September 8, 2021 Canada Soccer Men's World Cup Qualifier--Canada vs El Salvador game report (by Rocket Robin)

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Results of the World Cup Qualifier between Canada and El Salvador played at BMO Field in Toronto at 7:30pm. This was
the third game of the Octagonal competition to represent the CONCACAF region for 2022.

Canada (all red, white names and numbers)

..............................18 Milan Borjan
2 Alistair Johnston...5 Steven Vitoria...4 Kamal Miller...22 Reggie Laryea
...........................13 Atiba Hutchinson (cpt)
11 Tajon Buchanan...21 Jonathan Osorio...7 Stephen Eustaquio...10 Junior Hoilett
...........................20 Jonathan David

Subs:...1 James Pantemis (gk)...18 Maxime Crepeau (gk)...3 Samuel Adekugbe...6 Samuel Piette
...8 David Wotherspoon...9 Lucas Cavallini...12 Liam Fraser...14 Mark Anthony Kaye
...15 Doneil Henry...17 Cyle Larin...23 Scott Kennedy
head coach John Herdman

El Salvador (blue socks and shirts, dark blue shorts, white names and numbers)

.....................1 Mario Gonzales
15 Alexander Roldan...4 Eriq Zavaleta (cpt)...5 Ronald Rodriguez...13 Alexander Larin
20 Enrico Duenas...21 Bryan Tamacas...8 Joshua Perez...6 Narciso Orellana
..............10 Amando Martinez...9 Waimer Martinez

Subs:...22 Kevin Carabantes (gk)...23 Melvin Cartagena (gk)...2 Lisandro Claros...3 Roberto Dominguez
...7 Darwin Ceren...11 Joaquin Rivas...12 Marvin Monterroza...14 Erick Rivera...16 Eduardo Vigil
...17 Jairo Henriquez...19 Harold Osorio
head coach Hugo Perez

Game officials:...Referee Ricardo Montero (CRC)...referee's assistants Juan Carlos Mora (CRC) and Cameron Blanchard (USA)
fourth official Keylor Herrera (CRC)...(yellow shirts, black shorts and socks)

First Half:...game starts 7:32 pm...Canada defends south end on this mild evening. It was warmer than last week's game and there's no real wind tonight.
2 min...ES Tamacas injured at ES 35 yard line by Can Hoilett bump.
4 min...Can David injured, then ES Rodriguez injured by Can Buchanan bump both in ES end.
5 min...Canada Atiba Hutchinson GOAL...Can Jonathan Osorio intercepts ES pass at 45 yards on left and starts run up
left side. At 25 yard line he taps pass over to Can Junior Hoilett who then runs along 25 yard line towards middle but taps
ball forward to Osorio at top left corner of 18 yard box. He flicks pass forward to charging Can Richie Laryea who bumps
off ES Eriq Zavaleta and runs to near end line and from 12 yards rolls centering pass to charging Hutchinson who one-touches
6 yarder from slight left into short left side between post and between legs of squating goalie Mario Gonzales guarding
the near post.
7 min...Can Hoilett 30 yard freekick from right is high and wide left over end line.
10 min...Canada Jonathan David GOAL...Can Junior Hoilett 35 yard freekick from right near sideline is into box.
Can Steven Vitoria on left side of box heads ball across box and Can Tajon Buchanan has to chase to turn and chase
it to right side of box, then turn and chip back across box from 15 yards near end line. David nods header from just
outside 6 yard box and it one-bounces into left corner of net.
14 min...Can Hoilett 28 yard freekick from left has Can Buchanan and Can Eustaquio have consecutive shots blocked from just
inside the box.
16 min...Can Hutchinson at 40 yard line passes forward and left to Can Laryea at 30 yards on left. Laryea rolls pass forward
to Can Hoilett at 15 yards on left and he crosses 25 yarder to center of box where Can David chests ball down at 6 yards but blocked
by two defenders. David turns and controls ball dribbling out of 6 yard box on left and rolling pass out to Hoilett. Hoilett eludes
two defenders as he runs to left end line and cuts along it towards goal then rolls ball upfield to David who rolls shot between
four defenders who clear.
17 min...Can YELLOW card...Buchanan earns it for pushing over ES player in retaliation for him knocking Buchanan down.
18 min...Can Hoilett 25 yard freekick near near right cornerflag has ES Duenas head ball away on leap in 6 yard box.
19 min...Can Hoilett cuts to middle and low 33 yard shot is stopped by diving goalie on left side of net on bounce.
21 min...Can Johnston gets beaten but recovers and wins goalkick on left shieling ball.
23 min...Can Vitoria shoots 25 yarder down middle well high and wide left.
25 min...ES Tamacas gets to high cross and shoots 30 yarder from slight left well over net.
27 min...ES Tamacas wins cornerkick on deflection of his 25 yard shot from the right.
27 min...ES Rodriguez chests ES players cornerkick from left on short side wide left of goal from 10 yards.
29 min...ES Tamacas receives long cross from 60 yards on left and shoots 12 yarder from right well high and right of net
when rushed by Can Laryea.
30 min...Can Osorio crosses into box from left has ES defender head away from 10 yards to prevent Can player's header.
31 min...Can Miller tap back and Can Osorio bends low 18 yarder from left just wide of right post.
32 min...ES YELLOW card...Larin earns it for jumping on Can Hoilett's back at Can 50 yard line. Hoilett is injured and needs
the trainer.
33 min...ES Duenas 40 yard chip from right bounces to goalie.
36 min...ES Zavaleta threads pass forward from 75 yards to ES Moreno at 45 yard line down middle. He squeezes between two
Can midfielders and rolls ball forward for ES Duenas who shoots 20 yarder down middle that deflects off defender wide left
for cornerkick.
36 min...ES Moreno cornerkick from right has ES Larin whiff one-touch shot and sky ball wide left over end line on bounce.
38 min...Can Buchanan is injured at ES 35 yard line.
39 min...ES player recovers ball and ES Perez hips cross from 25 yards on left that goalie catches at 8 yards.
43 min...Can Eustaquio 25 yard freekick from left has goalie punch ball away on right post for throw-in.
45 min...an Johnston cross from 25 yards on right has ES Rodriguez head away from 8 yards in crowd of players.
46 min...half ends 8:18pm.

Second Half:...starts 8:35pm.
halftime subs:...ES Rivas replaces Martinez.
......................ES Henriquez replaces Pereez.
......................ES Monterroza replaces Larin.
45 min...Can Vitoria makes key pop up header to clear cross.
47 min...Can Vitoria prevents through ball pass at Can 30 yard line.
47 min...ES Rodriguez makes key stop of Can Buchanan's low cross.
48 min...Can Johnston receives tap back from Can Hoilett and rolls 15 yarder across 6 yard box from right that's unplayed.
50 min...Can Hoilett wins freekick on tackle from behind at ES 25 yard line.
51 min...Can Eustaquio 25 yard freekick from slight left hits player in wall and is cleared.
51 min...Can Hutchinson taps pass across to Can Hoilett who has 12 yard shot tipped by defender for cornerkick.
52 min...Can Hoilett cornerkick from right has Can Buchanan shoot over net from 8 yards.
54 min...Can David rush on left sideline cuts towards goal and wins cornerkick on deflected shot.
55 min...Can Hoilett cornerkick from left is whistled down in box for pushing although defender had headed ball away.
56 min...Can sub...Adekugbe replaces Hoilett.
57 min...Can Eustaquio freekick from 25 yards on left has defender head away.
58 min...ES sub...Caren replaces Morano.
58 min...Canada Tajon Buchanan GOAL...ES Eric Zavaleta at ES 45 yard line rolls pass across meant for
ES Ronald Rodriguez 20 yards across field but Can Jonathan David steps between them to intercept and runs
down middle to 22 yard line and rolls pass left to charging Buchanan who rolls shot between sliding Zavaleta
and goalie, who was out to 10 yards, into center of net.
63 min...Can Buchanan is bodychecked but bounces off player to dribble in on left and cross from left end line and goalie
catches his 20 yard cross.
65 min...ES Duanas 28 yard roller from right end line has goalie dive forward to make easy save.
65 min...Can Laryea bbreak in on riht but rolls centering pass behind changing Can David at 18 yards.
66 min...ES Henriquez bends cross from 35 yards on left just over the head of leaping ES Rivas at 6 yards and goalie drops to punch
ball away at 4 yards on right post. ES regain control of ball and low pass to ES Henriques has Can Laryea slide to boot ball
from 8 yards over own net to relieve pressure.
68 min...Can Laryea and Can Buchanan on give and go play set on right is cleared in ES box.
69 min...Can sub...Kaye replaces Hutchinson.
.............Can sub...Wotherspoon replaces Osorio.
71 min...Can YELLOW card...Adakugbe earns it for elbow on ES Tamacas at Can 35 yard line.
72 min...ES Monterroza 40 yard freekick on right has goalie make overhead catch in crowd of players on left post.
74 min...ES Duenas is injured at Can 40 yard line and wins freekick.
75 min...ES Monterroza 30 yard shot has Can Vitoria at 20 yards head ball wide left for cornerkick.
77 min...ES Orellana 40 yard shot down middle is well high and wide right of net.
78 min...Can sub...Piette replaces Eustaquio.
.............Can sub...Cavallini replaces David.
79 min...ES sub...Rivera replaces Duenas.
84 min...ES player takes quick freekick from 35 yards downfield but cross is cleared.
85 min...Can Laryea is rolled pass by Can Kaye and his 20 yard shot has goalie at 5 yards push ball wide left of post.
85 min...Can player's cornerkick from left is cleared from box.
86 min...Can Adekugbe is injured at Can 50 yard line but doesn't need the trainer. ES are called on offside at Can 30 yard line.
93 min...game ends 9:23pm.

Final Score:...Canada.......3........El Salvador.....0.....

The game was announced a few days ago as a sell out with a cap set at 15000 because
of COVID restrictions (50% capacity) but I noticed a lot of empty seats (besides
the empty 15000) but a lot were filled in as the game progressed.

There were more El Salvador fans tonight than Honduras fans last week. This time by clothes
colours I'd say the crowd was 50/50. All the more reason why the early goals by Canada took
the El Salvador fans out of the game. They still stood and cheered the few chances the visitors
had then groaned on the poor shooting or a Canadian getting back to making a key check or clearance.
A pair of fans behind me were using 'Puta' in every sentence.

Both visiting teams wore blue and white, Honduras has an 'H' on their jerseys and El Salvador
has an 'ES' on theirs.

Canada scored early with two goals within the first ten minutes to give them a huge advantage.
There were the first goals El Salvador had conceded in their two Octogonal games after 0-0 draws
against USA and Honduras both at home.

El Salvador made three halftime subs to shake things up but they had minimal effect. The stats
at the end of the game listed them as having no shots on net. Milan Borjan was credited with
earning the shutout. They were listed as having four off target.

It was so good to see Canadian captain Atiba Hutchinson start and score at 38 years old in his
home town returning for these weeks and now returning to club football in Turkey.

El Salvador players were called for a lot of fouls as a combination of poor sports or they were just
trying to stop the Canadians.

Eric Zavaleta was booed by the Canadian fans (he's a TFC mainstay hated by many club fans who claim
nepotism because his uncle was long term TFC head coach Greg Vanney. After his intercepted pass set
up Canada's third goal, the El Salvador fans also booed him evey time he touched the ball. The El Salvador
coaching staff must respect him as he is their captain.

Tajon Buchanan took a Yellow card early despite the fact he was stepped on after being pushed off the ball.
I was worried that it was his second Yellow and only two Yellow cards will ban you from the next of the
fourteen games but records reveal it was just his first. Still it is another good reason to appreciate
Canada's depth as I know they'll be road games where Canada will draw a lot of cards.

The Canadian players had a post game huddle led by goalie Milan Borjan before the team went over to applaud
the Voyageurs Supporters in the south east corner (actually Canadian fans controlled all of the South
(end zone) stands. The players took part in playing the drum and a Viking clap.

This was a 'must win' game for Canada. Now they have five points and because of so many teams tieing in the
first two games, they are tied for second in the Octogonal with the USA (late result tonight had the US coming
from behind to beat Honduras on the road) with identical records of 1 win, 0 losses, 2 ties for 5 points.
Mexico leads all teams with 7 points. Canada's next cycle in October finds them scheduled for two road games
against Mexico and Jamaica then back to Toronto to play Panama on October 13th.

Alphonso Davies was injured in Canada's road game against USA on Sunday night and flew back to his club team
Bayern Munich in Germany to recover. Cyle Larin was listed as a sub but was rested tonight in yet another
reason for scoring early that he didn't have to make an appearance in a third game within a week.

John Herdman now leads all Canadian Men's head coaches with 22 wins in only three and a half years after
switching over from Canada's Women's national team coach.

Before the game, Canada Women's head coach Bev Priestman was introduced before the game to huge cheers
as the Olympic Gold Medal winning team is still fresh on Canada's mind.

York United vs Toronto FC tickets go on sale tomorrow said York United's twitter account as this game was
in its second half. It will be a one game Canadian Championship Quarterfinal match on September 22nd.
That's only two weeks from tonight.

Toronto FC social media was praising Canadian players Jonathan Osorio and Richie Laryea and El Salvador's
Eric Zavaleta as it they were the only ones who mattered. When I got home they mentioned Kemar Lawrence
playing for Jamaica.

No post game interviews again this game as I was watching as a fan as the press box has been reduced to about
one-third capacity. My friend for both games is already asking if I'm getting tickets for the game next
month so he's turning into a fan.

Canada starters