This article was last updated on May 20, 2022
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| Peru celebrates a goal in the second half |
Ranked 62 spots ahead of Canada in the FIFA world rankings, Peru were simply too much for the Canadian side winning 2-0 on the strength of two second half goals in front of 10,619 fans at BMO Field.
The 39th ranked Peru took their game to another level after a scoreless first half and capitalized on a pair of Canadian defensive miscues mid-way through the second half en-route to a 2-0 victory.
Canada, ranked 101st in the world, did have a promising start and were holding their own against a talented Peruvian side throughout the first half.
“I thought when I saw how we approached the first half we were doing quite well possession-wise and we created a couple of chances,” said Canadian coach Stephen Hart.
“But in the second half, we certainly became careless with the ball and we seemed to die physically. The Peruvian team speeded up their play, they got the first goal, they worked hard for it but I thought it was preventable and the second goal of course changed the whole outlook of the game.”
Canadian and Toronto FC midfielder, Julian de Guzman had a similar assessment of the match.
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| Julian de Guzman sprints upfield with the ball |
“I think the first half we got off to a good start, the guys were well organized, gave Peru a tough time going forward,” said de Guzman.
“The second half we started sluggish and I think there was 5-10 minutes where we just fell asleep and conceded two goals and after that it was a chase from there. But overall, I think the guys did well, it’s been a positive camp. These are the types of teams we need to be playing against to continually get better.”
Veteran defender and Captain Paul Stalteri tied Randy Samuel’s national record of 82 caps for Canada. Stalteri is sure to break the record later this week if he makes an appearance when Canada hosts Honduras in Montreal on September 7 in the squad’s next international friendly.
Tale of Two Halves
Both teams played an equal first half with each team creating chances and getting a pair of shots on goal, although none the opportunities were of great quality. The situation certainly looked promising from Canada’s point of view as both teams headed in their respective dressing rooms tied at 0-0 at halftime.
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| Canadian defender Marcel de Jong is helped off the field in the first half due to a shoulder injury |
Canada did not come out of the first half completely unscathed as defender Marcel de Jong suffered an injury to his upper arm/shoulder in the 28th minute when he fell awkwardly to the ground attempting to keep the ball away from Peruvian defender Santiago Acasiete. He was sent to the hospital to be assessed but Hart acknowledged that de Jong’s shoulder looked broken.
Jefferson Farfan, who plays for FC Schalke 04 in the Bundesliga, was a constant thorn in the side for the Canadian midfielders and defenders on this evening. In the 41st minute, Farfan demonstrated his skills with a great individual effort as he held off simultaneous tackles from two Canadian players in the midfield before turning defender Jaime Peters inside out, but his eventual shot deflected harmlessly out of play.
Peru switched up their game plan in the second half and took it to the Canadian side
with each passing minute, playing an impressive midfield game that saw the South American squad pushing forward and constantly threatening the Canadian defence.
with each passing minute, playing an impressive midfield game that saw the South American squad pushing forward and constantly threatening the Canadian defence.
Eventually, the Peruvians capitalized on defensive errors for two goals in a span of four minutes mid-way through the second half to take complete control of the game.
In the 68th minute, a poor clearing attempt landed to Farfan at the edge of the 18 yard box. He then made a nice backheel pass to Reimando Manco who flipped a cross into the crease area where 6’4 forward Jose Carlos Fernandez out-jumped Canadian keeper Lars Hirschfeld to head the ball into the open goal.
In the 72nd minute, on a give-and-go passing play, defender Roberto Guizasola’s returned a pass to an open Jean Tragodara, who made no mistake by firing a shot past Hirschfeld into the far side of the net.
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| A large section of Peruvian fans cheer on their team |
Ahead 2-0, the Peruvian squad clamped down defensively and cruised the rest of the way and celebrated their victory in front of many Peruvian fans in attendance.
Peruvian coach, Sergio Markarian saw the match as a tale of two halves.
“Two different halves. In the first half with a lot of ball possession…a very neat and tidy midfield, they come and touch the ball between them and had a harmonious way of play,” said Markarian through an interpreter.
“It was a very good defensive job of Peru that didn’t let the Canadian team create goal opportunities. In the second half, I think Peru grew a little more than the rival and in that way they could get over the rivals.”
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| Canadian coach Stephen Hart addresses the media after the game |
Coach Hart was very impressed with the opposition, especially Farfan and Peruvian captain and Fiorentina midfielder, Juan Manuel Vargas.
“I like how they played, how they adjusted in the second half,” said Hart. “Farfan, in particular, was finding space in between in the midfield and our backline. Of course when the ball came to him, he didn’t give it away, he never lost it even when the space was tight. Of course Vargas is at another level altogether, but that’s why he’s at Fiorentina. He played a very disciplined game, he knew exactly when to go forward, when to hold his position.”
“It’s a quality team we played against and we learned some lessons today.”
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Contact Aman Dhanoa at aman@oyetimes.com
Photos courtesy of Kanishka Sonnadara
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