USA - Cuba 4:1

U.S.'s Landon Donovan (C) is fouled by Cuba's Silvio Pedro Minoso (R) during the second half of their Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Gold Cup game against Cuba in Seattle, Washington, July 7, 2005. Donovan scored on the penalty kick as the U.S. beat Cuba 4-1. REUTERS/Robert Sorbo

United States' Santino Quaranta (9) leaps in front of a Cuba's Enrique Villaurrutia (6) to kick the ball away in the second half of their CONCACAF Gold Cup match Thursday, July 7, 2005 in Seattle.

Cuban defenders Leonel Duartes ,left, and Reysander Fernandez ,right, sandwich United States' Jimmy Conrad while going for a header in the second half of their CONCACAF Gold Cup match Thursday, July 7, 2005 in Seattle. Helping out is United State's Brad Davis (21).

United States' Josh Wolff, left, collides with Cuba goal keeper Odelin Molina on a corner kick attempt by the US during the second half in a CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament in Seattle Thrusday, July 7, 2005.

Cuba's Maykel Galindo (13) and United States' Tony Sanneh both try to head the ball in the second half, Thursday, July 7, 2005, in a CONCACAF Gold Cup game in Seattle.

United States' Landon Donovan (10) shoots a penalty kick as Cuba players line up in a wall to block the goal in the second half, Thursday, July 7, 2005, in a CONCACAF Gold Cup game in Seattle. Donovan scored on the play, his first of two goals in the game.

Cuba's Maikel Galindo (13) runs past Ben Olsen of the U.S. during the first half of their Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Footbal (CONCACAF) Gold Cup game in Seattle July 7, 2005.

SEATTLE - Landon Donovan saved the United States from a shocking result.

Donovan scored the go-ahead goal on a free kick in the 88th minute, and the United States rallied to beat Cuba 4-1 Thursday night in the Americans' opener of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Donovan was tackled just outside the penalty box by Cuba's Silvio Pedro Minoso. He then curled the free kick around the wall and past Cuban keeper Odelin Molina.

Two minutes later, DaMarcus Beasley scored, and Donovan got another goal in injury time on a pass from Beasley that made the score look far more lopsided than the competition.

With 24 goals in 65 international appearances. Donovan moved into a tie with Joe-Max Moore for third on the U.S. career scoring list behind Eric Wynalda (34) and Brian McBride.

Donovan scored four goals in the previous meeting with Cuba, a 5-0 U.S. win in the Gold Cup quarterfinals in 2003.

The United States, playing for the first time since its June 8 win at Panama in a World Cup qualifier, improved to 17-0 in group play of the Gold Cup, the championship of soccer's North and Central American and Caribbean region that is played every two years.

Lester More scored in the 18th minute for Cuba, the first goal for the Cubans against the United States since Sept. 21, 1949. The teams have played just four times since.

The U.S. team plays next on Saturday against Canada, which lost 1-0 to Costa Rica.

While the Americans controlled play at the offensive end all night and outshot Cuba 17-5, Clint Dempsey was the only American to score until the final minutes. Dempsey scored in the 45th minute, his second international goal.

Beasley neatly chipped a pass over the Cuban defense to Dempsey, who was just onside. Dempsey chested down the ball and in one motion put a shot into the lower corner of the net, beating Molina.

More continued his torrid goal-scoring pace when he beat goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann in the 18th minute, stunning the paltry crowd of 15,831 with his 11th goal in his last 10 international matches.

Coach Bruce Arena gave some of his inexperienced players a chance against the Cubans, auditions for possible roster spots in future World Cup qualifiers or next year's tournament in Germany. Santino Quaranta, Brad Davis and Jimmy Conrad all started and made their first international appearances.

Donovan started on the sidelines, before entering in the second half.

Oft-injured John O'Brien made just his second appearance for the United States since the 2002 World Cup, his first since an exhibition against Venezuela in Seattle on March 29, 2003.

Cuba's Jaime Colome was given a red card in the 50th minute after a high kick caught Ben Olsen in the throat.

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=...d_cup_cuba_us_3

2005 CONCACAF GOLD CUP™
Group B

07.07.2005: Seattle, Washington USA; Qwest Field (19:30)
CUBA – USA 1:4 (1:1)

Lester MORE 18' - Clint DEMPSEY 44', Landon DONOVAN 87', 90'+, DaMarcus BEASLEY 89'

CUB: 1-Odelin Molina-C - 2-Silvio Pedro Miñoso (90: 19-Jensis Muñoz), 3-Yenier Márquez, 5-Alexander Cruzata, 6-Enrique Villaurrutia, 8-Disney Aquino, 9-Alain Cervantes, 10-Lester Moré (57: 18-Leonel Duarte), 13-Maikel Galindo (77: 11-Mario Gil), 14-Jaime Colome, 16-Reysander Fernandez. Booked: Miñoso 86’, Sent offs: Colome 50’
TD: Armelio Luis GARCIA

USA: 1-Marcus Hahnemann - 2-Frankie Hejduk, 7-DaMarcus Beasley, 8-Clint Dempsey, 9-Santino Quaranta, 11-Conor Casey (66: 10-Landon Donovan), 12-Jimmy Conrad, 14-Chris Armas-C, 15-Ben Olsen(75: 16-Josh Wolff), 21-Brad Davis (75: 5-John O’Brien), 22-Tony Sanneh. Booked: Sanneh 46’, Hejduk 53’, Beasley 89’
TD: Bruce ARENA

R: Jose PINEDA (HON)

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Zwei Donovan-Tore retten USA gegen Kuba

Dank des ehemaligen Leverkusener Bundesliga-Profis Landon Donovan durfte die Nationalmannschaft der USA im ersten Spiel beim Gold Cup einen Auftaktsieg feiern. Im ersten Spiel der Gruppe B kamen die US-Boys in der Nacht zum Freitag in Seattle durch zwei Donovan-Tore in den Schlussminuten (87. und 90. Minute) zu einem 4:1 (1:1) gegen den Erzrivalen Kuba.

Kuba zunächst in Führung

Die Kubaner waren durch More in der 17. Minute sogar in Führung gegangen. Kurz vor dem Pausenpfiff gelang Dempsey noch der Ausgleich. Drei Minuten vor dem Spielende schlug Mittelfeldspieler Donovan zum ersten Mal zu und erzielte das 2:1, nur 120 Sekunden später sorgte Demarcus Beasley (89.) für die Vorentscheidung.

Donovan erzielte nur weitere 60 Sekunden später dann das 4:1. Das zweite Gruppenspiel gewann Costa Rica gegen Kanada 1:0.

© SID

http://www.handelsblatt.com/pshb/fn/relh...gegen_Kuba.html

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Costa Rica tops Cuba

Seattle, WA (Sports Network) - Randall Brenes netted a pair of goals in his international debut to lead Costa Rica past Cuba, 3-1, in Group B play of the CONCACAF Gold Cup at Qwest Field.

Brenes entered the game as a substitute at the start of the second half and opened up the scoring in the 62nd minute on a header up high.

Eleven minutes later, Cuba knotted the match at 1-1 when Maykel Galindo found the back of the net in a one-on-one situation with opposing goalkeeper Alvaro Mesen.

In the 81st minute, Jafet Soto tallied the go-ahead goal with a penalty kick before Brenes capped off the scoring on another penalty kick in the 85th minute.

Costa Rica improved to 2-0 in the Gold Cup, while Cuba fell to 0-2.

http://www.sportsnetwork.com/default.asp.../CAN3969532.htm

2005 CONCACAF GOLD CUP™
Group B

09.07.2005: Seattle, Washington USA; Qwest Field (A: 15109)
COSTA RICA – CUBA 3:1 (0:0)

Randall BRENES 61’, 85’ pen; Jafet SOTO 81’ pen – Maikel GALINDO 72’

CRC: 1-Alvaro Mesen-C – 4-Michael Umana, 5-Gabriel Badilla, 7-Oscar Rojas, 9-Bryan Ruiz (45: 21-Randall Brenes), 10-Jafet Soto, 11-Christian Bolanos (75: 17-Steven Bryce), 12-Junior Diaz (45: 3-Roy Miller), 14-Geiner Segura, 19-Mauricio Wright, 20-Douglas Segueira. Booked: none
TD: Alexander GUIMARAES

CUB: 1-Odelin Molina-C – 2-Silvio Pedro Miñoso (68: 19-Jensis Muñoz), 3-Yenier Marquez, 5-Alexander Cruzata, 6-Enrique Villaurrutia, 9-Alain Cervantes, 10-Lester Moré, 13-Maikel Galindo, 15-Gisbel Morales (85: 18-Leonel Duarte), 16-Reysander Fernandez, 17-Pedro Adriani Faife (60: 7-Jorge Ramirez). Booked: Morales 45’, Cruzata 66’, Cervantes 80’
TD: Armelio Luis GARCIA

R: Benito ARCHUNDIA (MEX)

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Cuba - Canada 1:2

Canada's Adam Braz vies for the ball with Cuba's Mario Gil during the first half of their CONCACAF Gold Cup match in Foxboro, Mass. (AP/Elise Amendola)

Cuba's Enrique Villaurrutia (L) and Canada's Sandro Grande (R) compete for the ball in the second half of their Concacaf Gold Cup match in Foxboro, Massachusetts July 12, 2005. Canada won the game 2-1. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi

Cuba's Lester More reacts after losing to Canada, 2-1 in their 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup match in Foxboro, Mass., Tuesday, July 12, 2005. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

Canada's Josh Simpson, center, tries to get his foot on the ball as he is caught between Cuba's Leonel Duartes (18) and Gisbel Morales (15) during the second half of a first-round Gold Cup match in Foxboro, Mass., Tuesday, July 12, 2005. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)

Canada's Olivier Occean (L) and Cuba's Gisbel Morales aim for the ball in the first half of the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Gold Cup match in Foxboro, Massachusetts July 12, 2005. REUTERS/Jessica Rinaldi

Canada exits Gold Cup with 2-1 win over Cuba

Canada beat Cuba 2-1 in the final game of Group B play but was nonetheless eliminated from the Gold Cup

12/JUL/2005 -The Canadians scored their first goal of the tourney in the 68th minute as Ali Gerba knocked in a rebound in the penalty box. Atiba Hutchinson scored the second in the 87th minute by getting behind the Cuban defenders and beating goalkeeper Alexis Rene Aviles.

Canadian keeper Greg Sutton saved two early tough shots on goal by Alain Cervantes and Lester More, the heart of Cuba's offense.

Cuba only managed to avoid the shutout in the two minutes of injury time as Cervantes chipped in a rebound off a strong shot by More that Sutton stopped but was unable to hold.

Earlier in the day Colombia blanked Trinidad and Tobago 2-0 to remain in the hunt for one of the two berths allotted to the top third-place teams.

The win virtually assured the Colombians a spot in the round of eight on goal differential and only a lopsided loss by either Canada or Cuba would have eliminated the South Americans.

Canada, which would have needed to beat Cuba by four goals to advance, had one goal taken back - a header by forward Olivier Occean in the 27th minute - after he was whistled for offsides.

Three minutes later Occean broke away from the Cuban defenders and needed only to beat the keeper but his shot soared wide. The Canadians bad luck continued in the 35th minute when Dwayne DeRosario's shot went slightly wide.

Canada had another goal disallowed on a hands call against Kevin McKenna.

In Group C, Mexico, Jamaica, South Africa and Guatemala will do battle on Wednesday, with the group winner taking on Colombia in Houston.

The Reggae Boys lead the group with four points, with South Africa trailing only in goal differential. Mexico is currently in third with three points. The group's second-place team will also remain in Texas for the next round to face Panama, while the third-place team heads to Foxboro to take on the United States.

Honduras and Panama (Group A) had already qualified for the quarterfinals prior to their Tuesday match, in which the Panamanians beat their Central American rivals 1-0 to win the group.

The quarterfinals will take place in Foxboro and Houston on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, while the semifinals and finals will be played at New Jersey's Giants Stadium on Thursday and Sunday.

Lineups:

2. Canada: Greg Sutton; Adam Braz, Chris Pozniak (Josh Simpson, 62nd min.), Kevin McKenna, Gabriel Gervais; Ali Gerba, Patrice Bernier, Atiba Hutchinson, Sandro Grande (Jaime Peters, 56th min.); Dwayne DeRosario and Olivier Occean.

1. Cuba: Alexis Rene Aviles; Silvio Pedro Miñoso (Hensy Muñoz, 75th min.), Reysander Fernandez, Alexander Cruzata, Leonel Duarte; Jeniel Marquez, Enrique Villaurrutia, Gisbel Morales, Jaime Colome; Alain Cervantes and Lester More.

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