 | Canada's Men's National team fell 2-0 to Panama in last night's World Cup Qualifiers that was played in front of a boisterous crowd at the Estadio Romel Fernandez in Ciudad de Panama. Rolando Blackburn and Blas Pérez for Panama, who now sit alone atop Group C with nine points. | |
Toronto - September 12, 2012 - Canada fell 2-0 to Panama in a FIFA World Cup Qualifiers match on 11 September 2012. The match was played in front of a boisterous crowd at the Estadio Romel Fernandez in Ciudad de Panama.
Rolando Blackburn and Blas Pérez scored the goals for Panama, with one goal scored on either side of the break.
In the first half, André Hainault created Canada's first chance on a play down the left side. Perhaps getting one step too deep, he fired a shot that beat the goalkeeper, but missed the far post along the ground.
On another rush late in the first half, Tosaint Ricketts used his speed to get inside the box, but he could not beat the defence pair that stood tall to knock Ricketts to the ground.
It was midway through the first half that Panama scored the first goal. It was Armando Cooper that started the danger down the left side, ultimately letting loose a cross that turned into Panama's favour for an offensive corner kick. Blackburn headed the corner kick, knocking the ball towards the back post before it ricocheted back into the goal.
Pérez scored the second goal of the game in the 57th minute.
One last chance for Canada came in the 77th minute on a free kick just outside the box. De Jong's kick sailed just wide of target.
Canada's starting XI featured Lars Hirschfeld in goal, David Edgar at right back, Kevin McKenna and André Hainault at centre back, Ante Jazic at left back, and Julian de Guzman, Simeon Jackson, Marcel de Jong, Atiba Hutchinson, Dwayne De Rosario and Patrice Bernier from the midfield up through to the attack.
In the first half, De Rosario was injured in the 9th minute and replaced (after the lights came on) in the 21st minute. In the second half, coach Stephen Hart replaced both Edgar and Bernier with Nik Ledgerwood and Pedro Pacheco in the 79th minute.
Panama's starting XI featured Jaime Penedo in goal, Eduaro Dasent at right back, Román Torres and Felipe Baloy at centre back, Luis Henríquez at left back, and Armando Cooper, Gabriel Gómez, Amilcar Henríquez, Rolando Blackburn, Alberto Quintero and Blas Pérez from the midfield up through to the attack. In the second half, coach Julio Dely Valdés replaced Blackburn with Anibal Godoy (69'), Quintero with Yairo Glaize Yau (74'), and Cooper for Ralph Barahona (86').
PRE-GAME ANTICS IN PANAMA
Amongst the antics employed by Panama in the lead up to the match, they facilitated the secret recording of Canada's closed Match Day One training session and they promoted a Panama supporters party outside Canada's hotel.
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