June 27, 2023...Gold Cup Group D match Canada vs Guadeloupe game report (by Rocket Robin)

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Result and details of the Tuesday June 27, 2023 Gold Cup Group D match between Canada and Guadeloupe
played at BMO Field in Toronto at 7:00pm.

Canada (all black uniforms, white names and numbers)

......................18 Milan Borjan (cpt)
15 Zac McGraw...5 Steven Vitoria...4 Kamal Miller...11 Liam Millar
22 Richie Laryea...20 Ali Ahmed...14 Moise Bombito...21 Jonathan Osorio
..............9 Lucas Cavallini...10 Junior Hoilett

Subs:...1 Dayne St Clair (gk)...16 Tom McGill (gk)...2 Zachary Brault-Guillard...3 Liam Fraser (mid)
...6 Dominick Zator (def)...7 Jayden Nelson (fwd)...8 David Wotherspoon (mid)...12 Victor Loturi (mid)
...13 Jacob Shaffelburg (fwd)...17 Jacen Russell-Rowe (fwd)...19 Charles Brym (fwd)...23 Scott Kennedy (def)
team officials: head coach John Herdman

Guadeloupe (all red uniforms, white names and numbers)

.......................23 Davy Rouyard
2 Mickael Alphonse (cpt)...19 Meddy Lina...13 Cedric Avinal...17 Anthony Baron
..........7 Johan Rotsen...3 Andrew Grovillon...10 Mattheias Phaeton
..........11 Jordan Tell...15 Jordan Leborgne...9 Thierry Ambrose

Subs:...1 Willy Leguier (gk)...16 Brice Cognard (gk)...4 Ronan Hauterville (def)...5 Nathanael Saintini (def)
...6 Quentin Annette (def)...8 Ange Plumain (fwd)...12 Steven Davidas (fwd)...20 Stevenson Casimir (def)
...21 Luther Archimede (fwd)...22 Dimitri Ramothe (fwd)
team officials:...head coach Jocelyn Angloma

Game officials:...referee Rubiel Vazquez (USA)...referee's assistants Corey Parker (USA) and Kyle Atkins (USA)
fourth official Keylor Herrera (Costa Rica)...(neon green shirts, black shorts and socks)

First Half:...game starts 7:07pm...Canada defend north end on this now overcast evening.
2 min...Guad Leborgne is injured at Guad 45 yard line.
4 min...Can Millar cross into box along 15 yard line from left is headed away.
5 min...Guad Baron is injured at Guad 15 yard line near right sideling.
5 min...Guad Leborgne draws freekick on near top left corner of box as he's tackled from behind.
7 min...Guad Grovillon blasts 20 yard freekick that goalie catches on short side left post.
9 min...Can Cavallini on 2 on 1 rush down right takes low cross along 12 yard line that goalie dives forward to smother.
12 min...Can Hoilett wins cornerkick on run to left end line and deflection off Guad defender.
12 min...Can Hoilett cornerki k from left has ball tipped wide left off Can Cavallini dragging his foot in crowd of players at 6 yards.
13 min...Can Millar beats defender on left on run and cross into box has Guad Lina raise left to deflect away.
13 min...Can Millar cross from 22 yard sideline has Can Cavallini pop header at 12 yards well high and wide right of net.
15 min...Can Millar bends cross from left wide right for goalkick.
15 min...Guad Ambrose gets through balal pass on left and cuts to goal and 15 yard blasts is saved on near post by sprawling goalie
on near post. The ball pops up and Guad Ambrose heads 7 yarder into side netting.
17 min...Can Laryea run to right endline and cross is partially cleared and Can is called for offside.
18 min...Guad Alphnse chips 40 yarder from right that bounces unchallenged to goalie.
20 min...Can make trick freekick play up right and win cornerkick as ogalie pushes ball over end line when low cross has three
Can players were waiting for tap-in on left side of box.
21 min...Can player cross from right has goalie grab on deflection clearance bouncing to him.
22 min...Guadeloupe Thierry Ambrose GOAL...Guad Matthias Phaeton passes to Guad Jordan Lebourgne who taps
to Ambrose who dekes around Can Steven Vitoria and shoots 6 yarder into net that flying goalie Milan Borjan
only gets a piece of.
24 min...Can Hoilett wins cornerkick on 1 v 2 on left end line.
24 min...Can Hoilett corcnerkicikk from left falls into box and is cleared.
25 min...Can Bombito almost gets throukgh on run into box.
25 min...Can Bombito has 20 yard shot blocked.
26 min...Can Millar cross from left is over box.
27 min...Can Hoilett 30 yard freekick up middle has Can Miller get to chip and head 20 yarder onto top of net.
30 min...Can Hoilett chips 28 yard shot from right is caught by leaping goalie.
31 min...Guad Alphonse 18 yard shot on right over two sliding goalie and goalie punches ball away.
33 min...Guad Tell wins cornerkick on deflection of his low cross from 20 yard line on right.
34 min...Can Vitoria makes key header of cross from right.
34 min...Guad Grovillon is injured at Can 45 yard line.
35 min...Can Laryea cross from left end line has goalie swat away.
38 min...Can players take short cornerkick from right that's cross over box.
38 min...Can McGraw pops 15 yard header over net when cross from left.
39 min...Guad Ambrose break in but he's poked off ball at 22 yards for no shot.
41 min...Can Hoilett runs from left to middle and 20 yard shot bends wide right.
41 min...Can Millar low 28 yard shot from slight left has goalie dive left to save.
42 min...Can YELLOW card...Cavallini earns it for stepping over Guad Grovillon at Guad 35 yard line is injurying him.
46 min...half ends 7:53pm.

Halftime: The sprinklers are turned on while the Canadian subs warm up. The grounds crew is out filling in divits.
I didn't see the Guaad players warm up.

Second Half:...starts 8:08pm.
45 min...Can Hoilett wins Penalty kick on run into top left of box.
47 min...There's a VAR check on the Penalty kick call and the referee has to run to the sideline. The decision is for No Penalty!
48 min...Canada Lucas Cavallini GOAL...Can Junior Hoillet rusn up left and low centering pass into box has
charging Cavallini poke 6 yarder forward into right side of net behind goalie Davy Rouyard.
50 min...Can Laryea receives pass down right wing and rolls cross along 15 yard line to center and sliding Can Osorio has
weak 15 yard poke toward goal cleared by defender and 8 yards.
51 min...Can Ahmed can't get to ball as he's slid but later gets knocked down on edge of box.
52 min...Can Cavallini bends 20 yard freekick from right just over bar. (The Can goalie had run up the field to 60 yards
to signal positioning for this freekick).
53 min...Can Hoilett cross from left end line has Can Cavallini head 7 yarder that goalie catches.
54 min...Guaad Baron is injured on right at Guad 10 yard line and he's awarded a freekick.
57 min...Guad Ambrose eludes defender to get 15 yarder from right just wide left of goal.
59 min...Guad Grovillon recovers partial stop and rolls 25 yarder up middle which diving goalie pushes wide left of post.
60 min...Guad Leborgne cornerkick from left has ball cleared in box for Can Millar to make fast break out.
60 min...Guad Grovillon flips to back heel a shot from 10 yards wide left of net.
61 min...Guad YELLOW card...Baron earns it for pulling down Can Laryea at center line.
62 min...Can player's through ball too far for for play on edge of box.
63 min...Can sub...Fraser replaces Bombito.
.........Can sub...Shaffelburg replaces Millar.
.........Can sub...Brym replaces Hoilett.
64 min...Guad YELLOW card...Grovillon earns it for tripping up Can Ahmed at Can 40 yard line.
65 min...Can Laryea wins goalkick in battle with Guad Phaeton on left.
68 min...Can Cavallini flicks ball up at Can 15 yards.
68 min...Guad sub...Plumain replaces Leborgne.
...........Guad sub...Saintini replaces Tell.
69 min...Canada (Guad Meddy Lina own goal) GOAL...Can Ali Ahmed on right sideline at 33 yard line starts
cutting towards middle but taps pass forward to Can Charles Brym who taps it right back and Ahmed sends
low chip forward from 28 yards for Can Richie Laryea but retreating Lina at 15 yards gets to ball before
Laryea and rolls ball into right side of own net with goalie caught out in middle at 6 yards.
73 min...Can Shaffelburg high cross from left has Guad defender head ball away on leap in 6 yard box. Can Laryea blasts
partial clearance at 20 yards just over net.
77 min...Can Cavallini pushes ball over end line on left trying to get around Guad Lina.
78 min...Can goalie is out to 15 yards to catch long cross from left.
79 min...Can Cavallini receives pass forward on left and 22 yard shot up middle has goalie swat ball away.
80 min...Can sub...Russell-Rowe replaces Cavallini.
81 min...Can Ahmed dribbles to 15 yards on right and shoots missing top left corner.
81 min...Guad Grovellon run to right end line and crosses over box.
82 min...Can Brym run down left and crosses into center of box.
83 min...Guad sub Archimede replaces Phaeton.
..........Guad sub...Annette replaces Grovillon.
85 min...Can goalie makes save to palm ball over bar but play was already whistled down for Can Vitoria being pulled down in box.
85 min...The fans start the Viking clap.
86 min...Can goalie skies clearance of back pass to him but Can win a freekick when Guad Ambrose knocks down defender.
88 min...Guad player's long chipped forward pass is over heads of everyone and bounces to goalie.
89 min...Can sub...Zator replaces Laryea.
91 min...Can Shaffelburg is injured at Guad 45 yard line.
92 min...Can YELLOW card...Vitoria earns it for elbowing Guad Archimede on run down right.
93 min...Guadeloupe (Can Jacen Russell-Rowe own goal) GOAL...Guad Johan Rotsen 22 yard freekick from right
is high and Guad Nathanael Saintini heads low cross from left edge of box in center over to left
and Guad Thierry Ambrose sends low cross from 7 yard line back into center of box. Russell-Rowe deflects
it in on sliding lunge at 4 yards as goalie dove forward to try to smother ball. Guad Cedric Avinel
was ready to tap ball in to open net if deflection hadn't happen.
95 min...Can Russell-Rowe blasts 10 yarder from right that's saved by goalie on near post deflects for cornerkick on right.
95 min...Can Fraser cornerkick from right is headed away.
95 min...game ends 8:58pm.

Final Score:....Canada......2......Guadeloupe......2.........

Attendance was announced as 15,301. That about half fills the stadium. I hadn't bought a ticket in advance because I didn't want to add an $11 service charge if I bought it from Ticketmaster. I knew it wouldn't be a sellout as the team they were playing wasn't even known until last week. It was a qualifier from a twelve team playoff—one game knockout to choose three teams to earn the final spots in this sixteen team tourney. Four groups of four including guest Qatar.

No problem buying tickets although a woman at the box office suggested I try Ticketmaster to buy a 'resale' ticket. OK I found one for $80 (tax & fees included) in the same section (108) where I used to have my Toronto FC tickets from 2007 to 2018. Tonight that would be less than 50% of what I'd pay now to see the MLS club.

I knew that the Canadian Gold Cup lineup wouldn't have many of their Nations League stars which just finished the week before. Their club soccer runs for about ten months and they'll only have a few weeks off before training camp starts again. OK so they will be using a bunch of uncapped players. There were actually five used in the game. Ali Ahmed, Moise Bombito, and Zac McGraw were starters with Jacen Russell-Rowe coming in at 80 minutes and Dominick Zator at 89 minutes all made their Canadian debut.

Dominick Zator played for CPL York United FC as recently as last season before he moved on to the Polish league. Reports say he is the first CPL grad to ever play for Canada in an official game. That discounts Joel Waterman who played previously but in a 'friendly'.

There were a lot of fans wearing Canada replica jerseys in either red or black (and plenty were available at the souvenir booths) but with names like Davies and Larin who are definitely NOT on this roster.

I was taken off guard with Guadeloupe getting to wear an all red kit. That didn't mess up Canadian fans chants of 'Come on you Reds'. I was only fooled once when early in the second half I saw red #17 running around and wondered why they hadn't announced a Canadian substitute at halftime.

Liam Fraser and Jayden Nelson were late additions to the Canadian team replacing Sam Adekugbe and Stephen Eustaquia. Well that made two more former or current Toronto FC or TFC Academy players joining current players Jonathan Osorio and Richie Laryea and former TFCers Jacob Shaffelburg and Jacen Russell-Rowe.

The world laughs as two of the goals were 'own goals' that will make blooper reels on newscasts over the next month.

The Gold Cup is always held in the United States and that is especially true with the tourney expanded to 16 teams. 15301 in attendance wasn't great but how many would have watched this in the USA unless tickets were paired as first of a doubleheader with headliner game involving USA or Mexico?

Toronto held a Gold Cup game(s) before. It was Tuesday July 14, 2015 when Canada and Costa Rica played to a 0-0 tie in front of 16674. That game had a 5000 fan head start as Jamaica had just beaten El Salvador 1-0 in the first match of a doubleheader.

Guadeloupe had some fans because after the game the Guadeloupe players went over to a section to applaud the about 40 sitting in a about two rows as most fans rushed to the exits.

Guadeloupe is a member of CONCACAF but not a member of FIFA so can't be ranked nor the teams that play against them gain or lose FIFA placings. I could see that causing a problem for them scheduling friendlies.

**Hey there's no post game press conference audio from me.
I was warned by Canada Soccer that they were not administrating the Gold Cup and that I'd have to contact CONCACAF. OK I was able to register on-line but had to provide a resume style report as to why they should give me a press pass. I listed my long coverage of the game (my web page since the mid 1990s and message boards since before that) and was surprised that I received an e-mail back that I was accepted. Only thing is their application said not to use a 'gmail.com' address as they immediately disqualify them. Since I had access to the CONCACAF media resources, I didn't even notice my slip up until a month before tonight's game. I sent them e-mails from my gmail.com and my bell.net accounts to ask them to switch my answer on the application. Ironic that the bell.net account which I only acquired because of switching to Bell's FIBE tv and internet service was the same Bell media conglomerate that had laid off 1300 employees earlier that day which means closing radio stations and tv news departments which means even less media coverage. Anyway all my mail to CONCACAF was just answered by auto-replies and info that the application process was now closed.

The most original question I would have asked is why can't Guadeloupe (and Martinique who beat El Salvador 2-1 tonight and French Guinea who almost made the Gold Cup except lost in Pks against St Kitts & Nevis or it would have been three) all 'French Territories' join FIFA. I know the answer is because of the objections of France BUT the United Kingdom who have four teams (yeah a Grandfather rule) got one of their 'British Overseas Territories' FIFA membership in 2013 and that place is Gibraltar who could be drawn against any of the UK teams in Euro or World Cup qualifying. At least France has no chance of having to play their overseas territories. France would still have first choice to cap their best players. Thierry Henry's father was from Guadeloupe and mother from Martinique but of course chose France.

I know the sweet deal Guadeloupe and Martinique have with France as the main importer for their tropical fruits. I've been to both Guadeloupe and Martinique twice each when Club Meds vacation resorts were popular in the late 80's and 90's.

Rocket Robin
robin.glover.1958@gmail.com ---Just not good for CONCACAF headquarters!
twitter @RocketRobin01


Canada starters


Guadeloupe starters


Guadeloupe Thierry Ambrose (9) takes opening kickoff.


Guadeloupe Andrew Grovillon (3) takes early freekick.


Canada Kamal Miller (4) is moving the ball forward.


Canada Lucas Cavallini (9) takes second half kickoff.


Canadian goalie Milan Borjan comes upfield to direct teammates in taking freekick.


Canadian players group hug after game while Guadeloupe players applaud their fans.


The Voyageurs who stayed behind.


Canadian players do come over to salute The Voyageurs. 

Match Stats      Canada          Guadaloupe
shots                  17                 9  
shots on target         5                 4  
possession             56%               44%  
passes                434               354   
pass accuracy          83%               77%  
fouls                  13                17         
yellow cards            2                 2   
red cards               0                 0    
offsides                2                 1

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