TORONTO, June 3 (Xinhua) — Team Canada men’s national soccer team played to a scoreless draw against the United States at BMO Field here on Sunday evening.
The match gave both teams one final chance to develop team cohesion before the third round of FIFA World Cup qualifiers next week.
The match was also a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Canadian Soccer Association. To celebrate the milestone, team Canada wore a commemorative blue Umbro Centennial Jersey.
During the game, Canada got off to a slow start, allowing the USA offence to control possession throughout the half, leading to create several opportunities. Following halftime, Canada regrouped and played with more energy in the second half, result in several scoring chances of their own.
The conclusion of the game featured the best scoring chances for both teams. In the 91st minute, Canada had an excellent chance to take the lead when substitute Simeon Jackson shot wide a point-blank ball passed by forward Dwayne De Rosario.
Two minutes later, the United States had an even better chance to take the lead during a Clarence Goodson free kick that found the head of midfielder Michael Bradley. The ball gained momentum and destined to the back of the net, right below the crossbar before Canadian goalkeeper Lars Hirschfeld managed to deflect the ball over the net and out of play.
“Overall, (the game featured) two different halves for us. First half, we showed good discipline, good organization, but we were a little bit sloppy with the ball at times, said Canadian head coach Stephen Hart. “I was very pleased with how we played in the second half.”
Hart also commented on the way his team approached the friendly match.
“The objective was to work on certain things as a team on things that we need to improve going forward. It was not about stopping the United States and any particular players, I thought we showed good organization, good patience defensively and allowed us to get several opportunities on the counter-attack,” he said.
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