Canada started their journey for World Cup qualification Friday night at BMO Field in Toronto. I was delighted to see a pro-Canadian crowd on hand to finally give our national side the much needed boost. The atmosphere was surprisingly electric with the various supporters groups really getting behind the team and acting like a twelfth man.
The Canadians started strong against the tiny island nation of Saint Lucia; The gulf in class was evident. For the first time in a long while Canada dictated the pace and flow of the match. Stehphen Hart had his side attacking down both flanks and came close to scoring early. Dwayne De Roasrio set up Iain Hume in close with a fancy back heel but the one-timer was stopped by Iran Cassius. Remember that name because this game would have been a blowout if it were not for the Saint Lucian goalkeeper.
The opener was the result of a lucky bounce for Canada. Josh Simpson was given the time to re-adjust, control and shoot uncontested. Unfortunately for Cassius he made the save but the ball ricocheted off his defender and into his net.
What immediately followed silenced the boisterous crowd. Canada fell asleep and Tremain Paul was allowed to have a go from distance and surprisingly his shot beat Lars Hirschfeld from a difficult angle to even the score. I was shocked to say the least, to surrender a goal at home to an opponent like Saint Lucia. It was embarrassing. A draw would be a massive achievement for the visitors. No disrespect but if you're Canadian, this was unacceptable. Hirschfeld has no excuse for letting that get by him; it was a decent strike by Paul but it only went in because the Canadian was out of position and late to react. In my opinion he did not respect the shooter and paid for it.
Despite the set back Canada continued to own possession and really had the freedom to do as they pleased. The build up was there but the final touch was sloppy and lacked quality. Both flanks were wide open the entire game with Saint Lucia intent on putting ten players behind the ball in the middle of the field. De Rosario came close on two occasions to give his side the lead but came up short.
Canada looked to be on edge trying to get back in front. They also had to compete with some bad tackling by the visitors, clearly out of their depths in class. Time wasting was also an obstacle early on; I must have counted over a dozen appearances by the team physio and a half dozen calls for the stretcher. Naturally this is an amateur side and they are not physically fit enough to endure ninety minutes but it was getting a little bit ridiculous.
Right before the break, Simeon Jackson had a chance to score with a great individual run down the wing following a mistake, but Cassius was their again to bail his defenders out with a good save. The first half came to an end with the score leveled, the chances seemed never ending for Canada; poor finishing was a major factor for not having the lead at the break. What also hurt was the amount of times they were caught offside, something that must be addressed quickly.
Luck was on the Canada's side in the second half. They must have heard an earful by Hart in the locker room and came out stronger at the restart. Ante Jazic made a nice run down the left, his cross hit Pernel Williams on the arm and a penalty was awarded. De Rosario stepped up and scored his eighteenth goal for his country, putting him only one behind all-time leader Dale Mitchell, as Canada was back in front.
Saint Lucia almost tied it up for a second time. Kevin Edward some how got behind the Canadian defense and his flick-on just missed the corner. An alarming trend of losing focus could have cost them once more; stronger opposition would have made them pay the price. Regardless of the play on the field, the crowd could be heard singing the national anthem and really pushed Canada forward with their show of support.
Josh Simpson then gave the crowd something to sing about, calmly slotting the ball into the net on the breakaway. It was a great finish but the through ball by Atiba Hutchinson was even better, it was nice to see him get the start after having meniscus surgery over the summer. He had a strong performance for Canada. Hume had a chance to extend the lead but his header went over the bar from in close. De Rosario would have had his second if it were for a timely block by the defender in the six yard box.
It seemed inevitable that Saint Lucia would finish the match a man down; the tackles were coming in with reckless abandonment. They continued to get worse as time wore on, fatigue was visible and it was Pernel Williams being sent off just before injury time. His scissor tackle on De Rosario from behind was ugly; his reaction to the foul though was quite entertaining.
In injury time, Simpson scored his second with relative ease. Tosaint Ricketts providing the assist after his initial volley was miraculously kept out by Cassisus. The score line would have been a lot worse had it not been for him. Looking at the statistics it should have been a blowout: twelve corners to Saint Lucia's zero and out shot the visitors fifteen to one on target. It was a frustrating night to start but ended happily for the patriotic crowd at BMO Field.
The end result was positive and a great springboard to their next group match in Puerto Rico on Tuesday. The final touch was one area that Canada has room for improvement and the lapse in focus being the second issue. Simeon Jackson deserves some recognition for leading the attack down the flank. His speed and skill were ever present, the only thing lacking his final effort in front of goal. The standout performer on the night was Josh Simpson, he was a step above the rest of his teammates. He displayed creativity in attack and always seemed to find the open space to be a constant threat. His move to Turkey has been extremely beneficial in his development. Let's hope his continued progress will help steer Canada in the right direction.
Man of the Match: Josh Simpson
Honourable Mention: Simeon Jackson
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