Canada vs Jamaica

[Joe MacCarthy]

Men's National Team
Wednesday, March 29, 2006
Canada Takes On Jamaica This Labour Day in Montreal
http://www.canadasoccer.com/eng/media/viewArtical.asp?Press_ID=2410

http://www.canadasoccer.com/images/media/mnt_usa_w.jpg
Canada's starting eleven against USA in January

Ottawa, Ontario – The Canadian Soccer Association is pleased to announce that the Men's National Team will play a home and away series of international friendlies against Jamaica this fall.

The first match between the two nations is scheduled for Monday, September 4 (Labour Day) at 4:00 p.m. in Montreal at the Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard.

The second match will take place in Kingston, Jamaica on Sunday, October 8th. The kick off time is still to be determined.

Canada has fared very well against the Reggae Boyz in recent history, outscoring the islanders 14-6 with five wins and only one loss in eleven meetings between the two countries. The last encounter took place on September 2, 1999 in Toronto with Canada's Jim Brennan scoring the only goal of the match in the 53rd minute.

"This is a very good two game series versus Jamaica. They are a quality team with some very good players so we are excited about the challenge,” said Canadian head coach Frank Yallop.

“We are also looking forward to playing in Canada, especially in Montreal, where we hope to continue our recent run of good performances"

Canada is now undefeated without allowing a goal in their last three friendlies since November 16, 2005 with a 1:0 win over Luxembourg, a 0:0 draw with the United States on January 22nd, 2006 in San Diego, California, and most recently a 2:0 win over Austria on March 1st, 2006 in Vienna, Austria.

Matches
Canada vs. Jamaica
Monday, September 4 @ 4:00 p.m.
Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard - 1000, rue Émile-Journault – Montreal, QC, Canada

Sunday, October 8 @ TBD - Kingston, Jamaica

[tdr]

Canada to play series with Jamaica
Mar. 29, 2006. 03:27 PM
CANADIAN PRESS

TORONTO — The Canadian men's soccer team will play a home and away series with Jamaica this fall.
The Canadian Soccer Association said Wednesday that Canada will host the Reggae Boyz on Sept. 4 in Montreal with the return match in Kingston, Jamaica, on Oct. 8.
Jamaica is ranked 45th in the world by FIFA, 40 places above Canada.
Both games fall on international match days, when top leagues shut down to allow national team play.
The Labour Day game at Claude-Robillard Stadium will be the first home game for Canada since July 2, 2005, when the Canadian men were beaten 2-1 by Honduras in a friendly in Burnaby, B.C.
It will also be the first game for Canada in Montreal since a 3-0 loss to Turkey in June 1995. Canada has played 93 times since then.
Canada's all-time record against Jamaica is 5-5-1. The last time the two teams met was Sept. 2, 1999, in Toronto, with Canada winning 1-0 on a Jim Brennan goal.
"They are a quality team with some very good players, so we are excited about the challenge," Canadian head coach Frank Yallop said in a statement.
Canada is undefeated in its last three games, beating Luxembourg 1-0 in November, drawing 0-0 with the U.S. in January and defeating Austria on March 1.
Like Canada, Jamaica failed to qualify for the World Cup in Germany. The Jamaicans finished third in their semifinal group in the CONCACAF region, behind the U.S. and Panama.

[tdr]

Canada should win these games

[Calif]

Yeah I think Canada should have no problem winning this game!

[Joe MacCarthy]

Men's National Team
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Hart Announces Roster for Labour Day Friendly against Jamaica in Montreal
http://www.canadasoccer.com/eng/media/viewArtical.asp?Press_ID=2514

Ottawa, Ontario – Interim Canadian National Team head coach Stephen Hart has announced his 18-player roster for the Jamaica friendly on Monday, September 4 (Labour Day) at 4:00 p.m. in Montreal at the Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard.

The match marks the team’s first appearance in Montreal in over 11 years; the last being a 3:0 loss to Turkey on June 7, 1995.

This will be Hart’s first match in charge of the Canadian National Team since being named interim head coach on July 12, 2006. Hart has been Canada’s Under-17 head coach since December 2001.

Hart’s roster definitely has a Montreal connection as six players are either from the area or are current or past players of the Montreal Impact of the United Soccer League (USL). Current Impact players are goalkeeper Greg Sutton, and defenders Adam Braz, and Gabriel Gervais. Past Impact players are Patrice Bernier who is currently with Tromso in Norway and Sandro Grande playing with Molde also of Norway; both are from Montreal. Forward Olivier Occean, also a native of Montreal, was named 2006 player of the year in Norway while playing for Lillestrom.

Goalkeeper Kenny Stamatopolus (Tromso) will join Sutton on the roster.

Hart has called upon defenders Kevin McKenna (Energie Cottbus, Germany), Chris Pozniak (Haugesund, Norway), Marco Reda (Sogndal, Norway), Paul Stalteri (Tottenham, England), and Josh Simpson (Kaiserslauten, Germany) to join Braz and Gervais on the back line.

Rounding out the midfielders on the roster is Jim Brennan (unattached) who scored the first and eventual winning goal in the 2:0 win over Austria, Julian de Guzman (Deportivo La Coruna, Spain), Iain Hume (Leicester City, England), and Atiba Hutchinson (Copenhagen, Denmark).

Joining Occean up front are strikers Rob Friend (Heerenveen, Holland) and Tomasz Radzinski (Fulham, England).

Canada is currently undefeated since a very respectable 2-1 loss to Spain on September 3rd, 2005. They have not allowed a goal in their last three friendlies since November 16, 2005 with a 1:0 win over Luxembourg, a 0:0 draw with the United States on January 22nd, 2006 in San Diego, California, and most recently a 2:0 win over Austria on March 1st, 2006 in Vienna, Austria.

Against Jamaica, Canada’s is even after 11 encounters with five wins, five losses, and one draw, but the Canucks lead in goals 14-6. In their last encounter on September 2, 1999 in Toronto, Canada won the friendly 1-0.

“I think everyone is looking forward to this game,” said Hart “There has not been a senior national team men’s game in Montreal for many years and that just adds to the anticipation.”

Tickets are priced at $25.00 for the Grandstand seats (Reserved) and $15.00 for the Bleacher and End zones seats (General Admission) plus applicable taxes and are available through Admission at (514) 790-1245 or 1-800-361-4595, online at www.admission.com, or by calling the Montreal Impact ticket office at (514) 328-3668.

The Quebec Soccer Federation and its members are able to purchase General Admission tickets at a special rate of $10.00 by contacting the Quebec Soccer Federation at (450) 975-3355 ext. 3908.

Prior to the match, the squad will assemble in Ottawa for a three day training camp from August 29-31 prior to departing for Montreal where they will make their final preparations.

Joining Hart is Tony Fonseca as Assistant Coach, he is the Technical Director of the Vancouver Whitecaps and former Whitecaps head coach. He played for Benfica and was capped for Portugal.

Following the Labour Day clash, both teams will meat again in Kingston, Jamaica for a second match scheduled for October 8th.

An international friendly is currently being planned for in the fall of 2006 in Europe. Information regarding this match will be released when the details have been finalized.

Canada vs. Jamaica
Monday, September 4 @ 16:00
Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard - 1000, rue Émile-Journault – Montreal, QC.

Stephen Hart – Bio

On December 21, 2001, Stephen Hart was hired as Canada’s U-17 National Team head coach. Hart had been the Technical Director for Soccer Nova Scotia since 1993 and was the Director of the Atlantic Region National Training Centre in Halifax.

Hart was chosen as Interim head coach of the Men’s National team in July following the departure of Frank Yallop in June 2006.

Holder of a CSA 'A' License, Hart has been an instructor in the CSA coaching development program since 1992. His coaching experience covers a wide spectrum, having coached at the senior and youth levels, both, male and female. He has coached three Canada Games teams and several provincial teams in the last 11 years. He was an assistant coach with the Canadian Men’s Under-17 Team at the 2001 CONCACAF Qualifying Tournament for the Under-17 World Championships. In 2003, Hart was a member of the U-20 National Team coaching staff that lost in the Quarterfinals of the FIFA World Youth Championships in UAE and most recently was the first assistant with the men’s national team since 2005.

A native of Trinidad and Tobago, Hart played for Texaco in the National Football League and the San Fernando Strikers in the local Premier League. In 1980 he was selected to the Trinidad and Tobago national team. Later that year he moved to Canada to attend St. Mary’s University.

Stephen lives in Halifax with his wife Lynn and daughters Eilish, Keva and Yara.

Roster

# Player POS DOB Caps G/S Club Hometown
1 Sutton, Greg GK 4/19/1977 7 3 Montreal Impact Montreal, QC
22 Stamatopoulos, Kenny GK 8/28/1979 4 2 Tromso Markham, ON
2 Braz, Adam D 06/07/1981 7 0 Montreal Impact St. Laurent, QC
3 Pozniak, Chris D/M 01/10/1981 15 0 Haugesund FK Aurora, ON
4 McKenna, Kevin D/F 1/21/1980 33 9 Energie Cottbus Calgary, AB
5 Reda, Marco D 6/22/1977 4 0 Sogndal Woodbridge, ON
6 Bernier, Patrice M 9/23/1979 16 0 Tromso Brossard, QC
7 Stalteri, Paul M 10/18/1977 50 6 Tottenham Hotspur FC Brampton, ON
8 de Guzman, Julian M 3/25/1981 15 0 Deportivo La Coruna Scarborough, ON
9 Radzinski, Tomasz F 12/14/1973 29 7 Fulham Toronto, ON
10 Friend, Rob F 1/23/1981 6 0 Heerenveen Kelowna, BC
11 Brennan, Jim M 05/08/1977 43 6 Unattached Newmarket, ON
12 Gervais, Gabriel D 9/18/1976 8 0 Montreal Impact Brossard, QC
13 Hutchinson, Atiba M 02/08/1983 20 2 FC Copenhagen Brampton, ON
14 Grande, Sandro M 9/29/1977 11 1 Molde Montreal, QC
15 Simpson, Josh D/M 5/15/1983 13 0 Kaiserslautern Victoria, BC
16 Hume, Iain M/F 10/30/1983 14 1 Leicester City Brampton, ON
17 Occean, Olivier F 10/23/1981 12 1 Lillestrom Brossard, QB

Staff
Stephen Hart - Head Coach
Tony Fonseca - Assistant Coach
Paul Dolan - Goalkeeper Coach
Morgan Quarry - Manager
Vic Mendes - Equipment Manager
Dave Foley - Physiotherapist
Garo Demerdjian - Physiotherapist
Rudy Gittens - Doctor
Dino Madonis - Head of Delegation

[Joe MacCarthy]

Canucks prepare for Jamaica
By NEIL DAVIDSON
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Soccer/Canada/2006/08/30/1787143-cp.html

(CP) - Assembling the Canadian soccer team is never easy. Just ask interim coach Stephen Hart.

In preparing a squad for Monday's friendly against Jamaica in Montreal (4 p.m. ET), the Canadian Soccer Association was unable to secure the services of MLS players Dwayne De Rosario and Adrian Serioux (Houston) and Ante Jazic (Los Angeles).

Houston, with games Wednesday and Saturday, is looking to improve its position in the run-up to the playoffs while Jazic is injured.

Mike Klukowski (FC Brugge, Belgium) was also unavailable. Fellow midfielder Atiba Hutchinson (FC Copenhagen, Denmark) was invited to camp but picked up a knock in a club game on the weekend.

To make matters worse, the Montreal Impact declined to release goalkeeper Greg Sutton and defenders Adam Braz and Gabe Gervais until after its USL game Thursday night in Portland.

Striker Iain Hume (Leicester City, England) did make it to Canada but has been laid low by dental problems.

"It's a situation that you just have to live with. You just sort of get on with it," Hart said Wednesday of the challenge in bringing Canada's talent together. "There's no sense crying about it. We all know the situation with the players and the clubs and it's been going on for ever, it seems.

"I'm under no real illusion. It's very difficult for players to come in and play for an interim coach that they really might be thinking might not be there at the end. But I'm not asking them to play for Stephen Hart. They've been asked to play for Canada. It's the first game in Montreal in 11 years and I think they should really relish the opportunity and enjoy the game."

Hart, who was an assistant to former coach Frank Yallop with the senior squad and runs the under-17 team, has not applied for the vacant Canadian coaching job. He has not ruled it out, either.

"I'm a coach. Obviously to coach the country's national team is a huge honour," he said from Ottawa where the team was training before leaving for Montreal on Thursday. "You want to make sure that things are right, that allow you to have success. It's not just about things on the field."

He is currently looking at three games as interim coach and wants to see how it goes. Canada visits Jamaica for a rematch on Oct. 8 and is negotiating to play a friendly in Europe in November. Hart declined to name the potential opponent, saying the contract had yet to be finalized.

Hart hopes to bring players who didn't make it into the squad this time for the game in Jamaica - and then pick his team for the third game based on what he saw in the first two.

"You can't invite everybody, obviously," he said. "We have three games, I thought I would sort of share it around. ... I'd like to give some other players a chance to prove themselves."

Midfielder Jim Brennan is in camp. He's currently without a team, but Hart says the former Bristol City, Nottingham Forest, Norwich and Southampton player is looking good.

Striker Tomaz Radzinski (Fulham, England) and fullback Paul Stalteri (Tottenham, England) are also with the squad.

Midfielder Julian de Guzman (Deportivo La Coruna, Spain) arrived in Ottawa on Tuesday night.

"It's a good group," said Hart. "They've trained well."

[benfica64]

GO Canada GO lets kick some ass!!!!!!!!!!!

[Xizor]

Yeah I think Canada should have no problem winning this game!

Don't underestimate Jamaica! :D

[Joe MacCarthy]

Ziggy goes on intelligence mission
By ARPON BASU
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Soccer/Canada/2006/09/02/1796066-cp.html

http://i5.tinypic.com/27zgfuo.jpg
Ziggy Marley scrimmages with members of the Canadian Soccer team in Montreal on Saturday. (CP/Peter McCabe)

MONTREAL (CP) - Ziggy Marley was in Montreal on Saturday to perform a concert but he spent the afternoon handling some other business.

The reggae star joined the Canadian soccer team on the pitch at the Claude Robillard Centre as it continued preparations to face Jamaica in an international friendly Monday.

The dreadlocked Jamaican kicked the ball around with a some of Canada's best and said he was taking mental notes to pass on to the Reggae Boyz.

"I'm a spy, this is intelligence," he joked afterwards. "The Jamaican team is supposed to come to my show, so I'll tell them what I saw.

"But they didn't let me see much, you noticed that? They finished everything before I came."

Just too keep an eye on things Canada's Patrice Bernier and Olivier Occean got their names on the guest list for the show, though they vowed not to get too caught up in the festivities.

"There's no curfew," Bernier said, "we just have to keep it reasonable."

Not that interim Canadian coach Stephen Hart was too concerned about Marley's intelligence-gathering skills.

"I'm not even sure he knows when the game is," he quipped.

Hart was obviously more concerned with taking advantage of his first practice with a full complement of players.

Three members of the United Soccer League's Montreal Impact - goaltender Greg Sutton plus defenders Gabriel Gervais and Adam Braz - joined the squad after returning from Thursday night's 1-0 win over the Portland Timbers in Oregon.

"It's our first day together and some of the boys are tired," Hart said. "But it was nice to finally have everybody here."

Hart put the Canadians through a brisk, 90-minute practice, capped by a high-energy, three-quarter field scrimmage, and he feels he saw enough to be able to announce his starting lineup Sunday.

Sutton, Gervais and Braz are the only members of the team who don't play professionally in Europe and some may assume that puts them at a disadvantage when competing against pros from the English, German and Spanish leagues. But Hart says that's not necessarily the case.

"If you look at Europe, it's the beginning of the season, the pre-season just ended, whereas the other guys have been playing on a more consistent basis," Hart said. "So they'll be a little further ahead than the others."

One of the top Canadian talents playing in Europe right now, 23 year-old midfielder Atiba Hutchinson of FC Copenhagen, won't suit up for Canada while he nurses a hamstring injury.

Hart figures his absence gives other players a chance to shine.

"If you have an Atiba, you might have the team shaped differently," he said. "But without him, you just need to get on with what you need to do."

The Canadians still have their share of European players, led by Calgary's Kevin McKenna of German club Energie Cottbus, whose nine international goals in 33 caps is the most on the Canadian squad.

But there are several players coming over from Europe with fewer than 20 caps to their credit who will be looking to play a bigger role including Julian de Guzman, a midfielder with Spanish club Deportivo La Coruna and the first Canadian ever to play in La Liga.

"For me it's still a dream to even think about it," said de Guzman, who is beginning his second season with the club. "Last season I got a chance to play against Barcelona and twice against Real Madrid. It was a dream come true, and I hope to live that dream again this season."

The Toronto native feels he is an example of the growth of Canadian men's soccer and that the red and white are well positioned to qualify for the next World Cup in 2010, despite all the doubters at home.

"We are equipped definitely to qualify for the World Cup," he said. "What we have now is one of the better generations going into the next World Cup. So I hope we can get our act together with every game we have and hopefully in the future people will have different opinions and impressions of us."

[Joe MacCarthy]

Friend's goal lifts Canada to 1-0 soccer win over Jamaica's Reggae Boyz
By BILL BEACON
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Soccer/Canada/2006/09/04/1801119-cp.html

MONTREAL (CP) - Rob Friend scored in the 41st minute only moments after taking a kick to the knee as Canada defeated Jamaica 1-0 in a friendly soccer international Monday.

Friend, the Kelowna, B.C., striker from the Heerenveen club in the Netherlands, leapt to head a lobbed pass from midfielder Julian de Guzman at the edge of the penalty area that sailed over goalkeeper Shawn Sawyers and into the net.

Three minutes earlier, Friend had been felled by a kick to the knee on a tackle from defender Damion Stewart, which forced him to take a quick rest on the sidelines and sparked a mass shoving match as de Guzman charged into the fray.

Stewart and Canadian forward Tomasz Radzinski were cautioned by the Costa Rican referee Walter Quesaba and the two sides settled down.

Since losing 2-1 to Spain in 2005, Canada is unbeaten in four friendies, winning 1-0 in Luxembourg in November, tying the U.S. 0-0 in San Diego in January and beating Austria 2-0 in Vienna in March.

A pro-Canada crowd of 6,526 nearly filled the grandstands at the Claude Robillard Stadium on a chilly, overcast afternoon. It included a smattering of green-and-yellow clad Reggae Boyz supporters.

They saw Canada control play in the first half against a mistake-prone Jamaica defence, which led to missed chances early by Radzinski and Friend.

Jamaica woke up in the second half and thought it had the equalizer in the 68th minute, but Teafore Bennett was ruled offside after tipping a rebound off goalkeeper Greg Sutton into the goal. Moments later, Omar Daley was stopped by Sutton just inside the box.

Canada will play a return match in Kingston, Jamaica on Oct. 8.

Both teams were missing several veterans to injuries and club commitments and both had interim head coaches - Stephen Hart for Canada and Carl Brown for Jamaica.

Jamaica was winless in its four previous friendlies - losses of 5-0 to Australia, 4-1 to Ghana, 6-0 to England and a 1-1 draw with the U.S.

Notes - Canada's record is 6-5-1 all-time against Jamaica. . . Canadian defender Chris Pozniak left the game after 20 minutes with an apparent ankle injury and was replaced by Gabe Gervais. . . Sandro Grande went in for Patrice Bernier in the second half and Iain Hume replaced Friend in the 88th. . . Jamaica sent Daley and Fabian Dawkins in for Demar Phillips and Kevin Lamey in the 64th minute.

[Xizor]

When is Mexico and Canada going to play, do you know Joe McCarthy?

[Joe MacCarthy]

Men's National Team
Monday, September 04, 2006
Canada wins 1-0 against Jamaica in front of an animated crowd
http://www.canadasoccer.com/eng/media/viewArtical.asp?Press_ID=2526

http://i3.tinypic.com/2v2vak3.jpg
Rob Friend

Montreal, September 4, 2006 – Spurred on by a fired-up crowd numbering an estimated 6500 at Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard today, Canada’s senior National Team beat its Jamaican opponents one to zero in the first international men’s soccer game played in Montreal in more than 11 years. The teams will have a rematch in Kingston, Jamaica, on October 8.

Jamaica faced a fierce Canadian attack throughout the first half. The home team created many scoring opportunities while Jamaica was stuck in defensive mode. The efforts of the Canadian offence paid off in the 40th minute. Forward Rob Friend headed a spectacular header from twenty yards out fooling Jamaican goalie Shawn Sawyers and giving Canada a one goal lead.

The Canadian side kept the momentum and played a solid second half. Jamaica did manage to succeed some offensive breakthroughs. However, Canadian goalie Greg Sutton showed great composure and stopped all seven shots.

Rob Friend’s lone goal, his first with the men’s senior national team, led Canada to a well deserved one to zero victory.

U-20 FIFA World Cup is coming soon!

Preparations are well under way for the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup Canada, to be held June 30-July 22 at Olympic Stadium in Montreal. Soccer fever will once again peak in Montreal early next summer as enthusiastic fans from here and abroad descend on the city. It will be a can’t-miss soccer event!

[Joe MacCarthy]

Men's National Team
Monday, October 02, 2006
Head coach Stephen Hart announces his roster for October 8th match date
http://www.canadasoccer.com/eng/media/viewArtical.asp?Press_ID=2544

Ottawa, Ontario - Canada’s men’s senior team is geared up to face Jamaica for game two of their home and away series. Earlier today, Head coach Stephen Hart announced the official roster that will compete in Kingston, Jamaica on October 8th.

Hart will be counting on this squad to shoot for a second consecutive victory against the Reggae Boys. A win in the tropic island would extend Canada’s unbeaten streak to five games.

Hart’s troop met Jamaica in an earlier match up this fall, outplaying their opponent to a 1:0 win on September 4th in front of an animated crowd in Montréal, Québec.

Hart is determined to bring an all-rounded effort to the pitch. Among the noticeable, Hart will be counting on the expertise of striker Tomasz Radzinski to pressure and create an offensive disturbance for Jamaica’s back four. Rob Friend, who scored the winning goal in Montréal, will also take part in the Canadian line-up. Canada’s midfield will be controlled by stronghold Atiba Hutchison while goalkeeper Greg Sutton will once again be available to look after the goal line.

“Playing in Jamaica will obviously be very different from recent games we have played. The climate must be considered and at home Jamaica, with their passionate supporters, has proven difficult for most opposition. However it’s a challenge I am sure the team looks forward too.”

Canada will embark in another quest in Europe in mid November, facing a strong Hungarian team in Budapest, Hungary on November 15th, 2006

Team Roster:
*note: One or two players may be added to the roster before October 8th.

# Player POS DOB Caps G/S Club Hometown
2 Braz, Adam D 06/07/1981 8 0 Montreal Impact St. Laurent, QC
4 McKenna, Kevin D 1/21/1980 34 9 Energie Cottbus Calgary, AB
5 Reda, Marco D 6/22/1977 5 0 Sogndal Woodbridge, ON
6 Bernier, Patrice M 9/23/1979 17 0 Tromso Brossard, QC
7 Stalteri, Paul M 10/18/1977 51 6 Tottenham Hotspur FC Brampton, ON
8 de Guzman, Julian M 3/25/1981 16 0 Deportivo La Coruna Scarborough, ON
9 Radzinski, Tomasz F 12/14/1973 30 7 Fulham Toronto, ON
10 Friend, Rob F 1/23/1981 7 1 Heerenveen Kelowna, BC
11 Klukowski, Mike D/M 5/27/1981 7 0 FC Brugge Oshawa, ON
12 Gervais, Gabriel D 9/18/1976 9 0 Montreal Impact Brossard, QC
13 Hutchinson, Atiba D/M 02/08/1983 20 2 FC Copenhagen Brampton, ON
15 Simpson, Josh D/M 5/15/1983 14 0 Kaiserslautern Victoria, BC
16 Grande, Sandro M 9/29/1977 12 1 Molde Montreal, QC
17 Gerba, Ali F 7/27/1982 6 1 Odd Grenland Montréal, QC
22 Stamatopoulos, Kenny GK 8/28/1979 4 2 Tromso Markham, ON

Staff
Rob Newman - Head of Delegation
Stephen Hart - Head Coach
Tony Fonseca - Assistant Coach
Paul Dolan - Goalkeeper Coach
Morgan Quarry - Manager
Ted Tilbury - Physiotherapist
Mike Moretto - Equipment Manager
Garo Demerdjian - Physiotherapist

[Joe MacCarthy]

Men's National Team
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Nash to join Canada for friendly against Jamaica
http://www.canadasoccer.com/eng/media/viewArtical.asp?Press_ID=2547

Ottawa, Ontario – Canada’s men’s national team Head Coach Stephen Hart has added midfielder Martin Nash of the 2006 United Soccer Leagues Champion Vancouver Whitecaps to his roster for the second friendly of a home and away series against Jamaica on October 8th in Kingston, Jamaica.

The Victoria, BC native has already earned 30 caps with the Canadian senior side since his debut in a World Cup Qualifier on April 6, 1997 against El Salvador which ended in a 0-0 draw.

His last appearance for Canada was in a 1-0 win on January 18, 2004 in a friendly against Barbados.

Nash will join the team on Wednesday in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida before traveling to Jamaica on Friday, October 6th.

In the first match of the series on September 4th in Montreal, Quebec, Canada defeated Jamaica 1:0 with a first half goal by Rob Friend.

[Joe MacCarthy]

Men's National Team
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Canada’s early lead falls short; Jamaica wins 2:1
http://www.canadasoccer.com/eng/media/viewArtical.asp?Press_ID=2554

Kingston, Jamaica - Canada’s Men’s National Team couldn’t hang on to an early 1:0 lead, paving the way for a 2-1 win for host Jamaica in an international friendly held in Kingston, Jamaica, Sunday in front of a small but vocal crowd at the National Stadium.

Despite opening the scoring in the 8th minute on a great strike by Tomasz Radzinski and creating far more scoring opportunities than their opponents, the Canadians surrendered two quick goals late in the first half and saw their run of four games without a loss come to an end.

Hoping to secure their second consecutive victory against their CONCACAF rivals (following their 1-0 win over Jamaica in Montreal on September 4), the Canadians opened the game strongly and were rewarded when Julian de Guzman found Radzinski with a perfectly executed chip pass. Radzinski, streaking in from the wing, took one touch to control the pass and then hammered his shot inside the near post.

'I thought we got off to a great start and overall we played a good game,' said Radzinski after the game. 'We switched off for two minutes and conceded two goals. We came back strongly in the second half playing up to our usual standards and created many, many chances. The result does not reflect the way we played. We can take many positives from our performance and I am sure we are going to bounce back and achieve great things with this group and these players.'

For the second straight game, Canadian head coach Stephen Hart was forced to make an early substitution due to an injury to his starting left back. In Montreal, Chris Pozniak was forced to leave the proceedings in the 31st minute when he was studded on toe. Sunday, it was Mike Klukowski who went down inside 20 minutes, following a fifty-fifty challenge. Klukowski was taken off with what was diagnosed as a mild MCL sprain. Gabriel Gervais was brought in at left back after impressing in Montreal last month.

The game exploded in the 35th minute when Jamaica’s Luton Shelton latched on to a perfectly placed centering pass and stroked the ball past Canadian goalkeeper Kenny Stamatopoulos from near the penalty spot.

The goal fired up the home crowd, who though low in number, got behind the hosts and roared their approval. Minutes later the crowd was again on their feet when Jamaica’s Demar Phillips found himself alone at the top of the box and his hard low shot tucked inside the far post to put the Reggae Boyz ahead 2-1 at the interval.

Both sides appeared tentative to start the second half and Hart brought on Martin Nash for Julian de Guzman, who was hampered by a tight hamstring. The substitution proved to be an inspired one as Nash provided an immediate spark to the Canadian attack with his distribution. Radzinski and Josh Simpson (who was playing wide on the left) started to see more of the ball and give the hosts trouble. Rob Friend, who worked tirelessly up front throughout the game, saw a header come close off a Nash corner as the visitors began to press their hosts.

Hart then brought on Ali Gerba for Patrice Bernier in the 70th minute and played him alongside Friend as the Canadians pushed for the equalizer. The Canadians were beginning to dominate the game. Radzinski was played through in the 70th minute but his cross from a tight angle was cut out. Minutes later, Nash again found Radzinski wide and Canada broke in on a 3 v 2. Radzinski squared the ball to Friend who then layed off a perfect pass to Gerba, whose shot was saved by Jamaican goalkeeper Richard McCallum.

The Canadians were determined to get a result in what has long proven to be a difficult place to come away with any success as they continued to dominate possession. Midfielder Atiba Hutchinson started to find more room and bring his considerable skills into the contest. In the 80 minute, Gerba latched on to a pass and struck a fierce volley from well outside the penalty area only to see his shot miss the near post by inches.

In extra time, Gervais was forced to leave the game with a mild calf strain and was replaced by Adam Braz. In the dying minutes, the Canadians resorted to playing the ball deep with captain Kevin McKenna pressing forward but the Jamaicans hung on to win 2:1 and even the two game series.

Canada will regroup next month when they play Hungary on November 15.

Game Summary:

International Friendly
National Stadium, Kingston, Jamaica
Weather: Hot and humid
Attendance: 5,000

Goals: Canada – Tomasz Radzinski (8); Jamaica – Luton Shelton (35), Demar Phillips (38)

Cautions: Jamaica – Jamal Campbell-Rice (49), Richard McCallum (75): Canada- Kevin McKenna (51),

Canada: 1-Kenny Stamatopoulos, 11-Mike Klukowski, 4-Kevin McKenna, 5-Marco Reda, 7-Paul Stalteri, 13-Atiba Hutchinson, 6-Julian de Guzman, 8-Patrice Bernier, 15-Josh Simpson, 9-Tomasz Radzinski, 10-Rob Friend

Subs: 22-Greg Sutton, 12-Gabe Gervais, 14-Martin Nash, 17-Ali Gerba, 16-Sandro Grande, 2-Adam Braz

Head Coach: Stephen Hart

Jamaica: 13-Richard McCallum, 3-Damion Stewart, 5-Oneil Thompson (4-Shaver Thomas, 46), 6-Shane Crawford (12-Demar Phillips, 26), 8-Jamal Campbell-Rice, 10, Ricardo Fuller (captain), 14-Xavean Virgo, 16-Omar Daley, 17-Jermaine Hue, 18-Khari Stephenson (22-Fabian Davis, 87), 21-Luton Shelton (9-Teafore Benneth, 73)

Head Coach: Carl Brown