Soccer  > General Soccer  > Mexico reclaims beach crown from El Salvador
December 7, 2010, 01:53 PM
PUERTO VALLARTA, Mexico - Antonio Barbosa scored four times to rally Mexico from a three-goal deficit, and led El Tri to a 5-3 victory over El Salvador on Sunday to wrest away the CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship crown.

It was Mexico's second title in three years and returned the trophy north for the first time since 2008.

The two teams already had clinched their berths in next year's Beach Soccer World Cup in Italy, and El Salvador - which won its first regional title at any level since 1943 by capturing last year's championship - was looking to repeat.

Elias Ramirez scored once and Frank Velasquez added two more -- increasing his tournament leading total to 12 - to give El Salvador a 3-0 lead by 4:26 of the second period.

Barbosa scored his first 1:22 later and then added three more, his last with a toe poke 4:54 into the final period to complete Mexico's rally for a 4-3 lead.

Gustavo Rosales added an insurance goal with less than 2 ?? minutes remaining to all but seal the title.

El Salvador had to finish the match without Ramirez, who was expelled late in the second period for violent conduct.

Earlier, the two-time champion United States consoled itself for missing out on the World Cup for a third straight time with a 7-5 victory over Costa Rica and a third-place finish.

Six different players scored to rally the Americans, who trailed 2-0 less than five minutes after the opening kickoff on a pair of goals by Jonathan Sanchez.

Ryan Futagaki, Jevin Albuquerque, Yuri Morales and Zak Ibsen all scored second-period goals to put the United States in control 4-2.

Francis Faberhoff increased the lead before Albuquerque and Anthony Chimenti completed the victory.

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