Ali Gerba scores as Canada beats Jamaica 1-0 in Gold Cup opener
Published Saturday July 4th, 2009
CARSON, Calif. - For Ali Gerba, scoring breeds confidence. For Canada, that confidence helped produce a victory at the CONCACAF Gold Cup on Friday night.
Gerba's goal in the 75th minute led Canada to a 1-0 win over Jamaica in Group A play in the Gold Cup opener. It was Gerba's fifth career Gold Cup goal, tying Carlo Corazzin for the national record. Corazzin scored all five of his in 2000, when Canada won the tournament.
"When you're a forward, the more you score, the more your confidence gets boosted," said Gerba, who scored twice in a 3-0 victory against Guatemala in a friendly Tuesday.
Gerba attributed his success to his teammates.
"The guys read the game very well," Gerba said. "With experience and the quality of players I have around me, it's pretty easy (to score)."
Simeon Jackson, who entered the game in the 70th minute, began the scoring sequence by holding off two defenders and sending the ball to Mike Klukowski on the left wing.
Klukowski dribbled down the flank and crossed the ball to Gerba, whom Jamaican defender Claude Davis was marking tightly. But Gerba extended his right foot and volleyed the ball inside the left post from seven yards.
"It was a fantastic finish," Canada coach Stephen Hart said. "I actually saw Ali peeling away, and I though he was going to bring (the ball) down. I'm glad he didn't."
Jamaican goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts was frozen on the play after making two dramatic one-handed saves earlier.
Ricketts jumped and used his right hand in the 25th minute to tip Kevin McKenna's 12-yard shot over the crossbar. In the 46th minute, Ricketts made a similar save against Josh Simpson's 19-yard line drive.
Canadian goalkeeper Greg Sutton kept Jamaica scoreless with two saves in a 10-minute span of the second half. In the 54th minute, Sutton dived to his right to stop Damion Stewart's 13-yard line drive.
Then in the 64th minute, after a pass from former Toronto FC defender Tyrone Marshall freed Ricardo Fuller for a breakaway, Sutton blocked Fuller's 14-yard shot.
"At that point, you read the forward's touches," Sutton said of Fuller's breakaway. "He took a pretty big touch forward and I knew that he was going to have to make a decision to keep it and try and dribble or shoot it.
"I had to be ready for the shot. Luckily, I thought I was in the right position and I was able to grab the rebound, as well."
Sutton, released by Major League Soccer's Toronto FC in June, finished with five saves.
Referee Terry Vaughn issued six yellow cards, only one of them to a Canadian. Julian de Guzman received a caution in the 36th minute.
Attendance included a smattering of Canadians, indicated by a handful of Canadian flags - including one with a black silhouette of a moose in the centre stripe - and the banner of the Voyageurs, the large supporters group.
In other Gold Cup Group A action, Osael Romero scored two goals, including the winner in the 86th minute, to give El Salvador a 2-1 victory over Costa Rica.
Romero broke a 1-1 tie by intercepting an attempted defensive clearance and scoring on a low 16-yard shot before an overwhelmingly pro-El Salvador crowd that erupted after the goal.
One man ran onto the field with a flag to give to El Salvador coach Carlos de los Cobos, but security stopped him.
El Salvador broke a 12-game winless streak against Costa Rica dating from 1997.
Romero scored his first goal in the 20th minute on a diagonal eight-yard shot. Warren Granados tied the score in the 64th minute with a sliding five-yard shot under the crossbar.
The Gold Cup is the soccer championship for countries in North and Central America and the Caribbean.
-
With files from The Associated Press
Disabled
Search Articles
More CE Network Sites & Partners:
