Noriega, Barrera score goals as Mexico beats Nicaragua in Gold Cup opener

Mexico wins Gold Cup opener

OAKLAND, Calif. — Luis Miguel Noriega scored his first international goal on a penalty kick in the 45th minute of his national team debut, and Mexico defeated Nicaragua 2-0 on Sunday in the first round of Gold Cup play in Group C.

Pablo Barrera, a second-half substitute, added a goal for El Tri in the 86th minute. He one-touched the ball into the net from 7 yards after a perfect cross from Alberto Medina on the right flank.

Noriega’s goal came after Nicaragua midfielder Armando Reyes was whistled for a foul from behind against Israel Martinez. This marked Noriega’s first official match with the national team after he was on the roster for a pair of friendlies late last month.

The young and inexperienced Mexican team will use this tournament — a 12-team regional championship of North American, Central American and Caribbean countries — to try to find consistency leading up to a key World Cup qualifier Aug. 12 against the United States in Mexico City. Mexico sits in fourth place in the qualifying standings for next year’s World Cup in South Africa after narrowly edging Trinidad and Tobago 2-1 in its most recent qualifier June 10.

Mexico controlled the game and largely kept the ball in its offensive half of the field. Speedy Giovani Dos Santos put pressure on Nicaragua all game. He dribbled through traffic and took a left-footed shot in the first minute that went wide right and had another similar attempt in the 10th minute. Mexico held an 11-1 advantage in shots in the first half and 18-6 overall.

Mexico forward Carlos Vela left after sustaining a right foot injury after a collision and foul in the fourth minute. He briefly went to the sideline, then returned before leaving for good. Vela was benched for a friendly against Guatemala on June 28 as new coach Javier Aguirre tried different lineups. Aguirre took over for the fired Sven-Goran Eriksson in April and this was his fifth match in charge.

Mexico lost in the 2007 Gold Cup championship to the United States and each country owns four Gold Cup titles.

El Tri has a 22-0-1 record against the Americans in their homeland, but are currently 2-3 in CONCACAF World Cup qualifying. The region’s top three teams earn automatic spots for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Mexico’s fans turned out in earnest and were the overwhelming majority among the crowd of 32,057 at the Oakland Coliseum. Fans whipped their Mexican flags and did the wave that a man known as Crazy George claims he started here nearly three decades ago during an Oakland Athletics baseball game.

Thousands of people packed the parking lot for a pregame fiesta several hours before kickoff. Festive Latin music blared from many locations and some chanted “Arriba!”

Mexico’s next Gold Cup match is Thursday in Houston against Panama, which lost 2-1 to Guadeloupe in Sunday’s first match.