U.S. claims first win in Mexico
Soccer: The United States ended 75 years of frustration in Mexico, winning at its southern neighbor and regional rival for the first time Wednesday night when Michael Orozco Fiscal’s goal in the 80th minute and Tim Howard’s late sprawling saves provided a 1-0 victory in Mexico City.
Dominated for most of the night, the Americans went ahead on a move created by a trio of second-half substitutes.
Brek Shea cut inside Severo Meza on the left flank and crossed to Terrence Boyd at the top of the 6-yard box. With his back to the goal, Boyd took a touch with his left foot and with his right made a quick backheel pass to Orozco Fiscal, who with his left foot poked it from 3 yards past goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa and defender Jorge Torres Nilo for his first international goal.
“The goal was for the U.S. fans and the whole U.S. We made history,” said Orosco Fizcal, a 26-year-old defender from Orange, Calif., who plays in Mexico for San Luis.
He entered in the 77th minute for his fifth international appearance and first since October. Shea, back with the team for the first time since February following a season of turmoil in Major League Soccer, came on a minute later. Boyd had entered to start the second half.
The U.S. had been 0-23-1 against El Tri in 75 years of games at Mexico, including 0-19-1 in the thin air at altitude in Mexico City.
• Former coach denies pushing Solo: The former coach of the U.S. women’s national team says he didn’t shove Hope Solo at the meeting when she was benched during the 2007 World Cup.
Greg Ryan, now coaching the University of Michigan women’s team, said the allegation made in the goalkeeper’s book is “completely false.”
Hope details the meeting with Ryan in the newly released “A Memoir of Hope.” She writes that “Greg leaned over and pushed me back down on the couch” near the end of the meeting.
Nadal will skip U.S. Open tennis
Miscellany: Rafael Nadal’s Grand Slam count will stay stuck at 11 for now, sidetracked by another knee problem. The third-ranked Spaniard withdrew from the U.S. Open. Tendinitis has kept him out of action since his loss at Wimbledon in late June.
• Paterno tearful after firing: Joe Paterno sobbed while meeting with his coaches and a former player the day after he was fired from Penn State, according to an excerpt of an upcoming on Paterno to be published in GQ magazine.
“My name,” the Hall of Fame coach was quoted in the excerpt as telling his son and quarterback coach, Jay. “I have spent my whole life trying to make that name mean something. And now it’s gone.”
Paterno was fired by school trustees in November in the fallout of the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal. He died in January at age 85.