The Flat Back Four: CONCACAF Gold Cup 2009 Group A: Canada 1-0 Jamaica

Canada kicked off the biennial Gold Cup 2009 in California with a hard fought 1-0 win over the Reggae Boyz. Tactically, Canada played a great game and deserved the victory. Greg Sutton repaid Coach Hart's faith in him with a man of the match performance.

Full-time: 1 - 0

Venue:Home Depot Center, Carson, California

Referee: T. Vaughn
Assistants: M. Hierrezuelo & C. Morgante
Fourth official: J. Marrufo

Canada

Player

Goals

Disciplinary

G. Sutton (GK)

K. McKenna

D. Jakovic

M. De Jong

P. Stalteri

J. De Guzmán

36'

P. Bernier

A. Hutchinson

M. Klukowski

W. Johnson

A. Gerba

75'

Coach: S. Hart

Substitutions

Player

Goals

Disciplinary

J. Simpson

for M. De Jong 46'

S. Jackson

for W. Johnson 70'

Jamaica

#	Player	Disciplinary
1	D. Ricketts (GK)
4	C. Davis	24'
15	R. Gardner
14	T. Marshall
3	D. Stewart
16	J. Johnson	28'
12	D. Phillips	69'
17	R. Austin
7	J. Morrison
11	L. Shelton	43'
10	R. Fuller
Coach: T. Whitmore

Substitutions

#	Player	Disciplinary
20	O. Thompson for R. Austin 71'	89'
8	J. Campbell Ryce for J. Johnson 77'
22	O. Cummings for C. Davis 81'

Player

Goals

Disciplinary

O. Thompson

for R. Austin 71'

89'

J. Campbell Ryce

for J. Johnson 77'

O. Cummings

for C. Davis 81'

Live Commentary

Minute		Description
90' +2		Corner to Jamaica and Sutton makes a clean catch - Jamaica throwing everything at Canada but the referee brings the game to an end.
89'		O. Thompson gets yellow.
89'		Jackson almost sneaks one at the death, once again Ricketts flaying at thin air and the ball goes just wide
88'		Canada look poised, not much going for Jamaica as Thompson gets a yellow card
87'		Ricketts is down injured after a clash with the number 16 from Canada
86'		Panic stations for the Jamaicans, five minutes left
84'		Corner to Jamaica - Gardner with the cross and Thompson's downward header is cleared
83'		Jamaica are forced back in their own half, not where they want to be
81'		C. Davis is substituted out.
81'		O. Cummings is substituted in.
80'		Good response from Jamaica - and Shelton finds room in the area and places his shot just over the bar - Jamaica with a fine response
79'		Free kick to Jamaica - Gardner takes and Canada clear with a header

Minute		Description
78'		Game on! and Jamaica need to find a way back into this game
77'		J. Johnson is substituted out.
77'		J. Campbell Ryce is substituted in.
75'		A. Gerba has scored a goal for Canada!
75'		Goal Canada - A long cross comes in and the Jamaica defense was scrambling and Gerber converts with a fine volley - Ricketts left standing looking at the ball cross the line
73'		Free kick to Simpson - Stalteri has an effort from distance, no trouble for Ricketts
71'		R. Austin is substituted out.
71'		O. Thompson is substituted in.
70'		W. Johnson is substituted out.
70'		S. Jackson is substituted in.
69'		D. Phillips gets yellow.
69'		Scrappy passage of play, Jamaica with the slight upper hand. Yellow to Phillips - tackle from behind on Johnson
67'		The referee has stern words with Simpson, play continues - Simpson has made an impact since coming on
66'		Shelton with a long range effort, results in corner - Phillips takes the corner and Marshall heads wide
65'		Fuller is clean through, shoots and Sutton once again makes a fine save, he is having a good game - a good chance missed for Jamaica
63'		A deflected shot results in a corner for Jamaica, nothing doing though and its a goal kick
62'		Corner to Jamaica - meantime a Canadian down in the area and he is ushered off the field and its Klukowski
60'		Gerber almost in, just about gets his shot off, good defending from the Jamaicans
59'		Jamaica has reached the Semi Finals on two occasions, 1993 and 1998 losing on both occasions to Mexico
58'		A fine start for Jamaica to this second half
56'		Corner to Jamaica - Gardner takes again, free kick called against Jamaica
55'		Shelton with a great chance - and a fine save from Sutton - he got hold of that one but Sutton was equal to it
54'		Corner to Jamaica - Gardner takes and results in open play
52'		Foul on Canada's Jakovic and he stays down for a while but soon joins the battle
51'		Hutchinson chases down a lost cause and manages to sneak in a cross which the keepers gathers
49'		Foul for Jamaica
46'		M. De Jong is substituted out.
		J. Simpson is substituted in.
		Simpson with a great chance, Ricketts with a fine save, results in corner, Simpson only on for a minute and almost gets on the score sheet
45' +1		Haft Time 0-0 and a fair scoreline, both teams had chances but an even first half all round, all to play for in the second half as both these countries will look to post an opening win
43'		L. Shelton gets yellow.
43'		Jamaica has the edge in the FIFA Rankings, they surged up eleven places in the recently announced rankings to a lofty 65, and in contrast Canada dropped nine places to 92. Yellow card to Shelton of Jamaica - barging his opponent to the ground
41'		Foul on Canada's Guzman, tackle from behind
40'		Foul on Canada's Johnson, shirt pulling from Fuller
39'		Free kick to Canada - results in open play
38'		Corner to Jamaica - Gardner to take - it's short and Canada cut out the attack and go on a break - results in open play
36'		J. De Guzmán gets yellow.
36'		Yellow card to De Guzman of Canada
34'		Gerba slides the ball through to Bernier who almost beats the keeper, the referee calls for an off-side
33'		A scrappy section of play - no urgency at the moment from both sides
32'		Free kick to Jamaica - results in open play
28'		J. Johnson gets yellow.
28'		Penalty shout for Johnson of Jamaica but referee says no
27'		An even game here, a couple of chances for either team
25'		Yellow card for Davis Jamaica - McKenna almost scoops in the resulting free kick, a great chance for Canada
24'		C. Davis gets yellow.
23'		Free kick to Jamaica on Johnson
22'		Corner to Canada - cross comes in from Klukowski and Jamaica head clear
20'		A nice passage of play for Canada, playing keep ball, good possession
16'		Gardner has an effort on goal from just outside the area, he doesn't really get hold of it and Sutton makes a comfortable save
15'		Free kick to Canada, cross comes in and Bernier shoots well wide after really failing to control his effort
13'		Another shot well over the bar for Jamaica - in the next attack Shelton shrugs off his opponent and his effort is well wide
12'		Jamaica pressing forward here, they look physically stronger than the Canadians - Free kick to Canada
10'		Ricardo Fuller makes progress to the edge of the Canada area, unleashes a shot that goes well wide
9'		An even start here, Canada with the best chance
8'		Gardner for Jamaica tries his luck from a fully 30-yards, well blocked by the Canadian defense
5'		Canada almost get onto the score sheet, but its offside, a great chance, replays show referee correct in off side decision
3'		Head to Head throws up no dominance, since 1991 these two have met five times with two wins a piece and one draw.
1'		Canada kick off the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup
		Welcome to the opening match of the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup where Canada will take on Jamaica in a Group A clash at the Home Depot Center in Carson California. A beautiful afternoon in Los Angeles to open the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup tournament, 77 degrees Fahrenheit, sunny and clear, we are indeed blessed with perfect soccer playing conditions.