6/6/2007 - 22:08(EST)

Canada starts with a win

An overcast sky welcomed the national teams of Costa Rica and Canada to Miami for game day one of the 2007 Gold Cup.

MIAMI, FL – An overcast sky welcomed the national teams of Costa Rica and Canada to Miami for game day one of the 2007 Gold Cup. Less than half of the Orange Bowl was filled with the Costa Rican fans –mostly- who decided to face the bad weather and take on the non-stop drizzling.

The maple leafs were making their first appearance in CONCACAF’s Gold Cup under Coach Stephen Hart, and they had to open up the tournament against Costa Rica, the third best team in the region. However, they were looking to deploy their best weapons –the players who actually have European soccer experience- in order counter the better know how of the Costa Ricans.

The “Ticos” started out as expected: pushing their lines forward in order to pressure the inexperienced Canadian defense. Alvaro Saborio on the right flank quickly became a headache for Ante Jazic and, in the 8th minute, one of his crosses ended up in Barrientos’ head. Costa Rica was the first to come knocking on their opponents door and the crowd on the stands started showing their enthusiasm.

It seemed obvious that Walter Centeno was the most experienced player on the field, since the former AEK Athens player got a hold of the midfield early on in the match and seemed the most inspired man on the pitch.

Canada, notwithstanding, kept trying to break through the Costa Rican spider web on the midfield. Dwayne De Rosario showcased his speed down the left side of the maple leafs attack, and he kept trying to constantly connect with Robert Friend upfront.

At 25th minute, the Canadians dusted off the pressure and Julian De Guzman dribbled past two defenders and crossed the ball looking for a target. The ball ended up on Stalteri’s right foot after a bad Costa Rican deflection and the Totenham midfielder shot just inches wide of Porras’ right goalpost.

Costa Rica kept pressuring, but neither Barrientos nor Gonzalez were able to drive one past Patrick Onstad. Then, at the 34th minute De Rosario and De Guzman finally connected in an attacking play that served up a ball for Friend’s acrobatic finish. The only thing better than the finish itself was Porras amazing dive to keep the 0-0 on the scoreboard.

Before the end of the first half, Canada managed to get a hold of the game and, prior to running off to the locker room, De Guzman nearly inaugurated the scoreboard with low shot that skimmed the base of Porras’ post.

In the second half, Canada kept pushing during the first couple of minutes, but Walter Centeno soon started pulling the strings again, and at the 52nd minute scored the first goal of the 2007 Gold Cup with a nice curving shot to the far left post defended by Onstad.

But the maple leafs did not let their guard down. Just a minute later all their efforts paid up and De Guzman, who plays for Deportivo la Coruña, set the equalizer with a shot from inside the box.

The rain did not permit a better show during the second half. There many mistakes and falls on both teams and nobody seemed to want it enough to break the tie. However, on the 73 minute Julian De Guzman showed everyone at the Orange Bowl that he came to the Gold Cup to stand out and scored a beautiful goal with a bending shot over Porras.

As the game wounded up to and end, Canada had a couple of more chances, but again the bad weather did not let any of the two teams finish up as strong as they should have. Costa Rica did not show they are worthy of being the third power in CONCACAF, while Canada –thanks mostly to De Guzman talent- showed they are more than willing to take that spot.

10- Walter Centeno (CRC), 56’
6- Julian Deguzman (CAN), 57’
6- Julian Deguzman (CAN), 73’

CRC: 2- Jervis Drummond, 3- Victor Cordero, 7- Rolando Fonseca, 8. Rodolfo Rodríguez (14- Randall Azofeifa, 54’), 10- Walter Centeno, 11- Michael Barrentos, 12- Leonardo Gonzalez (16-Christian Bolanos, 67’), 15- Harold Wallace, 17- Gabriel Badilla (21- Windell Gabriel, 75’), 18- Jose Francisco Porras, 19- Alvaro Saborio

DNP: 1- Wardy Alfrado, 4- Michael Umana, 13- Allan Aleman, 20- Pablo Chinchilla

TD: Herma Medford

CAN: 3- Ante Jazic, 5- Andrew Hainault, 6- Julian Deguzman, 7- Paul Stalteri, 9- Robert Friend (10- Ali Gerba, 90’), 11- Richard Hastings, 13- Atiba Hutchinson, 14- Dwayne Derosario, 15- Patrice Bernier, 16- Martin Nash (8- Kevin Harmes, 72’), 22- Patrick Onstad

DNP: 2- Adam Braz, 17- Iain Hue, 18- Issey Nakajima-Farran, 19- Antonio Ribeiro, 23- Robert Giacomi

TD: Stephen Hart

Booked /Amonestado:
CAN – 5- Andrew Hainault, 55’
CAN – 7- Paul Stalteri, 89’

Sent off / Expulsado:
None

Statistics/Estadísticas CRC CAN
Goal Attempts/Tiros Totales 9 12
Saves/Atajadas 4 2
Fouls/Faltas 10 20
Corners/Tiros de Esquina 4 7
Offsides/Fuera de Lugar 3 10

R: Enrico Wingaarde (SUR)
A1: Anthony Garwood (JAM)
A2: Ricardo Morgan (JAM)
FO: Courtney Campbell (JAM)

Terra/Concacaf