Dos Santos chosen as Gold Cup MVP

July 27, 2009

NEW YORK – Giovani dos Santos, who scored two goals including one in Mexico’s title winning 5-0 victory over the United States, was selected as the Most Valuable Player for the 2009 Gold Cup and one of five members of El Tri chosen for the All-Tournament Team.

Teammate Miguel Sabah claimed the Golden Boot Award as the Gold Cup’s leading scorer with four goals while Costa Rica’s Keilor Navas was chosen as the tournament’s best goalkeeper.

Dos Santos was joined in the 18-man All-Tournament side by teammates Guillermo Ochoa, Fausto Pinto, Gerardo Torrado and Sabah.

The United States, which won the Fair Play Award, and Costa Rica each placed four players on the All-Tournament Team, which was selected by the Technical Study Group, who also chose the MVP and goalkeeper award winner.

Navas was joined by teammates Jose Fernandez, Celso Borges and Alvaro Saborio, while U.S. defenders Clarence Goodson and Chad Marshall were joined by midfielder Stuart Holden and forward Kenny Cooper.

Award Winners
Most Valuable Player Award: Giovani dos Santos (MEX)
Golden Boot Award: Mighel Sabah (MEX)
Best Goalkeeper Award: Keilor Navas (CRC)
Fair Play Award: United States

All-Tournament Team
Goalkeepers
Keilor Navas (CRC)
Guillermo Ochoa (MEX)

Defenders
Mike Klukowski (CAN)
Freddy Fernandez (CRC)
Fausto Pinto (MEX)
Luis Moreno (PAN)
Clarence Goodson (USA)
Chad Marshall (USA)

Midfielders
Julian de Guzman (CAN)
Celso Borges (CRC)
Stephane Auvray (GLP)
Gerardo Torrado (MEX)
Giovani dos Santos (MEX)
Stuart Holden (MEX)

Forwards
Alvaro Saborio (CRC)
Walter Martinez (HON)
Miguel Sabah (MEX)
Kenny Cooper (USA)

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Tags: alvaro saborio, celso, chad marshall, clarence goodson, Costa Rica, crc, Dos, Freddy Fernandez, gerardo torrado, glp, gold cup, golden boot, guillermo ochoa, julian de guzman, keilor, Kenny, kenny cooper, luis moreno, Mexico, midfielders, Mike Klukowski, navas, pinto, Sabah, Santos, Stuart Holden, Tri, United States, USA, Walter Martinez

Canada draws 2-2 with Costa Rica

July 11, 2009

MIAMI — Patrice Bernier and Marcel de Jong scored 3 1/2 minutes apart in the first half and led Canada to a 2-2 draw with Costa Rica on Friday, sending the North Americans to the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup as the Group A winners.

Canada already had assured itself of a berth in the final eight and finished with seven points to earn a match against the Group B runner-up July 18 in Philadelphia.

Costa Rica improved to four points, and advanced to the quarterfinals when Jamaica beat El Salvador 1-0 in the second game of the doubleheader Friday

“Two-two was a fair result. Both teams played to win the pace of the game changed after the first goal,” Costa Rica coach Rodrigo Kenton said. “Canada is a good, calm organized team.”

The first 20 minutes of the match were listless with both teams getting comfortable with the artificial turf surface and the humidity.

But then both teams exploded for four goals in 11 minutes.

Costa Rica opened the scoring in the 23rd minute thanks to two mistakes by Canadian goalkeeper Greg Sutton on the same play.

Sutton’s goal kick went right to Costa Rica’s Armando Alonso, who headed the ball back into the Canadian zone. Striker Andy Herron ran onto the ball and lofted a shot over Sutton who ventured out too far and stumbled while trying to retreat into his goal.

Two minutes later, Canada tied the game when midfielder Josh Simpson drove down the left flank and found an unmarked Bernier, who volleyed the ball into the goal.

De Jong put Canada ahead in the 28th. His free kick from close to 45 meters was cleared back toward him. He settled it and then launched another attempt that skipped once before deflecting off the inside of the left post past goalkeeper Ricardo Gonzalez.

But Costa Rican captain Walter Centeno, the Miller Lite Man of the Match, equalized in the 34th minute, driving a curving free kick from 30 meters over the wall and found the inside of the goalpost

Costa Rica suffered from suspect defending and shoddy goalkeeping for much of the first half.

Despite the breakdowns, the Ticos sent a wave of pressure at Canada in the second half looking for the winner. Celso Borges sent a bicycle kick by the right post early in the half.

Then Canada got a lucky break when the ball off a corner kick hit Canadian defender Richard Hastings’ hands in the 73rd minute, but American referee Terry Vaughan didn’t call a penalty.

Five minutes later, Borges headed Centeno’s corner, but Canadian midfielder Jaime Peters cleared the ball off the line.

In the 84th minute, Centeno sent a header from 10 yards out just over the crossbar.

That’s as close as Costa Rica could get as Sutton and the Canadian defense prevailed.

“Canada was just sitting back and the result was good for them,” Herron said. “They didn’t mind if they just sat there and went forward, so they just defended the whole time trying to get in good position to try to attack us and we just tried, they defended well.”

“The coach was trying to make a couple of changes to get us close to the goal. I mean we tried we tried to do our best, but Canada did a good job defending.”

With injuries and players tagged with cautions, Canada manager Stephen Hart rested five of his regulars.

“I had no choice. I had no choice,” Hart said. “If any of the players were carded they would out been out of the quarterfinals. And we had injuries. I had no choice.”

Julian de Guzman, captain Paul Stalteri, Ali Gerba, Mike Klukowski, Dejan Jakovic and Josh Simpson all began the match on the bench. Jakovic was injured, while De Guzman, the Gold Cup 2007 MVP, could have been suspended for the quarterfinals with another caution. Inserted in their place were Jaime Peters, Andre Hainault, Simeon Jackson, Richard Hastings and de Jong.

“For us this game in particular there were too many changes we just couldn’t find a rhythm,” Hart said. “In the second half we did marginally better, but overall what we had to do tonight was suffer and we got the result of a point, but at least with three games and now we have a few days to recuperate and head to the quarterfinals.”

By: By Vijay Setlur

Tags: ali gerba, Andre Hainault, Andy Herron, armando alonso, artificial turf, Canada, canadian zone, captain Paul Stalteri, captain Walter Centeno, CONCACAF Champions' Cup, concacaf gold cup, Costa Rica, doubleheader, El Salvador, free kick, goal kick, goalkeeper ricardo, goalkeeping, goalpost, Greg Sutton, Herron, Jamaica, josh simpson, julian de guzman, left flank, marcel de jong, Miami, Mike Klukowski, North Americans, patrice bernier, Peters, Philadelphia, quarterfinals, ricardo gonzalez, Richard Hastings, Rodrigo Kenton, second game, seven points, Simeon Jackson, stephen hart, Terry Vaughan, Vijay Setlur, Walter Centeno

Another Gerba goal gives Canada 1-0 win over El Salvador

July 8, 2009

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ali Gerba’s goal in the 32nd minute gave Canada a 1-0 win over El Salvador Tuesday night and all but assured it of a berth in the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.

The goal before a partisan El Salvadoran crowd at Columbus Crew Stadium was Gerba’s sixth in Gold Cup play, eclipsing the Canadian record of Carlo Corazzin.

It also was Gerba’s fifth goal in four games and 15 in his 26 matches.

More importantly, it moved Canada to the brink of the knockout round. Canada became the first team to reach six points, but with no draws yet in the tournament has not clinched a spot in the final eight.

Since Stephen Hart took over April 17 on an interim basis, Canada has won four in a row and appear poised to repeat its Gold Cup run of 2007.

In the earlier game, Costa Rica avenged its 1-0 loss to El Salvador with a 1-0 win over Jamaica, all but eliminating the Reggae Boyz.

Gerba, who was signed by Toronto FC last month, was added to bolster the Major League Soccer club’s finishing and demonstrated his knack for positioning for the second straight game.

Defender Paul Stalteri’s cross from the right side was headed away by defender Manuel Salazar, but only to the top of the penalty area. Patrice Bernier hit left-footed bouncer that Gerba was able to redirectwith an extended toe from the edge of the six-yard box.

El Salvador had two opportunities in the second half to equalize, but couldn’t finish.

Canadian goalkeeper Greg Sutton stretched to stop Salvador Correas’ high drive from 30 yards in the 55th minute.Two minutes later, William Reyes’ header sailed just wide of the post.

El Salvador trained to attack the center of Canada’s defense with its speed.But the Canadian midfield, led by Julian de Guzman, stifled those efforts.

De Guzman, Bernier and Atiba Hutchinson were instrumental in keeping the ball away from the Salvadorans in the first meeting between the two countries in 10 years.

After an uneventful 15 minutes with Canada controlling possession, the game opened up midway through the half.Gerba struck minutes later to give Canada a lead it would not relinquish.

El Salvador will face Jamaica on Friday, while Canada will face Costa Rica in Group A finale at Miami.

By Vijay Setlur

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Tags: ali gerba, atiba hutchinson, Canada, Carlo Corazzin, COLUMBUS, columbus crew, columbus crew stadium, CONCACAF Champions' Cup, concacaf gold cup, correas, Costa Rica, El Salvador, fifth goal, Greg Sutton, Hutchinson, interim basis, julian de guzman, Major League Soccer, manuel salazar, Miami, Ohio, patrice bernier, paul stalteri, Reggae, reggae boyz, salvadorans, six points, soccer club, stephen hart, straight game, toronto fc, Vijay Setlur, William Reyes

Gerba’s second-half goal leads Canada over Jamaica in Gold Cup opener

July 4, 2009

CARSON, California – Ali Gerba scored in the 75th minute to lead to Canada to a 1-0 win over Jamaica on Friday, kicking off the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Canadian defender Mike Klukowski took a loose ball in the middle of the field and sent a long elooping cross to the Toronto FC striker, who one-timed a strike past Jamaica goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts.

The win in the first game of the doubleheader gave Canada three valuable points heading into its second match against El Salvador at Crew Stadium in Columbus on Tuesday. Costa Rica and El Salvador, both in the World Cup qualifying hexagonal, played in the second match of the evening.

The match was a reversal of the last meeting between Canada and Jamaica, when the Reggae Boyz won 3-0 in a World Cup qualifier that they had to win by a huge margin to advance to the final round.

Goaltending dominated as both Canada’s Greg Sutton and Ricketts produced several dramatic saves, especially in the second half.

Canada coach Stephen Hart’s decision to start the veteran Sutton ahead of Josh Wagenaar proved wise as the taller Sutton used his size to deny Jamaica repeatedly.

Sutton stopped Ricardo Fuller’s point-blank shot in the 65th minute and minutes made a leaping save to deny defender Damian Stewart.

Canada began with a possession game and used its one-touch passing in the middle to limit the athletic Jamaicans.

The keep-away strategy seemed to work, denying Jamaica the ability to exploit the flanks with its speed.

Jamaica was forced to counterattack, which resulted in two quality chances midway through the first half.

Canada’s more patient approach started to pay dividends late in the half.

Canada’s best and only real chance came when 2007 Gold Cup most valuable player Julian de Guzman sent a cross in off a free kick and Kevin McKenna one-timed it from 10 yards out that was tipped just over the bar by Ricketts.

Minutes later, De Guzman sent a cross to Patrice Bernier on the left. Bernier fired just wide of left post and just out of reach of Will Johnson, who was late onto the ball.

Play opened up consdiderably in the second half with both teams generating scoring chances before Gerba’s goal.

Referee Terry Vaughan issued six yellow cards, four to Jamaica (Claude Davis, Jermaine Johsnon, Luton Shelton, Demar Phillips, and O’Neil Thompson) and one to Canada (de Guzman).

Jamaica will try to regroup against Costa Rica in the other match on Tuesday.

By Vijay Setlur

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