Guadalajara Too Much for Dundee United, 2-0
Guadalajara, playing the adventurous brand of soccer that has made it one of Mexico’s most popular teams, defeated Dundee United of Scotland, 2-0, Sunday afternoon in the first round of the Los Angeles Gold Cup.
In the first game of the doubleheader, played in front of a Coliseum crowd of 21,228, A.S. Roma of Italy earned a 2-1 win over Club America, eliminating the Mexican team from the tournament.
The Guadalajara-Dundee United match was a one-sided affair, with Mexico’s newly crowned champion dominating. Guadalajara’s nickname is Las Chivas (The Goats), but it was the Scots who were made to look sheepish.
Admittedly, Dundee United was playng its 79th match of a season that began last August, but, tired or not, it might have been expected to produce a bit more flair than it did. Instead, it was left to Guadalajara to provide the excitement.
After Dundee United’s Iain Ferguson had tried unsuccessfully to punch the ball into the net with his hand in the 31st minute, Guadalajara responded to this unsportsmanlike play in the best manner possible. It took the lead.
A pass from Concepcion Rodriguez on the right was controlled by Paul Moreno, on loan to Guadalajara from his club team, Puebla. Moreno did not hesitate, firing a low shot past goalkeeper Billy Thomson.
Guadalajara continued to apply the pressure and, given a little luck, could easily have gone three or four goals ahead. A fierce shot by Manuel de la Torre in the 34th minute, for example, slammed into the right post and rebounded clear.
Later efforts came equally close, but it was not until the 77th minute that Guadalajara put the matter beyond doubt with a second goal. Morena floated a pass across the goalmouth from the left, and Sergio Lugo was there to head it home.
The victory was Guadalajara’s first in the six-team tournament. Last Thursday night, it was beaten, 1-0, by Argentine champion Rosario Central.
The game between Roma and Club America was a desultory affair for the first 25 minutes before suddenly coming alive late in the half.
The Mexican team, thrashed, 5-0, by Brazil’s Vasco da Gama on Thursday night and facing elimination, took an unexpected lead in the 31st minute.
An uncharacteristic lapse in Roma’s defense allowed Juan Antonio Luna to backheel a pass into the path of the onrushing Adrian Camacho, whose shot from close range gave Roma’s goalkeeper, Attilio Gregori, no chance.
The Italian team, sparked by Polish national team midfielder Zbigniew Boniek, quickly retaliated, however, scoring twice within a two-minute span to regain control.
Roma’s first goal was the result of a superb effort from Boniek, whose first-time volley off a pass from Carlo Ancelotti on the right wing was spinning in the back of the net before Club America’s Argentine goalkeeper, Hector Zelada, could react.
The goal, in the 42nd minute, was followed 90 seconds later by another, Boniek this time momentarily escaping the defenders surrounding him and firing a shot into the narrowest of gaps between Zelada and the right goalpost.
That made the score 2-1 in favor of the Italian team and it would prove to be enough.
Club America did most of the attacking in the second half, but again it suffered from an inability to capitalize on promising build-ups.
Soccer Notes
Sunday’s crowd brought total attendance for the tournament to 53,977. The first round concludes Wednesday when Dundee United plays Rosario Central at 11:30 a.m., and A.S. Roma plays Vasco da Gama at 1:30 p.m. Because of Club America’s two losses, the Brazilian and Italian teams are assured spots in Saturday’s semifinals and will simply be playing for first place in their group. Dundee United, meanwhile, must win or be eliminated.
