Borgetti’s Header Leads Mexico Over Brazil, 1-0
It’s hard to say who needed a win more, Mexico’s much-maligned coach, Ricardo Lavolpe, or El Tri itself.
Both found sanctuary, for a day at least, with Sunday’s 1-0 win over Brazil in a Group A opening-round CONCACAF Gold Cup game at Mexico City.
Said Lavolpe, whose team had been 1-2-4 since he took over after last summer’s World Cup: “[The win] helped to restore order to this team.
“This was an important triumph for our players’ confidence. The team didn’t play a great game, but the players gave a strong performance.”
Credit Jared Borgetti, whose header from point-blank range in the 79th minute, which came off a Daniel Osorno cross from the left side, returned some swagger to the Mexican side.
Especially since Brazil, which is competing as an invited guest for the third time in the 12-team biennial tournament, outplayed its hosts for most of the afternoon. Even if Brazil did bring its Under-23 team.
In the 22nd minute, Robinho outran two defenders, but his close-range shot was wide left.
In the 54th minute, Kaka’s breakaway chance was broken up by Mexico goalkeeper Osvaldo Sanchez, whose slide tackle elicited cries of foul from Brazil, though none was called.
And in the 72nd minute, Kaka again broke free, but his looping shot over Sanchez from the left side hit the right post and bounced away.
Mexico, feeding off the energy of the 70,000 at Azteca Stadium, took advantage of Brazil’s bigger, but inexperienced, defenders with Borgetti finally breaking through.
Colombia Wins
In a Group B Gold Cup match at Miami, Jairo Patino’s 42nd-minute goal gave Colombia a 1-0 victory. Jamaica nearly tied the score in the 65th minute, but Colombia goalkeeper Farid Mondragon’s diving save denied Andy Williams’ hard shot from 25 yards.
Best on a Bender
Bend it like Beckham? How about going on a bender like Best?
George Best may well have felt the wrath from his wife, Alex, after the former Manchester United and Los Angeles Aztec star was arrested Saturday night after a fracas involving a photographer at a hotel.
But if Alex had her way, she would use her best shots, the public ones at least, for the owners of the English pub who served her husband.
Best, 57, had sworn that he would stop drinking after admitting to being an alcoholic, spending time in jail for drunk driving, assaulting a police officer and jumping bail. He had a lifesaving liver transplant last year and reportedly had pellets implanted in his stomach that would make him sick should he imbibe alcohol.
“[Alex] is absolutely furious,” Best’s agent, Phil Hughes, told Associated Press on Sunday. “She has not had words because it would not help the situation. You cannot go down there [to the pub] screaming and shouting, it is only going to embarrass him. It is a very difficult situation.”
While both Best and the photographer were arrested, both were released without charges being pressed.
Quick Passes
Dagny Mellgren scored the first hat trick of her career to lead the Boston Breakers (7-4-4) to a 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Charge (3-8-4) in front of 5,060 at Boston in a Women’s United Soccer Assn. game.... Carlos Valderrama, a three-time World Cup veteran for Colombia and six-time Major League Soccer All-Star who retired before this season, rejoined the league as a goodwill ambassador.
Times wire services contributed to this report.
