LAS VEGAS — The latest captivating chapter in the U.S.-Mexico soccer chronicles played out Sunday in a sold-out desert dome with a regional trophy awaiting the winner and eternal animosity at a slow boil.
The Concacaf Gold Cup final favored Mexico in almost every way, but a 90-minute clash rolled into extra time because neither side could finish bountiful opportunities. With exhaustion setting in and a penalty kick shootout looming, defender Miles Robinson scored on a 117th-minute header to lift the Americans to a 1-0 upset over their bitter rivals before 61,514 at Allegiant Stadium.
It was the fifth championship meeting between the teams in eight tournaments, and after three consecutive defeats to Mexico, the United States prevailed in an imperfect but spellbinding affair for its seventh Gold Cup crown.