Canada Soccer Lately 02.12.11

Canada U-20 drawn into Group C for 2011 CONCACAF Men’s Under-20 Championship
Canada has been drawn into Group C for the upcoming 2011 CONCACAF Men’s Under-20 Championship. Canada, Costa Rica and Guadeloupe will face each other in the group phase of the 12-team competition starting 28 March in Ciudad Guatemala, Guatemala.

New dates for the competition were announced as 28 March to 10 April. Group C matches will be played on 28 March, 30 March and 1 April. The schedule has yet to be announced. The top two teams from Group C will face the top two teams from Group D in the quarter-final stage, with Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago and Cuba lined up in Group D.

Also participating in the 2011 competition are Guatemala, Honduras and Jamaica in Group A and USA, Panama and Suriname in Group B. Costa Rica, who were drawn into Group C with Canada, are the defending champions from the 2009 event.

To date, Canada has qualified for eight of the 17 FIFA U-20 World Cups dating back to 1977. Canada’s first participation was 1979. Canada has also won two CONCACAF Men’s Under-20 Championships, once in 1986 and then again in 1997.

The top four teams from the 2011 CONCACAF Men’s Under-20 Championship will qualify for the FIFA U-20 World Cup Colombia 2011. This summer’s tournament runs 29 July to 20 August.

Canada’s men’s U-20 team wins opening match of the 2011 season

Canada’s men’s U-20 team won its opening match of the 2011 season, winning 1:0 over Trinidad and Tobago in a Men’s U-20 International Friendly match in Sunrise, FL, USA. Canadian substitute John Pegg scored the lone goal in the second half of the 10 February 2011 match.

Pegg scored his goal in the 73rd minute after a good play by Russell Teibert. Teibert released Coulton Jackson who broke in down the right side and beat the goalkeeper, but didn’t beat the left post. Pegg collected the ball and slammed it into the back of the net for the 1-0 lead.

“It was a good result today,” said Canadian national coach Valerio Gazzola. “The players earned the victory.”

Canada’s goalkeeper Roberto Stillo, with the help of the back line of Francesco Augustin, Chris Suta, Sean Hart and Dominic Roberts, posted the clean sheet. The rest of Canada’s starting XI featured Teibert, Jonathan Osorio, Kevin Cobby, Stefan Cebara, Jackson and Cavallini from the midfield up through to the attack.

Coach Gazzola then made four substitutions in the second half: Cobby was replaced by John Pegg (63rd minute), Cebara was replaced by Massimo Mirabelli (65′), Cavallini was replaced by Justin Maheu (74′), and Jackson was replaced by Jordan Ongaro (81′).

Trinidad and Tobago made eight substitutions at the half plus a ninth change early in the second half. While Canada has been training in Sunrise, FL, USA since 5 February, the Trinidad and Tobago team only arrived into the country the previous night.

Canada maintained the upper hand for most of the match. In the first half, Canada won four corner kicks and created three good chances on goal. Of note, there was a good chance in the 17th minute after Francesco Augustin crossed it in to Lucas Cavallini and Cavallini headed it on goal. The Trinidad and Tobago goalkeeper made a nice save.

Teibert was strong throughout the match. He took a dangerous free kick in the 38th minute and also made a nice cross to Cavallini in the 44th minute.

While Canada maintained most of the possession in the first half, the Trindad and Tobago side was very good on the counter attack.

In the second half, Canada continued to press forward, ultimately winning the lead with the Pegg goal in the 73rd minute. Canada also defended well in the late stages of the match. Trinidad and Tobago’s best chance came in the 89th minute, but it was stopped by Canadian goalkeeper Stillo.

Today’s Canadian victory avenged the last meeting between these two sides at the 2009 CONCACAF Men’s Under-20 Championship. Both Canada and Trinidad and Tobago are currently preparing for the 2011 edition, with both teams set to compete in the 12-team competition from 3-17 April in Ciudad Guatemala, Guatemala. Four teams from that competition will qualify for the FIFA U-20 World Cup Colombia 2011.

Canada U-17 to make final selection on Saturday
Canada’s U-17 team continues its preparations this week in Sunrise, FL in advance of next week’s 2011 CONCACAF Men’s Under-17 Championship. Canada is gearing up with a nine-day training camp in USA before heading south to Jamaica on Sunday 13 February.

Coach Sean Fleming has some tough decisions ahead of him. With 23 players in camp, he needs to trim the roster down to 20 players by week’s end. Coach Fleming is expected to make those decisions on Saturday.

“It has been a very competitive camp with some great performances,” said national U-17 coach Sean Fleming. “It should hopefully bode well for some good performaces next week at the CONCACAF Men’s Under-17 Championship.”

The 2011 CONCACAF Men’s Under-17 Championship runs 14-27 February in Montego Bay, Jamaica. The 12-team competition is divided into four groups of three teams. Canada’s group matches are 17 February against Barbados (12.30 local kickoff) and 19 February against Honduras (12.30 local kickoff). Both matches will be played at Catherine Hall Stadium.

Should Canada finish first or second in its group (Group D), it will face either the second- or first-place team from Group C (either Jamaica, Guatemala or Trinidad and Tobago) in the quarter-final stage. The winner of the 23 February quarter-final not only advances to the semi-final stage, but also qualifies for the FIFA U-17 World Cup Mexico 2011.

The final four teams in the 2011 competition will play 25 February (semi-final stage) and 27 February (third-place match and championship final). All matches from the quarter-final stage through to the final will be played at Catherine Hall Stadium. While Canada plays its group matches at Catherine Hall Stadium, other group matches will be played at Jarrett Park.

Canada has participated in four editions of the FIFA U-17 World Cup. It last qualified for the global event in 1995. With improved competition in the region, the 2011 CONCACAF Men’s Under-17 Championship has expanded from eight to 12 teams, with four teams advancing to the FIFA U-17 World Cup Mexico 2011 (plus a fifth team in host Mexico).