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Mexico rout Saudi Arabia in Confederations

A four-goal landslide by Mexican striker Cuauhtemoc Blanco boosted the home team in the Confederations Cup soccer tournament to an easy 5-1 win over Saudi Arabia on Sunday.

Mexico outclassed a weak Saudi defence in what was an uninspiring Group A game which nevertheless pleased a near capacity crowd of 100,000 at Mexico City's Aztec stadium, where the 1970 and 1986 World Cup finals were played.

"Our crowd deserved satisfaction. We did not play a good game but we played to win," said Mexican coach Manuel Lapuente. "It was a well-fought game but we knew how to handle it."

Blanco was the star in a game in which he had promised at least one goal to his son, Cuauhtemoc Jr, who celebrated his birthday on Sunday. In the end, he got four as poor marking by the Saudis left him in the clear.

Blanco began his string of goals in the 10th minute, when he spun on the edge of the six yard line to catch a free kick from Pavel Pardo with his left foot and send it flying past Saudi goalkeeper Mohammed Al Deayea.

Just eight minutes later, Blanco bagged his second with a header off a corner.

Shortly after, Jose Manuel Abundis, who until then had been helping to set up others, decided to power the ball into the net himself from outside the penalty area.

Saudi Arabia came into the second half with increased vigor, pressuring the Mexicans until they forced a penalty in the 62nd minute after a clumsy tackle by Claudio Suarez on Ibrahim Al Harbi. Nawaf Al Temyat converted.

The penalty stung Mexico back into the offensive amid shouts for revenge from the crowd, whose foot-stamping and chants echoed around the stadium as the stands rippled in a Mexican wave.

A completely unmarked Blanco got his hat-trick in the 68th minute after he headed in another free kick from Pardo.

He followed it up with his fourth and Mexico's fifth after 77 minutes when he again sauntered through the defense to head in a cross from second-half substitute Jesus Arellano.

It was the first time Blanco had ever scored four goals in a match in his professional soccer career.

Earlier on Sunday, Bolivia and Egypt drew 2-2 in their Confederations Cup Group A soccer match.

Egypt took the lead in the seventh minute through Abdelsatar Sabry after a pass from skipper Hossam Hassan.

Limberg Gutierrez equalized in the 20th minute with a 20-yard free-kick and Bolivia snatched the lead in the 40th minute with a blistering shot from Reny Ribera. Egypt leveled from another free-kick when Yasser Radwan blasted home after 62 minutes. On Saturday in Group B, Brazil thrashed Germany 4-0 and the United States beat New Zealand 2-1.

UNI