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Oliva, Valencia | Estadio Oliva Nova
Attendance: 300
Jackson Farmer
Doneil Henry
Caution: Aleman, Keven (CAN MNT)
Keven Alemán
Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé
Ashtone Morgan
Terry Dunfield
Kyle Bekker
Caution: Henry, Doneil (CAN MNT)
Caution: Player Carded (Mauritania)
Samuel Piette
Jonathan Osorio
Daniel Haber
Dwayne De Rosario
Keven Alemán
Kyle Porter
Caution: Player Carded (Mauritania)
Canada registered a scoreless draw with Mauritania in what was the first international match under new head coach Benito Floro.
In a game that featured little in the way of scoring opportunities, Canada had the best chance to score in the 21st minute when Jonathan Osorio unleashed a powerful right-footed curling shot that had to be tipped over for a corner kick by Mauritanian goalkeeper Souleymane Diallo.
Other than that, chances were at a premium as the two teams endured a surprisingly physical encounter.
The Sunday 8 September Men's International Friendly match will be followed by a second encounter on Tuesday 10 September 2013. These are the first-ever international meetings between Canada and Mauritania.
In his Canadian debut, coach Benito Floro featured the maximum 17 players through six substitutions. After the match, Floro said that he was pleased with everyone's performance and that "there are some parts that went well while other parts that we will need to improve."
After Osorio's chance, Kyle Bekker gave Canada another half-chance in the 31st minute when he crossed in from the right-hand side but Dejan Jakovi? could only head the ball high over the bar in a crowded penalty area.
Mauritania pressured Canada early in the game but backed off as the game went on. Canada enjoyed good spells of possession to start the second half but a lot of momentum was taken away due to a number of stoppages for free kicks.
In the second half, veteran Dwayne De Rosario had a shot at goal in the 48th minute from outside the 18-yard box that was easily held by the goalkeeper. In the 70th minute, Mauritania had a good chance on a free kick from just outside the box, but midfielder Guidilèye Diallo's free kick was blocked by Canadian captain Atiba Hutchinson.
Both goalkeepers kept a clean sheet, with Canadian Lars Hirschfeld posting his 17th career clean sheet with the national "A" team. As selected by Canadian media attending the match, midfielder Jonathan Osorio was Canada's footballer of the match.
The Men's International Friendly match was played in front of approximately 300 fans at the Estadio Oliva Nova. The referee was Carlos Del Cerro Grande.
CANADA v MAURITANIA ROSTERS:
For this first of two international matches between the two sides, Canada's starting XI featured Lars Hirschfeld in goal, Stefan Cebara at right back, Doneil Henry and Dejan Jakovic at centre back, Ashtone Morgan at left back, and Jonathan Osorio, Atiba Hutchinson, Kyle Bekker, Kyle Porter, Russell Teibert and Dwayne De Rosario from the midfield up through to the attack.
In the second half, coach Benito Floro made six substitutions: Osorio, Porter and De Rosario were replaced by Samuel Piette, Keven Aleman and Daniel Haber (65'), Morgan and Bekker were replaced by Terry Dunfield and debutant Jérémy Gagnon-Laparé (71'), while Henry was replaced by debutant Jackson Farmer (86').
Mauritania's starting XI, meanwhile, featured Souleymane Diallo in goal, Demba Sow at right back, Bilal Sidibé and Abdoul Bâ at centre back, Mamadou Wade at left back, Khassa Camara and Guidiléye Diallo working together as defensive midfielders, Taghyoullah Denna as the creative midfielder, Adama Bâ and Ismael Diakité working offensively on the wings, and captain Dominique Da Sylva up front as the centre forward.
In the second half, coach Patrice Neveu replaced Denna with Abdoulaye Gaye (53'), Da Sylva with Ahmed Moulaye (76'), and injured Sidibé with centre back Oumar N'Diaye (89').
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