2002 World Cup Qualifier played Wednesday November 15th, 2000.
Here are the results of the World Cup qualifying game between the men's teams of Canada and Mexico played at Varsity Stadium in Toronto at 7:00pm.
Game notes compiled by watching a videotape of the television broadcast. I was standing with the Voyageurs fans in the stands with a boat horn adding to the noise. The weather was only 2oC with a southwest wind.
Canada (all white, red numbers and trim)
........................................1 Pat Onstad
............3 Mark Watson (cpt)...4 Tony Menezes...5 Carl Fletcher
.............................................8 Nick Dasovic
2 Daniel Imhof...6 Jason Bent...7 Marc Bircham...11 Jim Brennan
........................9 Carlo Corrazzin...10 Garret Kusch
Subs:...22 Mike Franks (gk)...15 Jason deVos (def)...13 Mark Rogers (def)...12 Martin Nash (mid/fwd)...14 Dwayne DeRosario (fwd).
Mexico (red socks, white shorts and numbers, green shirts)
.............................................1 Jorge Campos
..............22 Joaquin Beltran...2 Claudio Suarez (cpt)...5 Duilio Davino
13 Pavel Pardo...20 Victor Ruiz...19 Miguel Zepeda...16 Alberto Coyote...7 Ramon Ramirez
..................................23 Jared Borgueti...15 Luis Hernandez
Subs:...6 Marco A Ruiz (mid)...8 Alberto Macias (def)...10 Javier Lozano (mid)...11 Daniel Osorno (fwd)...12 Oscar Perez (gk)...17 Francisco Palencia (fwd)...21 Juan P Rodriguez (mid)
Officials:...referee Richard Contreras, referee's assistants Luis Cabrera and Mendoza Guzman, fourth official Rony Labour.
1st Half:...game starts 7:09pm. Canada defends north goal.
2 min...Can Kusch receives pass on right edge of box and backheels centering pass along edge of box to Can Bent who passes along line to charging Can Brennan who blasts shot from left of net to outside short side of net with Mex goalie diving to left.
7 min...Mex Ruiz intercepts ball on edge of Can box and pushes ball ahead to Mex Borgueti who has ball hooked away by Can Menezes as Borgueti falls in box.
8 min...Mex Hernandez centers from left side into box but Can Fletcher heads ball out of box.
10 min...Mex Zepeda crosses from right, Can goalie drifts off line to catch ball on left side of box.
11 min...Can Menezes freekick from 35 yards is shot into box is headed by Canadian player in Mex box but defender clears bouncing ball.
13 min...Can Imhof from 30 yards on right sends high ball into box that Can Corazzin outjumps defender to on left side of goal about 8 yards out and heads it across to Can Kusch who outjumps his defender and heads ball to top left corner of net but leaping Mex goalie grabs ball.
15 min...Can Imhof good run down right wing beating defender but second defender cuts his angle and kicks away ball for corner.
15 min...Can cornerkick from right but ball headed around in box and cleared away.
16 min...Can kicks ball from right back into box but bounces to wide left side of box Can Brennan charges in and crosses back across box but defender clears away ball.
18 min...Can Brennan from left side of box sends in low cross that defender clears.
21 min...Mex Zepeda sends in low cross from right that Can defender clears out of box.
23 min...Mex Pardo takes freekick from near right cornerkick flag, sends high ball that leaping Can defender heads away from box.
25 min...Can Corazzin on run into box has Mex defender concede cornerkick when he pushes ball too far ahead when passing by first defender.
25 min...Can Bircham cornerkick from right, leaping Can Kusch can't turn header and it wide left from 7 yards.
26 min...Can Bircham cornerkick from left, Mex goalie catches high ball on right post.
30 min...Mex Ramirez shot on left edge of Can box is shanked well wide right.
32 min...Can Imhof beats defender but pushes pass into Mex box too far for Can Kusch to get to it and rolls for goal kick.
33 min...Can Brennan long run on left wing, stops and cuts around two defenders shadowing him and runs into box and rushes weak shot rolls wide left of post.
33 min...Can Bircham freekick from left is headed out of box by defenders.
34 min...Can Bircham 25 yard shot over defenders and ball just wide left of post. Mex goalie was hurt on play although noone was around him. He may have got his studs caught in the turf.
36 min...Can Kusch rushes into Mex box to play 40 yard shot into box but and outjumps defender but heads wide right of net from 7 yards. Can awarded cornerkick.
37 min...Can Bircham cornerkick from right is headed around in box before being kicked out. Mex Suarez is injured in box looked like he bumped heads jumping for ball with Can Kusch.
39 min...Can Dasovic kicks 15 yard shot to edge of Mex box where Can Corazzin chests ball back to Can Bircham who bounces 25 yard shot that Mex goalie grabs on right side.
41 min...Can Kusch backchecks and steals ball from Mex Beltran at Can 25 yard line on right, passes to Can Brennan who rushes up left wing, centers to Can Bent who pushes through ball too far forward to Can Corazzin who collides with charging Mex goalie as he picks up ball. Mex goalie is injured on play.
43 min...Can draws freekick on right side of Mex box. Can Bircham centers kick into box where leaping Can Corazzin heads from short right side and ball hits crossbar and bounces back towards Can Kusch on left post who has it bounce off his right thigh as he's trying to control it and bounces wide left of net.
46 min...Can goalie takes freekick from just outside his box, long kick is flick headed from Mex 40 yard line, Can Kusch rushes to right edge of Mex box, stops, and drops off pass to Can Imhof who hits 10 yard shot off right goalpost, rebound deflects out to Can Corazzin who blasts 12 yard shot off left post!
47 min...Can Bircham cornerkick from left is headed out by leaping Mex defender and Can player passes back wide to Bircham who's ruled offside.
48 min...half ends 7:57pm.
2nd Half:...starts 8:12pm.
Mex halftime sub...Palencia replaces Zepeda.
51 min...Mex Hernandez gets head injury at center line when squeezed on play with Can's Fletcher and Brennan.
54 min...Mex Suarez gains possession in crowd in Can end, pushes ball wide right to Mex Pardo pushes ball forward to Mex Hernandez who crosses from right side into Can box where Mex Suarez heads from 5 yards that leaping Can goalie pushes wide of top left corner of goal.
54 min...Mex short cornerkick from left that Mex Hernandez pops up header from 10 yards from goal in left side of box and leaping Can goalie catches ball.
56 min...Can Bircham cornerkick from right is headed out by leaping Mex forward.
57 min...Mex goalie almost has Can Kusch strip him of ball and has to knock ball out for corner.
57 min...Can Bircham cornerkick from right is headed back to Bircham who crosses in again but ball cleared by defender.
58 min...Can Brennan races down left wing but cross drifts behind net.
59 min...Mex Palencia at center line pushes ball towards Mex Hernandez but Can Fletcher steps in front of ball but pops ball up behind him to Hernandez who heads ball to Mex Borgueti who passes forward to charging Mex Palencia who takes 15 yard shot that Can goalie palms over bar although Palencia was ruled offside.
60 min...Can Brennan blasts 20 yard shot from just outside left corner of box that Mex goalie blocks.
61 min...Can Bircham sends in cross from freekick from 30 yards on right wing caught by Mex goalie on left of box with Can Kusch leaping for it but two Canadians offside in box.
62 min...Can Imhof crosses from right after beating Mex defender and ball headed down for Can Kusch but Mex defender clears it away before he has control.
63 min...Can YELLOW card...Watson for pulling down Mex Palencia on shoulder grab on rush about 30 yards from Can goal along left side.
64 min...Mex Ramirez fakes 25 yard freekick and runs forward, Mex Ruiz curls shot over four man Can wall just inside box and charging Mex Palencia heads it from five yards behind crowd of players but Can goalie reflex save blocks ball which deflects downward and Can defender clears out of box.
64 min...Mex Hernandez races down right side and rolls cross through box just too far forward for Mex Borgueti to get to it. Mex Palencia stops it near left touch line and crosses it back into box where leaping Can goalie catches it on right post.
66 min...Mex YELLOW card...Suarez for tackle on Can Menezes just outside center circle after Menezes won ball.
67 min...Can cornerkick from left into box, leaping Can Kusch can't redirect header with Mex goalie pushing ball away wide right along touch line.
68 min...Can Bent boots partial clearance from 25 yards well wide left of goal.
70 min...Can Imhof crosses into Mex box from 35 yards on right side but Mex defender leaps for header and Can Brennan pushes against him so freekick called.
72 min...Mex sub...Osorno replaces Hernandez.
72 min...Can Menezes freekick on right corner of Mex box after Can Bircham fakes kick is crossed to left post, leaping Can player heads from 5 yards and falling Mex goalie punches ball forward and Can Kusch spins and blasts 5 yard shot high wide right of net.
73 min...Can Menezes freekick from right wing about 30 yards out is kicked short and passed back out by Can player for Menezes who blasts 15 yard shot well wide left of goal (actually out past left throw-in line) from edge of box.
75 min...Mex Ruiz freekick from just outside left edge of box is crossed into box but Can defender heads ball down and another defender clears.
76 min...Mex sub...Macias replaces Ramirez.
77 min...Mex Suarez collects throw-in ball but boots ball well over bar from right corner of box.
81 min...Mex Ruiz 35 yard freekick from right, Can defender dives and heads ball low so another defender can clear.
82 min...Mex Suarez races down left wing, low cross into box rolls into crowd of players and deflects to left, Can goalie races wide to dive for it but can't pick it up, Mex forward chips along end line but Can goalie leaps to catch ball.
83 min...Mex Borgueti diving header from 10 yards is over net as cross from Mex Pardo on right wing is a bit too far forward.
85 min...Mex Palencia crosses in from right side, Mex Borgueti one touches 15 yard shot well over net.
86 min...Can Kusch crosses from left wing outside box, Can Bent slips on scissor kick from 15 yards and ball bounces to Mex goalie.
87 min...Can Bent escapes check on far right wing but cross drifts behind net.
88 min...Can Kusch flicks header from edge of box forward to Can Corazzin but Mex goalie gets to it first.
93 min...game ends 8:59pm.
Final Score:.......Canada.......0.........Mexico........0........
This was Canada's final qualifying game of World Cup 2002. This game was meaningless as Canada had been eliminated from reaching the Concacaf final round of qualifying and Mexico had already clinched a place. This venue favoured Canada as the weather was cold at just over the freezing level and the field was in bad shape, worn out by college football stomping into the field. The football lines were still visible. Both teams wore long sleeve shirts and gloves.
Canada had more chances to win hitting each goalpost on the same play and the crossbar just minutes before that. I thought coach of Canada should have used a substitute or two at forward during the last 20 minutes as it looked like it wasn't going to be the night when Kusch nor Corazzin could score and they looked tired near the end. Still Canada outplayed the 11th ranked team in the world who brought a full strength squad not the 'B-team' we were led to believe.
Attendance was announced as 6564. I was standing with the Voyageurs section rooting for Canada. Of course from where I stood, the noise sounded very pro-Canadian.
Rocket Robin
robing@toclo.com
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