El Salvador poses stiff challenge for Canada at Gold Cup
Last Updated: Tuesday, July 7, 2009 | 11:27 AM ET
By Vijay Setlur, Special to CBC Sports
Ali Gerba, left, scored the winning goal for Canada against Jamaica in the opening game of the CONCACAF Gold Cup. (Lori Shepler/Associated Press)COLUMBUS, Ohio — It's difficult to put a timetable on the rebuilding of a national soccer team, especially in the case of Canada.
Good coaching, talent and a supportive administration are the right ingredients
The process, though, can take a big step forward Tuesday night if Canada beats El Salvador in a pivotal game at the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
A win would earn Canada a place in the quarter-finals and send a strong signal to the regional powers that the Canadian national team is on the way back.
Both Canada and El Salvador got to this point thanks to late-game heroics.
Canada defeated Jamaica 1-0 last Friday on a 75th minute goal by Ali Gerba that broke open a goalkeepers' duel to that point. Then, Osael Romero scored the second of his two goals in the 86th minute to help El Salvador stun favoured Costa Rica.
The euphoria from that win, which snapped a long streak of futility against Costa Rica, has created a light, jovial mood during training over the last couple of days.
Compare that with Canada's workmanlike approach and it remains to be seen which approach will prevail.
Up the middle
In training, El Salvador coach Carlos de los Cobos has said he plans to use his players' speed to attack Canada up the middle. On Monday, his players practised drills that involve two players charging up the middle of the field with the trailer firing a shot on goal.
"We'll keep playing our style of game which is with the ball, moving the ball around and speed from the middle up front," de los Cobos said.
That tactic hits right at Canada's strength — its midfield — and may be designed to neutralize Canada's offensive engine by forcing the likes of Julian de Guzman and Atiba Hutchinson to focus on defending.
If Canada can play El Salvador even in the middle on the ground, then the game may be decided in the air.
Canada has a distinct advantage there.
The ability of players such as Gerba and pinching defender Kevin McKenna to get up high on crosses and corner kicks could create havoc for El Salvador's defence.
What makes El Salvador difficult to handle is the fact that the team does not have star players or a go-to guy. The squad has bought into the total team concept that relies on discipline and organization. Canada won't be able to focus on shutting down any particular player. Instead it will have to crack a cohesive unit.
But that doesn't phase Canada's interim manager Stephen Hart who plans to beat El Salvador by focusing on what his team has to do.
'Exploit all weaknesses'
"It's important for us to get our game right and not concentrate on the opposition, because then you tend to go away from what you do well and get consumed with what the other team is doing," he said.
"We know what we'd like to do and we're going to show them the video and hopefully we can be more efficient in both halves with the way we play. We have a way that we would like to play and probably exploit all weaknesses, but to say that we're going to with a specific because of height, no."
What is clear, though, is that the two teams aren't familiar with each other. Even when you take into account World Cup qualifiers, Gold Cup matches and international friendlies, the two countries have not faced each other in 10 years.
The lack of familiarity adds an air of intrigue to the critical match.
Canada and El Salvador are approaching the Gold Cup from different standpoints.
El Salvador is in the midst of the final round of World Cup qualifying sitting fifth among six teams. The Gold Cup provides a chance to gear up for the final five games.
For Canada, the tournament is an opportunity to rebuild the men's national team after a poor 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign. To many players, the Gold Cup is the World Cup, which helps explain why Canada has tended to perform well in the tournament.
Canada would like to be in El Salvador's position and a win Tuesday night can bring it one step closer.
The match is the second of a doubleheader Tuesday night at Columbus Crew stadium that will start with winless Costa Rica and Jamaica squaring off to stay alive in the tournament. A loss by either side will all but mean early elimination.
