Mexico fitted for youth crown
Mexico fitted for youth crown
It was dawn Monday and thousands of people were still celebrating on the streets of Mexico City with flags, green jerseys and charro hats in hand.
It had nothing to do with the Arizona Cardinals and San Francisco 49ers playing at Azteca Stadium the previous night in the NFL’s first regular-season game outside the United States. It had to do with fútbol and 20 kids who had accomplished the unimaginable.
With goals by Carlos Vela, Omar Esparza and Ever Guzmán, Mexico’s under-17 national team defeated defending champion Brazil 3-0 before a capacity crowd of 40,000 at the FIFA Under-17 World Championship final in Lima, Peru, giving a nation that eats, breathes and lives soccer a long-awaited first world title.
It was the perfect ending for a run that saw the Mexican team elevate itself from strong competitor to favorite status with convincing victories over Costa Rica (3-1) in the a quarterfinal and the Netherlands (4-0) in a semifinal after a lukewarm start (two wins, one loss) in the group stage.
Earlier Sunday, the Netherlands topped Turkey 2-1 in the third-place match.
The win gave Vela, who won the tourney’s scoring title with five goals, a chance to make good on a promise to his father.
“I’ll score today because it’s my father’s birthday,” Vela said before the match.
His goal came in the 31st minute on an assist by Giovanni dos Santos.
Esparza would follow just two minutes later, and Guzmán put the icing on the torta — Spanish for cake — in the 86th.
“I’m almost unable to speak,” Vela, a product of the Guadalajara Chivas development leagues, said to FIFA.com. “I’m so proud to have won this tournament.
“I never would have thought we would win this final by three goals. I thought it would be a lot more difficult.”
Dos Santos, a silver ball winner, said the group’s confidence prior to the match almost foretold the victory.
“I knew before the match we’d win,” he said, “I think the team was very focused, very motivated.”
If Vela’s expectations were lower, there were reasons. Brazil is a three-time champion (1997, 1999 and 2003) and was the favorite entering Sunday.
Mexico coach Jesús RamÃrez declined to call the win easy.
“It wasn’t an easy match, contrary to what some people might think if they looked at the score,” RamÃrez said.
Vela, Dos Santos and the rest of the Tricolores arrived in Mexico City late Monday afternoon to thousands of fans, tons of confetti and a parade. Mexican media labeled the youth “Our Golden Boys,” and the team was received by Mexican President Vicente Fox at his mansion.
Source: chron.com
