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Posted by
Max Bell,
March 29, 2011 |
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A second half header by Andre Hainault earned Canada a much needed win over a quality European opponent after dropped results in Greece and Ukraine.
They collapsed late in Kiev, they fell short in Larissa, but finally Canada got the result they were looking for with a 1-0 win over Belarus in Antalya, Turkey.
Andre Hainault managed to create enough space in the box to head a Will Johnson corner into the far corner to earn Canada the well deserved win over heavily favoured Belarus.
“Will [Johnson] put in a good ball,” said Hainault.
“I had Rob Friend in front of me, he draws two or three guys whenever he makes a run for the ball, he left it and I just kept my eye on the ball and it went in. It was great to score.”
Hainault’s goal was the reward that Canada deserved, and Belarus did little to pose a serious threat during the final half hour of the match.
The game was played in a virtually empty stadium in Antalya, with only a collection of agents, scouts, coaches and players looking on from the stands.
Despite the quiet atmosphere in the stadium, the pitch’s excellent condition allowed for a meaningful and hard-fought game to take place.
The Canadians dominated the first half and controlled possession for 70 percent of the first period.
But despite dictating play early on, it threatened to be another disappointing evening for Canada as they struggled to create genuine chances in the final third.
Rob Friend put in a solid performance and did well to create chances from the little service that he received but Canada will need to be more creative in their attacking play if they are going to become serious contenders at this summer’s Gold Cup.
“I think it was a mixed performance really,” Stephen Hart said.
“We opened the game brightly, created a number of chances and they didn’t really have any chances in the first half.
“Second half we got the goal from Andrew, he climbed well and scored it and once again we were creating the chances. But I felt that our play was a little bit rushed, a little bit hurried and we lacked a bit of composure at times.”
Despite Hart nit-picking at the team’s performance, the Canadian squad will undoubtedly arrive back in North America for the Gold Cup with an extra spring in their step.
A number of young players stepped into the team and made an excellent case for their inclusion in this summer’s proceedings.
Nik Ledgerwood ousted Jaime Peters and Paul Stalteri from the right-back position and put forth a refined display, looking confident throughout the 90 minutes.
“It’s always good to have confidence from the trainer, I thought I did well in the camp and he gave me the reward to play right-back today,” Ledgerwood said.
“I thought I played well, the whole team played well, so I hope that I can come together with the boys at the Gold Cup and show that I deserve to be part of this squad.”
The goal scorer Andre Hainault also did well to stake a rightful claim to a spot on Canada’s roster as part of the defensive core, looking solid at the back next to veteran Kevin McKenna.
“Kevin’s got a lot of experience so he does well, it’s always easy to play with a veteran like that,” Hainault stated.
Two more quality showings by both Milan Borjan and Lars Hirschfeld who split the match in goal for Canada will create another selection dilemma for Stephen Hart, but it’s a problem the manager enjoys having to deal with.
“That’s a headache I love to have,” Hart said.
“I’m trying to get two players for every position comfortably and we’re starting to see the results of that.”
After enjoying a productive week of training and team bonding in the Mediterranean sun, the Canadian players will now disperse back to their clubs before being reassembled in advance of the Gold Cup in June.
Coach Hart confirmed that Canada will play a friendly in North America in advance of the tournament, but he was unable to verify a location or an opponent for that game at this time.
Despite the tournament being months away, Andre Hainault has again expressed that the Canadian squad are eagerly awaiting their chance to avenge the controversial loss to the United States at the 2007 Gold Cup.
“That rivalry is the biggest one we have in CONCACAF, that’s for sure,” the Houston Dynamo defender stated.
“All the guys get up for it and we look forward to it. There’s two other games in the group, but I’m sure everyone’s got an eye on that one.”o
Andre Hainault discusses his goal and upcoming match with USA:
Stephen Hart on the result and depth heading into the Gold Cup:
Nick Ledgerwood on getting the start and working towards the Gold Cup:
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