March 28, 2023 Men's CONCACAF Nations League Group Game--Canada vs Honduras game report (by Rocket Robin)

.........

Details of the CONCACAF Nations League Group game between the Men's national teams of Canada and Honduras played
on Tuesday March 28, 2022 at BMO Field in Toronto.

Canada (all red uniforms, white names and numbers)

............................18 Milan Borjan (cpt)
..............2 Alistair Johnston...15 Derek Cornelius...23 Scott Kennedy
11 Tajon Buchanon...8 Ismael Kone...7 Stephen Eustaquio...21 Jonathan Osorio...19 Alphonso Davies
....................10 Jonathan David...17 Cyle Larin

Subs:...1 Dayne St Clair (gk)...16 Tom McGill (gk)...3 Samuel Adekugbe (def)...4 Dominick Zator (def)
...6 Kyle Hiebert (def)...9 Ayo Akinola (fwd)...12 Charles Brym (fwd)...13 Atiba Hutchinson (mid)
...14 Mark-Anthony Kaye (def)...20 Victor Loturi (mid)...22 Richie Laryea (def)
team officials:...head coach John Herdman...assistant coach Mauro Biello...goalkeeper coach Simon Eaddy
...physiotherapist Gregory Bay...doctor Dave Simon...physical trainer Cesar Meylan...kitman Spencer Ure

Honduras (all white uniforms, blue names and numbers)

.....................22 Luis Lopez
............2 Devron Garcia...15 Denil Maldonado...16 Johnny Leveron
19 Oscar Almendarez...20 Deybi Flores...5 Kervin Arriaga...23 Franklin Flores
..........14 Kevin Lopez...9 Antony Lozano...12 Romell Quioto (cpt)

Subs:...1 Edrick Menjivar (gk)...18 Harold Fonseca (gk)...3 Wesly Decas (def)...4 Marcelo Pereira
...6 Joseph Rosales (mid)...7 Edwin Solano (mid)...8 Hector Castellanos (mid)...10 Jorge Alvarez (mid)
11 Jorge Benguche (fwd)...13 Clayvin Zuniga (fwd)...17 Luis Palma (fwd)...21 Walter Martinez (mid)
team officials:...head coach Jose Pacini...assistant coach Javier Nunez...physiotherapist Jorge Pacheco
...goalkeeper coach Hugo Caballero...physical trainer Patricio Negreira...kitman Oscar Carvallo
...athletic therapist Jair Aguilar

Game officials:...referee Ivan Barton (El Salvador)...referee's assistants Henri Pupiro (Nicaragua) and Caleb Wales (Trinidad & Tobago)
...fourth official Enrique Santander (Mexico) (yellow shirts, black shorts and socks)...referee assissor Mark Cahen

Before the game Jonathan Osorio was presented with an award for making 50 appearances for the Canadian National team.
Ismael Kone was presented as Player of the Month and Alphonso Davies as Player of the Year. Atiba Hutchinson was presented
with an award for 100 caps although officially the 40 year old played is 103rd game for Canada. He is the first MALE player
who has reached that mark.

First Half:...game starts 8:10pm...Canada defends north end...Can Larin takes opening kickoff.
3 min...Can Buchanan run on right and sends low cross which Hon Lopez slides back to deflect ball high and wide right of net
preventing and Can player from getting a shot.
4 min...Can Davies cornerkick from right is sent to middle of field at 25 yards and wasted.
7 min...Canada Cyle Larin GOAL...Can Derek Cornelius on center line rolls pass to Can Alphonso Davies on left sideline
at 30 yard line. Davies cuts towards center and taps pass forward to Larin on edge of 18 yard box He rolls short pass
to Can Jonathan Osorio on edge of 18 yard box. Osorio runs forward and centers pass to charging Larin who rolls 8 yarder
from left side of 6 yard box deflecting off underside of sliding Hon Johnny Leveron to right corner of net with goalie
and three defenders guarding left post.
10 min...Can Davies pass is rolled to Can Larin but Hon Leveron rolls it out giving up cornerkick on left.
10 min...Canada Cyle Larin GOAL...Can Stephen Eustaquio cornerkick from left is over crowd of players on left side of box
and leaping Larin aligned with right post at 6 yards away heads ball over hands of goalie Luis Lopez to top right
corner of net. Larin had broken free from hold of Hon Denil Maldonado who fell backwards leaving him open to make play.
14 min...Hon Maldonado heads 15 yarder back to Hon goalie to break up play.
15 min...Can Kennedy gets back into box to clear ball for throw-in on right.
15 min...Hon player's cross from right is well over players in box.
16 min...Can Davies and Can Larin have give and go play up left but Larin is checked off ball just inside left side of Hon box.
19 min...Hon Lopez is given pass cross open on right but is checked off ball on dribble.
21 min...Can Davies, Can Larin, and Can David play is lost as David pusheds ball over left end line near cornerflag.
21 min...Hon Lozano run up right but Can Kennedy makes sliding check and pokes ball away for throw-in.
25 min...Can David rolls pass foward and to right behind defender for charging Can Buchanan who takes 8 yard shot near right
end line that hits sprawling goalie covering right post and deflects at 2 yards out of 6 yard box to open Can David at 8 yards
in alignment with right post and he shoots low but wide right.
26 min...Hon defender jumps for header at 18 yards and sends it back to Hon goalie to break up play.
28 min...Hon Leveron 30 yard freekick from slight right has Can Larin in center of box pop up header forward to 15 yards
and Hon players heads wide left of net.
30 min...Lozano gets into Can box on right is called back as he pushed Can Eustaquio over.
32 min...Hon Almendarez is injured in collision with Can Cornelius. Hon wins a freekick from 40 yards from goal.
34 min...Hon Quioto 35 yard freekick from left has defender pop up ball. A Hon player heads the ball out of box and Hon players
don't get ball back into an box.
36 min...Can Davies pass from left endline after good run is back into left side of box and Hon Flores clears ball to 30 yards.
Can Eustaquio takes low 30 yard shot up middle that bounces just wide right of post.
39 min...Can Davies dribbles between three guys and centers pass to Can Larin who has 18 yard shot it arm of Hon Maldonado
just inside the box resulting in referee Ivan Barton awarding a Penalty kick.
40 min...A long delay takes place with players crowding the referee and the penalty spot until play is sorted out.
41 min...Can Cyle Larin rolls Penalty that hits outside corner of right post and deflects wide for goal kick.
41 min...Kennedy breaks up run down nleft conceding throw-in near left corner.
42 min...Can Davies rolls centering pass for Can Osorio to one-touch shot up middle from 15 yard that's blocked by defender.
43 min...Can goalie slides to top right of box to break up through ball pass.
44 min...Can Johnston high cross from right has ball cleared.
45 min...Can Kennedy makes key header to clear cross into Can box.
46 min...Can Kone shot from top left of box is between group of players and caught by goalie in center of net at 2 yards.
47 min...Can Davies rush on left then cuts along end line but has him slip and poke ball over end line.
48 min...half ends 8:58pm.

Halftime Entertainment: Former CMNT player Richard Hastings is presented with an award for his long service.
Halftime stats: Can leads in shots 9-2 and on target shots 3-0. Canada leads in possession 67-33%. Canada leads
in fouls 8-7 and offsides 3-0.

Second Half:...starts 9:13pm...Hon Palma take opening kickoff.
halftime subs:...Hon Martinez replaces Leveron.
.................Hon Pereira replaces Maldonado.
46 min...Can Davies long run up left and low centering pass has sliding defender in 6 yard box clear ball.
47 min...Can Davies 25 yard freekick from left is into box has defender in crowd of players head over own net.
47 min...Can Eustaquio cornerkick from left has defender on near post clear for throw-in on left.
48 min...Canada Jonathan David GOAL...Can Tajon Buchanan runs down right sideline from 35 yards after receiving
chipped pass. He cuts in to right edge of box and rolls centering pass to Can Ismael Kone who slides at 6 yards to try
to connect but deflects ball over to center of box for Can Cyle Larin who stops ball at 6 yards but Hon Oscar Almendarez
pokes it away and David recovers at 8 yards and steps to the left to get around those two players and rolls ball into
left corner of net past goalie at 4 yards who is screened on play.
51 min...Can Davies rush down right and centers ball into box that defender clears at 10 yards.
52 min...Hon Lopez blasts 18 yarder from right well over net.
53 min...Hon Lopez gets another shotg over net from 12 yards.
53 min...Can David rolls ball to right on run up middle but too far forward for Can Buchanan and ball rolls over end line.
54 min...Hon goalie stops low 35 yarder from left.
57 min...Hon Lozano long run up left and low centering cross has goalie dive forward to smother ball at 8 yards. Can Kennedy
is injured away from the play.
60 min...Can Osorio is checked off ball on run up middle but Hon Lozano follows up with 18 yard shot that tips off top webbing of net.
61 min...Can sub...Hutchinson replaces Eustaquio.
.........Can sub...Adekugbe replaces Larin.
.........Can sub...Laryea replaces Buchanan.
.........Can sub...Hiebert replaces Kennedy.
Can Davies now moves up to play forward.
63 min...Can Laryea run up right and low 15 yard shot is through 6 yard box and wide left.
64 min...Hon Quioto on run up slight left can't get by Can Johnston and rolls 10 yarder along left end line that goalie smothers.
66 min...Can David on run down middle and passes forward to charging Can Davies at 15 yards who shoots 8 yarder from slight
right that goalie at 6 yards deflects wide right for cornerkick.
66 min...Can Davies cornerkick from left has Can player head clearance out of box.
67 min...Hon sub...Rosales replaces Lozano.
.........Hon sub...Benguche replaces Lopez.
.........Hon sub...Solano replaces Quioto.
68 min...Can David can't win Penalty kick on slip on rush side of Hon box.
70 min...The fans in the south end start a Viking clap.
71 min...Can Adekugbe tips cross for Hon cornerkick on right.
71 min...Hon Rosales cornerkick from right has leaping defender on short side head ball behind end line.
72 min...Honduras Jorge Benguche GOAL...Hon Joseph Rosales cornerkick from right has Benguche at 10 yards
on short side flick header backwards into top left corner of net with goalie Milan Borjan trapped on right side of net.
73 min...Can Laryea has run on right side of box is stopped and ball cleared.
74 min...Can Davies intercepts Hon player's pass on left sent back to defender and he rushes forward and crosses to Can David
but goalie tips his shot wide right.
75 min...Can sub...Akinola replaces Davies.
76 min...Can Johnston 30 yard freekick from right has Can Laryea then Can Adekugbe have shots and passes blocked on edge
of Hon box.
79 min...Can Cornelius has key poke check on Hon Benguche run to left edge of box.
80 min...Can Kone is injured just outside center circle but gets up without the medics sent on to the field.
81 min...Can Hiebert pokes ball from Hon Solano giving up cornerkick.
82 min...Hon Rosales cornerkick from right has leaping goalie in crowd of players make catch on edge of 6 yard box in center
then starts a fast breakout.
82 min..Can YELLOW card...Johnston earns it for roughing at Hon 30 yard line near sideline.
........Hon YELLOW card...Martinez earns it after he pushed Can Laryea out of bounds.
Can win freekick on play.
84 min...Can Johnston 33 yard freekick on right has ball knocked down and Can Cornelius bicycle kick from 10 yards up middle
is over net.
85 min...Canada Jonathan Osorio GOAL...Can Alistair Johnston at 35 yard line rolls pass up middle for Can Ayo Akinola
at 25 yards who redirects pass forward and to right for charging Osorio at 20 yard even with right side of box. He splits
between defenders on edge of box and chips 8 yarder from right past goalie on edge of box into left side of net halfway up.
86 min...Can Akinola falls over ball when it's passed behind him at 8 yards in middle of Hon box.
87 min...Hon Rosales 35 yard freekick on right has Can defender head ball away on edge of 18 yard box.
88 min...Can Johnston and Can Laryea have good controlling play on right but can't get into Hon box.
90 min...Can Johnston long centering cross from 25 yard line near right sideline has Can David head ball over net on fall from 8 yards.
91 min...Can Kone goes down injured at Hon 45 yard line but there's at least 1 minute of play-on before a Hon player clears ball
out of bounds.
93 min...game ends 10:01pm.

Final Score:...Canada.....4......Honduras......1......

Attendance was announced as 13,626. That was a disappointing size crowd for the first home appearance of the Canadian National
team to be back in Toronto since just one year plus a day when they clinched a berth in the World Cup with a 4-0 win against Jamaica.
It was a cold weekday night. Biggest complaint about attending were the tickets were overpriced. They did not even try to sell
anything in the upper bowl. I was offered a 25% discount on any of the still available expensive seats about with two weeks before
the game through my SSH with York United of the CPL. Twitter and the message boards I read could see this coming from the day the tickets were put on sale.

The FIFA calendar has teams squeeze two games in a span from Wednesday to Tuesday. Canada was in Curacao on Saturday
and won 2-0 to clinch at least second place in their three team group clinching a Gold Cup berth. Curacao's loss confined them
to third place and relegated them to Group B status for the next Nations League competition. Canada needed a tie or win
tonight to win the group but a win earned them 'third' spot in the final and avoided having to play the USA in the semi-final
game in Las Vegas. Their appearance guarantees two games as it will be the final or 3rd place game as the second game taking
place between June 15th to 18th. The win means they play Panama while Mexico and USA face off in the other semi-final.

Canada had played in Honduras months earlier in the tourney before the World Cup and were beaten 2-1. Defender Alistair
Johnston and head coach John Herdman were drew Red cards in that game.

Because Canada had beaten Curacao twice while Honduras had only managed a split, Honduras and Canada were tied coming into
tonight's game with Canada holding a better goal difference. Canada has certainly improved since the September 2, 2021 game
here at BMO Field when they scored on a late Penalty kick to tie Honduras 1-1 in their first game to start the Hexagon (final
round of World Cup qualifying). Honduras didn't win a game in that final round.

Canada had a two goal lead by the 10 minute mark to ease a lot of the pressure early. With Cyle Larin scoring both of those
goals, it was the reason he was chosen to take the Penalty kick rather than the designated man for the job--Jonathan David.
A chance for a hat trick comes along rarely for this team especially now that they won't be playing teams like Aruba or Bermuda
in qualifying games aaSnymore.

A concern tonight was for Jonathan David, Tajon Buchanan, Richie Laryea, Milan Borjan, and Cyle Larin not to get Yellow cards
as their second Yellows would carry forward to the CNL Finals.

With the Covid scare over, in-person post game press conferences and the player mix-zone was back which I cover in my other post.
There were no copies of the game sheet for the game as the CSA said the printer here wasn't working.

Rocket Robin
robin.glover.1958@gmail.com

Canadian starters