Coliseum Comes Up All Wet for the Gold Cup
So much for Los Angeles’ would-be NFL stadium.
Because the drainage system at the Coliseum was unable to handle the day’s downpour, Friday’s night’s CONCACAF Gold Cup international soccer match between El Salvador and Jamaica had to be canceled.
One hour before the 8 p.m. kickoff, the track surrounding the field was knee-deep in rainwater, which flooded out 10 yards or more onto the grass from either sideline.
The field had been covered during the day, but the tarpaulins proved almost as ineffective as the two-dozen or so stadium employees who tried in vain Friday evening to sweep the field clear of water.
For all their efforts--helped by the Los Angeles Fire Department, which tried to pump the field clear--the rain was too much for them and huge pools of muddy water left only a spongy green strip of turf down the center of the field.
By 7 p.m., the attempts were abandoned and the game was rescheduled for 8 p.m. Monday, weather permitting.
“People have been calling [radio and television stations] all day trying to find out if the game’s on,” said Ron Acosta, a spokesman for the 10-nation Gold Cup.
At 5 p.m., CONCACAF, the regional confederation of North and Central American and Caribbean soccer federations, issued a press release that stated, in part: “Barring [an] electric storm or a tornado, or if the playing surface is deemed ‘unplayable,’ today’s match . . . will be played as scheduled.”
No such luck.
The game’s rescheduling throws a wrench into the tournament’s planning. Had it been played, today’s doubleheader in Oakland and Sunday’s doubleheader at the Coliseum would have produced the four semifinalists.
Now, only two of the four will be known before Monday, the day before the first semifinal. And even that depends on the rain not causing further disruption.
Today, the United States plays Costa Rica at 2 p.m. at the Oakland Coliseum. The American team needs to win in order to avoid being eliminated. Costa Rica, because of its superior goal difference, needs only a tie to advance.
Stopping England-based winger Paulo Wanchope will be the main task. He scored four goals in Costa Rica’s 7-2 rout of Cuba on Wednesday, one more than the entire U.S. team managed in its 3-0 victory over the same opponent.
At 4 p.m. today, also at Oakland, Mexico plays Honduras. Coach Manuel Lapuente’s Mexican team, coming off a 4-2 victory over Trinidad and Tobago, needs only a tie to reach the semifinals and should do so with relative ease.
Presuming that the Coliseum field is playable on Sunday, Guatemala plays Jamaica at 2 p.m. and a so-far disappointing Brazil plays El Salvador at 4 p.m.
Neither of those games can clinch any of the teams involved a place in the semifinals, meaning El Salvador and Jamaica will have to play again only 28 hours later, hardly enough time to recuperate.
After being tied, 0-0, by Jamaica and 1-1 by Guatemala, Brazil might be the team that needs time to recuperate. The players and coach of the reigning world champions have been lambasted by the Brazilian media.
“Disaster,” read the headline Friday in Lance, a Rio de Janeiro sports daily.
“What tiny team is this?” demanded Jornal dos Sports.
“Enough stumbling,” said Ataque, adding: “How Shameful, Brazil!”
The Gold Cup will mark the international farewell of Galaxy midfielder Mauricio Cienfuegos, who told the Spanish-language daily La Opinion Friday that he is retiring from the El Salvador national team.
Cienfuegos, who turns 30 next Thursday, made 60 appearances for El Salvador and competed in qualifying for the 1990, 1994, and 1998 World Cup tournaments.
“My time is up; you have to make way for a younger generation of players who can contribute much more to the national team, and who are going to be on the team longer,” he said.
“The pressure on the national team is pretty strong. It . . . robs you of the time you should dedicate to your family.”
(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)
CONCACAF
Gold Cup
*--*
Team W L T GF GA Pts Group One Brazil 0 0 2 1 1 2 Guatemala 0 0 2 1 1 2 El Salvador 0 0 1 0 0 1 Jamaica 0 0 1 0 0 1 Group Two Mexico 1 0 0 4 2 3 Trinidad 1 1 0 5 5 3 Honduras 0 1 0 1 3 0 Group Three Costa Rica 1 0 0 7 2 3 United States 1 0 0 3 0 3 Cuba 0 2 0 2 10 0
*--*
Feb. 1: Trinidad and Tobago 3, Honduras 1; United States 3, Cuba 0; El Salvador 0, Guatemala 0
Feb. 3: Brazil 0, Jamaica 0
Feb. 4: Costa Rica 7, Cuba 2; Mexico 4, Trinidad and Tobago 2
Feb. 5: Brazil 1, Guatemala 1
Friday: El Salvador vs. Jamaica, ppd.
Today: Costa Rica vs. United States, 2 p.m. (live on Fox Sports West 2, Channel 52; delayed at 8 p.m. on Fox Sports West); Honduras vs. Mexico, 4 p.m. (Oakland Coliseum).
Sunday: Guatemala vs. Jamaica, 2 p.m.; Brazil vs. El Salvador, 4 p.m. (Los Angeles Coliseum).
Monday: El Salvador vs. Jamaica, 8 p.m. (Los Angeles Coliseum).
Tuesday: Semifinal, 8 p.m. (Los Angeles Coliseum).
Thursday: Semifinal, 7 p.m. (Los Angeles Coliseum).
Feb. 15: Third-place game, 3 p.m. and final, 5 p.m. (Los Angeles Coliseum).
* All times Pacific.
