Eric Wynalda became the all-time scoring leader in U.S soccer Sunday, helping the Americans to a 3-0 victory over Guatemala for third place in the Gold Cup.
Wynalda scored the opening goal in the 35th minute on a 10-yard header off a cross by Claudio Reyna. Wynalda surpassed Bruce Murray's mark of 21 goals in international play.Jeff Agoos scored two minutes later and Jovan Kirovski, who replaced Wynalda in the 80th minute, gave goalkeeper Kasey Keller further support with a closing goal in the 88th minute.
"We did a poor job early on in the midfield," U.S. coach Steve Sampson said. "But we adjusted to the conditions and began playing straight ahead from the middle on.
"Guatemala could easily have scored two or three goals, but for the brilliant play of Kasey Keller."
Mexico defeated Brazil, 2-0, in the title game. Brazil, using an under-23 team, beat the United States 1-0 in the semifinals and is using this tournament in preparation for this summer's Olympics.
The Brazilians are guests in the nine-team event for countries from North and Central America and the Caribbean.
In the battle for third place, Guatemala set the tempo early on the Coliseum's soggy field and came close to scoring three times in a 10-minute span. But it was the United States that made the most of its early chances, scoring twice in three minutes.
Wynalda, who plays in the German League, opened the scoring with his fourth goal of the tournament, tops in the Gold Cup. He has 22 goals in 69 international games.
"The goal itself meant nothing. It's unfortunate it didn't come in the game against Brazil to give us a win," said Wynalda, who in that game missed a shot at an open net,
"But to beat Bruce Murray's record is special to me because he's a good friend, and he helped me way back when."
Agoos, a defender, scored his first goal of the Gold Cup in the 37th from the edge of the penalty area after Guatemala's Juan Manuel Funes failed to clear a cross by Cobi Jones from the right side.
Agoos came close again in the 73rd minute, but goalie Edgar Estrada deflected his header off a cross by Wynalda. Kirovski added the third goal with two minutes left on a feed by Reyna up the middle.
"I just kept catching them out of position," Reyna said. "I don't think they realized the speed we had with Cobi and Eric. All our players were a bit quicker than they."
Guatemala, playing its fourth game in eight days, dominated the first 30 minutes. In the 16th minute, Jorge Rodas fed a charging Edwin Westphal from the right side, but Westphal's fierce header was barely saved by Keller.
The Guatemalans came close again in the 25th, with Rodas sending a low shot that just missed the far post.