Canada vs. Cuba - Match #1 

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 3:00 pm

Result 1-3 (0–0 at half-time)

              Yan Huckendubler

Goals

43rd min Cuba PC

51st min Cuba FG

53rd min Cuba FG

64th min Can PC – Andy Rushton

  

Canada started their first game of the Pan American Games tournament with a disappointing loss to Cuba. The Cubans played a very physical and aggressive first half making it difficult for the Canadian team to develop any momentum in their play.

The Canadians were successful in generating 6 penalty corners in the first half but some strong goal keeping by the Cuban keeper kept the score at 0-0 at the half time break. Andy Rushton and Chris DePape were strong in defense for the Canadian team repelling a series of attacking moves by the Cubans down their left in the first half. Azelia Liu in goal also made some timely saves as both teams pressured each other.

After the half time break Canada returned to the pitch and immediately gained possession in the attacking 25yds to generate a penalty corner which just went wide of the left post. At the 43rd minute a turn over lead to a series of attack penalty corners the third of which resulted in a goal to Cuba from a well struck ball tipped in off the Canadian post player. The Cubans continued to pressure the Canadian defense with 3 successive shots all of which were well saved by Azelia Liu.

In the 51st minute an outstanding reverse stick shot from the top of the circle was just too good for Liu giving the Cubans a 2-0 lead. This was followed by another penalty corner goal in the 53rd minute in which Cuba dragged the ball into the top right hand corner pushing the score to 3-0.

The Canadian team fought back but the Cubans were dogged in their determination to close out the game and a series of hard tackles made it difficult for the Canadian team to retain possession. Andy Rushton scored a well earned goal with a corner conversion in the 64th minute to make the score 3-1. The both teams fought hard for the final minutes but it was the Cuban team with the goals on the board who finished the game victorious. In the other pool game USA defeated Netherlands Antilles 4-1. The Canadian team has a day to regroup before playing Netherlands Antilles on July 17th.

  

                   

Yan Huckendubler

 

Yan Huckendubler

Yan Huckendubler

    

Yan Huckendubler  

 

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