CANADIANS CLOSE IN ON OLYMPIC QUALIFICATION
Buchanan scores twice in opening win at men's qualifying event in Mexico
Considering the circumstances, Canada put together an impressive performance in its opening game at the CONCACAF men's Olympic qualifying soccer tournament.
Having been together for just over week and with players still trying to shake off the rust of a four-month layoff, Canada defeated El Salvador 2-0 in Guadalajara, Mexico on Friday in the first of three group games at the eight-team event.
A second win against Haiti on Monday (6 p.m. ET, Onesoccer), would ensure Canada a semifinal berth and put them one win away from qualifying for the men's Olympic tournament for the first time since 1984.
“It's about the history and about the legacy that we leave behind and that's been laid out to this group, what they have the opportunity to achieve here,” said Canada head coach Mauro Biello on Sunday. “The Olympics is a once in-a-lifetime opportunity. It's more than an event, it's a transformative experience.
“I told the group that us as a group and as a country, we have a shot at it. It's about making history, because there is no other (Canadian) youth team that has ever achieved that to qualify for the Olympics. For sure that is the objective, but we know we still have work to do.”
Since Canada qualified for the 1984 Games in Los Angeles, the Olympic tournament has changed to an under-23 event, with teams allowed to add three overage players to the roster once they qualify.
Canada took 20 U23 players to the qualifying tournament in Mexico, but did not have access to some of its top talent in the age group, including Alphonso Davies, 20, and Jonathan David, 21. A COVID -19 outbreak at the Toronto FC training facility earlier this month also kept eligible players from the MLS team from joining the Canadian squad in Mexico.
Regardless, two goals from Tajon Buchanan, 22, who plays for the New England Revolution, gave Canada the win in its opening game.
Haiti lost its first game 3-0 to Honduras. The United States, Mexico, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic are in the other group. The top two teams in each group move on to the semifinals with the finalists qualifying for Tokyo.
“When you look at the mindset (against El Salvador) I think we got that right,” Biello said. “We were willing to suffer, because we knew we were going to suffer in that game. When you look at a player in Tajon Buchanan, as an example, who scored two goals and then in the 90th minute he's ready to run back 60 yards and help out his teammate to make a play defensively.
“When you look at that and what that means to other players and how that sends a message. I think the group as a whole, we defended well, we were very compact, very organized. We knew the heat and all those other things limited us in our ability to do things that we wanted to do, whether that was to press high consistently in a game like that, it could have hurt us. I think we stuck to the game plan, managed our moments the right way and I was very proud of that.”
Despite not having a lot of practice time together, Canada tried to play a possession game against El Salvador, building out of the back. The strategy worked out as Buchanan scored 17 minutes into the game on a strong individual effort and then added a second four minutes later.
Canada could have scored three or four goals in the game and were full credit for the win in sweltering 30C conditions.
“I think that first game of a tournament is always the most important game,” Buchanan said. “We wanted to come out and show what we could do and bring that fighting energy. I think everyone played their part, played their roles, and everyone worked hard and we came out on top and that's the thing that's most important.”
A win over Haiti would give Canada enough points from two games to clinch one of the four semifinal spots. They would be playing for placing in its third game against Honduras with a victory over Haiti. The road to the tournament final and Olympic berth would then likely go through either the United States or Mexico.
Haiti were overwhelmed by Honduras in its opening game. Haiti had to start the contest short a player and without a regular goalkeeper due to COVID-19 protocols. The Haitians had travel delays getting to Mexico and had to wait for negative test results to allow its regular goalkeeper on the field and have access to substitutes. They will have a full complement of players available against Canada.
“Haiti is a very physical and athletic team,” Buchanan said. “They have guys on their front line with a lot of pace. This game is going to be a big game for them, it's do or die, basically. We just have to play our game and bring the fighting energy that we did in Game 1 and try and improve on that. If we play our game and give it our all, there is no doubt in my mind we come away with three points.”
I told the group that us as a group and as a country, we have a shot at it. It's about making history