The United States won its third Gold Cup title Sunday to pull within one of Mexico, which has won the regional championship four times
EFE
United States earns third Gold Cup title
24/JUL/2005 -Canada is the only other nation to win a Confederation of North,
Central American and Caribbean Football Association (CONCACAF) championship,
a biennial tourney first played in 1991.
Led by coach Bruce Arena, the U.S. squad defeated Panama 3-1 on penalty kicks
after 120 minutes of scoreless play.
The United States also won the innaugural Gold Cup in a penalty-kick shootout
but was the runner-up in two of the following three tourneys, all of which were
won by Mexico.
The team's second title came in 2002 on U.S. soil with a 2-0 win over Costa
Rica in the finals.
Defending champs Mexico defeated powerhouse Brazil in 1996 and 2003 to claim
two of its four Gold Cup titles.
This was Panama's best showing ever in Gold Cup play.
