Result of the Sunday May 13, 2008 Canada U20s vs. Argentina U20s friendly played at BMO Field in Toronto at 4;00pm.

Canada U-20s (all red, white numbers and trim)

.......................1 Adam Street
12 Paris Nakajima-Farran...5 Nana Attakora-Gyan (cpt)...4 Marcus Haber...3 Alex Suprenant
6 Shaun Saiko...7 Sean Rosa...8 Brandon Bonifacio...10 Gabe Gala
................9 Jarek Whiteman...11 Derek Gaudet

Subs:...(that got into game)...14 Vladimir Vurovic...13 Joey Melo...22 Michal Misiewicz (gk)...17 Michael Pereira...16 Mozesh Gyorio
team officials:...head coach Ray Clark...technical director Stephen Hart...equipment manager & goalkeeper coach Kevin Muldoon...doctor Dr John Philpott...athletic therapist Garo Demerdjian...national teams administrator Dave Nutt

Argentina U-20s (black socks, shorts, and numbers, white and sky blue striped shirts)

........................1 Diego Rodriguesz (cpt)
4 Fenando Meza...2 Federico Fernandez...6 Alexis Machuca...3 Maximiliano Oliva
7 Cristian Gaitan...8 Gustavo Bou...5 Ezequiel Benavidez...19 Leandro Velazquez
................11 Jonatan Lopez...9 Eduardo Salvo

Subs:...(that got into game)...17 Damien Lizzio...20 Diego Nandaya...16 Gonzalo Bazan...14 Mateo Musacchio
team officials:...head coach Sergio Batista

Game officials:...referee Paul Ward...referee's assistants Isaac Raymond and Pierre Catave...fourth official Silviu Petrescu (all from Canada)...(yellow shirts, black shorts and socks)

1st Half:...game starts 4:10pm...Canada defend north end on this cool afternoon with a strong wind swirling outward from all directions of the stadium--I could see by the ways the flags were blowing.
1 min...Arg Oliva on left gets rebound on own long throw-in and his cross has goalie catch.
4 min...Arg Oliva cross from left into Can box and Arg player pops up header and Can Saiko clears.
6 min...Arg Fernandez gives up ball but recovers on edge of Arg box to prevent shot from Can Gaudet.
7 min...Arg Fernandez sliding tackle prevents Can Rosa's getting run into box on right.
9 min...Arg Benavidez 30 yard shot from left into box is over two leaping Arg players wide right for goalkick.
11 min...Arg Velazquez 35 yard freekick from right can't be turned by Arg forward at 7 yards and ball goes wide left for goalkick.
12 min...Arg Velazquez 40 yard freekick from middle is over forward 3 yards wide left of net for goalkick.
14 min...Arg Gaitan told to get up by referee after taking dive when Arg player twist shoulders him a pass inside the box.
15 min...Arg Velazquez low 20 yard shot up middle is caught by goalie diving left.
16 min...Arg Oliva long throw-in from left is caught by goalie in crowd of players.
17 min...Arg Gaitan on rush takes 35 yard shot up the middle that's caught low by goalie.
19 min...Arg Lopez charge to through ball on left and his low cross from 10 yards on end line is caught by goalie diving forward.
21 min...Can Whiteman holds off two defenders near right cornerflag but eventually a goalkick is called when he breaks out and slips and ball rolls over end line.
23 min...Arg Velazquez rolls through ball pass from 40 yards directly to goalie.
23 to 31 minutes---just a lot of midfield play that gets broken up.
31 min...Arg Salvo 25 yard blast up middle after breaking a tackle has goalie palm ball over net.
32 min...Arg Bou cornerkick from left is over players in box and Arg Salvo on right heads back towards center and then kicks cross but both are blocked.
34 min...Can Rosa on right is bumped off ball but wins cornerkick.
35 min...Can Suprenant cornerkick from right has Arg defender head ball wide left for cornerkick.
35 min...Can Suprenant cornerkick from right has defender head popped up ball away.
36 min...Arg Fernandez wins freekick when Can player pushes him over in Arg box.
38 min...Arg Bou 30 yard shot up middle is just over net.
40 min...Can Gala holds off defender in left corner and crosses from end line and Can Rosa heads ball in box but defender clears.
41 min...Can Suprenant 40 yard freekick from right has goalie punch ball forward in crowd of players to clear.
44 min...Arg Oliva long throw-in from left has defender eventually clear ball from box and prevent Arg Lopez 10 yard shot on sliding tackle.
45 min...Can Saiko leads rush to edge of Arg box but is checked from behind.
46 min...Arg Bou rolls ball forward to Arg Salvo who taps ball off to Arg Lopez whose 5 yard shot from left is batted wide left by flying goalie.
47 min...Arg Bou cornerkick from left has goalie punch ball foward in crowd of players in box near left post.
48 min...half ends 4:58pm.

2nd Half:...starts 5:15pm...weather conditions are the same.
halftime subs:...Can Melo replaces Gaudet.
..............Can Vukovic replaces Rosa.
..............Can Misiewicz replaces Street in goal.
46 min...Arg Salvo cuts diagonnaly on run down field and cuts in 20 yard shot from left edge of box that's caught by goalie.
47 min...Can YELLOW card...Saiko earns the card for a hand ball in the center circle.
47 min...Arg player's flick-scoop kick into Can box is called offside.
50 min...Can Vukovic run on right crosses into Arg box is just a step ahead of diving Can Gala 3 yards out charging into net.
53 min...Can Whiteman checked off ball on edge of box preventing shot.
54 min...Can YELLOW card...Melo earns it for a tackle near the center circle.
55 min...Can goalie charges left to smother through ball.
56 min...Arg Oliva chips goalie from 25 yards and just misses right corner of net.
56 min...Arg sub...Lizzio replaces Gaitan.
57 min...Argentina U20s Jonatan Lopez GOAL...Arg Leandro Velazquez 30 yard freekick from right has Lopez flick 10 yard yard header that goalie Michal Misiewicz gets hand to as he's falling back and he pushes ball into high part of net.
58 min...Canada U20s Shaun Saiko GOAL...Can Gabe Gala crosses from 25 yards on left and flying Saiko heads ball from 3 yards into right side of net past goalie Diego Rodriguez.
60 min...Arg Velazquez injured at Arg 40 yard line.
60 min...Can sub...Pereira replaces Saiko.
64 min...Can defender concedes cornerkick on Arg rush on left wing.
64 min...Arg Bou from left has goalie leap to catch ball over players in box.
65 min...Arg Salvo wins freekick when he's tripped up on run up middle.
66 min...Arg sub...Nadaya replaces Lopez.
67 min...Arg Lizzio 25 yard freekick up middle from left deflects off defender and goalie sprawls on ball that changed direction.
68 min...Can Vukovic injured at Arg 40 yard line.
70 min...Arg Lizzio sidesteps into box but Can defender gets back to check him off the ball from behind and prevent shot.
70 min...Can Suprenant pokes ball away from Arg Nadaya on right for cornerkick.
71 min...Arg Velazquez cornerkick from right that has goalie get hand to on leap out left. Arg Lizzio blasts partial clearance from 20 yards through crowd of players wide left.
74 min...Can Haber gives up cornerkick when Arg forward bashes by Can defenders into box.
75 min...Arg Velazquez cornerkick from right has charging goalie catch ball in front of players in box.
76 min...Arg Benavidel concedes cornerkick with header over own end line.
76 min...Can Melo cornerkick from left has ball headed around in box after Arg defender pops ball up. Arg defender clears.
78 min...Can sub...Gyorio replaces Whiteman.
82 min...Arg Lizzio on right for pass on right is offside.
83 min...Arg sub...Bazan replaces Velazquez.
85 min...Can Suprenant rush on left and threads pass to Can Gala who gets off shot from 20 yards around two defenders and flying goalie 5 yards off line catches ball. Arg Oliva injured on play.
87 min...Arg YELLOW card...Bou earns it for sliding tackle from behind on Can Gala for ball that was foing out of bounds anyway.
87 min...Can Melo 50 yard freekick from left has Arg defenders hold off shots outside box.
89 min...Can Melo 30 yard freekick from left sideline has goalie in crowd of players leap and punch ball out of box.
89 min...Can Vukovic skips 30 yard freekick up middle wide right of goal on bounce.
90 min...Can Suprenant recovers to check ball away from Arg player on right side of box who'd just deked him.
90 min...Arg sub...Musacchio replaces Oliva.
91 min...Arg Lizzio on rush on right takes 20 yard shot that diving goalie pushes wide left.
91 min...Arg Bou cornerkick from left is into box but cleared by defender.
92 min...Arg Musaccio hooks ball wide right from 18 yards on shot with back to goal.
93 min...Can Gala cross from left has goalie leap to catch but he bobbles ball and a defender clears from one yard line.
94 min...game ends 6:04pm.

Final Score:.......Canada U20s......1.........Argentina U20s.........1............

Attendance was announced as 5136 but that seemed doubtful as there looked like there were more empty seats that that. There was almost noone in the west stand. This was a non-CSA promotion and the game was not well publized. This is an off-year for U20s games and qualifying for the next final in Egypt. It was also Mother's Day and the game was not announced for sure until last month. Chat boards that I read showed how the automated ticket seller tried to push everyone into the expensive $85 seats. The threatening rain and coolness of the day likely killed out the walk-up crowd. After the press conference I came outside to find a heavy rain had fallen since the game ended. (weather like that killed my note taking at the Toronto FC vs New York Red Bulls game the Thursday May 1st when I was outside). The near sellout last year had the benefit of tickets being included in the TFC season ticket package and the novelty of a new stadium. I'll be interested to see what attendance the upcoming game on Saturday May 24th here between the Brazil U20s and Wisla Krakow (the 2007-08 Polish champion) draws.

Adidas Man of the Match for Argentina was announced as their goalscorer Jonatan Lopez and for Canada the captain Nana Attakora-Gyan who had a strong game defensively.

Noone was sure how strong this team of Argentina's U20s actually were. Last year's exhibition game found only three Argentina players who played in that game on the lineup for the U-20 Final against Czech Republic two months later.

Argentina players wore long sleeves for this game while Canada had short sleeves.

At the press conference after the game Argentina head coach Sergio Batista mentioned a few times through a translator how his players are not used to playing on the turf of BMO Field. He knew Canada would play tough but they respect every team they play. He complimented the Canadian goalie(s), and #10 and #11 (ie Gabe Gala and Derek Gaudet). He expects none of these players to be on the U23 Olympic team this summer. Players Fernando Meza and Alexis Machuca also mentioned the turf. Both players mentioned their dreams of continuing on as an U20 and playing more internationals and their first division club teams.

Canadian head coach Ray Clark was in later to say today's effort exceeded his expectations. Their comeback was a great testament to their effort. He answered to the question if there was a legacy to last year's tournament by saying his team has a lot of defensive experience from three players held over from that team. He says it's also made pro soccer more popular and hopes that the MLS will expand to Vancouver and Montreal.

I was thanking CSA Media coordinator Richard Scott and he said he hopes to hold many more international games in Toronto.

Canada U20s starters

Argentina U20s starters

start of the game with Canada kicking off

action in the Argentina corner

post game press conference with #6 Alexis Machuca, head coach Sergio Batista, and #4 Fernando Meza

post game press conference with head coach Ray Clark

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