Junior Hoilett Helped the CANMNT in Road Win Against Suriname
ANALYSIS – Junior Hoilett delivered off the bench and the CANMNT got their first leg victory over Suriname. Also, the clean sheet Canada earned in the road leg, will be important as they prepare to play in Toronto on Tuesday.
Junior Hoilett Delivered for the CANMNT in the Concacaf Nations League
The CANMNT Had Most of the Scoring Opportunities
CANMNT had several scoring chances. Yes, one can talk about Hoilett’s game-winning goal, which was created thanks to Jonathan David’s clever pass. However, there were other chances Canada had throughout the game. This included:
-????????? Ali Ahmed had two chances to score against Suriname.
-????????? Tani Oluwaseyi shot in the first half hit the post.
Throughout the game, it seemed like Canada had trouble getting a shot on goal and/or scoring a goal. This is what Jesse Marsch said about the scoring opportunities:
“It's a little bit the story of our team, that we create chances, right? We find the chances that can give us the lead, maybe enough control to match where we can get two goals, and then we could have, now more of a routine performance. And because we don't find a way to get that goal the first half with some big chances, the game is in the balance, and then we have to put a lot of energy into it.”
Passing and Corners Can Be Better for Canada
For long parts of the match, Canada had a misplaced pass or corners that were not effective enough. In terms of passing, this included:
-????????? Jacob Shaffelburg passing the ball out of bounds.
-????????? Richie Laryea’s high volley pass was too high.
To be fair, there were also passes that Canada executed well, so it was a bit of a mixed bag. Still, there is room for improvement with the Canadian national team with their passing. Also, with their corners, the best they got from it was Ali Ahmed to shoot the ball straight to the Suriname goalkeeper. Suriname also might have had their best chance via a corner as a header by one of the players hit the post.
Mo?se Bombito Had an Excellent Game
Mo?se Bombito really showed off his quality yet again on Friday night with some plays he made included:
-????????? Bombito cleared the ball and made sure Suriname’s offensive possession ended.
-????????? Bombito can race back and win the ball for Canada, which was shown again on Thursday.
When talking more generally about the Canadian backline, this is what CANMNT head coach, Marsch said about the all-around great performance of the backline.
“Yeah. I mean, with Derek and Alphonso not being available, and we knew that we had to call on different players, we're really trying hard to build a bigger squad, more guys that we can count on. So, the performance from Joel Waterman was very good. You know, Richie Laryea can always provide. A lot for us, and I thought to any other witness for not having many starts did well, I think it's the goal. I think we think it was a perfect performance. So, yeah, we're building more squat depth, which is really important for us.”
The ability of the backline to get defensive stops was instrumental for Canada. It shows growth in the national team, and there is a notable improvement from Bombito when compared to what he was at the beginning of the year. Waterman also played well, despite making an early mistake in the game against Suriname.
Other Factors: Suriname Had Trouble Getting a Shot on Goal
There were times when Suriname looked dangerous, such as the very start of the game after a Joel Waterman turnover, or with the header from a corner. Still, it seemed that at times Suriname was hesitant to shoot the ball, or at to get that final pass in the final third.
This was never going to be an easy game, as playing on the road in Concacaf is always tough. However, Canada got the job done in leg 1 as Jonathan David was involved in yet another goal for the CANMNT. His level of play with Lille OSC is being seen with the Canadian men’s soccer team.
As for the other leg 1 quarterfinals, both the U.S. in Jamaica and Panama in Costa Rica, won on the road 1-0. This is while Honduras surprised Mexico with a 2-0 win at home.
The last game between these two national teams will take place on Tuesday, November. 19 at BMO Field in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The time of the game will be 7:30pm ET and it will be shown live on OneSoccer.
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Photo Credit: CANMNT X Account on November 15, 2024 .