 at Soldier Field, the US mounted a comeback, first on Landon Donovan penalty kick in the 63rd minute and got the go-ahead goal on Feilhaber’s amazing blast.
2. US Wins First International Title
July 7, 1991 – With the US team still developing as a squad in the lead-up to the 1994 World Cup, the Americans become the first Gold Cup champs, blanking Mexico 2-0 in the semifinals and Honduras 4-3 on penalty kicks (the game had ended scoreless after 120 minutes) in the final at the LA Memorial Coliseum. The Americans, coached by Bora Milutinovic, marched through the group stage – no longer a regional punching bag – and winning three straight games. Goalkeeper Tony Meola, the tournament MVP, was spectacular throughout the competition, but especially in the knockout stage against Mexico and Honduras, where he posted shutouts.
1. US Downs World Champion Brazil
February 11, 1998 - In one of the most spectacular wins in American soccer history, the US’s 1-0 shock defeat of then-defending World Cup champion Brazil 1-0 in the semifinals remains the most remarkable moment ever in the tournament for Team USA. The LA Memorial Coliseum was the site of yet another remarkable US win when Kasey Keller put in a great performance in net, weathering 13 shots. Even though Brazil, winners of the 1994 World Cup and invited to participate in the tournament as a guest, were missing a handful of the top players – including Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos -- the South Americans still fielded a team that included goalkeeper Claudio Taffarel and striker Romario. The US won the game on a goal from Preki Radosavljevic, who unleashed a swerving left-footed shot that curled past Taffarel in the 65th minute. Keller’s spectacular shot-stopping abilities prompted Romario to tell reporters after the game that it “was the greatest performance I’ve ever seen by a goalkeeper. It was an honor to be on the field with him.” The outcome remains the only time the US has defeated Brazil in a full international.
Clemente Lisi is the author of “A History of the World Cup: 1930-2006.” Contact him at: CAL4477@yahoo.com
