Gold Cup off with goal spree
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After a week which saw CONCACAF suspend two presidents and dispute the appointment of a third, the beleaguered governing body for soccer in North and Central America and the Caribbean opened its premier tournament, the Gold Cup, with a flurry of goals and a bumper crowd.
Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez scored a hat-trick for Mexico in its 5-0 hammering of El Salvador in front of 81,000 fans at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas, after Costa Rica had opened the competition by beating Cuba with an identical scoreline.
It was a hugely entertaining start to a tournament which had looked as though it could be overshadowed by the continuing disputes and scandals that have engulfed CONCACAF and FIFA this week.
CONCACAF's suspended president Jack Warner, facing charges from FIFA's ethics committee, had been poised to grab the attention on the first day of the 12-nation competition by releasing emails containing discussions with FIFA President Sepp Blatter.
Warner had promised a 'football tsunami' to continue a remarkable week but when he turned up for a rally in his provincial constituency in Trinidad, he barely created a ripple with his announcement that lawyers had advised him against releasing the emails.
"I had plans to speak to you today a bit more on this matter but the best legal advice I received has suggested that I do not do so at this point in time and that advice I am going to respect," Warner, who is Trinidad's minister of works and transport, told supporters from his political party at the rally.
Warner has been suspended pending a full investigation by FIFA into allegations that bribery took place at a meeting he organized with Asian Football Confederation head Mohammed bin Hammam.
The meeting in Trinidad involving bin Hammam was related to the Qatari's presidential election campaign against Blatter - both have denied any wrongdoing at the gathering.
The man who reported Warner and bin Hammam to FIFA which sparked the dramatic events of the past week, American Chuck Blazer, was at the opening game in Dallas and also opted against adding fuel to the fire.
While there were few fireworks off the field, the players delivered on it with Marco Urena scoring twice for Costa Rica as it crushed Cuba 5-0 and then Hernandez enjoyed a hat-trick as defending champion Mexico got its campaign under way in style.
Soccer fans in North America needed a boost after a week in which their confederation risked becoming a laughing stock and the sight of a talented 23-year-old forward celebrating his goals in front of 80,000 cheering supporters was the perfect antidote to the scandal.
The venue for the Super Bowl in February was transformed into a transplanted Azteca Stadium for the evening and no-one enjoyed it more than the player they call 'Chicharito'.
"It's unbelievable the support that we have from Mexicans who live here," Hernandez told reporters. "You can see it here - 80,000 people and most of them in green shirts - it means a lot to us."
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