U.S. captures first major soccer title
The United States won its first major soccer title last night, beating Honduras, 4-3, on penalty kicks after a scoreless tie for the championship of the North and Central American and Caribbean region.
After Fernando Clavijo scored on the eighth American penalty kick, Juan Carlos Espinoza missed for Honduras, giving the United States the championship of the CONCACAF Gold Cup in Los Angeles. The U.S. team is 6-1-1 since Bora Milutinovic took over in April and has a five-game winning streak, its longest since the Americans began keeping records in 1885.
* Less than 24 hours after Mexico lost in soccer to the United States for only the third time since 1934, coach Manuel Lapuente resigned. Although Mexico's federation has not yet accepted the resignation, Lapuente was not on the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum sideline yesterday for the team's 2-0 victory over Costa Rica in the CONCACAF Gold Cup's third-place game.
College basketball
Bob Wenzel of Rutgers has been offered the coach's job at South Carolina, WYFF-TV of Greenville, S.C., reported. Wenzel would replace the fired George Felton if he can agree with the school on contract terms, the station reported.
Earlier yesterday, Wenzel told a Columbia, S.C., television station that he discussed "specific" issues with the basketball search committee Saturday night.
Rowing
Penn won a trophy at the world's most famous rowing event for the first time since 1955 by beating the University of London in the finals of Henley Royal Regatta at Henley-On-Thames, England. The one-length victory maintained the Penn "A" heavyweight eight's unbeaten record and brought the Thames Cup back to the United States for the first time in nine years.
Pro football
Raghib "Rocket" Ismail's status for his first pro football game is in jeopardy after a visit to a Los Angeles doctor about his injured left leg. Ismail, an $18 million wide receiver-kick returner who signed with the Canadian Football League's Toronto Argonauts instead of playing in the NFL, won't return to Toronto until tomorrow night. The delay means it's unlikely the Notre Dame alumnus will make the season opener in Ottawa on Thursday.
Ismail has not practiced in three weeks, nursing the strained left quadriceps that kept him out of Toronto's exhibition games.
Cycling
Lance Armstrong powered past Steve Larsen on a steep climb two miles from the finish to win the 108-mile men's road race at the U.S. Senior National Cycling Championships in Jeremy Ranch, Utah. Inga Thompson won her second title in six days, taking the women's solo road race.
Auto racing
Tom McEwen won his first National Hot Rod Association Top Fuel event at the Mopar Summernationals in Englishtown, N.J., for team owner Jack Clark, a baseball player with the Boston Red Sox. McEwen, 53, beat Lori Johns in the finals with a time of 5.004 seconds at 283.55 mph. He came out of retirement this year to drive for Clark.
In other classes, Del Worsham won his second Funny Car title, and Darrell Alderman won his sixth Pro Stock event of the season. McEwen and Worsham collected $40,000 each, Alderman $25,000.
Horse racing
Best Pal won the $205,000 Swaps Stakes by four lengths at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, Calif., ending a five-race, seven-month drought at the same track where he scored his last victory. Corporate Report, making his first start since a fourth-place finish in the Belmont Stakes a month ago, was again denied his first stakes victory when he was unable to hold off Best Pal in the stretch.
Soccer
Less than 24 hours after Mexico lost in soccer to the United States for only the third time since 1934, coach Manuel Lapuente resigned. Although Mexico's federation has not yet accepted the resignation, Lapuente was not on the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum sideline yesterday for the team's 2-0 victory over Costa Rica in the CONCACAF Gold Cup's third-place game.
Boxing
Ricardo Cepeda (22-0-1), the World Boxing Council's No. 1-ranked featherweight, pounded out a unanimous decision over Nelson Rodriguez (16-7-3) Saturday night in Greenville, S.C., to remain undefeated and sew up a title opportunity for later this year. Cepeda, cousin of former baseball great Orlando Cepeda, is the mandatory challenger for WBC champion Marcos Villasana, who has been ordered to defend his title with no intervening fights.
Cycling
Lance Armstrong powered past Steve Larsen on a steep climb two miles from the finish to win the 108-mile men's road race at the U.S. Senior National Cycling Championships in Jeremy Ranch, Utah. Inga Thompson won her second title in six days, taking the women's solo road race.
Armstrong, 19, a former national triathlon champion, rode in the lead with three other riders before attacking the lead group with Larsen on the first climb inside of two laps left. He finished in 5 hours, 6 minutes, 36 seconds over the hilly 14-lap course around a resort community golf course.
Thompson, 27, a national team member who has been riding independently this season in Europe, took the lead about midway through the 7.7-mile, seven-lap course. She won in 2:42:08, beating Maureen Manley by 57 seconds.
Auto racing
Tom McEwen won his first National Hot Rod Association Top Fuel event at the Mopar Summernationals in Englishtown, N.J., for team owner Jack Clark of the Boston Red Sox. McEwen, 53, beat Lori Johns in the finals with a time of 5.004 seconds at 283.55 mph. He only came out of retirement this year to drive for Clark.
In other classes, Del Worsham won his second Funny Car title, and Darrell Alderman won his sixth Pro Stock event of the season. McEwen and Worsham collected $40,000 each, Alderman $25,000.
* NASCAR drivers Bobby Allison and Neil Bonnett, both hurt in career-ending race crashes, have filed complaints alleging insurance companies failed to pay off their medical claims.
Weightlifting
Two Turkish weightlifters who won gold medals at the Mediterranean Games in Athens, Greece, tested positive for banned drugs and could cost their country a two-year suspension in that event if they test positive again. Turkish officials withdrew their remaining weightlifter from the competition, fearing another positive test.