May 11, 2007 Canada vs Argentina U-20s result (from Canadian Press)
POSTED ON: 11/05/07
Late header sinks Canada's under-20 squad
Canadian Press
TORONTO — Canadian coach Dale Mitchell wanted to give his team a taste of playing before a hometown crowd and to show them soccer South American-style in advance of meeting Chile to open the world under-20 soccer championships at BMO Field on July 1.
A friendly date with Argentina accomplished all of that Friday night, with the defending under-20 world champions showing a sting in their tail. Gabriel Mercado scored on a header in the 88th minute to give the South Americans a 2-1 win.
"They're a top team. They caused us some problems," Mitchell said. "But I was proud of the way our boys coped with it, competed. They played with a lot of energy.
"At times we caused them some problems. Overall the match was positive for us."
But there was only disappointment later on as goalkeeper Asmir Begovic reached up and got a desperate hand to Mercado's powerful header off a disputed corner, but couldn't keep it out.
Until then, the competitive game had seemed destined to end as a tie. The Canadians scrambled for a last-ditch equalizer but could not deliver.
Mitchell had no complaints, however.
"I wouldn't complain about a 2-1 loss to Argentina," he said.
David Edgar scored on an 18th-minute penalty for Canada, four minutes after Alejandro Gomez opened the scoring for Argentina.
Argentine coach Hugo Tocalli had little positive to say about BMO Field's artificial surface but praised the Canadians as a "strong team."
South American-style — sometimes expressed in theatrical tumbles at the merest hint of contact — was met by Canadian resolve on the night.
While there was an unwelcome ending Friday, the home team clearly has the stuff to win many fans this summer when the games mean something at the awkwardly named FIFA U-20 World Cup Canada 2007.
Winger Jaime Peters proved to be a thorn in the Argentina's side, flying in from both sides of the field at speed. Late in the first half, he beat two defenders and could have added a third had not the Argentine flung himself on the turf as if fouled.
Forward Andrea Lombardo, meanwhile, used his size and sandpaper-like attitude to annoy the visitors.
The game was an announced sellout at 20,055 but there were empty seats at BMO Field despite the fact — or perhaps partly because — free passes were given to all 14,000 Toronto FC season ticket-holders. Still there was plenty of atmosphere.
Defending champion Argentina is a powerhouse at this level, with five world titles including four of the last six. This Argentine starting 11 featured just five members of the 20-player squad that finished second to Brazil in South American qualifying for the 2007 tournament. Among those missing was starting goalkeeper Sergio Romero, who closed out the South American qualifier with a run of 390 unbeaten minutes.
The Argentine side that returns to Canada for the tournament will without doubt have far more teeth. After the match, Tocalli was quizzed about the top talent at his disposal which prompted him to list off players at a who's who of elite Spanish and Argentine club teams.
In contrast, Mitchell had access to all of his first-choice players with the exception of midfielder-forward Will Johnson, who was kept by his club Heerenveen for the Dutch playoffs.
The Canadian lineup included five returnees from the 2005 tournament: goalkeeper and captain Begovic (Portsmouth, England), defender Edgar (Newcastle, England), midfielders Jaime Peters (Ipswich, England) and Jonathan Beaulieu-Bourgault (FC St. Pauli, Germany) and forward Lombardo (Toronto FC).
Canada started brightly and had a real go at the South Americans in the first 10 minutes. But Argentina weathered the storm and began putting passes together with classy midfielder
Matias Sanchez pulling the strings.
The visitors were rewarded in the 14th minute when Gomez closed down a defender, winning the ball in the process. The Argentine made the most of it, catching Begovic in no-man's land and looping a 25-yard shot over him.
The Canadians answered four minutes later via an Edgar penalty after Simeon Jackson was nudged in the back as he tried to reach a Peters cross in front of goal. Goalkeeper Emiliano Centeno dove right and Edgar shot left to tie it up. The Newcastle defender then led his teammates to near the halfway line where they all literally danced in glee.
Keegan Ayre almost made in 2-1 for Canada in the 46th minute when he broke in through the defence but his shot hit the post. In the 71st and 82nd minutes, it was Argentina's turn — with Begovic forced to make acrobatic stops on long-range rockets.
Often all that was missing was a finisher in front of goal. Johnson should provide that this summer.
Friday's game marked the halfway point of a tour that is taking the Canadian team to all six tournament host cities.
Canada split a series in March against Scotland in B.C., winning 3-1 in Coquitlam — in a game that was shifted from Vancouver because of a waterlogged pitch — and losing 2-1 in Victoria.
After Toronto, it's off to Ottawa and Kingston, Ont., for games June 3 and 6 against the U.S. The Canadians wrap up the tour June 18 in Edmonton against the Czech Republic.
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