June 1, 2011 Canada vs Ecuador International Friendly (from Canadian Soccer Association website)
1.6.2011 - CAN 2:2 ECU Friendly match international amical Location: Toronto, ON Stadium: BMO Field Attendance: 14356 Kickoff: 19.00 local (19.00 ET / 16.00 PT) Broadcast: Rogers Sportsnet Match Tracker: SCORE FINAL Canada: CAN MNT Opponent: ECU (Ecuador) It was a dramatic finish to Canada's send off match in Toronto as Tosaint Ricketts scored a last-minute goal to draw Canada even 2:2 with visiting Ecuador. On a very quick free kick taken by Julian de Guzman, with the Ecuador players caught unprepared, Ricketts snuck in and slotted the ball past goalkeeper Marcelo Elizaga for the equalising effort. It was Canada's last international test before this summer's 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Both Canada and Ecuador are preparing for their continental championships, with Canada (CONCACAF) competing in June and Ecuador (CONMEBOL / South America) competing in July. Ecuador was moments away from a win on second half goals by Christian Benítez and Michael Arroyo. Canada’s de Guzman took advantage of a late free kick while Ecuador players were preoccupied questioning referee Raymond Bogle. The Canadian veteran found substitute Ricketts who came in on goal and beat Elizaga. “We tell the players to look for opportunities when you have free kicks, to take a quick free kick and take advantage of disorganization,” said Hart. “It is our right to take a quick free kick and we did.” Terry Dunfield scored Canada’s other goal, giving Canada a 1-0 lead midway through the first half. Both Dunfield and Ricketts scored the first goals of their international careers. Ecuador struck for two goals in a span of two minutes. First, Benítez scored while uncovered on a corner kick, heading the ball by a helpless Milan Borjan in the Canadian goal. Two minutes later, midfielder Michael Arroyo drove up the middle and sent a blistering shot from 30 yards out past Borjan. “What a goal,” said Hart. “We allowed him to come in, there was no pressure on the ball and clearly that was part of their tactic to bring in the player late and let him shoot for distance. It worked for them.” Late in the second half, Canada rediscovered its possession game with the pressure, setting up the free kick that led to the Ricketts goal. Despite the late heroics, Hart was upset with his team, claiming it strayed away from the game plan. “I don’t think we played very well,” said Hart. “Too many players didn’t want to accept the responsibility to keep the ball and do what was right and even though at times we played in spurts it was not good enough on the day.” Hart started Simeon Jackson up front as the lone striker. The move paid off as Jackson and Dwayne De Rosario were a handful. Their drives through the middle rattled the Ecuador defence. Their pressure helped open up the play midway through the first half with Dunfield the beneficiary, capitalizing on a Josh Simpson centering pass to make it 1-0 Canada. Following a spell of possession, De Rosario found Simpson who sent the ball into the middle to Dunfield. The Canadian midfielder controlled it and sent a blast from 30 yards out past Elizago. Canada had numerous chances to extend the lead in the first half, while Ecuador had plenty of its own to draw even. Defensive breakdowns, missed chances and an inability to protect the ball allowed Ecuador to get back into the game and take the lead in the second half. “It’s frustrating that it took sort of two goals to wake us up a bit,” said centreback André Hainault. “Even at times there’s a lot of things we could have done better while we were in possession to dictate that, but that’s something from which we have to learn because it happens too often. Going into a CONCACAF Gold Cup against teams like USA and Mexico, you give that ball away you’re not going to see it for a while. We have got to be better.” Hart said those areas must be addressed ahead of the CONCACAF Gold Cup opener on 7 June against USA in Detroit. Canada’s starting lineup featured Milan Borjan in goal, Nik Ledgerwood, Kevin McKenna, Dejan Jakovic and Marcel de Jong along the back line, and Terry Dunfield, Will Johnson, Josh Simpson, Atiba Hutchinson, Dwayne De Rosario and Simeon Jackson from the midfield up through to the attack. Coach Hart's substitutions were Jakovic off for Hainault (39th minute), Dunfield off for Julian de Guzman (46'), Simpson off for Rob Friend (58'), Johnson off for Jaime Peters (79'), and Jackson off for Tosaint Ricketts (85'). Ecuador's starting XI featured Marcelo Elizaga in goal, Geovanny Caicedo, Frickson Erazo and Walter Ayoví at defence, Christian Noboa, Michael Arroyo, Segundo Castillo, Néicer Reasco and Luis Saritama at midfield, and Christian Benítez and Jaime Ayovi up front on attack. In the second half, coach Reinaldo Rueda's substitutions were Noboa off for Édison Méndez (52'), Saritama off for Oswaldo Minda (77'), and Arroyo off for Joao Plata (90'). The 1 June Men's International Friendly match was played at BMO Field in Toronto, ON. The match was played in front of 14,356 fans, the largest attendance for a men's friendly in Canada since 1997.
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