KINGSTON, Jamaica - The Canadian men鈥檚 soccer team dealt with the chaos their coach predicted could happen and came away with a 2-1 away win over Jamaica Saturday in a CONCACAF Nations League quarterfinal match at Independence Park in Kingston.
Stephen Eustaquio broke a 1-1 draw with a goal late in the second half to give the men their first win in Jamaica in 35 years.
鈥淲e wanted to come out of here with a result,鈥 said interim coach Mauro Biello. 鈥淪o, the first phase, mission accomplished for us.
鈥淚t was a competitive game. We knew coming in here it would be a very difficult with the quality of players on their team.鈥
Jonathan David scored the other goal for Canada. Shamar Nicholson tied the game for Jamaica in the 56th minute on a disputed goal.
Biello told a news conference prior to the game that 鈥渉ow we manage the chaos鈥 would be a factor in determining the match鈥檚 outcome.
The game was originally scheduled for Friday night but was postponed until Saturday due to heavy rain. It was 28 C at kickoff at 10:30 a.m. local time with humidity around 78 per cent. The pitch appeared heavy and sticky, affecting the way the ball moved.
Canada, ranked 45th in the world, didn鈥檛 fold when the No. 55 Reggae Boyz tied the game on a questionable goal.
鈥淐redit Canada to fight through it,鈥 said Biello, the former assistant coach who earned his first victory since being put in charge after John Herdman left to take over Toronto FC. 鈥淚t was very difficult, hard conditions. Very hot.
鈥淚t was really good character from the group.鈥
The second game in the two-match, aggregate series will be Tuesday at Toronto鈥檚 BMO Field.
The winner of the series moves on to the CONCACAF Nations League finals next March, as well as securing their ticket to Copa America as guest teams at the South American championship.
Fullback Richie Laryea set up the winning goal, showing his speed with a nice run down the side. He passed the ball back into the box and Eustaquio made no mistake.
Forward Cyle Larin did the work on David鈥檚 goal in first-half extra time. Larin took a long ball into the Jamaican zone, made a pretty spin to get away from two defenders, then sent a pass across the front of the net that David tapped home for his 26th international goal.
Nicholson tied the game when he got behind a surprised Canadian defence on a quick pass from Daniel Johnson and beat goalkeeper Milan Borjan. The offside flag went up but the goal was ruled good after video review.
Canadian players argued the whistle had not blown to start play but referee Mary Penso let the play stand.
鈥淭hey took a quick free kick and were able to catch us,鈥 said Biello.
鈥淪ometimes in those moments you have to be a little more focused. Credit to the team to fight through it and come back and score a great second goal.鈥
Canada鈥檚 record playing in Jamaica improved to 2-6-5.
Biello said the experience Canada gained during the gruelling qualification process before the 2022 World Cup helped the team deal with the anxiety created by the long wait Friday night before the game was postponed, then refocusing for a morning match.
鈥淵ou asked for their experience to come through in these moments,鈥 he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what we saw from the team. It鈥檚 not easy here and we鈥檙e very happy to have got the win here.鈥
Canada had a couple of early scoring chances in the match.
In the eighth minute, David sneaked behind the Jamaican defence and fired a shot that goaltender Andre Blake stopped. Late in the half, Larin had a good chance from distance, blasting a ball that a diving Blake got a hand on.
Jamaica鈥檚 Leon Bailey had two good looks in the first half. In the 15th minute, he fired a ball that just missed the far corner of the net. Later, he hit the crossbar off a corner kick from Bobby De Cordova-Reid.
The Jamaican side suffered a blow when forward Michail Antonio, who plays for West Ham United, left the match early in the first half with an injury.
Canada, Mexico, the U.S. and Costa Rica were given byes into the final eight of the competition, based on the March 2023 CONCACAF rankings.
Panama, Jamaica, Honduras and Trinidad and Tobago advanced through a qualifying round in the September and October international windows.
The quarterfinal losers have a chance to join them, via a single-match elimination play-in in March that will decide the two remaining slots for CONCACAF entries.
Canada now has a quick turnaround before the home game in Toronto.
鈥淭hey are very good players on that team,鈥 Biello said about Jamaica. 鈥淲e know they can change the play at any moment.
鈥淲e know we have to get the job done, play our way on our home field. We are halfway there.鈥
NOTES: The Canadian men鈥檚 last win in Jamaica was a 4-0 decision on April 5, 1988. 鈥 In their last meeting in March 2022, Canada defeated Jamaica 4-0 at BMO field, clinching a World Cup qualification. 鈥 Canada鈥檚 23-man roster for the game had 19 players who were part of the World Cup team. 鈥 Canada Soccer says over 35,000 tickets have been sold for the Dec. 5 women鈥檚 match against Australia in Vancouver which will be Christine Sinclair鈥檚 final game in international competition.
This report by 香港六合彩挂牌资料 was first published Nov. 18, 2023.
