Canada wins big in Montréal against Honduras

A late first-half header from Canada’s Kevin McKenna secured a 2:1 victory over CONCACAF rivals Honduras in Montréal on Tuesday 7 September. The match was played in front of 7,525 fans at Stade Saputo.

McKenna’s goal came just before halftime, breaking a 1-1 tie after Josh Simpson opened the scoring 30 minutes into this Men’s International Friendly match and Erick Norales equalised for Honduras five minutes later.

The victory came nearly two years to the day after a 1:2 loss to Honduras at Stade Saputo. Canada also avenged an 0:1 loss to Honduras in last year’s quarter-final stage of the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Canada and Honduras have a long-standing rivalry as CONCACAF nations.

The match underwent a lengthy delay in the second half due to lightning in the area. After a 15-minute suspension with eight minutes to play, Canada was able to come out and secure another victory under head coach Stephen Hart.

For this fixture against the No. 46th-ranked Central Americans, Hart had to deal with the departure of injured Marcel de Jong and MLS players Julian de Guzman, Dwayne De Rosario and Nana Attaka who joined Toronto FC in advance of a Wednesday league fixture. As such, he called in midfielder Terry Dunfield for the Montréal match.

Hart began the game with a 4-3-3 formation with 19-year-old Adam Straith playing at right back and captain Paul Stalteri on the left and McKenna and Dejan Jakovic in the centre of defence. With his start, Stalteri established a new mark for appearances with Canada’s national team. The defender and long-time captain made his 83rd appearance, breaking the former record established by defender Randy Samuel in 1997.

Across the midfield Hart went with Will Johnson, Dunfield and Patrice Bernier. Up front, Simeon Jackson and Simpson supported striker Rob Friend. Lars Hirschfeld was once again in goal as he was in the 2-0 loss to Peru in Toronto on Saturday.

Canada’s long-awaited second goal in eight matches was the result of a goalmouth scramble that led to the home side taking the lead. Midfielder Simpson finally scrambled the ball over the line after his own strike was saved by Noel Valladares and follow-up attempts from Johnson and Friend proved unsuccessful. Simpson was able to bundle the ball into the Honduras goal with his upper body after Friend bravely challenged for the ball with his head in the six-yard box.

Honduras was very patient when in possession of the ball and was able to draw a number of free kicks with their build-up play. An undisciplined challenge from Dunfield in the 34th minute led to his first yellow card for the senior team, but more importantly to Honduras’ equaliser. A well-rehearsed free kick from Mario Martínez finished with a glancing header from Norales that left Hirschfeld grasping for air and the score 1-1.

Eight minutes later, McKenna proved his aerial ability on the international stage once again. Normally found winning balls in the air in the defensive end of the field, he is also well known for his involvement in Canada’s attack, especially on set pieces. He proved his worth once again in the 42nd minute when he worked his way into a far-post position to nod in a Johnson corner. It was McKenna’s 10th goal for the men’s national team.

The second half saw a Canadian side full of confidence. McKenna was making runs from his centre-back position deep into the Honduras half.

Jackson was taking defenders on one-on-one. Friend was using his size to hold onto the ball and keep possession. Hirschfeld, meanwhile, was able to clear danger when required to hold onto the one-goal advantage.

Canada looked likely to increase its lead but the skies opened and brought monsoon-like conditions to the field of play that led to the 30-minute delay. After the brief respite, the home side was able to snuff out any attempts at a Honduras comeback.