Soccer: US beat Mexico to reach Cup quarter-finals

8:30pm

US 2 MEXICO 0

JEONJU - The United States defied the odds to reach the World Cup quarter-finals tonight after goals by Brian McBride and Landon Donovan upset neighbours Mexico 2-0.

The US, who reached the semifinals of the first cup, in 1930, by playing just two games, soaked up long periods of Mexican pressure and hit them on the break to set up a last-eight meeting with Germany.

Mexico, whose captain, Rafael Marquez, was sent off near the end, failed to produce any of the quick-fire moves that characterised their impressive first-round campaign.

They again failed to live up to expectations as they bowed out in the second round for the third successive tournament.

"Our guys left everything on the field out there. They played great and I'm proud of them," said US coach Bruce Arena, adding that he made four changes to inject some fresh legs into his team after the disappointing 3-1 defeat by Poland.

"It was difficult to get our guys up after our last match against Poland on Friday," Arena said. "We had a game plan and they executed it beautifully."

It was the 47th match between the two countries, but the first at the finals.

In a bad-tempered match between two traditional rivals on and off the pitch which also featured 10 yellow cards, the US always looked dangerous on the counterattack and went ahead after eight minutes.

The goal was a reward for quick thinking and neat footwork as midfielder Claudio Reyna picked up a quickly taken free-kick and advanced purposefully to the byline on the right.

The US captain managed to deliver a low cross which Josh Wolff, a surprise starter up front, laid back into the path of striker McBride, who fired it home crisply from near the penalty spot.

Mexico had most of the ball but did little with it, and frustrated coach Javier Aguirre introduced veteran forward Luis Hernandez in the 28th minute in place of midfielder Ramon Morales.

Hernandez, who scored four goals in Mexico's run to the second round four years ago, immediately added some verve and the American keeper, Brad Friedel, was forced into a good save as he tipped over a rising drive by Cuauhtemoc Blanco.

The Americans, who pulled off a shock 3-2 win over Portugal in their opening match of the tournament, barely threatened but could easily have made it 2-0 when Wolff found himself unmarked in the area but shot tamely against the legs of Mexico keeper Oscar Perez.

Mexico came out fighting after the break, laying siege to the US goal with a series of corners and free-kicks and American midfielder John O'Brien was lucky not to give away a penalty when he punched one of them clear.

The US team, who were rung by President George W. Bush hours before the game, dealt with the threat, though, and made it 2-0 on the break when midfielder Donovan arrived at the far post to head home a fine cross from Eddie Lewis.

Marquez was shown the red card for a head-butt as the Mexicans became increasingly frustrated and the US missed a great chance to add a third in the dying seconds when Donovan blazed the ball wildly over with the goal at his mercy.

Mexico striker Jared Borgetti blamed a failure to take chances for his team's defeat.

"I think that we played good football but it is necessary to score," he said.

"It is possible to destroy good football by playing defensively.

"The US are a team that are quick on the counterattack.

"We tried everything but came up against a brick wall."

It was the Americans' fifth win in the last six meetings between the two Concacaf federation rivals and their first clean sheet in a finals match since their famous win over England 1-0 in 1950.

They lost all three matches at the 1998 cup, scoring just one goal.

- REUTERS

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