U20 Draw Jamaica 0-0

[CDN4EVR]

Men's Youth (U-20) Team

Friday, July 23, 2004

Canada And Jamaica Battle To Scoreless Draw

Dale Mitchell

Ft. Lauderdale, Florida – Canada’s Men’s Youth (U-20) Team battled Jamaica to a scoreless draw yesterday at the Sunrise Hilton Sports Complex in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The Jamaicans looked the more dangerous of the two teams throughout the encounter but neither team could break the stalemate.

From the start, the Jamaicans had Canada on the back-foot and in the 2nd minute came close to duplicating what the Canadians had done to them two days earlier. A ball served from the right corner found an unmarked Jamaican at the penalty spot but the attacker’s glancing header skipped just wide of Josh Wagenaar’s right post.

The Jamaican’s had two other clear chances at goal but both flew over the Canadian net.

The second half started far more positively for Canada. Franco Lalli’s inclusion at the break seemed to add the desired energy Mitchell was looking for and in the 48th minute the Canadians came close to opening the score. The diminutive striker made his way to the end line and swung a teasing cross to the far post. Tomasz Charowski was there to meet the cross but his header was fisted out by the Jamaican goalkeeper. The ensuing corner was easily dealt with by Jamaica.

The Jamaican’s answered immediately with a long ball that seemed to hang in the wind slightly to trouble Canada’s two centre-backs; Andrew Hainault and Simon Kassaye. Nikolas Ledgerwood slid across to help the two but the Jamaican’s exploited the space that he had left and played a delicate pass to an unmarked Jamaican winger. The shot was hard and low but well wide of the Canadian goal.

Ten minutes later the Jamaican’s won a free-kick 30 yards from the Canadian goal. The free-kick was superbly taken and looked as though it was heading for the upper right corner where Wagenaar somehow managed to push the shot around the post. The Jamaican’s won another free-kick in the 70th minute at the top of the Canadian penalty and was denied again by Wagenaar who was again perfectly positioned for the save.

When the game looked destined to end scoreless, a Canadian final attempt almost produced a dramatic winner for the Canadians. Lalli once again managed to work his way to the end line for a low hard cross through the Jamaican six yard box. Charowski managed to get his foot on the cross for a shot that was well blocked by the Jamaicans.

“For the second time in three days Jamaica gave our boys a problem physically,” said Head Coach Dale Mitchell. “We simply did not keep the ball well enough to create many opportunities on goal”.

However, Mitchell did praise his team for their resolve. “We have to give the players credit though for battling through the heat and earning the draw”.

Match Report

Tuesday, July 22, 2004 – International Friendly

Sunrise Hilton Sports Complex - Sunrise, Florida, USA

Canada 0(0)

Jamaica 0(0)

Cautions: Canada –Hainault (62), Ledgerwood (75); Jamaica – #9 (33), #3 (38)

Jamaica – 33’ #9, 38’ #3

Canada – Josh Wagenaar; Graham Ramalho (Carlo Schiavoni, 31); Simon Kassaye; Andrew Hainault; Patrick Kelly; Nikolas Ledgerwood; Ryan Gyaki (captain); Dylan Hughes (Tomasz Charowski, 29); Marcel De Jong (Franco Lalli, 46); Jeremy Shepherd (Carlos Rivas, 78); Riley O’Neill; Head Coach – Dale Mitchell

Subs not used - Pedro Czoli; Thomas Lindley; Jaime Peters

JAMAICA – unavailable

[Guest Jeffery S.]

Interesting bits of thread at BigSoccer discussing the two with options to have played for the States we are seeing with us this week. Will Johnson with the u-17s in Minnesota, and Charowski, here with the u-20s.

http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=88594&page=6&pp=15

One calls Charowski the best player at the US nationals in 2002 in the U-17 group. The Johnson question perturbs many.

I am glad Dale was not happy with a draw and a win. His standard is high and the last precedent is too. They guy wants them to PLAY well and get a result too.