Canada Day is a day for celebration. Unfortunately, Canadian soccer fans don’t have much to celebrate on this Canada Day.
After the disappointing 2-2 draw with Guadeloupe, the Canadian Men’s National Team looked to steer the ship away from shark infested waters in the Gold Cup. But the ship is still of course.
Canada ended up with a goalless draw in Houston against Guatemala. With Guadeloupe beating Cuba 4-1 on Saturday, Canada sit third in Group D of the Gold Cup standings.
QUICK THOUGHTS
The final third was once again a problem for Canada. That final pass was missing. Crossing in particular, was very poor.
It didn’t help that the Canadian players in the box did not make enough runs. When crosses came, players such as Lucas Cavallini and Junior Hoilett looked static in the box.
There were way too many passes once again and not enough shooting. Sometimes, you just got to shoot.
The backline of Steven Vitoria, Kamal Miller and Moises Bambito looked slow and nervy. Guatemala looked very dangerous in the transition, particularly CF Montreal defender Aaron Herrera who pretty much led the charge.
Canada gave Guatemala some great chances. However, they should thank their lucky stars that the Guatemalans kept flubbing their chance.
As for Canada’s transition game, it had its moments but it mainly looked sloppy. There were so many giveaways that made you say “D’oh!” as loud as Homer Simpson.
If you want to know who the bright spots were, Richie Laryea was Canada’s best creator. He was constantly crossing and trying to feed his teammates but they refused to eat their meal.
Vancouver Whitecaps defender Ali Ahmed provided some creative spark, speed and agility but sadly, his efforts weren’t enough.
Overall, it was another poor effort. Canada didn’t look poised to score once and it felt like the team wasn’t gelling at all.
Stat of the match
Canada had a 14% accurate crossing percentage. Yikes.
Up Next
Canada plays Cuba on Tuesday in the final group stage game and it is a must win game. No pressure right?