The politicians giving their speeches in the pre-game ceremony.
Results of the international friendly played Friday May 11, 2007 between the men's Under 20 teams of Canada and Argentina at BMO Field in Toronto at 8:00pm.
Canada U-20 (all red, white numbers and trim)
......................1 Asmir Begovic (cpt)
2 Nana Attakora-Gyan...5 David Edgar...4 Marcus Haber...3 Kent O'Connor
.............8 Ayre Keegan...6 Jonathan Beaulieu Borgault...10 Cristian Nunez
................9 Andrea Lombardo...7 Jaime Peters...14 Simeon Jackson
Subs:...17 Michael D'Agostino...18 Alex Elliott...11 Gabe Gala...19 AJ Gray...22 Zach Kalthoff...15 Olivier Lacoste-Lebuis...12 Stephen Lumley...16 Gavin McCallum...20 David Monsalve...13 Tosaint Ricketts
team officials:...head coach Dale Mitchell...assistant coach Nick Dasovic...equipment mgr/goalkeeping coach Kevin Muldoon...physio Eddie Cannon...strength & coordination coach Randy Celebrini...doctor Dr Sanjay Gupta...national team administrator Dave Nutt
Argentina U-20 (white socks, black shorts and numbers, light blue & white striped shirts)
....................1 Emiliano Centeno
14 Juan Daniel Forlin...2 Gabriel Mercado...6 Diego Braghieri...3 Marcelo Cardozo
..............8 Leandro Morales...5 Matias Sanchez (cpt)...19 Alejandro Gomez...11 Leonel Vangioni
.....................18 Santiago Malano...21 Jonatan Chaves
Subs:...4 Saniago Villafane...7 Diego Perotti...9 Milton Joel Caraglio...12 Agustin Marchesin...13 Fernando Meza...15 Federico Scoppa...15 Nicolas Dul...17 Facundo Coria...20 Jorge Sotomayor
team officials:...AFA director Hugo Toschi...tech director Hugo Tocalli...preparador Prof Eduardo Kiriluk...doctor Dr Daniel Martinez...kinesiology Raul Lamas...jefe de prensa Ricardo Ruiz...assistant Paticiao Auzmendia
Game officials:...referee Baldomero Toledo (USA)...referee's assistants Amato DeLuca (Can) and Hector Vergara (Can)...fourth official Steve De Piero (Can)...(all black uniforms, neon green trim)
1st Half:...game starts 8:12pm...Canada defends north end.
3 sec...Arg long shot caught by goalie.
2 min...Can O'Connor clears cross Arg Bangioni cross into box from near right corner flag behind own end line.
2 min...Arg Chaves cornerkick from right has leaping Arg Forlin head ball wide left from 7 yards on left post.
4 min...Can Jackson has defender high kick ball away inside Arg box.
7 min...Can Ayre 40 yard freekick looks like it went off defender's hand in box but only throw-in awarded when it was cleared from box.
7 min...Can Jackson crosses in from left edge of box, Can Lombardo on left heads ball to Can Peters but easily stopped from taking shot by four defenders.
8 min...Arg Vangioni injured at center line when he crashes with Can Bourgault.
9 min...Arg Chaves cornerkick from right bounces through 6 yard box unplayed.
10 min...Can Ayre 40 yard freekick from left is over players in box wide right for goal kick.
11 min...Arg Malano is offside in rush up middle.
13 min...Arg Alejandro Gomez GOAL...Can O'Connor giveaway has Gomez chip goalie Asmir Begovic off line from 20 yards and ball land into right side of net.
16 min...Can Jackson pushed by Arg Forlin while leaping for ball inside Arg box after Can Peters crossed into the box from right side. Referee Baldomero Toledo awards Can a penalty kick.
17 min...Can David Edgar GOAL...Edgar's Penalty kick to low right corner as goalie Emiliano Centeno dives to left side of net.
18 min...Can Edgar injured after restart.
18 min...Arg Gomez spinning kick in Can box from ten yards is wide right of net.
22 min...Can Ayre 35 yard freekick from right bounces through box for cornerkick.
22 min...Can Ayre cornerkick from left has leaping Can Lombardo on right head back across box but Arg defender heads away clearance.
23 min...Can Peters pops up header from 20 yards that bounces to goalie who beats Can Lombardo to ball.
24 min...Arg Malano good control of ball on run down middle on 1 on 2 but shanks 20 yard shot well wide left.
26 min...Can Peters low cross from right that Arg defender diving header cleared. Can Ayre 20 yard rebound kick blocked.
27 min...Can Attakora-Gyan slides into block cross by Arg Cardozo after run to Can end line on right. Ball deflects for cornerkick.
28 min...Arg Gomez cornerkick from left has leaping goalie grab.
29 min...Can Lombardo touches ball through to Can Jackson who crosses through box ahead of Can player.
30 min...Can Peters races by Arg Mercado and on 1 on 1 has low 18 yard shot blocked by sprawling goalie.
34 min...Arg Chaves cornerkick from right has defender Can Attakora-Gyan on left prevent charging Arg Vangioni connect with ball from 5 yards on left.
35 min...Can goalie catches cornerkick from left after crash in box on near post.
36 min...Can goalie catches deflected ball on 30 yard shot by Arg Gomez.
37 min...Can Lombardo on right on 2 on 1 break has Arg defender boot ball over own net to prevent Can Jackson from getting ball.
37 min...Can Ayre cornerkick from right has Can player on left pop up header and goalie leap in crowd of players to grab ball before Can Lombardo can connect on header from 6 yards.
38 min...Arg Gomez blasts 25 yard centering pass well over net.
39 min...Can Peters on rush on right pushes ball too far and Arg defender clears for throw-in.
39 min...Can Bourgault low blast has Can Lombardo partially stop ball at 12 yards.
42 min...Arg Vangioni chips 25 yard shot into box that bounces to goalie.
43 min...Can defenders crowd out Arg Forlin from getting to play long bouncer to edge of Can box.
44 min...Arg Forlin injured in hard hit by Can O'Connor in Arg end sideline.
45 min...Arg Malano ruled offside on another chip into Can box from center circle.
46 min...Can Peters on rush loses posssion on run into Arg box and gets called for pulling down defender.
46 min...half ends 8:58pm.
2nd Half:...starts 9:14pm.
45 min...Arg Chaves down left and cross from 25 yards caught by goalie.
46 min...Can Ayre slides shot that hits right goalpost beyond goalie and defender Arg Forlin from 15 yards.
47 min...Arg Vangioni 30 yard shot up middle is well wide left.
49 min...Can Edgar clears ball in Can box that Arg player had worked into box.
50 min...Arg Chaves cross through box from 15 yards on left drifts for goalkick.
53 min...Can Ayre freekick from 25 yards near right sideline has Arg Vangioni head away from middle of box.
55 min...Arg sub...Coria replaces Chaves.
.............Arg sub...Caraglio replaces Malano.
................Can sub...Gala replaces O'Connor.
56 min...Can goalie diving save on Arg Coria's 20 yard low shot.
59 min...Arg Coria cornerkick from right has Arg Forlin on left head ball wide left from 5 yards.
60 min...Can Lombardo crosses from right just over leaping Can Jackson at 4 yards.
62 min...Can Edgar 50 yard freekick is over Can forward and caught by goalie.
62 min...Arg Coria misses on sliding attempt on left as ball crosses too far.
64 min...Can Edgar 55 yard freekick is through box and defender clears wide left.
66 min...Can Lombardo steals ball from defender and run on right has low 20 yard shot saved by diving goalie.
70 min...Arg Caraglio pass to Arg Coria whose 22 yard shot is pushed wide right by flying goalie.
71 min...Can Attakora-Gyan injured in own end.
71 min...Arg sub...Scoppa replaces Gomez.
73 min...Can Peters rush on right wing and cross bounces across box unplayed.
74 min...Can Lombardo rush on right cross caught by goalie.
75 min...Arg Morales 30 yard shot is low and wide left.
76 min...Can sub...Lacoste-Lebuis replaces Attakora-Gyan.
78 min...Can Lombardo 20 yard kick with defender hanging on is wide left.
78 min...Arg Caraglio rolls 27 yard shot wide right.
80 min...Arg Scoppa centered ball and 22 yard shot is wide right.
81 min...Arg Vangioni rush up middle and 20 yard shot pushed wide right over net by flying goalie.
82 min...Can sub...Ricketts replaces Jackson.
83 min...Arg sub...Dul replaces Morales.
83 min...Arg Coria freekick from 25 yards hits closest man in wall.
84 min...Arg Forlin injured on edge of Can box and a stretcher is needed. Can Nunez is also injured but not as badly.
86 min...Arg sub...Sotomayor replaces injured Forlin before play resumes.
86 min...Can YELLOW card...Lombardo for knock at center.
87 min...Arg Gabriel Mercado GOAL...Arg Coria cornerkick from right is blocked but Coria gets partial clearance and recrosses from 20 yards on right. Mercado charging across middle heads from 7 yards that Can goalie gets hand to ball up can't keep out of net as he flies left to try to make save.
88 min...Can Ayre gets cross from right and 15 yard header bounces to goalie.
89 min...Can Ayre 30 yard freekick has Can player pop up header from 10 yards for goalie to catch.
90 min...Can Ayre cornerkick from left has defender on right head over net.
92 min...Can Ayre cornerkick from right has defender knock behind end line on left.
93 min...Can Ayre cornerkick from left has ball headed forward by Can player from 12 yards but Arg defender at 7 yards head out of box.
94 min...Arg Vangioni 22 yard shot is over net on rush.
95 min...game ends 10:04pm.
Final Score:............Canada U-20s.........1...............Argentina U-20s.............2..............
Attendance was given as 20055 but I noticed quite a few empty seats. Tickets for this game were given as part of the Toronto FC season ticket package but I'd say they weren't all used. Lots of them ended up in the hands of Argentina fans because it looked like they made up about 35% of the fans.
The MLS Toronto FC team has at least a development contract signed with Canadian players Nana Attakora-Gyan, Gave Gala, Andrea Lombardo, Stephen Lumley, and Cristian Nunez. I'd say making this part of the season ticket package was a great way for the U-20s to play in Canada to a mostly pro-home crowd on short notice. I was at the Canada vs USA U-20 last year at Rogers Centre last year in front of less than 4000 fans.
Hyundai MVPs for the game were named as Jaime Peters for Canada and Leandro Morales for Argentina.
The game was very even in the first half but Argentina was better at ball possession in the second half until after their winning goal where it looked like they were hanging on. Argentina were getting closer and closer in their attempts for the 15 minutes until their second goal.
Pregame ceremonies involved a violinist entertaining us with music. Then a set of speakers from all levels of government boasting about how much money they'd put up to build this stadium. Toronto councillor Joe Pantalone introduced each speaker. Ms Georges as the Federal Minister of Sports spoke first then Peter Fonseca from the Ontario government. Toronto Mayor David Miller followed then from FIFA president Joseph Blatter and Concacaf federation head Jack Warner. Finally Canadian Soccer Association president Colin Linford. The fans booed the last of the political speakers mostly from boredom. Jack Warner had the best reception when he said he'd cut his speech short and he'd let Joseph Blatter speak for him.
Rocket Robin
robing@eol.ca
The politicians giving their speeches in the pre-game ceremony.
Argentina starters
Canadian starters
Argentina players Jonatan Chaves and Santiago Malano waiting to kick off.
Keegan Ayre ready to take freekick for Canada.
Canadian players walk around stadium to thank the fans after the game.
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