PORTLAND, Ore. — Maybe next time they’ll spell Chris Wondolowski’s name right. PORTLAND, Ore. — Maybe next time they’ll spell Chris Wondolowski’s name right. ADVERTISING The striker scored a first-half hat trick in a 6-1 victory for the U.S. men’s
PORTLAND, Ore. — Maybe next time they’ll spell Chris Wondolowski’s name right.
The striker scored a first-half hat trick in a 6-1 victory for the U.S. men’s national team over Belize in the opening round of the CONCACAF Gold Cup on Tuesday night.
Landon Donovan added a goal and two assists, becoming the first player with at least 50 career goals and 50 assists for the national team.
Wondolowski, who plays for Major League Soccer’s San Jose Earthquakes, sported an extra “W” on the back of his red and white jersey for the first international meeting between the two teams.
Costa Rica defeated Cuba 3-0 in an earlier match Tuesday at Jeld-Wen Field. The 12-team Gold Cup, which includes national teams from North and Central America and the Caribbean, is played every two years.
Wondolowski is the third American to score three goals in a Gold Cup match, joining Donovan and Brian McBride. The United States has won four Gold Cups since the tournament’s inception in 1991. Mexico has won the past two.
“It’s just great to get the start, especially in front of some great fans, and they provide such an atmosphere that makes it exciting and it makes you want to go out there and play,” Wondolowski said.
And as for his jersey?
“I heard there was a lot of W’s in there,” he laughed.
The U.S. men were coming off a 6-0 rout of Guatemala in San Diego on Friday, an international friendly to warm up for the Gold Cup. Donovan scored twice, extending his American record to 51 international goals.
That was Donovan’s first match after a five-month break from the national team. He was not included on rosters for the U.S. team’s June World Cup qualifying matches.
Wondolowski scored his first international goal against Guatemala.
Belize was making its first Gold Cup appearance. The Jaguars, as they are known, qualified for the competition with a fourth-place finish in the UNCAF Copa Centroamericana.
The U.S. struck early when Wondolowski knocked in a rebound off Belize goalkeeper Shane Orio in the 12th minute.
The United States relentlessly peppered Orio with shots and he made a dramatic save when Joe Corona fired at him in the 27th minute. But Wondolowski was able to get another one past him in the 36th minute to make it 2-0.
Belize scored on a penalty kick two minutes later when Elroy Smith fed Ian Gaynair for the header to beat U.S. goalkeeper Nick Rimando.
Wondolowski, whose jersey read “Wondowlowski” added a third goal in the 40th minute.
The United States took a 4-1 lead in the 58th minute when Stuart Holden scored with an assist from Donovan, giving him 50 for his career.
Donovan got another when he fed Michael Orozco for a header in the 72nd minute to make it 5-0. He got a goal — the 52nd of his career — with a penalty kick in the 76th minute.
The Group C teams next meet on Saturday in Salt Lake City, with the U.S. facing Cuba followed by Belize against Costa Rica at Rio Tinto Stadium. The winners and runners up from each group, and the two top third-place finishers, advance to the knockout round. The tournament concludes July 28 at Soldier Field in Chicago.
It was the first visit to Portland for the U.S. men’s team since 1998. Attendance was announced at 18,724.
Costa Rica 3, Cuba 0
PORTLAND, Ore. — Michael Barrantes scored a pair of second-half goals and Costa Rica defeated Cuba 3-0 Tuesday night in the opening round of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Barrantes broke open a scoreless match with a left-footed goal from the top of the box that got past diving Cuban goalkeeper Odelin Molina in the 51st minute.
He added another goal in the 77th minute after Jairo Arrieta’s scored in the 71st, extending Cuba’s winless streak to 12 straight Gold Cup matches.
“The way we managed the ball, we were able to create some opportunities and we were able to score,” Costa Rica coach Jorge Luis Pinto said.
Costa Rica and Cuba are in Group C with the U.S. men’s national team and Belize, who play in the late game Tuesday at Jeld-Wen Field.
Costa Rica is making its 10th Gold Cup appearance. The team reached the final in 2002, losing to the United States.
Pinto’s Gold Cup roster was close to the squad he selected for World Cup qualifying. Costa Rica was coming off a 2-0 victory over Panama in its most recent World Cup qualifying match last month.
Costa Rica’s captain is Alvaro Saborio, who plays for Major League Soccer’s Real Salt Lake. The roster also included Rodney Wallace of the Portland Timbers.
“The team’s definitely happy with the three points,” Wallace said. “We definitely have improvements on things, but overall, the most important thing is we got the result, we got the three points, and it gives us confidence for the next round, the next game.”
Cuba has appeared in six Gold Cup tournaments, but hasn’t won since a 2-0 victory over Canada in 2003.
“We got a little bit disorganized in the second half, which cost us the result,” Cuba coach Walter Benitez said.
Costa Rica had its first real chance in the 21st minute when Roy Miller found himself alone out in front of the net for a shot, but it sailed up and into the seats. Overall, the Costa Ricans had greater control in the first half, but struggled with accuracy.
Barrantes had what appeared to be another goal in the 66th minute, but Saborio was offside. A short time later, Arrieta capitalized when Molina fell in front of the goal.
Barrantes’ second goal also came from atop the box, prompting Molina to shout angrily at his teammates.
