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September 7, 2019 Canada Soccer Men's CONCACAF Nations League game--Canada vs Mexico game report (by Rocket Robin)

Canada (all red, white names and numbers)

.......................18 Milan Borjan
23 Richie Laryea...15 Doneil Henry...4 Derek Cornelius...17 Kamal Miller
14 Mark-Anthony Kaye...21 Jonathan Osorio...6 Samuel Piette...12 Alphonso Davies
............10 Junior Hoilett (cpt)...20 Jonathan David

Subs:...1 Marco Carducci (gk)...22 Maxime Crepeau (gk)...2 Juan Cordova (mid)...3 Samuel Adekugbe (def)
...5 Adam Straith (def)...8 William Johnson (mid)...9 Cyle Larin (fwd)...11 Liam Millar (mid)...13 Tesho Akindele (fwd)
...16 David Wotherspoon (mid)...19 Steven Vitoria (def)...7 Russell Teibert (mid)
team officials:...head coach John Herdman...assistant coaches Jason Devos and Mauro Biello...goalkeeper coach Eaddy Simon
...physiotherapists 'Blatz', Gregory Bay, and Janice Drover...doctor Dave Simon...kitman Daniel De Benedictis
...physical trainer Cesar Meylan...club official Robyn Gayle

Cuba (all white, black names and numbers)

.....................1 Sandy Sanchez
8 Alejandro Portal...6 Yosel Piedra...3 Erick Rizo...5 Daniel Morejon
2 Andy Baquero...17 Jean Carlos Rodriguez...14 Karel Espino...11 Yordan Santa Cruz (cpt)
...............10 Arichel Hernandez...9 Mayekel Reyes

Subs:...12 Elier Pozo (gk)...21 Nelson Johnston (gk)...7 Rolando Abreu (mid)...13 Anibal La Pera (mid)
...15 Lazaro Monzon (mid)...16 Dario Ramos (def)...20 Manuel Cruz (fwd)...22 Randys Reve (mid)
team officials:...head coach Pablo Sanchez...assistant coach Osmin...goalkeeper coach Maximo
...athletic trainer Papo...team manager Migue...general manager Oliel Rodriguez...physiotherapist Higinio Masfarrol
...doctor Osvaldo Garcia...physical triner Silvio Minoso

Game officials:...referee Fernando Hernandez Gomez...assistant referees Mario Lopez Carrillo and Ibrahim Martinez
...fourth official Diego Montano (all from Mexico) (all black uniforms)

Before the game started it was announced that Canadian Bianca Adreescu won the US Open tennis final which got a big
cheer from the crowd. There was a hat toss into the crowd before the game.

First Half:...game starts 8:11pm...Canada defends north end.
50 sec...Canada Hoilett runs down left to get to pass down sideline by Can Laryea at 40 yard line and low cross from 15 yards
near end line has retreating defender make sidekick clearance at 4 yards. Canada Davies charges for rebound and 15 yard
blast from left is well over net.
2 min...Canada Osorio cornerkick from right rolled to Canada Hoilett just inside right side of box but ball is checked away
when he takes backheel.
6 min...Canada Henry on right pops up 40 yard header of Cuba goalie clearance and ball bounces to goalie wide left of net.
10 min...Canada Kaye pass from 45 yard line on right down wing to charging Canada Laryea who receives ball at 25 yard line
and runs forward and to middle and at 8 yards sends low cross that retreating defender deflects wide right for throw-in. (three
charging Canada players were waiting to tap-in cross).
12 min...Canada Junior Hoilett GOAL...Hoilett intercepts pass at 35 yards on right and rushes forward and bends
low 22 yard shot from slight right between two defenders at 15 yards and into right side of net on one bounce beyond
diving goalie Sandy Sanchez.
14 min...Canada Davies on run down left sideline sends low cross to Canada David who one-touches 10 yard shot forward
and wide left but offside flag was up.
15-16 min...there are two more quick offside calls against Canada.
16 min...Canada Hoilett can't win freekick nor cornerkick on bump with Cuba Santa Cruz wide left of box.
18 min...Canada Davies has 20 yard shot blocked on close checking action up middle.
20 min...Canada Jonathan David GOAL...Can Mark-Anthony Kaye chips ball downfield from 70 yards and David behind
defender receives it at 40 yard line in middle. David takes it on bounce rounding retreating defender Yosel Piedra.
He continues run forward and at 10 yards eludes sliding defender Erick Rizo and takes low 6 yarder from slight right
between sliding goalie's legs and into center of net.
24 min...Canada Laryea after give and goal with Canada Hoilett on right sideline has him run forward and to middle to right edge
of box and sends low cross between players along 7 yard line and charging Canada Davies one-touch 6 yarder forward that
diving goalie saves on left post. Ball pops up and deflects off bar and away and Canada David takes midair shot after bounce
of rebound from 8 yards is blocked by defender and deflects out of box.
25 min...Canada Osorio wins freekick on injury from check at Cuba 25 yard line.
26 min...Canada Hoilett 25 yard freekick hits head in wall and bounces for cornerkick on right.
27 min...Canada Hoilett high cornerkick from right has Canada Henry heads pop up from left edge of box. Cuba Rizo heads ball
away at 7 yards in middle.
28 min...Cuba YELLOW card...Portal earns it for tackle on charging Canada Henry on left edge of box injurying him.
29 min...Canada Hoilett freekick from left has Cuba player deflect away at 5 yards on near post. Canada Piette blasts rebound
from 18 yards off deflecting off Canada Henry at 8 yards and over net for goalkick.
31 min...Cuba Santa Cruz freekick from 20 yards on right near end line has Canada Miller at 6 yards in middle head ball away.
31 min...Cuba YELLOW card...Piedra earns it for kick at Canada Davies injurying him at Can 33 yard sideline.
33 min...Cuba Espino shoots 50 yarder wide left of Canada goal.
35 min...Canada Hoilett rush to ball on left on very delayed offside has ball deflect off defender for cornerkick except for flag.
36 min...Canada Miller rolls cross from left along 13 yard line with two defenders missing and Canada David one-touches 12 yarder
over net down middle.
37 min...Canada Hoilett slips on left but gets up and crosses 30 yarder that goalie makes overhead catch at 3 yards on left side
of goal.
39 min...Canada Hoilett run down left and threads pass between defenders that Canada David on left shoots low 15 yarder
from left that diving goalie stops at 5 yards on short side.
40 min...Canada Henry whiffs on clearance at 15 yard line and Cuba Reyes low 12 yard low shot up middle has goalie make
point blank arm stop at 5 yards diving to left and Canada Laryea clears.
41 min...Cuba Hernandez is injured at Cuba 30 yard line when hit by ball between legs and needs trainer.
42 min...Cuba Santa Cruz low cross from left edge of box through three Canadians but Canada Henry in middle of box clears.
43 min...Canada Hoilett cross from left near end line deflects off sliding defender for cornerkick.
44 min...Canada Davies cornerkick from left is short to Canada Hoilett on backheel pass and cross for Canada David is called offside.
45 min...half ends 8:56pm without any added time.

Second Half:...starts 9:12pm.
47 min...Cuba Rodriguez and Canadian Hoilett are injured in collision at Canada 40 yard line on left. Rodriguez needs trainer.
49 min...Canada Junior Hoilett GOAL...Canada Jonathan Osorio long high cross from 50 yard line on left is over to Hoilett
on right at 25 yards and he takes low 20 yard shot from top right corner of box that's into far left corner beyond diving goalie.
51 min...Canada Jonathan Osorio GOAL...Canada Mark-Anthony Kaye makes header while sitting down at Canada 40 yard line then
gets up and runs up middle eluding defender and from Canada 50 yard line rolls pass forward to spring charging Canada Jonathan David
on breakaway. Retreating defender slides to knock back to goalie but doesn't reach him and David rolls 15 yarder past sprawling goalie
at 10 yards and ball hits right post. Junior Hoilett gets to rebound at 12 yards on right and rolls ball over to left side past
Erick Rizo at top right of 6 yard box and goalie at 3 yard on right post for charging Osorio who taps in from 2 yards on left post even
though another retreating defender Yosel Piedra slides to try to block and pushes it into left corner of net.
53 min...Canada Hoilett 25 yard high shot from right is well wide left.
53 min...Cuba sub...Monzon replaces Rodriguez.
55 min...Canada Laryea given short pass from 20 yard line by Canada Kaye up right and he runs to near end line and takes 15 yard shot that
Cuba Rizo slides to block. Kaye wins ball back on check on far right and crosses into box and two Canada players miss turning header on edge
of 6 yard box and ball deflects off head of Cuba Portal for cornerkick.
56 min...Canada Davies cornerkick from left has goalie miss but ball is through the box unplayed for throw-in. The goaltender is injured
on his stretch and needs the trainer.
60 min...Canada Laryea run down right eluding two defenders then crosses over players in box.
61 min...Canada Hoilett run to ball in box and is bumped over by retreating defender but a goalkick is given.
62 min...Canada sub...Liam Millar replaces Kamal Miller.
62 min...Canada David takes ball off Cuba Piedra at 22 yard line on left and runs to end line and 6 yard shot/cross deflects off goalie guarding
near post and hits David and then goalie again and deflects out of play for cornerkick. The goalie is injured on the pinball play.
63 min...Canada sub...Larin replaces David.
63 min...Canada Hoilett cornerkick from left has leaping defender on left side of box pop up header over to right where another defender heads
it out of box.
63 min...Canada Henry receives Cuba clearance from right in center of box and short dribble and low cross from 5 yards on right is past one defender
but another clears it from 6 yard box.
64 min...Canada Doneil Henry GOAL...Cuba defender is checked off ball at 25 yard line by two Canada players on right. Ball is centered
for Canada Cyle Larin at 22 yards with two defenders in front of him. He taps pass left to open Canada Jonathan Osorio on edge of box.
Osorio rolls centering pass from 15 yards on left and charging Henry extends foot and boots 10 yarder up middle into left side of net banking
it off left post beyond diving goalie.
65 min...Canada Cornelius has 7 yard goal called back for offside when Canada Kaye heads ball across box.
66 min...Canada Hoilett on left centers pass to Canada Kaye at 22 yards and run up middle shoots 15 yarder that goalie at 5 yards palms over bar.
67 min...Canada sub...Vitoria replaces Henry.
67 min...Canada Hoilett cornerkick from left has Canada Vitoria head ball down at 12 yards on right over to Canada Cornelius whose bicycle kick
at 10 yards is whistled down for dangerous play on kick at Cuba Espino.
68 min...Cuba Portal on right at 22 yards centers pass for Cuba Reyes in Canada box but can't get away shot and Canada Laryea clears at 12 yards.
68 min...Canada Hoilett at Canada 35 yard line passes over to left wing for charging Canada Osorio at Cuba 45 yard line and dribbles to 30 yard line
and rolls centering pass for Canada Larin at 20 yards in middle who taps ball to charging Canada Laryea who shoots 10 yarder from left just over bar.
69 min...Cuba Santa Cruz is given pass at 20 yards and his 15 yard shot from right wins cornerkick on deflection off sliding Canada Cornelius.
70 min...Cuba Santa Cruz takes low cornerkick from right and ball is passed back to him and he sends higher cross back into box and Cuba Monzon
whiffs on midair kick from 15 yards on left and ball bounces out of box.
72 min...the fans start the Viking Clap.
73 min...Canada Hoilett cornerkick from left has Canada Cornelius outjump goalie but pops header wide right from 6 yards.
75 min...Canada Kaye cross from 15 yards along right end line after bumping over defender has sprawling goalie at 4 yards on near post bat ball forward.
Charging Canada Hoilett recovers but 10 yard shot up middle is blocked by sliding defender.
76 min...Canada Hoilett and Davies give and go has Canada Davies low 8 yard shot from far left that is smothered by goalie.
77 min...Canada Hoilett run down left and pass rolled into box has sliding Canada Osorio stop then slide to shoots 6 yarder that's stopped point blank
by sprawling goalie. Canada Liam Miller blasts 8 yard rebound from left that sliding Cuba Rizo blocks and is injured on play.
78 min...Cuba sub...Reve replaces Baquero.
79 min...Canada Hoilett can't win Penalty kick on bump from behind in box at 6 yards.
79 min...Cuba Hernandez centering cross into box from right 20 yards has Canada Cornelius head away at 8 yards.
79 min...Cuba sub...La Pera replaces Espino.
80 min...Canada Davies long run down left and wins Penalty kick when Cuba Portal trips him up from behind near left end line.
81 min...Canada Junior Hoilett GOAL...Hoilett stagger steps on his Penalty kick and rolls shot to left side of open net as goalie dives right.
83 min...Canada Davies long run cutting to left from 75 yards in middle and at 30 yard line taps to Canada Larin who taps to Davies who rolls ball
between two defenders to charging Larin who dribbles in and shoots 8 yarder from just outside 6 yard box wide right of net.
86 min...Canada Davies short run up left rolls ball forward to Canada Larin and goalie dives to trip him up but only a cornerkick is given.
87 min...Canada Millar cross from 30 yards on far right has defender in front of Canada Larin in middle of box head ball away.
88 min...Canada Cornelius sliding block prevents low cross on right from reaching box.
90 min...Canada goalie slides to smother ball at 10 yards on right preventing through ball play.
91 min...Cuba Reyes low cross from right is cleared stopped and cleared by Canada Piette in middle of box at 7 yards.
91 min...Cuba Reyes and Canada Cornelius are injured at Canada 25 yard line on right side line. Canada Davies was injured upfield earlier in play.
92 min...Canada Millar run on right and low cross into box has defender boot ball over own net.
92 min...Canada Hoilett cornerkick from right has Canada Larin leap and pop 8 yard header from left over net.
93 min...game ends 10:00pm.

Final Score:...Canada......6.......Cuba......0......

  
Attendance was announced as 10224.  That was a pretty disappointing number as it meant it was just over 1/3 full.  
Suggestions were made that a poor drawing team like Cuba should have the game held in a CPL hotbed city like Halifax.  
A few reasons I've heard why both this game and the USA game are in Toronto is because of the huge airport making 
it easy for players to get here from the players' club teams from North America and Europe.  Toronto is also the 
'media centre' of Canada (haha I thought when I see how empty the press box is).  I think an economic reason is BMO Field's 
official title is 'The National Stadium of Canada' and the CSA has rights to play two 'free' games here per year because 
of the federal government's aid in financing the construction of this venue in 2007.  The Canadian Women's team played 
this Spring a friendly in Hamilton so the men's team can use both dates.  

Junior Hoilett scored a hat trick for Canada in a game where the result was never in doubt.  

Milan Borjan earned the shutout in a very easy night although the one save he made when Doneil Henry whiffed on a clearance 
when the game was only 2-0 at 40 minutes was huge so there was no change in momentum.     

Referee Fernando Hernandez Gomez led an all-Mexican officiating crew and let the game play without too many stoppages.
He gave out two first half Yellow cards to Cuban players and that was it with one late Penalty kick given to Canada when
the game was out of reach.  If this is the new CONCACAF style of refereeing I'm sure Canada officials are grateful but
it may be completely different when Canada goes on the road to Central American countries.

This was the first game of the new CONCACAF Nations League, a competition of 41 regional teams seperated into three leagues.
Canada is in the elite League A which has the regions top 12 teams separated into four groups of three.  Canada is 
in Group A which consists of themselves, Cuba and the United States.  The winner of this group advances to the Nations 
League final in June 2020. The third place team is relegated to Group B.  What's more important for Canada is to earn 
enough rankings points to move up to the FIFA rankings to earn a spot in the qualifying 'Hex' which will be a direct 
playoff situation to advance to the World Cup in 2022.  That is now almost the only way to get in and qualifying will 
be restricted to three of these six teams.  All the other countries from the region will be drawn into groups that will 
whittle themselves to one team which will then play a series with the fourth place finisher of 'The Hex'.  The winner 
of that series will then play one of the qualifiers from another FIFA region like Oceania, South America, Africa, or Asia 
for the last World Cup spot.  Not making the Hex will make it almost impossible to qualify for the World Cup.  Canada's 
chances to qualify were hurt by them being knocked out of the Gold Cup at the Quarterfinal stage, the fact that they 
don't play enough friendlies which marginally earn a country points, and the qualifying suddenly switching to FIFA 
rankings instead of CONCACAF rankings for which Canada is ranked a few places higher against other CONCACAF region teams.   

Cuba is not expected to be a stiff challenge but the USA will be the big roadblock.  Canada absolutely must beat Cuba 
and roll up a big score in case they earn ties against the USA.  Canada beat Cuba 7-0 in the Gold Cup held in the USA
a few months earlier.  Canada will play Cuba again Tuesday in the Cayman Islands as the stadium in Cuba does not meet 
CONCACAF playing standards.  Hmm the standards must have got fussier in recent years or the island has still not 
recovered from the hurricane of a few years ago.  

The Nations League games are not 'friendlies' so they are restricted to just three substitutions which won't allow as many
new players to debut.  The USA is not playing in the Group this week so has scheduled home friendlies against Mexico 
and Uruguay.  I heard that Canada won't do that on their times off.  Next two cycles they will only have one game each 
against USA but friendlies are not in the cards so the team can concentrate for Group play.  

Canada plays their games against USA on October 15th in Toronto and then November 15th in the famous American city of 'TBD'.  
[late edit:  it's Orlando Florida].  

From the game roster, Canada's starters were listed by position as five defenders, three midfielders and two forwards
...not exactly what we expected with Canada trying to roll up a score in this competition.  (The USA is the other team 
in this Group A conference) Group winner moves on to the Nations League semi-finals, first and second place qualify for 
the next Gold Cup, and the third place team gets relegated to Group B.  

Canada starters

Cuba starters

Cuba Maykel Reyes (9) takes opening kickoff.

Canada Junior Hoilett (10) takes freekick.

Another scramble in Cuban box.

Canada Jonathan David (20) takes second half kickoff.

Cuban goalie Sandy Sanchez needs treatment for injury.

Canada Junior Hoilett (10) scores on this late Penalty kick.

Canadian players applaud the Voyageurs supporters group.

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