It was an afternoon custom-designed to make Mexicans feel wonderful, at long last, about their treasured national soccer team – courtesy of a regional nemesis. At the same time, the debacle imposed a tough lesson on U.S. officials, who fielded a third-rate cast on an international stage and failed badly in the gamble. The Americans were thumped, humiliated, 5-0, Sunday by Mexico in the Gold Cup final. It was the worst loss anywhere for the U.S. team since a 1985 defeat to England in Los Angeles by the same score. This fiasco was a public relations blow more than a ….Read More