LIMA, Peru – The usual yellow and green confetti – sacks and sacks of it – was waiting to be shot into the air at the end of Sunday’s under-17 World Cup final at the Estadio Nacional. Brazilian confetti to celebrate yet another Brazilian triumph.

But a dramatic game produced a major upset, and as the referee sounded the final whistle, it was red, white, and green confetti that showered all over everyone … Mexican confetti! For the first time in its soccer history, Mexico had won a world championship, and it had soundly beaten Brazil 3-0 to do it.

The mostly Peruvian crowd of 40,000 stayed on their feet chanting “Mejico! Mejico!” as the Mexican boys took their riotous victory lap and the vanquished Brazilians, heads down, walked slowly off the field.

Three weeks of games played in Lima, Chiclayo, Trujillo, Piura, and Iquitos had whittled the original 16 teams down to just Brazil and Mexico. Brazil, the reigning champion, was as ever the favorite. In their powerful, left-footed forward Anderson they had the tournament’s outstanding player, already a focus of attention for European clubs. His surging dribbles spread panic in every opposing defense; in full stride he looked simply unstoppable.

Going into the final, Brazil had lost only once – in its opening game against the African champion Gambia, a game that Anderson, recovering from an injury, sat out. The Gambians – fast, athletic, controlling the ball with ease, and passing slickly — were worth their 3-1 win. Suddenly, they had visions of winning the tournament. Back in Gambia, President Yahya Jammeh chartered a plane from Air Rum to send nearly 300 fans to Peru.

The plane swooped into Peruvian airspace on September 20, the day of Gambia’s next game in Piura. It should have landed in Lima, but it flew on, sending out an SOS that it was out of fuel and would have to land at Piura’s tiny airport. With the emergency services tensely waiting on the ground, the Tri-Star L1011 landed without incident – just two hours before kick-off. The fans cleared immigration and customs, and went straight to the stadium to see Gambia beat Qatar 3-1.

A colorful incident, but it did not end well. Gambia was eliminated in a 2-0 loss to the Netherlands in its next game, and the fake fuel emergency will no doubt mean a penalty for Rum Air.

Brazil marched on. After edging the Netherlands 2-1, Qatar was obliterated 6-0 by the favorites. But quarterfinal opponents North Korea proved tenaciously difficult up in Iquitos. The game – played in 90-degree heat – needed overtime before Brazil triumphed. Against European champions Turkey in the semifinal, Brazil squandered a 3-0 lead at half time, allowing the Turks to tie the game at 3-3 until, with only seconds left in regulation time, Anderson came to Brazil’s rescue with another extraordinary solo dribble that created the winning goal for Igor.

Compared to the sturm und drang of Brazil’s games, Mexico’s route to the final was downright serene. Easy wins over Australia and Uruguay, a 3-1 quarterfinal win over a stubbornly defensive Costa Rica and then – in the game that suddenly had everyone taking Mexico seriously – a 4-0 semifinal romp over European vice-champions, the Netherlands.

There was wonderful soccer to be seen from Mexico, a flowing passing game, coolness under pressure, and players with flair and daring to their game – particularly forwards Giovani Dos Santos and Carlos Vela, and midfielder Cesar Villaluz, the smallest player on the team at 5-foot-5.

Okay, Okay – but Brazil had Anderson. How was Mexico going to stop him? Anderson was stopped – sadly, by injury. After only four minutes, as he dribbled toward goal, he was brought down by defender Christian Sanchez. The tackle did not look unduly rough, but Anderson was in trouble. He limped off with an ankle injury, came back, struggled, and then, after only 15 minutes, had to be substituted.

The game had lost a huge dose of excitement and flair, and the Brazilians had lost their inspiration. The Mexicans took over and Vela headed them into the lead after 25 minutes. Omar Esparza added a second goal two minutes later with a ferocious 25-yard half-volley.

Brazil did a lot better in the second half, but the Mexican defense (it conceded only three goals in its six games) had an answer for everything. With five minutes to go, substitute Ever Guzman added Mexico’s third.

It was the quicksilver forward Dos Santos who gave Brazil the most problems. (This was pure irony, for although Dos Santos grew up in Mexico, his family is Brazilian. His father, Zizinho, is a former professional player.) Dos Santos is already with a top European club, Barcelona.

For the Americans, eliminated by the Netherlands at the quarterfinal stage, the Mexican success is both encouraging and disturbing. The Mexicans proved that a team from Concacaf (soccer’s North and Central American and Caribbean area, to which America also belongs) can win at the top international level. But that very success highlights the failings of the U.S. – a country that pays far more attention to this age group than any other country in the world. It is the only country that has qualified for all eleven of the under-17 championships staged since 1985.

America has a full-time residency program for its under-17 team in Bradenton, Florida; it is run by the United States Soccer Federation, and it costs a lot of money – estimates start at $2 million a year. Other countries are cagey about how much they spend, but the usual answer is a variation on “not much.”

That is reflected in the number of preparatory games played. The Americans play over 50 games a year. Officials from Turkey and Holland told me their teams had played only 22 games.

Since Bradenton was launched in 1998, America has played in four under-17 world cups; it has reached the semifinals once, the quarterfinals twice, and been eliminated in the first round once. On paper, it is not a bad record, but it hardly justifies the huge expense. The reality is that the American program has not yet produced a team that has the look or the feel of a championship challenger. The teams have generally been solid and unspectacular. The challenge for America is to emulate Mexico – to find flair and style to add to athleticism.

Only then shall we have the possibility that the end of an under-17 world cup will be greeted with a blizzard of red, white, and blue confetti.

pgardner@nysun.com