Brazil 2014 might seem like a long ways off but the fact of the matter is that 32 teams have already been eliminated from the running for qualifying. The teams already out include the likes of India, Philippines, Yemen, Palestine, Hong Kong, Laos, and Maldives. So they are not the traditional powers in the sport by any means which is why they had to take part in the earliest round of qualifying but as Grant Wahl pointed out the 32 teams already knocked out compromise 29% of the world's population. So for a quarter of the people living on planet earth the dream of making the World Cup ended before it ever really began.
For the other 175 nations that are competing for the 31 spots up for grabs in Brazil (the hosts have the 32nd spot already) the dream will begin in earnest today. So in case you did not know the World Cup qualifying draw is upon us and by the middle of the afternoon (EST) we will know the CONCACAF draw shakes out and that includes who Canada will take on in its opening round. So from here on in this post we will shift our focus to CONCACAF since that is all that matters in Canada's road to the World cup.
It really is not the easiest thing to try and explain the qualifying road and how the draw is going to shake out but I will do my best to try and highlight the basics. If you want some more info that is probably laid out better then I could do feel free to check out http://www.tropigol.com/2011/07/30/world-cup-qualifying-draw-procedure-for-concacaf-teams/
So CONCACAF has already had one round of play for the lowest ranked teams in the confederation. This round saw Belize, Dominican Republic, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Aruba and Bahamas all advance as winners. They will now join the next 19 teams in terms of rank in the second round of play. It is in this second round that Canada enters the fun and will be drawn in to a group with 3 other teams. As one of the higher ranked teams in this round of qualification Canada will be looking to get a favorable draw that will allow them to advance. For round 2 CONCACAF has the 24 teams drawn in to 6 groups of 4 teams each with one team coming from each of the pots, which are determined based on FIFA rankings. The winner of each group will advance to the third round where they will join the top 6 teams that have advanced straight to this stage. The second round matches will all take place in the fall.
So Canada gets involved in things before the confederations top teams and we will just have to hope that they do not mess up and actually make it to the third round. If they do they will be drawn into one of three groups of 4 from which the top two teams will advance. This is the point in qualification is going to be tough as some of the top teams will start getting knocked out. By the end of the third round there will only be 6 teams left. The round will again be drawn based on pots, they will again be based on FIFA rankings but this time based on the ones coming out in March as this round will not take place until the spring.
So assuming that your team is able to get past the third round by finishing in the top 2 of its group then you can really start to dream as making the World Cup as at least 3 of the final 6 teams will be going on to play in Brazil. For the final round there will be only one group and all 6 teams will be placed in it as they compete to finish in the top 3 spots and automatically advancing to Brazil. For the fourth placed team their fate will be decided by an intercontinental playoff while 5th and 6th place will have to join over 100 other countries dreaming of 2018.
So for Canada who start play in the second round the road is going to be a long one. They will have to win their group in the second round, come top 2 in the third round, and top 3 in the final round if they want to be playing in Brazil but one thing is clear to me now. Today is the kind of day where you just can't help but hope that some sort of miracle happens and come 2013 Canada will be in that final group. Just that would be a great achievement in my eyes as actually making the World Cup is still probably a distant dream. Just want to see them take a step forward and do well against teams that they should be doing well against.
The other big news leading in to World Cup qualifying is that Bob Bradley is out as the American head coach and has been replaced by Jürgen Klinsmann who was the clear favourite to land the job and will now almost certainly have more control then any of his predecessors. It was thought that the chances of Klinsmann taking over were becoming slim as he had a fair few differences with the US governing body as he wanted almost total control but someone must have caved for this hiring to be allowed to take place.
Showing posts with label CONCACAF. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CONCACAF. Show all posts
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
A Lesson on Real Esteli F.C.
On July 27, Toronto FC will play the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League qualifying match at BMO Field versus Nicaraguan side Real Esteli F.C. TFC qualified for the continental competition for the second year in the row by winning the Voyageurs Cup as Canadian champions over Vancouver Whitecaps. For Reds fans, the day the draw was announced was probably the first time they had heard of Real Esteli. So tonight, with the help of Google, I will try to introduce myself and all our readers to TFC's Nicaraguan opponent.
Real Esteli F.C. are a Nicaraguan side, as stated above, located in Esteli, Nicaragua's third largest city, who play in the nation's top flight of football. The team is nicknamed El Tren del Norte, which according to Google translates as "North Train" but is better translated as "Train of the North" because they come from the northern part of the country. The club was founded in 1960 and plays at Estadio Independencia, in front of 4,800 fans.
Domestically, Real Esteli is one of the most successful clubs winning three national titles and achieving an outstanding record of finishing in the top 5 in every season since 1986. On top of their three national championships, they have won 10 Primera Division de Nicaragua in the nations odd league set up which is similar to other Central American nations like Mexico where they play two seasons a year. Real Esteli has also won the Copa de Nicaragua in 1991.
There matches with Toronto FC coming up later this month will mark the Nicaraguan side's second appearance in the CONCACAF Champions League following their initial appearance in 2008 when they only made it to the Preliminary Round. They have also made 5 appearances in Central America's club competition the Copa Interclubes UNCAF. Real Esteli's best performance was a trip to the Quarter Finals of the competition in 2005 having never made it past the First Round in two previous attempts and the two more that followed.
Toronto FC are easily the favorites against CONCACAF minnows Real Esteli despite their own lowly stature entering the competition. The Reds will have to take care of business at BMO Field and ensure a big lead before they make the difficult trip to Nicaragua. TFC will have to deal with a low standard of playing surface and a completely hostile club when they travel Esteli and Estadio Independencia. Winter will field a strong line up in the home leg to ensure a comfortable win so that he can keep key players out of the line up for the away trip and not risk injuries to players important to the remainder of Toronto's season.
As the day of the first leg approaches, we will provide more coverage ahead of the match as Canadian champions Toronto FC aim to qualify for the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League for the second straight season. Thanks to Google and predominately Wikipedia, I hope I gave you a good introduction to Real Esteli, a little known club from the smaller Central American nation of Nicaragua.
Sunday, July 03, 2011
Nutrilite Canadian Champions!
For the second time this week Toronto FC were taking on the Vancouver Whitecaps. Having beaten them 1-0 in a fairly dull league match thanks to a penalty earlier in the week TFC were feeling confident that they would be able to get the result they needed in the second attempt at the second leg of the NCC final. In case you have forgotten, it was a good while ago, Toronto FC were totally outplayed in Vancouver but managed to steal a 1-1 draw in the first leg. Then the second league again saw Vancouver being the better side by a clear margin but heavy rain and thunder storms had other ideas as the unsafe weather conditions led to the match having to be abandoned a rescheduled for the next time Vancouver were in town. That meant that Canada's club championship was now set to be fittingly decided on Canada weekend.
The weather on saturday was once again calling for rain and a good chance of thunder storms but thankfully it held off and we can finally say that this seasons Nutrilite Canadian Championship is in the books. The two teams made their agendas for this match fairly clear earlier in the week when you looked at the teams that they selected for the MLS match. TFC, who are currently ravaged by injury, fielded a fairly strong side as they looked to end their 10 game winless run while the Whitecaps rested several players as they were seemingly willing to give up 3 points in the league in exchange for improving their chances at winning the Voyageurs Cup. The move on Vancouver's part was a bit of a tricky one since giving TFC the win in the league was sure to restore some of their battered confidence and give the players increased hope that they would be able to win again on saturday. After all this week was one of great optimism around TFC as they finally ended their winless run as well as announcing the signings of two former internationals.
Toronto FC came into the second leg with a lineup that was almost the same as it had been on Wedensday night as only Julian De Guzman and Maicon Santos were brought in. Vancouver on the other hand made a drastic 7 changes from midweek. The match kicked off in a fairly lively fashion with the first real chance falling to Santos after a quick counter attack and some ver questionable decision making by the keeper left him in all alone chasing after the bouncing ball. By the time Santos was able to catch up to the ball he was almost on the goal line and was unable to hit anything but the side netting with his effort. In the 20th minute though it was the Whitecaps who would open the scoring thanks to a beautifully taken free kick by Sanvezzo who stepped in with his right and fired a shot in to the top corner that gave Frei no chance of making the stop.
Toronto almost found an answer only 5 minutes later as a lively run from Plata opened up the Whitecaps defence and his ball allowed De Guzman to fire in a shot that was well save by Cannon but came back off the post to Martina who's effort had to be cleared off the line. That chance was followed up with more scrambling and more chances for TFC but in the end they could not convert and the ball eventually went out for a corner. It was clear that TFC were going for the win in this one and the signs of life were encouraging for the home fans having seen their side already go down 2-1 on aggregate.
Just before the half there was another moment where the Whitecaps were left wondering what their keeper Cannon was thinking. He came well out of his box to claim a long through ball but the ball bounced off of his chest and ended up landing at the feet of Martina who was then staring at a wide open net. Martina slid his shot in goal wards but some great hustle by Jay Demerit allowed him to get back and just barely clear the ball from off the goal line, or did he? This one will go down as yet another case for goal line technology as the ball was definitely most of the way past the goal line before it was cleared but the question was whether or not it was completely across and personally I can not say having watched the replay a number of times. I think that the right call was made in this case though as it was far to close to tell and awarding a goal would have been very harsh for Vancouver. The Whitecaps went into the halftime break leading the game 1-0 and the final 2-1 so the job for Toronto was a simple one. If they wanted to win the NCC then they had to find a way to come back and win this match in the second half.
The signs of life that TFC had shown in the first half carried over into the second as they again came close to levelling the score in the opening minute of the half. Once again it was a lively run by Plata that got things started as his low cross into the box eventually ended up at the back post where Soolsma turned it toward the back of the net but it ended up being picked up by Cannon. Cannon once again looked shaky as he failed to deal with the low cross. The pressure continued for TFC and only a few minutes later a ball into the box ended up at the feet of Plata who was brought down and awarded the penalty. This time Cannon did not look the least bit shaky as he got across well to push Plata's spot kick up and over the bar. Unluckily for Cannon though the assistant referee caught the fact that he had taken several steps off of his goal line before the shot was taken which meant that the penalty was going to have to be retaken. Cannon was absolutely furious at the decision and was only going to be made more angry by the fact that this time Plata stepped up a sent him diving the wrong way. Plata who had been right in the middle of most of TFC's chances was rewarded with the goal that made it 1-1 on the night and all even at 2-2 on aggregate.
The 2-2 scoreline would have meant extra time and maybe penalties but with Toronto on top in terms of the run of play they looked to press their advantage. A lovely ball over the top once again opened up the Vancouver defence and once again it was the pace and skill of Plata that got on to the end of the ball allowing him to bring it down at the top of the box before running in and sending a low cross into the middle past several defenders before it eventually wound up at the feet of Yourassowsky who fired it home giving Toronto its first lead of the match. The Whitecaps tried to find some fight back but the couple of chances that they did create were well dealt with by Frie and after 93 minutes of play Toronto FC were hoisting their third straight Voyageurs Cup.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Gold Cup: Day 9 (End of Canada)
So on Tuesday night there were two games in the Gold Cup but I trust that most of my readers watched the Canadian game. With that in mind I am not overly going to discuss the events of the game but will instead focus on my feelings and reaction to the game, and Canada's Gold Cup effort as a whole.
The short version is that Canada needs to be better then they were the last three games. The team that we saw against Ecuador showed potential and showed the ability to get forward but the team that showed up the last 3 matches looked completely unthreatening and at times they seemed lost for what they were doing. The 4-5-1 seemed to me to be the root cause of the problems because when Hart was forced to make changes, mainly not playing Jackson alone up top, things picked up a bit. It is actually a bad thing that Canada was at its very best in the second half of the US game because Ali Gerba was brought on. If we are counting on Ali Gerba, still, to score goals then this world cup qualifying campaign is going to be a tough one.
The fact is that Canada played 3 matches in the Gold Cup and the only time that they scored was from 2 soft penalties. They created very little from open play and maybe it was the game plan, or Atiba Hutchinson missing two matches, or maybe it is that Canada continues to lack a constant scoring threat from the striker position. The teams leading scorer on the current roster is Dwayne De Rosario, with 15 goals, and he so often gets lost in games going long stretches without making any impact. There is no one on this current team that you can count on to score with any regularity. We have some decent midfielders, good enough to compete with out teams in CONCACAF I would say but the other areas need to be improved. I have high hopes for Jackson but the truth is that he has a lot to learn and the system in place under Stephen Hart is not the right fit for him. If you watch how Norwich use him, which works well, you can see how he is capable of being an effective attacker but for Canada he was often isolated and out matched by larger defenders. Rob Friend and Ali Gerba on the other hand I do not have any confidence in at all. I hear Friend can be good but have limited exposure to him for his club but again he is poorly used in Hart's tactics. There is also Ricketts but I am going to reserve judgement on him since I have seen almost nothing of him and his few appearances for Canada have seemed decent but not enough to get a true sense.
The other issue that Canada faces is they lack that killer confidence. They go into games against the USA overwhelmed and play like they are afraid of getting beaten and then when they do get scored on they struggle to find an answer. Then even when we get ahead like we were against Panama there is this sense that the team are not strong enough to know how to hold on to that lead. The best teams know that the easiest way to hold a lead is to push back against the team rather then just packing it in where you are basically just waiting for the other team to create chances and potentially score. The goal that Canada conceded was quite unlucky but it was nothing less then Panama deserved as they had been taking the game to Canada for some time. Would of course not have been an issue if Canada had converted some chances in the first half. Now Canada has an average back line at best so that is never going to help and by the end of this Gold Cup they didn't have 4 players fit to play in their natural positions in the back line which is not going to help but maybe Hart should have brought another defender along for the tournament rather then someone like Pacheco just to pick a name.
The other area of the team that I was most concerned about going into this Gold Cup was in goal. Hirschfeld has had a couple of great performances for Canada in the past but is not consistent enough to rely on in hopefully a long qualification run. I was though pleased with what I saw from Milan Borjan. He displayed good positioning, good judgement, and the ability to stop shots. You can still tell that he has not been around top clubs and can use a fair bit of refinement but he has the potential and I was pleasantly surprised by that.
So Canada is now out of the Gold Cup and the next stop for the Men's National Team is World Cup qualifiers this fall. The draw will almost certainly hand us something easy in the opening round of play but my fear is that we will win that without making the needed changes. For me Hart needs to prove that he can get away from always using the 4-5-1 and have some tactical flexibility. He needs to change something and get the team to the point where it is scoring goals from open play against the Panama's and Guadeloupe's of the world. It is alright to be kept off the score sheet when you are up against a keeper like Tim Howard, who is class, but against other teams we need to find a way to manufacture goals. I can not sit here and offer a solution, if I could I would be coaching at a high level, but I can say that in my opinion if Hart does not show the willingness and ability to mix it up this fall then it should cost him his job. We should be winning these early qualifying games no matter what, that is not good enough though. Canada needs to be using these games to get much better. We have to be in the top 8 teams and CONCACAF and I would like to see us go far in qualifiers, even if the World Cup is still a distant dream, but based on the Gold Cup performance we have a long way to go to prove that we are right with the second tier of teams in the region.
The American team also played last night and to be fair they were terrible. They have been poor all the way through the group stage and seem to be a long way from hitting their stride. For me, and I have heard a few others saying this, they have only made it out of the group stage because of their natural talent and having some of the best players in the tournament. If you look at how Mexico has preformed and look at the States then they have a lot of work to do if they want to overcome Mexico at some point and potentially win this thing. Clint Dempsey was at the centre of the Americans bad play in the group stage as he seemed to just not be sharp at all and wasted chance after chance after chance with him being at his worst last night. Dempsey should have had a hat trick and put the game beyond a doubt for the US but instead he got nothing. Canada may be the team going home but the Americans have underachieved just as much and could be joining Canada in the coming days.
So with no more Gold Cup for Canada what do you have to look forward to? Well Canada is about to enter in to two more competitions in including the U-17's and then the Women's World Cup later this month. Personally I am very excited for the WWC and think that Canada are a team that can turn some heads.
I will try to cover that tournament and preview it in the coming weeks as well as continuing with some Gold Cup coverage and TFC coverage. Going to be a great summer for soccer in this country!
The short version is that Canada needs to be better then they were the last three games. The team that we saw against Ecuador showed potential and showed the ability to get forward but the team that showed up the last 3 matches looked completely unthreatening and at times they seemed lost for what they were doing. The 4-5-1 seemed to me to be the root cause of the problems because when Hart was forced to make changes, mainly not playing Jackson alone up top, things picked up a bit. It is actually a bad thing that Canada was at its very best in the second half of the US game because Ali Gerba was brought on. If we are counting on Ali Gerba, still, to score goals then this world cup qualifying campaign is going to be a tough one.
The fact is that Canada played 3 matches in the Gold Cup and the only time that they scored was from 2 soft penalties. They created very little from open play and maybe it was the game plan, or Atiba Hutchinson missing two matches, or maybe it is that Canada continues to lack a constant scoring threat from the striker position. The teams leading scorer on the current roster is Dwayne De Rosario, with 15 goals, and he so often gets lost in games going long stretches without making any impact. There is no one on this current team that you can count on to score with any regularity. We have some decent midfielders, good enough to compete with out teams in CONCACAF I would say but the other areas need to be improved. I have high hopes for Jackson but the truth is that he has a lot to learn and the system in place under Stephen Hart is not the right fit for him. If you watch how Norwich use him, which works well, you can see how he is capable of being an effective attacker but for Canada he was often isolated and out matched by larger defenders. Rob Friend and Ali Gerba on the other hand I do not have any confidence in at all. I hear Friend can be good but have limited exposure to him for his club but again he is poorly used in Hart's tactics. There is also Ricketts but I am going to reserve judgement on him since I have seen almost nothing of him and his few appearances for Canada have seemed decent but not enough to get a true sense.
The other issue that Canada faces is they lack that killer confidence. They go into games against the USA overwhelmed and play like they are afraid of getting beaten and then when they do get scored on they struggle to find an answer. Then even when we get ahead like we were against Panama there is this sense that the team are not strong enough to know how to hold on to that lead. The best teams know that the easiest way to hold a lead is to push back against the team rather then just packing it in where you are basically just waiting for the other team to create chances and potentially score. The goal that Canada conceded was quite unlucky but it was nothing less then Panama deserved as they had been taking the game to Canada for some time. Would of course not have been an issue if Canada had converted some chances in the first half. Now Canada has an average back line at best so that is never going to help and by the end of this Gold Cup they didn't have 4 players fit to play in their natural positions in the back line which is not going to help but maybe Hart should have brought another defender along for the tournament rather then someone like Pacheco just to pick a name.
The other area of the team that I was most concerned about going into this Gold Cup was in goal. Hirschfeld has had a couple of great performances for Canada in the past but is not consistent enough to rely on in hopefully a long qualification run. I was though pleased with what I saw from Milan Borjan. He displayed good positioning, good judgement, and the ability to stop shots. You can still tell that he has not been around top clubs and can use a fair bit of refinement but he has the potential and I was pleasantly surprised by that.
So Canada is now out of the Gold Cup and the next stop for the Men's National Team is World Cup qualifiers this fall. The draw will almost certainly hand us something easy in the opening round of play but my fear is that we will win that without making the needed changes. For me Hart needs to prove that he can get away from always using the 4-5-1 and have some tactical flexibility. He needs to change something and get the team to the point where it is scoring goals from open play against the Panama's and Guadeloupe's of the world. It is alright to be kept off the score sheet when you are up against a keeper like Tim Howard, who is class, but against other teams we need to find a way to manufacture goals. I can not sit here and offer a solution, if I could I would be coaching at a high level, but I can say that in my opinion if Hart does not show the willingness and ability to mix it up this fall then it should cost him his job. We should be winning these early qualifying games no matter what, that is not good enough though. Canada needs to be using these games to get much better. We have to be in the top 8 teams and CONCACAF and I would like to see us go far in qualifiers, even if the World Cup is still a distant dream, but based on the Gold Cup performance we have a long way to go to prove that we are right with the second tier of teams in the region.
The American team also played last night and to be fair they were terrible. They have been poor all the way through the group stage and seem to be a long way from hitting their stride. For me, and I have heard a few others saying this, they have only made it out of the group stage because of their natural talent and having some of the best players in the tournament. If you look at how Mexico has preformed and look at the States then they have a lot of work to do if they want to overcome Mexico at some point and potentially win this thing. Clint Dempsey was at the centre of the Americans bad play in the group stage as he seemed to just not be sharp at all and wasted chance after chance after chance with him being at his worst last night. Dempsey should have had a hat trick and put the game beyond a doubt for the US but instead he got nothing. Canada may be the team going home but the Americans have underachieved just as much and could be joining Canada in the coming days.
So with no more Gold Cup for Canada what do you have to look forward to? Well Canada is about to enter in to two more competitions in including the U-17's and then the Women's World Cup later this month. Personally I am very excited for the WWC and think that Canada are a team that can turn some heads.
I will try to cover that tournament and preview it in the coming weeks as well as continuing with some Gold Cup coverage and TFC coverage. Going to be a great summer for soccer in this country!
Monday, June 13, 2011
Gold Cup: Day 7
The 7th round of action in the Gold Cup saw group A come to its conclusion. So far the story in group A has been the Mexican team with its failed drug tests and high flying attack but the other teams in the group have also been proving that they know how to score a few goals of their own setting up an exciting last round of action in Chicago.
The evening opened with El Salvador taking on Cuba. Coming in to the match both teams were basically in need of a big win to even have a chance of moving on into a place in the quarterfinals but even a massive win would likely have not been enough for Cuba who were yet to pick up a single point. Apparently someone did tell El Salvador that with only 1 point from their first two matches they needed to crush Cuba because they came out flying and went straight to work on trying to repair their goal difference from the damage that Mexico had done to it. El Salvador opened the scoring only 11 minutes in when Zelaya was on the spot to score his first of the game and second of the tournament. His goal would be followed up by another from Romero on the 28th minute that saw El Salvador take a 2-0 lead into the break. If that score line had held until the end of the match both teams would likely have been going home without help from the other groups as El Salvador were still sitting on a -3 goal difference.
The second half was a real cracker though as El Salvador again went straight on to the offensive. Blanco scored in the 69th minute, Zelaya added his third of the tournament in the 70th but just when the route seemed to be on Cuba put a dent in their hopes. Cuba were certainly going home at this point but that did not stop them from pulling one back in the 82nd minute through Marquez. The Cuban rally, if you can even call it that, did not last long though as only a minute later El Salvador restored their 4 goal lead through Hernandez and then a 90th minute goal from Quintanilla was just enough to bring their goal difference back to 0. With El Salvador sitting on 4 points and a goal difference of 0 they look to be in decent shape to have a hope of advancing but for Cuba the 6-1 defeat was the end of a rough tournament. The Cuban team only managed to score that 1 goal while conceding 16 on route to 3 straight loses. Hopefully it was at least a learning experience for the team and they have done well with apparently only one player defecting so far!
The second game of the night saw Mexico taking on Costa Rica with top spot in the group on the line. A win or a draw would have seen Mexico finish in first place but only a win would do the trick for Costa Rica. Costa Rica also knew that with El Salvador winning by 5 they needed to ensure that they did not get destroyed by Mexico to avoid falling down in to third place. It all set up for an exciting match but in the end it was more about Costa Rica struggling to hold on to second place then a battle for the top spot. Mexico reversed their normal trend and came out scoring in the first half, instead of waiting for the second half like they have of late. Mexico opened the scoring 16 minutes in through Rafael Marquez and when Guardado added goals in the 19th and 25th minutes it looked like the route was once again on. Before the end of the half Mexico would make it 4-0 through Pablo Barrera. It looked like they were a sure thing to go through from the group on top and really just had to coast through the second half. For Costa Rica though they now found themselves ahead of El Salvador by only 1 on the goal difference.
Costa Rica came out a lot better in the second half, either that of Mexico came out a lot worse with nothing left to play for. They seemed fully intent on making sure that Mexico did not expand their lead at all and they were battling for that second place finish in the group. In the 68th minute all of that hard work was rewarded when Marcos Urena scored a goal that gave them a 2 goal cushion again despite being down 4-1 in the match. Both teams seemed to be fairly content with this scoreline and the match sort of fizzled out down the stretch as it was clear that Mexico would be winning the group and Costa Rica had done enough to hang on to second place. For the first time in the Gold Cup Chicharito did not steal the show as he was held off the score sheet before being substituted.
So we have one group all figured out and we know that Mexico and Costa Rica will be through to the next round for sure but El Salvador are going to have to wait and see how the next two days of results go before they know if they are going to be in the quarterfinals. Cuba on the other hand are going home for sure. Group A sure did provide us with a lot of goals as they combined to score an massive 29 goals despite Cuba only chipping in with 1.
The evening opened with El Salvador taking on Cuba. Coming in to the match both teams were basically in need of a big win to even have a chance of moving on into a place in the quarterfinals but even a massive win would likely have not been enough for Cuba who were yet to pick up a single point. Apparently someone did tell El Salvador that with only 1 point from their first two matches they needed to crush Cuba because they came out flying and went straight to work on trying to repair their goal difference from the damage that Mexico had done to it. El Salvador opened the scoring only 11 minutes in when Zelaya was on the spot to score his first of the game and second of the tournament. His goal would be followed up by another from Romero on the 28th minute that saw El Salvador take a 2-0 lead into the break. If that score line had held until the end of the match both teams would likely have been going home without help from the other groups as El Salvador were still sitting on a -3 goal difference.
The second half was a real cracker though as El Salvador again went straight on to the offensive. Blanco scored in the 69th minute, Zelaya added his third of the tournament in the 70th but just when the route seemed to be on Cuba put a dent in their hopes. Cuba were certainly going home at this point but that did not stop them from pulling one back in the 82nd minute through Marquez. The Cuban rally, if you can even call it that, did not last long though as only a minute later El Salvador restored their 4 goal lead through Hernandez and then a 90th minute goal from Quintanilla was just enough to bring their goal difference back to 0. With El Salvador sitting on 4 points and a goal difference of 0 they look to be in decent shape to have a hope of advancing but for Cuba the 6-1 defeat was the end of a rough tournament. The Cuban team only managed to score that 1 goal while conceding 16 on route to 3 straight loses. Hopefully it was at least a learning experience for the team and they have done well with apparently only one player defecting so far!
The second game of the night saw Mexico taking on Costa Rica with top spot in the group on the line. A win or a draw would have seen Mexico finish in first place but only a win would do the trick for Costa Rica. Costa Rica also knew that with El Salvador winning by 5 they needed to ensure that they did not get destroyed by Mexico to avoid falling down in to third place. It all set up for an exciting match but in the end it was more about Costa Rica struggling to hold on to second place then a battle for the top spot. Mexico reversed their normal trend and came out scoring in the first half, instead of waiting for the second half like they have of late. Mexico opened the scoring 16 minutes in through Rafael Marquez and when Guardado added goals in the 19th and 25th minutes it looked like the route was once again on. Before the end of the half Mexico would make it 4-0 through Pablo Barrera. It looked like they were a sure thing to go through from the group on top and really just had to coast through the second half. For Costa Rica though they now found themselves ahead of El Salvador by only 1 on the goal difference.
Costa Rica came out a lot better in the second half, either that of Mexico came out a lot worse with nothing left to play for. They seemed fully intent on making sure that Mexico did not expand their lead at all and they were battling for that second place finish in the group. In the 68th minute all of that hard work was rewarded when Marcos Urena scored a goal that gave them a 2 goal cushion again despite being down 4-1 in the match. Both teams seemed to be fairly content with this scoreline and the match sort of fizzled out down the stretch as it was clear that Mexico would be winning the group and Costa Rica had done enough to hang on to second place. For the first time in the Gold Cup Chicharito did not steal the show as he was held off the score sheet before being substituted.
So we have one group all figured out and we know that Mexico and Costa Rica will be through to the next round for sure but El Salvador are going to have to wait and see how the next two days of results go before they know if they are going to be in the quarterfinals. Cuba on the other hand are going home for sure. Group A sure did provide us with a lot of goals as they combined to score an massive 29 goals despite Cuba only chipping in with 1.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Gold Cup: Day 4
I guess last night can be called day 4 since its the fourth night of play, even though it was the fifth day since the tournament kicked off. It was a busy day in the Gold Cup as in the afternoon news came out that no less then 5 of the Mexican players had been ruled out thanks to failed drug tests. So either the Mexican team have been doping together or something is a bit fishy here, or should I say "chickeny". (I promise that will be my only failed attempt to make a joke about this). The five players that tested positive for the banned substance were: Francisco Javier Rodriguez, Antonio Naelson, Christian Bermudez, Edgar Duenas, and Guillermo Ochoa. I am not going to get bogged down in trying to explain why the five players were banned for taking a substance that is often prescribed to help with breathing problems but suffice to say this is not the first time the drug Clenbuterol has caused problems. Previously Alberto Contandor, a tour de France winner, has come under question for testing positive for the same thing and he is still trying to defend his innocence. The Mexican Federation has said that they will stand by the players since they believe the failed test was not from doping but rather from the team having eaten some tainted chicken. I for one doubt that 5 of the Mexicans all decided to take the same drug, for the Gold Cup at that where they were all ready favourites, and that it might just have come from tainted chicken as they suggest. But enough about that, lets talk about actual games now!
On day 4 the games were all played at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte and the first match featured Costa Rica who cruised to a 5-0 win in their opener against Cuba taking on El Salvador who were on the wrong end of the same score line against Mexico. In this match a draw would probably be enough to ensure that Costa Rica would be moving on to the quarterfinals but for El Salvador a win would have been a huge boost to their hopes of moving on as one of the best third placed teams. The game was very even from start to finish with both teams creating a fair few finishes. Costa Rica should have taken the lead in the first half after a great counter attack but the finish was straight at the keeper who did will to push the ball over the bar. A number of other chances in the first half ended up being wasted as shots were being fired right at the keepers and were tame enough that they had no trouble handling them. It took a real spectacular moment in the closing minutes of the half to finally open the scoring. El Salvador were awarded a free kick from 20 some odd yards out which was fired home into the top corner by Rodolfo Zeyala. The shot gave the keeper no chance what so ever as it curled over the wall and dropped in just below the bar. For me this goal has to be the early favourite for goal of the tournament and it gave El Salvador the half time lead.
The second half was once again quite even with both sides getting their chances. The run of play did begin to slowly favour Costa Rica who were pushing forward in hopes of getting the equalizer. They appeared to have it in the 69th minute but despite the ball being in the back of the net the goal was ruled out due to offside. It was the correct call and it kept El Salvador in the lead. A few mintues later Costa Rica again had a chance to equalize but some terrible finishing saw them miss basically a tap in from 6 yards out. They would get the breakthrough though in the 90th minute after a long ball was brought down in the box and Randall Brenes slid it past his defender and just out of the keepers reach. The end result was a 1-1 draw which was probably a fair one as both teams worked hard and it was a fairly even contest. The point should see Costa Rica move on to the last 8 but now for El Salvador their next match against Cuba is going to be crucial if they are hoping to ensure a place as one of the best third place teams.
In the second game of the night we had Cuba, who gave up 5 goals in their opener, taking on Mexico, who scored 5 goals in their opener. It looked like we were in for a lot of goals in this one if Mexico could overcome the drama from earlier in the day. The good news was that the doping suspensions did nothing to lessen the potent attack of Mexico which was led by Javier Hernandez and Gio Dos Santos. In the early exchanges of the game it looked like the doping scandals might have had some impact on Mexico as they struggled to get the ball rolling. They were creating a fair few chances and firing all kinds of shots towards the goal but the first half hour went by without a goal. Mexican fans could be reassured by the fact that in recent Gold Cups the team has been doing most of its damage in the second half including all 10 of their goals in the previous 2 games. They would get a breakthrough in the first half this time though as Chicharito netter his fourth goal of the tournament already as he rose up to head one home in the 36th minute.
In the second half of the game it looked like Mexico found another gear and Cuba had no answers for it. The chances quickly started to turn into goals around the hour mark and the route was suddenly on. When this Mexican attack starts flying they are almost impossible to stop as they get down the field so fast and have a handful of players who can finish well. Dos Santos made it 2-0 in the 60th minute with a clever little flick to convert the low cross, the De Nigris got the tap in at the end of a great move to make it 3-0 shortly after he had been brought into the game. Dos Santos would get his second on 67 minutes as he brought down a cross in the centre of the box and was given all the time in the world to slot the ball into the far side of the net. Not to be outdone Chicharito popped up in the box to slot home another cross for his second goal of the game despite also wasting a number of chances. So in just under 15 minutes Mexico had ballooned their lead out to 5-0 and from there they basically just cruised to the end. It was third straight match, including 2009's final, that Mexico scored 5 goals and once again they did most of their damage in the second half. The scariest part of all this scoring is that in the first two games Mexico have never really looked like they were going all out and they could still just be getting better.
So with 2 rounds down in Group A it looks like Mexico are going to be the winners of the group with them only needing a point from their last match against Costa Rica to ensure that. Then barring Costa Rica getting routed by Mexico they should have enough to come through in second place. El Salvador and Cuba will be battling for third but even if Cuba wins their is no guarantee that getting to third place would see them advance with that -10 goal difference. A win for El Salvador though would put them in very good shape for getting into the next round despite being at -5 GD. Either way the last round of play in the group should be an exciting one.
On day 4 the games were all played at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte and the first match featured Costa Rica who cruised to a 5-0 win in their opener against Cuba taking on El Salvador who were on the wrong end of the same score line against Mexico. In this match a draw would probably be enough to ensure that Costa Rica would be moving on to the quarterfinals but for El Salvador a win would have been a huge boost to their hopes of moving on as one of the best third placed teams. The game was very even from start to finish with both teams creating a fair few finishes. Costa Rica should have taken the lead in the first half after a great counter attack but the finish was straight at the keeper who did will to push the ball over the bar. A number of other chances in the first half ended up being wasted as shots were being fired right at the keepers and were tame enough that they had no trouble handling them. It took a real spectacular moment in the closing minutes of the half to finally open the scoring. El Salvador were awarded a free kick from 20 some odd yards out which was fired home into the top corner by Rodolfo Zeyala. The shot gave the keeper no chance what so ever as it curled over the wall and dropped in just below the bar. For me this goal has to be the early favourite for goal of the tournament and it gave El Salvador the half time lead.
The second half was once again quite even with both sides getting their chances. The run of play did begin to slowly favour Costa Rica who were pushing forward in hopes of getting the equalizer. They appeared to have it in the 69th minute but despite the ball being in the back of the net the goal was ruled out due to offside. It was the correct call and it kept El Salvador in the lead. A few mintues later Costa Rica again had a chance to equalize but some terrible finishing saw them miss basically a tap in from 6 yards out. They would get the breakthrough though in the 90th minute after a long ball was brought down in the box and Randall Brenes slid it past his defender and just out of the keepers reach. The end result was a 1-1 draw which was probably a fair one as both teams worked hard and it was a fairly even contest. The point should see Costa Rica move on to the last 8 but now for El Salvador their next match against Cuba is going to be crucial if they are hoping to ensure a place as one of the best third place teams.
In the second game of the night we had Cuba, who gave up 5 goals in their opener, taking on Mexico, who scored 5 goals in their opener. It looked like we were in for a lot of goals in this one if Mexico could overcome the drama from earlier in the day. The good news was that the doping suspensions did nothing to lessen the potent attack of Mexico which was led by Javier Hernandez and Gio Dos Santos. In the early exchanges of the game it looked like the doping scandals might have had some impact on Mexico as they struggled to get the ball rolling. They were creating a fair few chances and firing all kinds of shots towards the goal but the first half hour went by without a goal. Mexican fans could be reassured by the fact that in recent Gold Cups the team has been doing most of its damage in the second half including all 10 of their goals in the previous 2 games. They would get a breakthrough in the first half this time though as Chicharito netter his fourth goal of the tournament already as he rose up to head one home in the 36th minute.
In the second half of the game it looked like Mexico found another gear and Cuba had no answers for it. The chances quickly started to turn into goals around the hour mark and the route was suddenly on. When this Mexican attack starts flying they are almost impossible to stop as they get down the field so fast and have a handful of players who can finish well. Dos Santos made it 2-0 in the 60th minute with a clever little flick to convert the low cross, the De Nigris got the tap in at the end of a great move to make it 3-0 shortly after he had been brought into the game. Dos Santos would get his second on 67 minutes as he brought down a cross in the centre of the box and was given all the time in the world to slot the ball into the far side of the net. Not to be outdone Chicharito popped up in the box to slot home another cross for his second goal of the game despite also wasting a number of chances. So in just under 15 minutes Mexico had ballooned their lead out to 5-0 and from there they basically just cruised to the end. It was third straight match, including 2009's final, that Mexico scored 5 goals and once again they did most of their damage in the second half. The scariest part of all this scoring is that in the first two games Mexico have never really looked like they were going all out and they could still just be getting better.
So with 2 rounds down in Group A it looks like Mexico are going to be the winners of the group with them only needing a point from their last match against Costa Rica to ensure that. Then barring Costa Rica getting routed by Mexico they should have enough to come through in second place. El Salvador and Cuba will be battling for third but even if Cuba wins their is no guarantee that getting to third place would see them advance with that -10 goal difference. A win for El Salvador though would put them in very good shape for getting into the next round despite being at -5 GD. Either way the last round of play in the group should be an exciting one.
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
Gold Cup: Day 2
Last night was Day 2 of the Gold Cup and with the games being played all the way across the continent in Los Angles the kickoffs were a bit later. The first game kicked off at 9 PM EST and the second one at 11 but I am glad that I stayed up to watch the second one because it was a highly entertaining match.
First off I would like to vent a little bit about the awful commentary that was provided for the games on the CONCACAF website last. I do appreciate that they are providing free streaming but it would have been nice if they got someone with a bit of experience and quality to commentate on the matches. Even the majority of local broadcast journalism students in LA would probably have done a better job. I turned the audio off and just watched the video feed and it made things a lot better. The other problem I had was with some of the kit choices. It was a bit of an assault on my eyes trying to watch the bright yellow and green of Jamaica taking on the green and red of grenada so at least all the blue and white of the second match between Honduras and Guatemala was a nice change.
As I just mentioned the first match was between Jamaica and Grenada and it continued the trend of lopsided score lines. Jamaica were the clear favourites for this one since unlike Grenada they have actually scored a goal in the Gold Cup before. The match followed the expected script as Jamaica were in control of things from start to finish as they only allowed Grenada one shot the entire match and even that was a fairly speculative effort. Jamaica in the end scored 4 goals of their own but that was a fair few less then they probably should have been able to net based on the run of play. They scored 4 chances but I can think of a handful of other chances that they wasted so I am not exaggerating to say that they probably could have won this match by 6 or 7 without much difficulty. Ryan Johnson of San Jose was probably at the centre of most of the games excitement as he was one of 4 different scorers for Jamaica and also guilty of missing some real good chances as he managed to take 5 decent chances.
The lack of conversion did not cost Jamaica at all though as at the end of the day the 4-0 win is going to be enough to see them sitting on top of Group B after the first round of play. They will need a better effort in their next two games though as Grenada are clearly the weakest team of the bunch and will be lucky to even come away with a single point. Personally I will be cheering for them to at least get one goal before the end of the group stage so they can put that behind themselves.
In the late game Honduras took on Guatemala in what was by far the best game of the 2011 Gold Cup so far. It was certainly worth staying up to watch if you enjoy a good intense matchup between two teams that were going all in for every tackle and loose ball. After seeing 14 goals in the first three matches it was nice to finally see a close contest.
The opening moments of the game saw what would be one of the best chances of the match as Carlo Costly missed an open net in the first minute for Honduras before Carlos Ruiz almost opened the scoring for Guatemala at the other end. I quickly found myself getting behind Guatemala in this game as they were the underdogs and they were giving Honduras everything they could handle in this one. Both teams were tackling hard and fighting for the ball so it was kind of surprising that the first half ended with no cards being handed out. It was a half where as I was watching it I expected a goal to come at any moment as both teams were fairly open and the play was quite fast paced and back and forth. The second half once again lacked for goals but it had a bit of everything else but shamefully Mr. Gutiérrez stole the show in the second half with the cards he handed out. Personally I think that the red card which he gave to Guatemala's Gustavo on 61 minutes was more then a little harsh. Gustavo did make a hard tackle but he got a lot of the ball and though I can see it being a foul and maybe a yellow card it was certainly very harsh to send him off for that. Guatemala were just trying to hang on from then on but a second yellow card for Medina saw them go down to 10 men for the final 15 minutes of the match. Guatemala did manage to find a way to hang on even if I was less then impressed with some of the stalling that they engaged in with several players going down like they were shot and spending several minutes on the ground. In the end the game was 0-0 but it was a more exciting match then any of the high scoring games were.
For me the Honduras-Guatemala match was the real start to the Gold Cup. Watching such an intense battle between two teams who clearly don't like each other got me really fired up for tonights 1812 Derby between Canada and the United States. Then when the ref came in and ruin the game with a needless sending off I got even more fired up with memories of 2007 coming flooding back. Remember the Carlos Bocanegra tackle on Julian De Guzman that was not a red card, well that tackle was about 20 times worse then last nights. And that is not to even mention this:
Game Day! Let's Go Canada! Go all 1812 on the Americans!
8 PM EST on Rogers Sportsnet One. You better all be watching!
Monday, June 06, 2011
Gold Cup: Day 1
The central story line of day 1 at the Gold Cup has got to be the very lopsided score lines. To me the games really served to illustrate just how large the gap now is between the top teams in CONCACAF and the teams that are just barely able to make it into the Gold Cup and will be among the first ones out of World Cup qualifying when it starts in the fall. On the other side of the coin Mexico and Costa Rica both showed that they are going to be tough teams to beat and that should set up a good clash between the two of them with top spot in the group likely on the line.
There was some good news for Canada on Day 1 as the lopsided score lines mean that the team that finishes third in group A is likely to have a bad goal difference. That is good for Canada in case they finish third in group C since in the Gold Cup the top two teams advance and then the 2 best third place teams also make it though. So unless we get a lot more one sided scores then its not looking for great for who ever ends up third in group A, but lets not get to far ahead of ourselves with that since it was only the first day of the tournament.
The games themselves were entertaining affairs unless you are a fan of either of the losing teams in which case they were probably about as much fun as getting a root canal. The tournament opened with Costa Rica taking on Cuba in front of a decent crowd at Cowboys stadium. The crowd was no where near the kinds of record numbers that the new Cowboys Stadium is none for but at least the place was not dead and anyone who stayed to watch both matches were treated to a lot of goals. Costa Rica stole the show in the opener with their 5-0 win over Cuba thanks to getting goals from 4 different sources with
Marcos Urena, a Russian Premier League player, netting a pair. The game was fairly close, on the score sheet at least, through the first 40 minutes but that is when Costa Rica put the game out of reach. A goal just before half was followed up by a shocking 2 goals in the first 2 minutes of the second half to put this one beyond doubt. The 5-0 scoreline in the end was nothing more then Costa Rica deserved as they completely controlled the match and Cuba never even looked like a threat to score while their back line seemed completely outclassed and unable to stop the constant attacks.
There was some good news for Canada on Day 1 as the lopsided score lines mean that the team that finishes third in group A is likely to have a bad goal difference. That is good for Canada in case they finish third in group C since in the Gold Cup the top two teams advance and then the 2 best third place teams also make it though. So unless we get a lot more one sided scores then its not looking for great for who ever ends up third in group A, but lets not get to far ahead of ourselves with that since it was only the first day of the tournament.
The games themselves were entertaining affairs unless you are a fan of either of the losing teams in which case they were probably about as much fun as getting a root canal. The tournament opened with Costa Rica taking on Cuba in front of a decent crowd at Cowboys stadium. The crowd was no where near the kinds of record numbers that the new Cowboys Stadium is none for but at least the place was not dead and anyone who stayed to watch both matches were treated to a lot of goals. Costa Rica stole the show in the opener with their 5-0 win over Cuba thanks to getting goals from 4 different sources with
Marcos Urena, a Russian Premier League player, netting a pair. The game was fairly close, on the score sheet at least, through the first 40 minutes but that is when Costa Rica put the game out of reach. A goal just before half was followed up by a shocking 2 goals in the first 2 minutes of the second half to put this one beyond doubt. The 5-0 scoreline in the end was nothing more then Costa Rica deserved as they completely controlled the match and Cuba never even looked like a threat to score while their back line seemed completely outclassed and unable to stop the constant attacks.
The second game of the night was not much different which I sure pleased the largely pro-Mexican crowd that was in attendance. The Mexican fans would have come into the match expecting a comfortable win over the much weaker El Salvador and would probably have been very uncomfortable with their teams first half performance. At the break the match was 0-0 and Mexico was failing to make anything of the number of chances that came their way. The second half was a completely different story though as they found their stride and under the leading of Javier Hernandez, the Manchester United striker, they found their scoring boots. Chicharito scored a hat trick which was capped off with a 93rd minute penalty after Juarez and De Nigris had each scored to give Mexico a 2-0 lead. Again the 5-0 score line was probably a deserved result as the Mexicans completely dominated to run of play firing 20 shots towards the net and constantly threatening the back line of El Salvador.
Things that I will be taking away from the first round of matches is that:
- Costa Rica and Mexico are the two teams almost certainly going to be fighting it out for top spot in group A.
- Mexico are deserving of being labelled as pre-tournament favourites, along with the States, and will be a force to be reckoned with
- Javier Hernandez is going to be a force in this tournament having spent all season causing some of the world's best centre backs problems his pace is just going to be too much for most teams
- We might just be in for a treat this year in terms of the number of goals scored
Day 2 is likely to be a bit less exciting in terms of the number of goals scored but Jamaica-Grenada and Honduras-Guatemala should still be interesting matches. Honduras are probably the team to watch in group B as I would consider them the favourites to win it and the one team in the group that could provide a shock and go far in this tournament.
Friday, June 03, 2011
Gold Cup Preview: The 1812 Derby
This weekend the CONCACAF Gold Cup kicks off in the States and the attitude around the Canadian mens national team is that they are in it to win it. It is going to be a tough task for the Canadians who will almost certainly have to get past the Americans and the Mexicans if they hope to win for the first time since 2000.
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.
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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