Toronto, Canada, by Juan Carlos Cordero, UNO International News Service.- Canada started its World Cup route to Brazil 2014 with a 4-1 win against St. Lucia national team at BMO Field, with an attendance of more than 11,000 people and a fast pace by the men of coach Stephen Hart.
Josh Simpson (TUR, Manisaspor) scored twice at 5' and 60', while Dwayne De Rosario (USA, DC United) shot a great penalty kick at 50' for the partial 2-1. One minute later, Kevin Edward seemed to tie the game with a header, but his goal was disallowed. Substitute striker Will John (USA, Real Salt Lake) put the four and final goal at home.
Pernal Williams, of St. Lucia, was ejected at 88'.
Canada created many opportunities, but
The team coached by Stephen Hart started with:
GK Lars Hirschfield
LB Ante Jazic
CB Kevin McKenna
RB Jo Bourgalt-Beaulieu
MF Julian De Guzman
MF Atiba Hutchinson
MF Dwayne De Rosario
FW Josh Simpson
FW Simeon Jackson
FW Ian Hume
Substitutions
MF Tosaint Ricketts
MF Will Johnson
FW Marcus haber
Favourites sweat as underdogs impress
Friday 2 September 2011
The opening matchday of Asia's third qualifying round for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™ sent shockwaves across the continent, with favourites struggling to prove their credentials while underdogs stated their intention to mount a serious challenge.
The biggest surprises came from West Asia, where Jordan pulled off a 2-0 stunner in Iraq and Oman held Saudi Arabia to a goalless draw at home. Japan, Asia's highest-ranked team, were fortunate to edge past Korea DPR with an injury-time effort while both Australia and China PR had to battle from behind to defeat Thailand and Singapore 2-1 respectively.
Uzbekistan proved little better, claiming a single-goal win over Tajikistan. Only Korea Republic won comfortably, firing six unanswered goals past Lebanon for the night's biggest margin of victory, while Iran ran out 3-0 victors over Indonesia. Join FIFA.com as we review the most tense and thrilling moments of the opening day.
The game
Korea Republic 6-0 Lebanon
Park Chu Young 7, 45+1, 67; Ji Dong-Won 66, 85; Kim Jung-Woo 82
Coach Cho Kwang-Rae's Taeguk Warriors put their 3-0 friendly loss to Japan in the build-up behind them as they ran riot against Lebanon in Goyang. Their English-based striking duo proved the driving force as they crushed the visitors, with Arsenal's new signing Park Chu-Young completing a hat-trick while Sunderland striker Ji Dong-Won was also on target twice.
The former opened the scoring on seven minutes before heading home on the stroke of the half-time to double the lead. The visitors hit back after the interval but their hopes of a comeback were shattered when Ji made it 3-0 on 66 minutes, before Park went on to grab his third a minute later. After Kim Jung-Woo made it five by tapping home from close range, Ji rounded off their wonderful night five minutes from time. Despite the emphatic win, they must beware of their next opponents Kuwait, who inflicted a 3-2 defeat on hosts United Arab Emirates.
The surprise
Iraq 0-2 Jordan
Hasan Mahmoud 43, Abdullah Deed 47
Al Wahdat duo Hasan Mahmoud and Abdullah Deed scored either side of the half-time as Jordan stunned Iraq 2-0 for a spirited opening victory. Zico's hosts side may have enjoyed the home support at Arbil, but it was Adnan Hamad's visitors that had the better of the opening half. And the Jordanians' offensive efforts paid dividends before the break, when midfielder Mahmoud latched onto a cross to break the deadlock.
Desperate to chase the equaliser, the Iraqis rallied back after the restart, only to be caught out again. Deeb, a constant threat in front of the Iraqi goal, got his head on a fine cross to crash the upright, but the 24-year-old striker Deed was the first to pounce on the rebound, beating two defenders to slot home. The result not only put Jordan on top in Group A on goal difference above China, but also sent a warning for the East Asians ahead of their meeting in Amman four days from now.
The other attractions
The opening matchday began in tense fashion with its earliest fixture, Australia surviving a 14th-minute scare by Teerasil Dangda to claim a narrow win at home. Capitalising on a Jakkraphan Kewprom cross, the Thai forward gave the visitors an unlikely early lead by slotting past Mark Schwarzer, only for Josh Kennedy to cancel out on the hour-mark. The Socceroos piled on the pressure after that, but the Thais held on. With only four minutes left, forward Alex Brosque eased the hosts' worries as the second-half substitute clinched the winner.
Group A seeds China PR snatched a carbon-copy victory at home over a resilient Singapore as their new Spanish boss Jose Antonio Camacho got his tenure off to a winning start. Veteran playmaker Zheng Zhi proved the difference as he had a hand in their two goals. Sent on as a substitute in the second half, he cancelled out Aleksandar Duric’s first-half opener via the penalty spot on 69 minutes, before starting a move which was completed by Yu Hai four minutes later.
Group C proved one of the toughest of all, as both Japan and Uzbekistan sparred their blushes late. In doing so, the former owed thanks to 23-year-old Vitesse Arnhem full-back Michihiro Yasuda, whose last-gasp effort undid Korea DPR. The latter, for their part, dispatched neighbouring Tajikistan with attacking veteran Maksim Shatskikh scoring the only goal 18 minutes from time.
Elsewhere, Javad Nekonam bagged a brace as Group E seeds Iran saw off Indonesia 3-0 to top the section. In their next outing, Carlos Queiroz's winning side will travel to Doha to challenge Qatar, who shared the spoils with Bahrain in a goalless draw in Manama.
The player
Inheriting the captain’s armband from Park Ji-Sung who retired from international football after January’s AFC Asian Cup, Park Chu-Young underlined his qualities as the true heir to the Manchester United playmaker by inspiring his side to a big victory.
The stat
41 - The age of Singapore’s evergreen forward Duric, a ripe old age for such a fresh competitor.
What they said
“Generally our team played hard and well as we won the opener. When Singapore took the lead, our players did their best to respond, including hitting the woodwork twice. It was the never-say-die spirit and our great effort that carried us through,” China PR coach Jose Antonio Camacho.
Asia's third qualifying round, matchday 1 results
2 September
Group A: China PR 2-1 Singapore, Iraq 0-2 Jordan
Group B: Korea Republic 6-0 Lebanon, United Arab Emirates 2-3 Kuwait
Group C: Japan 1-0 Korea DPR, Tajikistan 0-1 Uzbekistan
Group D: Australia 2-1 Thailand, Oman 0-0 Saudi Arabia
Group E: Iran 3-0 Indonesia, Bahrain 0-0 Qatar
The biggest surprises came from West Asia, where Jordan pulled off a 2-0 stunner in Iraq and Oman held Saudi Arabia to a goalless draw at home. Japan, Asia's highest-ranked team, were fortunate to edge past Korea DPR with an injury-time effort while both Australia and China PR had to battle from behind to defeat Thailand and Singapore 2-1 respectively.
Uzbekistan proved little better, claiming a single-goal win over Tajikistan. Only Korea Republic won comfortably, firing six unanswered goals past Lebanon for the night's biggest margin of victory, while Iran ran out 3-0 victors over Indonesia. Join FIFA.com as we review the most tense and thrilling moments of the opening day.
The game
Korea Republic 6-0 Lebanon
Park Chu Young 7, 45+1, 67; Ji Dong-Won 66, 85; Kim Jung-Woo 82
Coach Cho Kwang-Rae's Taeguk Warriors put their 3-0 friendly loss to Japan in the build-up behind them as they ran riot against Lebanon in Goyang. Their English-based striking duo proved the driving force as they crushed the visitors, with Arsenal's new signing Park Chu-Young completing a hat-trick while Sunderland striker Ji Dong-Won was also on target twice.
The former opened the scoring on seven minutes before heading home on the stroke of the half-time to double the lead. The visitors hit back after the interval but their hopes of a comeback were shattered when Ji made it 3-0 on 66 minutes, before Park went on to grab his third a minute later. After Kim Jung-Woo made it five by tapping home from close range, Ji rounded off their wonderful night five minutes from time. Despite the emphatic win, they must beware of their next opponents Kuwait, who inflicted a 3-2 defeat on hosts United Arab Emirates.
The surprise
Iraq 0-2 Jordan
Hasan Mahmoud 43, Abdullah Deed 47
Al Wahdat duo Hasan Mahmoud and Abdullah Deed scored either side of the half-time as Jordan stunned Iraq 2-0 for a spirited opening victory. Zico's hosts side may have enjoyed the home support at Arbil, but it was Adnan Hamad's visitors that had the better of the opening half. And the Jordanians' offensive efforts paid dividends before the break, when midfielder Mahmoud latched onto a cross to break the deadlock.
Desperate to chase the equaliser, the Iraqis rallied back after the restart, only to be caught out again. Deeb, a constant threat in front of the Iraqi goal, got his head on a fine cross to crash the upright, but the 24-year-old striker Deed was the first to pounce on the rebound, beating two defenders to slot home. The result not only put Jordan on top in Group A on goal difference above China, but also sent a warning for the East Asians ahead of their meeting in Amman four days from now.
The other attractions
The opening matchday began in tense fashion with its earliest fixture, Australia surviving a 14th-minute scare by Teerasil Dangda to claim a narrow win at home. Capitalising on a Jakkraphan Kewprom cross, the Thai forward gave the visitors an unlikely early lead by slotting past Mark Schwarzer, only for Josh Kennedy to cancel out on the hour-mark. The Socceroos piled on the pressure after that, but the Thais held on. With only four minutes left, forward Alex Brosque eased the hosts' worries as the second-half substitute clinched the winner.
Group A seeds China PR snatched a carbon-copy victory at home over a resilient Singapore as their new Spanish boss Jose Antonio Camacho got his tenure off to a winning start. Veteran playmaker Zheng Zhi proved the difference as he had a hand in their two goals. Sent on as a substitute in the second half, he cancelled out Aleksandar Duric’s first-half opener via the penalty spot on 69 minutes, before starting a move which was completed by Yu Hai four minutes later.
Group C proved one of the toughest of all, as both Japan and Uzbekistan sparred their blushes late. In doing so, the former owed thanks to 23-year-old Vitesse Arnhem full-back Michihiro Yasuda, whose last-gasp effort undid Korea DPR. The latter, for their part, dispatched neighbouring Tajikistan with attacking veteran Maksim Shatskikh scoring the only goal 18 minutes from time.
Elsewhere, Javad Nekonam bagged a brace as Group E seeds Iran saw off Indonesia 3-0 to top the section. In their next outing, Carlos Queiroz's winning side will travel to Doha to challenge Qatar, who shared the spoils with Bahrain in a goalless draw in Manama.
The player
Inheriting the captain’s armband from Park Ji-Sung who retired from international football after January’s AFC Asian Cup, Park Chu-Young underlined his qualities as the true heir to the Manchester United playmaker by inspiring his side to a big victory.
The stat
41 - The age of Singapore’s evergreen forward Duric, a ripe old age for such a fresh competitor.
What they said
“Generally our team played hard and well as we won the opener. When Singapore took the lead, our players did their best to respond, including hitting the woodwork twice. It was the never-say-die spirit and our great effort that carried us through,” China PR coach Jose Antonio Camacho.
Asia's third qualifying round, matchday 1 results
2 September
Group A: China PR 2-1 Singapore, Iraq 0-2 Jordan
Group B: Korea Republic 6-0 Lebanon, United Arab Emirates 2-3 Kuwait
Group C: Japan 1-0 Korea DPR, Tajikistan 0-1 Uzbekistan
Group D: Australia 2-1 Thailand, Oman 0-0 Saudi Arabia
Group E: Iran 3-0 Indonesia, Bahrain 0-0 Qatar
| Team | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Suriname | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
 El Salvador | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
 Dominican Republic | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
 Cayman Islands | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Team | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Guyana | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
 Trinidad and Tobago | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
 Barbados | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
 Bermuda | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Team | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Canada | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 3 |
 Puerto Rico | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
 St. Kitts and Nevis | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
 St. Lucia | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| Team | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Belize | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
 Guatemala | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
 St. Vincent / Grenadines | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
 Grenada | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Team | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Haiti | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 3 |
 Antigua and Barbuda | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
 Curacao | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
 US Virgin Islands | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
Edwards enthusiastic, Hart issues warning
Thursday 1 September 2011
Otto Pfister's side begin their campaign for a spot at the global finals with an intriguing clash with Bermuda at their Hasely Crawford Stadium home. They do so with an air of optimism surrounding their hopes of progressing from Group B in the North, Central American and Caribbean Zone, which they also share with Guyana and Barbados. It will be Edwards' fourth FIFA World Cup preliminary campaign, and the Ipswich Town midfielder remains as keen as ever.
"It's always a privilege representing your country at any level, especially for me as I haven't played in a while for the national team," he told TTFF Media. "I would think the players are all committed.
"Talking from my experience, and looking at the few training sessions we've had and speaking to some of the local boys, you can see their enthusiasm to work on their game and progress towards a better future. They will try to understand [Pfister's] philosophy and what the boss wants to achieve with us."
Looking at the few training sessions we've had and speaking to some of the local boys, you can see their enthusiasm to work on their game and progress towards a better future.
Carlos Edwards of Trinidad and Tobago
Edwards has moved to clarify reported criticism of Pfister's predecessor, Russell Latapy. The 32-year-old was allegedly considering international retirement due to grievances about the make-up of the side's technical set-up.
"A lot of people have their own opinions on how they read things or put them out," Edwards said. "I was referring to things behind the scenes, but I was not pointing fingers at anyone.
"I did not refer to the coach in that context. It goes beyond the coach or the management staff. At the time, because of that situation, I thought about hanging up my boots and saying I have had enough. But luckily I haven't done that and I'm here to play again.
"I'm prepared to go to the distance. I'm fully committed and once I'm given the opportunity then I will go out and give my all for the country."
Hart rules out Canadian complacencyAnother CONCACAF big hitter in action tomorrow night is Group D favourites Canada, who play St Lucia at BMO Field in Toronto. Reds coach Stephen Hart has rubbished the tag of favourites.
"We're not even considering that," he said. "The format is simple and you hope to win the group. We've approached this like we've approached every other game.
"Of course there's always good days and bad days, but we have not spoken about being the overwhelming favourites. We are not [having] any discussion like that at all.
"I have a good feeling, if we're healthy. When we are not healthy, and we saw that at the Gold Cup, then even the healthy players start to doubt the cohesion of the team because leaders are starting to disappear."
The rest of the menuA busy night of action sees Haiti face US Virgin Islands, Grenada play Belize, Surinam host to Cayman Islands and Dominica entertain Nicaragua.
Minnows Curacao travel to take on Antigua and Barbuda, El Salvador host the Dominican Republic, Guyana are home to Barbados, and St Kitts and Nevis take on Puerto Rico on home soil. Elsewhere, Guatemala are at home to St Vincent/Grenadines.
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