Mexico's 1-0 Win Leaves Costa Rica Coach Fuming
By Grahame L. Jones, Latimes.com

HOUSTON — Soccer's Gold Cup took two more curious twists Sunday, not the least of which was Costa Rica Coach Hernan Medford suggesting in no uncertain terms that the tournament appears to have been rigged in favor of Mexico and the United States.

Medford's angry remarks came after Costa Rica had been defeated by Mexico, 1-0, in a bitter quarterfinal game that went to overtime, and in which three Costa Ricans were ejected by American referee Terry Vaughn.

As if all that were not surprising enough, Guadeloupe — not a country in its own right, but an overseas department of France — upset Honduras, 2-1, in another quarterfinal, meaning that Honduran striker Carlos Pavon will be free to join the Galaxy almost immediately.

Although Major League Soccer and the Galaxy have not made any official announcement, Pavon said he had signed with Los Angeles.

Medford, 38, who played for Costa Rica in the 1990 and 2002 World Cups and became national team coach in October, made his remarks at Reliant Stadium, where a sellout crowd of 70,092 watched the doubleheader.

He was scathing about CONCACAF, soccer's regional confederation for North and Central America and the Caribbean, which organizes the Gold Cup.

"If I showed you a document we received [from CONCACAF] before Mexico played Panama, that the teams already were seeded where they wanted them, it makes it complicated," Medford said. "They [CONCACAF] have favorites.

"Mexico already was seeded to play here at 2 p.m. today, before they ever played against Panama. I have that document. The tickets were already printed for Boston for the United States. I don't know what kind of association this is when it already has everything planned."

Asked whether he thought CONCACAF wanted a U.S.-Mexico final in Chicago on June 24, Medford said, "You can interpret it how you'd like. I'm talking about what I saw."

Medford had reason to be upset because Vaughn and his two assistant referees failed to control the game from the start. Time and again, Vaughn was engulfed by angry players from both sides.

By the end, he had yellow-carded six players, three from each team, and had tossed out Costa Rica's Allan Aleman, Alvaro Saborio and Mario Camacho, the latter two during overtime.

"When a referee doesn't call it even on both sides, after the same fouls happen on both sides, this is what happens," Medford said. "The first two expulsions weren't fair. When that happens, it's practically impossible to get the result. We played hard and tough, but it's really difficult to play against 12.

"The same hits that Mexico gave us, we gave them. But we got the yellow cards and the red cards. This isn't a game of girls. We hit, it's a card. They hit, it's play on. Had Mexico won [fairly], we would accept it. But these things were clear. They were very clear."

No CONCACAF spokesman was available to respond.

The game was an untidy, boring affair until the closing moments of regulation when Costa Rica came within inches of stealing it as Gabriel Badillo headed a shot that clipped the crossbar.

Seconds later, Cuauhtemoc Blanco responded for Mexico with a stinging shot that goalkeeper Jose Porras superbly turned away.

The decisive goal came seven minutes into the 30-minute overtime and was scored by striker Jared Borgetti, who sent a sharp downward header bouncing past Porras. It was Borgetti's 43rd goal for Mexico, extending his all-time record.

Costa Rica, which had done little but defend during regulation, fought back but had little hope while playing short-handed.

The crowd brought the attendance for Mexico's four Gold Cup games to 226,934, or an average of 56,733 per game, reason enough for CONCACAF to hope Mexico stays in the tournament as long as possible.

In the second game, former France international Jocelyn Angloma, 41, gave Guadeloupe the lead in the 17th minute and Richard Edward Socrier made it 2-0 four minutes later.

The Galaxy-bound Pavon scored on a header for Honduras in the 71st minute, but Guadeloupe held on for the victory.