Tag Archives: CONCACAF Gold Cup

Ricardo Pepi Becomes Youngest Player in MLS History to Score Hat Trick

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Hat’s off to Ricardo Pepi…

The 18-year-old Latino soccer player has become the youngest player in Major League Soccer history to score a hat trick, as Pepi led FC Dallas to a 5-0 win over the LA Galaxy on Saturday evening.

Ricardo Pepi

Pepi, who is 18 years, 197 days of age, increased his season goal total to a team-high eight with his first career hat trick. The El Paso, Texas, native is in his third season with the team.

FC Dallas emphatically snapped a three-match losing streak, all of which came on the road. FCD is a different team at home — it is now unbeaten in 17 straight home matches (with nine wins and eight draws), the longest active regular-season home unbeaten run in MLS.

Pepi put FC Dallas on the board in the 27th minute when he finished off a pass from Andres Ricaurte that bounced off Galaxy defender Daniel Steres. Pepi’s kick from the center of the box was placed in the right corner past Los Angeles goalkeeper Jonathan Bond.

Pepi added his second goal in the 44th minute, making short work of a corner kick from Jesus Ferreira that Pepi headed off the back LA defender Derrick Williams. The rebound landed at Pepi’s feet at a severe angle to the goal, but the teen was up to the task.

The third goal came in the 50th minute after FCD midfielder Szabolcs Schon carried the ball deep into the box and fought off two Los Angeles defenders before passing to Pepi in front of the goal. Pepi moved the ball to his right foot and sent a low shot into the left corner of the net to all but end the Galaxy’s chances.

Jimmy Maurer made three saves to earn his second shutout of the season and the 13th of his six-year MLS career.

Jader Obrian added FCD’s fourth goal in 88th minute to cap the scoring.

The Galaxy are 0-2-1 over their past three matches, their longest stretch of the season without a victory.

It was Los Angeles’ fifth consecutive match without injured leading scorer Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez as well as midfielders Jonathan dos Santos and Efrain Alvarez, both of whom are with the Mexican team at the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Guardado Leads Mexico to 3-1 Win Over Jamaica in CONCACAF Gold Cup Title Match

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Andrés Guardado is returning south of the border as Mexico’s new soccer hero…

The 28-year-old Mexican futbol player, who plays for Dutch club PSV Eindhoven and the Mexico national team, scored his fourth goal of the knockout rounds to help propel Mexico to its seventh CONCACAF Gold Cup title Sunday with a 3-1 victory over upstart Jamaica.

Andrés Guardado

Jesus Corona and Oribe Peralta contributed goals as El Tri scored twice early in the second half to ensure this match wouldn’t come down to any calls in the final minutes.

It was a convincing performance for coach Miguel Herrera and his team after some rough play and contentious moments in the previous two games.

Jamaica had made a rousing run to the final, stunning the U.S. in the semis to become the first Caribbean nation to reach the Gold Cup’s championship match. And they looked as though they belonged in the opening minutes, keeping the pressure on Mexico with several promising scoring chances but never putting a shot on goal.

Jamaica hadn’t trailed since early in the second half of its Gold Cup opener before a yellow card helped lead to Mexico’s first goal.

Darren Mattocks scored in the 80th minute to pull the Reggae Boyz within 3-1.

El Tri will face the U.S., the 2013 Gold Cup champions, on October 9 for CONCACAF’S spot in the 2017 Confederations Cup in Russia.

The only way Mexico had been able to score in the knockout rounds before Sunday had been on penalty kicks, all three by Guardado. And two of those came on late, questionable calls.

Against Costa Rica in the quarterfinals, a scoreless game was moments from going to a shootout when Guardado converted his penalty in the final minute of extra time. Mexico had been the better team that day, but that wasn’t the case in the semifinals. Down to 10 men, Panama was on the verge of victory when a disputed hand ball set up a penalty for Guardado in second-half stoppage time, and he scored on another for the winner in extra time.

Mexico had gone 272 minutes since one of its players scored on anything other than a penalty when Guardado put El Tri ahead for good Sunday. Jonathan dos Santos found Paul Aguilar out wide on a free kick, and Aguilar crossed it to Guardado, whose left-footed volley made it 1-0 in the 31st minute. It was his sixth goal of the tournament, one behind Clint Dempsey of the U.S.

Guardado came off to a thunderous ovation from the pro-Mexico crowd of 68,930 at Lincoln Financial Field, home of the NFL‘s Philadelphia Eagles.

Rimando Named to the United States’ Final Squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup

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It appears Nick Rimando will be a gol man in Rio de Janeiro next month…

The 34-year-old half-Mexican American soccer player has been named to the United States’ final 23-man squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Nick Rimando

Rimando, currently a goalkeeper for Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer, was the first-choice keeper at the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

He’s known for his sometimes unusual technique and for his remarkable reflex saves from short distances.

But Rimando isn’t the only Latino player named to the U.S. squad…

Omar Gonzalez has been named to the roster in the Defenders category.

Last March, the 25-year-oldMexican American soccer star, currently playing for the LA Galaxy in the MLS, was given the start at central defense in the United States’ 0-0 draw in a World Cup qualifier against Mexico at Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca. He was called “the man of the match by a clear margin” by ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle.

Also making the list: Alejandro Bedoya.

The 27-Colombian American, who plays professionally for French club Nantes as an attacking midfielder or winger, made the list in the Midfielders category.

Bedoya was named to the preliminary 30-man roster for the 2010 World Cup, and played against the Czech Republic in a tune-up friendly, but was cut from the final 23 roster.

Before traveling to Brazil, the Americans will play Azerbaijan on May 27 in San Francisco, Turkey on June 1, in Harrison, New Jersey, and Nigeria on June 7 in Jacksonville, Florida.

Here’s a look at the United States’ final 23-man squad for the World Cup.

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)

Defenders: DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Nurnberg), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders FC)

Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Jermaine Jones (Besiktas), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Sunderland), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)