Dwayne De Rosario scored a record-tying-goal in a 4-0 Victory over St. Kitts and Nevis on Tuesday night.
Having already clinched a berth in the third round with a road draw against St. Kitts six days ago, the team was playing for pride and looking to put an end to their two-game goalless streak. The team’s two previous matches against Puerto Rico and St. Kitts resulted in 0-0 draws and the 10,000 plus fans at BMO field wanted to see a better result.
The game started slowly as the defences were sharp and prevented any real scoring changes. The first scoring chance occurred in the 15th minute when St. Kitts forward Akil Grier had two chances to score inside the Canadian box. His first attempt was successfully blocked by the Canadian defence but created a loose ball which Grier struck hard off the left post. Had the ball gone in, the game dynamic would have changed completely.
Canada’s offence woke up immediately after and started to apply pressure in the St. Kitts Zone. In the 21st minute, Josh Simpson started a triangle pass which ended up in a scoring chance for Tosaint Ricketts. As the pressure continued, the fans showed their appreciation with the loud “Canada” chants rooting on the red and white.
The crowd erupted in the 27th minute when forward Olivier Occean opened the scoring to give Canada 1-0 lead. The goal was scored on a corner kick which resulted in Dwayne De Rosario setting up a cross to Ryan Johnson who shot the ball on goal. Occean then lunged at the ball and re-deflected it into the goal.
Canada did not stop at one goal. The offence continued to attack and was rewarded in the 33rd minute when Ricketts was muscled down inside the box by St. Kitts defender Kareem Mitchum. The referee was given no choice but to call a foul, awarding Canada with a penalty kick. Once the area was cleared out, Canadian Captain De Rosario stepped up and stuck the ball past the outstretched arms of goalkeeper Akil Byron into the left side to make the score 2-0.
As the first half was coming to an end, forward Josh Simpson gave Canada a 3-0 lead when he headed in a Will Johnson corner in added time.
Canada continued their dominance in second half as Ricketts and company created several scoring chances in the St. Kitts zone. It was not until the 88th minute until Canada would strike again. With the ball inside the St. Kitts box, De Rosario shot the ball on goal into the arms of goalkeeper Byron. However the St. Kitts goalkeeper was unable to hang onto the ball, allowing Ricketts to slide the loose ball into the net to score the final goal of the match.
Following the game, Coach Stephen Hart was impressed with Ricketts’ performance. “Ricketts stretched them a lot, gave room to the midfield so we could pass the ball better…We weren’t sure how he would play if he starts. He’s always come off the bench and it was a good game to give him the opportunity in front of his home fans and let him feel the pressure of the game and see how he responds and he was fantastic,” said Hart.
When asked about the areas the team can improve on for the next round, Hart commented that “ball possession at times could be better…. We are in a situation where we are creating changes. I still think that the final pass could be better measured…it’s a confidence thing and we will keep working.”
De Rosario’s goal was his 19th career international goal, tying him with former coach Dale Mitchell for most goals scored by a Canadian male at the ‘A’ level. When asked about the significant of typing Dale Mitchell’s record, “He is a great player, been a great role model for us in Canada to be along the same lines as that is a great feeling”, said De Rosario.
The victory today also tied a record for most consecutive clean sheets with five. With goalkeeper Kenny Stamatopoulos in goal, Canada continued their shutout streak of 533 minutes without allowing a goal, 8 minutes away from typing the a national record.
The final standings in Round 2 have Canada on top of Group C with a record of 4-0-2 with 14 points, 18 goals scored and 1 goal allowed. The next round will be much tougher, as the field has been reduced down to 12 teams. Canada has been placed in Group C with Cuba, Honduras and Panama. In order to advance to the final round of qualifiers, Canada must finish in the top two of Group C to advance. The third round matches consist of three home games and three away games beginning on June 8, 2012 at Cuba and concluding October 16, 2012 at home against Honduras. Locations for the six matches will be announced early in 2012.
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