Americans stung by lopsided loss

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Great sports victories should be shared by all Americans. So must be devastating losses.

That’s how the U.S. players felt Sunday following a 5-0 defeat against Mexico in the CONCACAF Gold Cup final.

The rout not only ended a decade without a victory over the Americans on U.S. soil, but it gave the Mexicans a nice boost heading into an Aug. 12 World Cup qualifier at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.

And it shook up the Americans.

“Standing on the field there watching them accept their medals and the trophy is pretty well etched in my mind,” said forward Brian Ching, a regular on the ‘A’ team who played with this raw group of countrymen after a hamstring injury sidelined him for last month’s Confederations Cup. “I’m sure if you ask the other guys, they’re ticked off.”

They were. They also were realistic.

“This was a learning experience for so many of us,” said midfielder Stuart Holden, one of the standouts on what some considered a junior varsity U.S. squad. “It hurts to lose, especially like that. But we got to be around good players and got a taste for this level and that is something that will help me in the future.”

While that future could include many more appearances for his country in more prestigious events — yes, even next year’s World Cup in South Africa — Holden and his Gold Cup teammates understand there are no guarantees. With the exception of Ching, it’s unlikely any of them will be on the Aug. 12 roster.

The United States stands second behind Costa Rica in CONCACAF qualifying for 2010. Mexico is fourth and desperately needs a home win to avoid winding up in a playoff against a South American team for a spot in South Africa.

A U.S. team has never won in Mexico.

“Look at anybody in the United States and this loss has to anger you,” Ching said. “If you are an American and are not ticked off, something is wrong with you.

“It’s an anger we can bring with us on Aug. 12.”

Coach Bob Bradley chose to go with an inexperienced lineup in the Gold Cup while allowing the players who finished second to Brazil in the Confederations Cup to rest or return to their clubs. In the wake of the worst U.S. home loss in 24 years, he praised the efforts of the Gold Cup squad.

“I think we had a good chance to see so many different players. I think we’ve got a good, solid nucleus,” he said. “But we’re always looking for players that we believe are going to move forward and help our team.”

Most notable among them in this tournament were Holden, goalkeeper Troy Perkins, defender Clarence Goodson and midfielder Robbie Rogers.

“There’s no doubt that you want competitors and we are competitors,” Bradley said. “When you have a game that feels like this at the end, you don’t forget it. It is something that we will always on the inside talk about, be honest about, and hopefully we can use it in a way that we’re better from it.”