Canada’s soccer team defeats Belarus in Turkey

Canada won 1:0 over Belarus in a Men’s International Friendly match in Antalya, Turkey. It was a well deserved victory for the Canadian side who controlled much of the match. Centre back André Hainault scored the lone goal in the second half.

"We opened the game brightly, created a number of chances and they didn’t really have any chances in the first half," said national head coach Stephen Hart. "In the second half, we got the goal from (Hainault), he climbed well and scored it and once again we were creating the chances."

Hainault scored his goal in the 58th minute on a header from 10 yards out. Hainault and teammates were crowded into the box for a Will Johnson corner kick.

"Will put in a good ball and I had Rob Friend in front of me, so he draws two or three guys whenever he makes a run for the ball," said goal scorer Hainault. "He left it and and I just kept my eye on the ball and it went in. It was great to score."

In the first half, Canada created the better chances, with Rob Friend connecting on the best opportunity in the 27th minute on a volley saved by the Belarussian goalkeeper Vermenko. Friend took a pass from Atiba Hutchinson before firing a shot from just 10 yards out. The shot was well saved by Vermenko.

Canada was creating offensive chances from the get go, with Friend missing high in just the third minute on a shot from 22 yards out. Five minutes later, a cross from Simeon Jackson was nearly deflected into the Belarus goal by a Belarussian defender.

In the 18th minute, a Will Johnson volley from 20 yards out slid just wide of the far post.

Finally in the 38th minute, Belarus fired its first shot on target. The shot came from a wide angle from Leonid Kovel, but was stopped by Canadian goalkeeper Milan Borjan. Belarus had another good chance just a few minutes later on a counter attack, but to no avail.

In the second half, it was a dangerous free kick by McKenna in the 57th minute that led to the corner kick and subsequent Hainault goal. Hainault’s shot was blocked by Belarus, but went out for the Canadian corner.

Down a goal, Belarus did push in search for an equaliser, but to no avail. After Borjan’s clean sheet in the first half, substitute Lars Hirschfeld posted a similar clean sheet in the second half.

For Canada, Stephen Hart’s XI featured Milan Borjan in goal, Mike Klukowski at left back, Kevin McKenna (captain) and André Hainault at centre back, Nik Ledgerwood at right back, and Atiba Hutchinson, Will Johnson, Pedro Pacheco, Simeon Jackson, Josh Simpson and Rob Friend from the midfield up through to the attack.

Canada’s changes in the second half were Borjan off for Lars Hirscheld (46th minute), Pacheco off for Tosaint Ricketts (66′), Johnson off for David Edgar (77′), and Friend off for Issey Nakajima-Farran (86′).

For Belarus, coach Bengt Stange’s starting XI featured Sergei Vermenko, Molosh, Shitov, Martynovich, Sosnovski, Onelyanchuk, Kislyak, Zhavnercyk, Yachislav Hleb, Kalamev and Leonid Kovel.

Canada improves its 2011 record to one win and one loss, both against European opponents. Canada’s February opponent Greece was ranked 10th in the world while Belarus was ranked 37th. The Canadian team is currently preparing for the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup which runs 5-25 June. Canada opens the competition on 7 June against USA. Canada also faces Guadeloupe and Panama in the group phase.