Day One Brings Mixed Results

Soccer in Los Angeles grows more peculiar by the day.

On Sunday, four of Mexico’s leading club teams showed up at the Coliseum to begin a series of games that will qualify one team for. . . . a tournament in South America?

Mexican teams playing games in the United States to reach an event in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, or wherever.

Whatever will they think of next?

In any event, the doubleheader drew a crowd of 26,600 to see Mexican league champion Toluca play to a 1-1 tie with Cruz Azul and Club America edge Chivas of Guadalajara, 1-0.

Los Angeles was the first stop on a five-city U.S. “tour” that also will include another club, Atlas, and will take the teams to San Jose on Wednesday and to Dallas on Aug. 18, Chicago on Sept. 1 and Houston on Sept. 8.

It is all part of an event called the “Torneo Pentagonal Preliberatdores,” a mouthful that translates into something quite simple.

The five teams are merely playing in a qualifying series that will net savvy organizers a fistful of dollars and end up sending one of the five to the Copa Libertadores, South America’s premier club tournament.

As the global game continues to be a money-spinner, competitions have become more complicated and continental boundaries no longer limit who is involved.

The Copa America used to be the South American championship, until the U.S. and Mexico were invited to participate earlier this decade. This year, Japan took part and Mexico finished third. Next time around, in 2001, they want to invite Spain and Portugal.

Similarly, the Copa Libertadores used to be limited to South American clubs. Lately, one Mexican team also has been invited to the party.

To get there--not to mention raking in some more cash--there naturally had to be a tournament to decide which team would go. Hence, the event now underway.

Not that it began auspiciously.

The first game Sunday produced plenty of scoring chances but a paltry two goals. The second produced only one goal, and that took 80 minutes.

Cruz Azul took advantage of some shaky goalkeeping by Toluca’s Hernan Cristante to grab the lead in the 39th minute. When Cristante dropped a cross from the left wing, Mauro Camoranesi pounced on the loose ball and stabbed it into the back of the net.

The game was almost an hour old before Toluca was able to reply. It did so when Uruguayan forward Jose Cardozo got his head to a ball floated in from the right wing by defender Salvador Carmona and powered it into the net.

There were more chances, but that’s how it ended, 1-1.

The Club America-Chivas rivalry is Mexico’s oldest and best, but this installment failed to live up to its billing--at least until the final 10 minutes.

In fact, the only incident of note in the first 45 minutes came when referee Felipe Ramos of Mexico tossed out Guadalajara’s Paulo Chavez for elbowing Damian Alvarz in the face.

The red card left Chivas without one of its starting forwards for the rest of the game--more than an hour--but the 10 remaining players more than held their own.

In the 80th minute, however, the team from Mexico City finally scored. A corner kick from the right reached Juan Angel Parades and the midfielder from Paraguay deftly deflected the ball in at the near post, over the grasping hands of Chivas goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez.

Club America’s goalkeeper, Adolofo Rios, then preserved the victory by saving a penalty kick awarded after Jairo Ugalde had fouled Julio Garcia.

Jesus Arellano stepped up to take the kick, but Rios dived to his left and made the save.

They’ll go at it again on Wednesday at Spartan Stadium, when Chivas plays Toluca and Club America takes on Atlas.