US emerge champs beating Mexico

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CHICAGO, Jun 26 (latimes): Benny Feilhaber, the youngster from Irvine who left UCLA early to seek his soccer fortunes in Germany, scored the goal of his career Sunday, sending an audacious 23-yard volley dipping and swerving into the back of the Mexico net to give the United States a 2-1 victory at sold-out Soldier Field in the championship game of the 2007 Gold Cup.
The strike was but one memorable moment in a match that will go down as one of the most dramatic in the long and contentious series involving the countries.
The US fell behind, tied the score, got the game-winner from Feilhaber, saw Brian Ching hit the post and DaMarcus Beasley hit the crossbar with an open net yawning, and still had enough to hold Mexico at bay, that effort highlighted with a stupendous late-in-the-game save by goalkeeper Tim Howard.
With the victory, the US not only successfully defended the Gold Cup title it won in 2005 but also qualified for the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa, where it will meet the champions of Europe, South America, Africa, Asia and Oceania, as well as the host nation, which will play host to the World Cup the next year.
Feilhaber, 22, was the hero of the day, but another Southern Californian, Landon Donovan, not only tied the score with his fourth penalty kick of the tournament in the 62nd minute but also tied two records in the process. It was the 34th goal of Donovan's national team career, tying Eric Wynalda atop the all-time US list, and it was Donovan's 12th in Gold Cup tournaments, tying the mark held by retired Mexico striker Luis Roberto Alves, better known as Zague.