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Mexico tops Brazil 1-0, Colombia downs Jamaica
Mexico City, July 14: Mexico topped an unfamiliar Brazil 1-0 in the first round of the Gold Cup, while Copa America champion Colombia moved closer to the tournament`s quarterfinals with a 1-0 win over Jamaica.
Mexico City, July 14: Mexico topped an unfamiliar
Brazil 1-0 in the first round of the Gold Cup, while Copa
America champion Colombia moved closer to the tournament's
quarterfinals with a 1-0 win over Jamaica.
Jared Borgetti scored the decisive goal for Mexico in the 79th minute yesterday, but it was Brazil and its young crop of players that dominated most of the match.
Brazil, which sent its under-23 team, is stocked with Robinho, Kaka and Diego. Many believe the trio will be top performers during the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
But is was Daniel Osorno who set up Mexico's game-winner by shaking off his defender and feeding a centering pass from the left side to Borgetti, who headed the ball home from point-blank range.
"This was an important triumph for our players' confidence," Mexico coach Ricardo Lavolpe said. "The team didn't play a great game, but the players gave a strong performance."
In the opening minutes, Mexico moved the ball deep into Brazil's zone several times, but Brazil used a ragged-but-swarming defence to frustrate the home team and the late-arriving crowd of 70,000 at the Mexican capital's cavernous Azteca stadium.
"We could have come away with a victory," Brazil coach Ricardo Gomes said. "We had better opportunities to score than they did."
Mexico's best early chance came in the 10th minute when Rafael Garcia broke free in the centre and fired a shot from the top of the box. The strike beat Brazilian goalkeeper Gomes, but sailed wide of the right post.
Bureau Report.
Jared Borgetti scored the decisive goal for Mexico in the 79th minute yesterday, but it was Brazil and its young crop of players that dominated most of the match.
Brazil, which sent its under-23 team, is stocked with Robinho, Kaka and Diego. Many believe the trio will be top performers during the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
But is was Daniel Osorno who set up Mexico's game-winner by shaking off his defender and feeding a centering pass from the left side to Borgetti, who headed the ball home from point-blank range.
"This was an important triumph for our players' confidence," Mexico coach Ricardo Lavolpe said. "The team didn't play a great game, but the players gave a strong performance."
In the opening minutes, Mexico moved the ball deep into Brazil's zone several times, but Brazil used a ragged-but-swarming defence to frustrate the home team and the late-arriving crowd of 70,000 at the Mexican capital's cavernous Azteca stadium.
"We could have come away with a victory," Brazil coach Ricardo Gomes said. "We had better opportunities to score than they did."
Mexico's best early chance came in the 10th minute when Rafael Garcia broke free in the centre and fired a shot from the top of the box. The strike beat Brazilian goalkeeper Gomes, but sailed wide of the right post.
Bureau Report.