Canadian Soccer Association • l’Association canadienne de soccer
Media Release • Communiqué
For Immediate Release – Thursday, May 25, 2006
For more information please contact:
Earl Cochrane - (613) 237-4580 ext: 239
Richard Ivan - (613) 237-4580 ext: 242
Canada Falls to Brazil in Final Game of Series
Burnaby, British Columbia – Canada’s U-20 National team were on the wrong side of a 3:1 score line this evening in front of a near-capacity crowd of 6,482 fans at Burnaby’s Swangard Stadium. Two own-goals and a powerful header from Brazilian striker Renatinho paced the South Americans past their North American counterparts.
Canada’s Andrea Lombardo pulled the young Canadian team to within one after some wonderful work from Jaime Peters on the wing but in the end, Canada could not find that elusive equalizer and Brazil walked off winning two of three games in Canada.
For the first time in the three-game series, the Canadians found themselves down early after Jonathan Bourgault instinctively flicked out his right foot to clear an attempted shot by the Brazilian, Taianan, but unfortunately for the Ile Bizard-native his attempted clearance flew into the upper left corner of Asmir Begovic’s goal.
To add insult to injury, the youngster was booked two minutes later.
The closest Canada would come in the opening half would be a scramble in front of the Brazilian goal after Ipswich-based Jaime Peters teased the left side of the Brazilian defence then drilled a low, hard cross toward the near post that the Brazilian ‘keeper bobbled initially but gathered in time to deny Andrea Lombardo an attempt at goal. Unfortunately for the Brazilian, Lombardo stuck his boot in anyway. The Canadian was subsequently booked for the foul.
Eight minutes into the second half, Brazil was almost gifted another own goal. Again, it was a Taianan shot that skipped off a Canadian player; this time it was Will Johnson that tried to head clear but inadvertently flicked the ball toward the upper corner. This time Begovic was alert to the danger and at full-stretch managed to palm away the deflection.
Just before the hour-mark though, the Brazilians would stretch their lead to two when the right back Amaral roared down the wing then swung a ball to the far post for an unmarked Renatinho who easily nodded home his third of the series.
But Canada’s scorer from the second game of the series in Victoria would strike again and draw Canada to within one. After Peters shrugged aside two Brazilians at the left corner of the area then spun and left them for dead, the speedy winger delivered a sublime cross to pick out Lombardo who had held up his run at the back post. Lombardo side-footed the cross on his first touch leaving Muriel no chance to set for the save and suddenly the Canucks were back in it.
Simeon Jackson almost pulled Canada level minutes later when he got on the right side of his marker then turned to fire toward goal but a Brazilian defender slid across to make a vital block.
A little over ten minutes later though, Brazil stormed forward through Beto who made his way to the top of the area then smashed a shot that seemed destined for the lower corner of Begovic’s goal but the keeper did ever so well to palm the shot wide. However, Luis Adriano raced to the rebound quickest and then sliced a pass back toward Leyrielton at the top of the six yard box. The Brazilian’s shot toward goal was blocked initially but got caught between the legs of Stephen Lumley who unfortunately dragged the ball into his own goal with his trailing leg.
Canadian head coach, Dale Mitchell, in the end was complimentary to both sides in his post-match comments.
“The game tonight was a little bit different than the previous two games in that it was very open right from the beginning.”
“In the last two matches we did very well defensively in the first half and gave ourselves a chance to win in the second half.”
“Right from the start I think it was a good game for the fans that were here but once you start trading chances and playing an open match against players with the skill of the Brazilians, eventually they are going to punish you.
“We had some chances of our own but you can’t really question the result and at the same time, you cannot really question the effort of our players throughout the series.”
The Canadians and Brazilians split the first two games of the series with Canada winning 2:1 in Edmonton, and the Brazilians dominating the proceedings three days later in the BC capital of Victoria, winning 3:1.
Thursday, May 25, 2006 - International Friendly
Swangard Stadium – Vancouver, BC
Attendance: 6,482
CANADA – 1 (0)
BRAZIL – 3 (1)
Goals: Canada – Bourgault 13 (OG), Lombardo 67, Lumley 79 (OG); Brazil – Renatinho 56
Cautions: Canada – Jackson 6, Bourgault 15, Lombardo 41, Nunez 63, Johnson 87; Brazil – Amaral (44)
Expulsions – Johnson 90+
CANADA: 1-BEGOVIC, Asmir (captain); 21-OWUSU-ANSAH, Kennedy (19-D’AGOSTINO, Mike, 60); 5-LUMLEY, Stephen; 6-EDGAR, David; 3-O’CONNOR, Kent; 16-JACKSON, Simeon; 4-BOURGAULT, Jonathan (14-AYRE, Keegan, 46); 8-NUNEZ, Cristian (13-CONTRERAS, Hector, 85); 7-PETERS, Jaime; 10-JOHNSON, Will (C); 15-LOMBARDO, Andrea
Head Coach: Dale Mitchell (CAN)
Subs not used: 2-LORETH, Joey; 9-ELLIOTT, Alex; 11-BABINEAU, Olivier; 22-MONSALVE, David; 12-BALDE, Ibrahim; 17-McCALLUM, Gavin; 18-GALA, Gabe; 20-TURNBULL, Masumi
BRAZIL: 1-Muriel Gustavo Becker (MURIEL); 2-Antonio Cleilson da Silva Feitosa (AMARAL) (14-Leyrielton Moura de Moraes (LEYRIELTON), 71); 3-Anderson Luis de A.R. Marques (ANDERSON); 4-Edson Henrique da Silva (EDSON); 5-Fernando Franciso Regel (FERNANDO); 6-Carlos Eduardo Dutra Oliveira (CARLÃO) (13-Edivelton Feliciano Moreira (CAÇAPA), 85); 7-Junior Felício Marques (JI PARANÁ) (captain); 8-Taianan Imberê Linhares Welker (TAIANAN) (16-Ramon Gonçalves (RAMON), 59); 9-Renato Carlos Martins Junior (RENATINHO) (17-Luis Adriano de Souza da Silva (LUIS ADRIANO), 69); 10-Diogo Luis Santo (DIOGO) (15-Nilton Ferreira Junior (NILTON), 82); 11-Alberto Antonio de Paula (BETO)
Head Coach: Nelson Rodrigues (BRA)
Subs not used: 12-Elisson Aparecido Rosa (ELISSON)
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