For most Canadian soccer fans when you mention the Gold Cup there are two images that come to mind. The first one, hopefully since its a lot happier, is of Canada winning it all in 2-0 thanks to goals from De Vos and Corazzin. Canada triumphed over Columbia that year down in Los Angles but the high point of the tournament was almost certainly when Richard Hastings scored a 92nd minute golden goal to give Canada a 2-1 win over Mexico in the quarter finals. The image of Hastings celebrating with his shirt on backwards is engrained in the minds of many Canadians and has to be among the happiest moments in our national teams history. The other image that the Gold Cup triggers is one that makes passionate fans annoyed, angry, or sad but either way it is one that has stuck with them all. The image comes from the semifinal of the 2007 edition of the tournament when Canada was playing the United States. With Canada down 2-1 late in the match it appeared that Atiba Hutchinson had levelled the game. He latched on to a through ball that had deflected off a defender before calmly slotting it home. The only problem was that it was wrongly flagged for offside by the assistant and the referee went along with him. I don't often remember who was the referee for a match that took place almost 4 years ago but I can tell you that on that day the refs last name was Archundia who has reffed in the World Cup but to me he will always be remembered for June 21, 2007 at Soldier Field in Chicago when he cost Canada a chance to beat the United States.
But that is all in the past now and 2011 gives Canada another chance to make a magical run to the title. Several members of the current squad were on that 2007 team and they will be looking to get a measure of revenge when they take to Ford Field in Detroit on Tuesday to play against the United States in what is sometimes referred to as the 1812 Derby. The Canadians open up with what is by far the toughest game of their opening round group stage. After the match against the Americans on June 7th they have dates with Guadeloupe on June 11th and then Panama on the 14th. With the set up of the Gold Cup it is not crucial that Canada beats the United States but for the momentum and national pride that would come from such a match it makes the game a lot more important. Canada can get through to the knockout stages by finishing either first or second in the group or be one of the two best third place teams. With only 12 teams in the whole tournament and 8 needing to advance to the quarter finals it is key that Canada finds a way to win at least one match in the group stage.
For the sake of seeding it will be beneficial to Canada to win as many games as possible since that will likely give them the easiest draw in the next round. For example if Canada comes in second in this group which is where I would expect them to end up at the very least then they would get to play the winner of the group featuring Honduras, Jamaica, Grenada, and Guatemala which would not be the worst draw imaginable. On the other hand though is Canada finds a way to win the group then they would get one of those two best third placed teams.
On paper the Americans have to be the favourites for the June 7th match. They have won the Cup 4 times in the past, are fixtures in the World Cup, and are ranked 22nd in the world by FIFA. As recently as 2006 the Americans were ranked number 4 in the world which was probably a very favourable ranking but it does illustrate the quality that their side possesses. Canada on the other hand is probably ranked a bit unfairly at 75th. Despite the apparent gap though the two teams have played each other fairly close in recent meetings but that match in 2007 was the last time they met at this level having avoided playing each other in the 2009 Gold Cup and in World Cup 2010 qualifiers. If you look back into the history of this rivalry you will see that for the past 2 decades it really has been all the United States as Canada has not been able to claim a win over their neighbours to the south since a friendly back in 1985. The players on this years team might not know when the team last beat the USA but they will know that it has been a long time and that is something they will be desperate to change. A win against the USA could go a long ways towards increasing the profile of the mens national team in this country as well as erasing some of the pain of 2007.
For the Canadian National team the start of 2014 World Cup qualification in the fall is going to be the priority but if they can go deep in this months Gold Cup it would give them priceless experience as well as momentum going into that qualifying campaign. So a win over the USA would be a massive boost in getting the ball rolling towards 2014. Canadian coach Stephen Hart seems to be confident in his sides ability to go out and compete in a tough group and hopefully make a run into the later stages this summer. He has a confidence which seems to have spread to the players who are going into the match next week with a belief that there is no reason why they can not come away with a positive result. If Canada can put together a similar performance to the one they did against Ecuador and cut out some of the sloppy errors that came from lack of time on the field together then they really should be in with a chance of coming away with something. It is clearly going to be a tough ask but if Canada goes out and gives its best there really is no reason why they can not get something from it.
Canada's roster for the Gold Cup has a nice mix of veterans who have played in the tournament before including members from that 2007 team along with some fresh faces. De Rosario is the only player left who tasted victory in this tournament back in 2007 and he will certainly be looked upon to provide stability in the midfield and use his experience to be a leader in this team. Along with Atiba Hutchinson he will be key in driving the team forward and controlling the tempo against an American team with a very strong midfield. With a veteran core in the roster Hart will be looking to some of the fresh faces to bring new energy and a desire to prove themselves at this level which could help to boost the team and set the foundations for a brighter future. The likes of Tosaint Ricketts and Simeon Jackson will want to show what they can do at the senior level to ensure that they will be with the national team for a long time to come. Another new face who will be asked to contribute is Milan Borjan who seems likely to be the teams first choice keeper as he is set to make his competitive debut for the national team against the United States. A strong showing from him in the Gold Cup would set him up as the number one keeper going forward which would provide some nice stability at the back end.
1- GK- Lars Hirschfeld | NOR / Vålerenga Fotball
2- D/M- Nik Ledgerwood | GER / SV Wehen Wiesbaden
3- D/M- Mike Klukowski |
4- CB- Kevin McKenna | GER / FC Köln
5- CB- André Hainault | USA / Houston Dynamo
6- M- Julian de Guzman | CAN / Toronto FC
7- M- Terry Dunfield | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
8- M- Will Johnson | USA / Real Salt Lake
9- F- Rob Friend | GER / Hertha BSC
10- F- Ali Gerba | CAN / Impact Montréal
11- M- Josh Simpson | TUR / Vestel Manisaspor
12- M- Pedro Pacheco | POR / CD Santa Clara
13- M- Atiba Hutchinson | NED / PSV Eindhoven
14- F- Dwayne De Rosario | USA / New York Red Bulls
15- D- Dejan Jakovic | USA / DC United
16- M/F- Tosaint Ricketts | ROM / FC Politehnica Timiþoara
17- M- Simeon Jackson | ENG / Norwich City FC
18- GK- Milan Borjan | SRB / FK Rad
19- M- Marcel de Jong | GER / FC Augsburg
20- D- Jaime Peters | ENG / Ipswich Town FC
21- M- Jonathan Beaulieu-Bourgault | GER / SC Preußen Münster
22- GK- Haidar Al-Shaïbani | FRA / Nîmes Olympique
23- M- Issey Nakajima-Farran | DEN / AC Horsens
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