Canada
\u200bSoccer’s Men’s National Team fell 0:1 to United States in their final Group B
\u200bmatchup at the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup in Kansas City, Kansas. Shaq Moore’s 1’
\u200bgoal secured first place in Group B for the USA with Canada advancing as the
\u200bsecond-place finisher to a Quarterfinal matchup against the winner of Group C which
\u200bwill be Jamaica or Costa Rica pending their final group stage match on Tuesday
\u200b20 July.
Both Canada
\u200band USA had already qualified to the Concacaf Gold Cup Quarterfinals after
\u200bback-to-back wins against Martinique and Haiti to open the group phase. Both
\u200bnations will play their Quarterfinal match on Sunday 25 July in Arlington, TX..
\u200bAll of Canada’s matches at the 2021 Concacaf Gold Cup are broadcast live on
\u200bOneSoccer and fans will find extended coverage across Canada Soccer’s digital
\u200bchannels on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and YouTube featuring the hashtag
\u200b#CANMNT.
“I think
\u200bthere’s pride in the effort from the guys as they showed some good
\u200badaptability, but we’re disappointed because there was a big chance to beat the
\u200bUS in their home and go top of Group B,” said John Herdman, Men’s National Team
\u200bHead Coach. “We have seven days until the quarters, so we’ll recoup and
\u200bget these boys ready for whatever opponent comes next.”
The first
\u200bminute goal sealed the victory for the USA despite a tremendous effort
\u200bthroughout the remainder of the match from Canada.
With a number
\u200bof players rested and Stephen Eustaquio unavailable due to yellow card
\u200baccumulation, Canada were still able to create problems for US goalkeeper Matt
\u200bTurner forcing a number of saves throughout spells of attack in both the first
\u200band second half.
In addition, a
\u200bfirst-half substitution of Ayo Akinola who left the match with a right leg
\u200binjury, and second half injury replacement for Cyle Larin created challenges
\u200bfor Canada.
The US scored
\u200balmost from kickoff going long off the start. Canada had a few chances to
\u200bclear, but the ball stayed in the air under pressure until the US were able to
\u200bget a bit of space, play wide to GK Max Crepeau’s right, and then back across
\u200bthe goal to a streaking Moore who’d left his mark.
Canada nearly
\u200bgot it right back. After a foul in the 3’, Junior Hoilett knocked a ball far
\u200bpost on to the head of Sam Piette, whose effort was saved by Turner.
Five minutes
\u200blater, a great release pass from Alistair Johnston to Richie Laryea led to a
\u200bquick combination with Hoilett that sprung Laryea into space. Laryea took the
\u200bball into the USA box and was taken down by Walker Zimmerman for a penalty
\u200bshout that never came.
Canada had a
\u200bchance in the 37’ as Osorio and Larin combined to create space for Tajon
\u200bBuchanan in the box. Buchanan laid off for first-half substitute Osorio who
\u200btook a step, then a touch and fired into traffic.
Buchanan
\u200bcreated a couple of first-half injury time chances to close out the half, the
\u200bbest coming to Johnston at the back post after a Larin dummy pass.
Canada started
\u200bthe second half on the front foot as well. A Larin run ended as he was
\u200bclattered into atop the US box with the ball falling into the path of Buchanan
\u200bwho forced a stop point blank from Turner.
Laryea was
\u200btaken down in the penalty area in the 50’ for a second time with no call from
\u200bthe referee.
After a pair
\u200bof second-half substitutions, Johnston and Buchanan combined which led to a
\u200bcurling cross by Buchanan in the 76’ that was just a touch too high for
\u200bCavallini and just out of reach of a streaking Johnston at the back post.
Buchanan’s
\u200bcurling effort just a few minutes later (79’) was impossibly close to finding
\u200bthe inside of the back post behind Turner.
Canada had one
\u200blast chance for goal in second-half injury time with Lucas Cavallini having a
\u200bgo from just outside the box in the 90’ +2. Turner again was able to take the
\u200bshot.
“We played a
\u200bgood game,” said Richie Laryea. “I thought we got into dangerous places and we
\u200bshould have capitalized on some of our opportunities, but, after going down so
\u200bearly I think we fought very well and we created a lot of opportunities for
\u200bourselves.”
Canada’s
\u200bstarting XI featured Maxime Crépeau in goal, Alistair Johnston at right back,
\u200bSteven Vitória at centre back, Kamal Miller at left back, and Richie Laryea,
\u200bTajon Buchanan, Liam Fraser, Samuel Piette, Cyle Larin, Ayo Akinola and Junior
\u200bHoilett from the midfield up through to the attack. Herdman replaced
\u200bAkinola with Jonathan Osorio (24’), Larin with Lucas Cavallini (53’), and
\u200bPiette and Hoilett with Mark-Anthony Kaye and Tyler Pasher (73’).
CANADA SOCCER’S
\u200bMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM PROGRAM:
Canada
\u200bSoccer’s Men’s National Team are two-time Concacaf champions, previously
\u200bwinning the 1985 Concacaf Championship and 2000 Concacaf Gold Cup. This year
\u200bmarks Canada’s 15th participation at the Concacaf Gold Cup since 1991. Along
\u200bwith their first-place finish in 2000, Canada reached the Semifinals in 2002
\u200band 2007. Across the past five years from 2017 to 2021, Canada are one of only
\u200bfour nations that have finished top-six across all three Concacaf major
\u200btournaments: fifth place in Concacaf Nations League A and sixth place at both
\u200bthe 2017 and 2019 Concacaf Gold Cups.