September 06, 2016 | Kickoff: 07:00PM ET

[2016-09] FIFA World Cup Qualifiers

Men's National Team

3 - 1

El Salvador

Vancouver, British Columbia | BC Place

Attendance: 20726

90+2'

CANADA goal by David Edgar (assist by Tosaint Ricketts)
David Edgar
David Junior Hoilett

82'
78'

El Salvador goal by Nelson Bonilla (assist by Gerson Mayen)
Samuel Piette
Nik Ledgerwood

74'
Marcus Haber
Cyle Larin

74'
CAN MNT caution to Cyle Larin Cyle Larin

63'
CANADA goal by Nik Ledgerwood (assist by David Junior Hoilett) Nik Ledgerwood

53'
CANADA goal by Cyle Larin (assist by David Junior Hoilett) Cyle Larin

11'

Timeline

Men's National Team

KO

KO
11 ' | Cyle Larin
HT

HT
53 ' | Nik Ledgerwood
63 ' | Cyle Larin
74 ' | Marcus Haber - Cyle Larin
74 ' | Samuel Piette - Nik Ledgerwood
78 ' |
82 ' | David Edgar - David Junior Hoilett
90+2 ' |
FT

FT

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El Salvador

Match Report

Canada put in an heroic performance on Tuesday night, running out 3-1 winners over El Salvador in the final game of the fourth round of 2018 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. The scoring was opened by Cyle Larin in the 11th minute, and extended by Nik Ledgerwood in the 53rd, from a Junior Hoilett assist. Nelson Bonilla pegged one back for El Salvador in the 78th minute, but David Edgar converted a Tosaint Ricketts cross in the 92nd minute to restore a two goal victory margin. The result left Canada in third place in Group A, behind Honduras and Mexico who had played to a 0-0 draw. This placing means Canada misses out on advancing to the Hex stage of qualifying by just one point.

FIRST HALF:

The game started with a spring in its step, both teams creating threatening moments in the early minutes. El Salvador had a series of three corners in the 4th minute, but a combination of solid goalkeeping from Milan Borjan and strong defence from Doneil Henry and Adam Straith saw the early danger off.

Canada got on the front foot in the 6th minute when Junior Hoilett released Cyle Larin with a through ball that stretched the Salvadorean defence. Larin shaped to shoot, but a last ditch challenge from a recovering defender cleared it out for a corner. The set-piece was another dangerous moment, with Larin getting his head to Scott Arfield's delivery, but the effort glancing wide of the right post.

Cyle Larin opened the scoring in the 11th minute on a very strange play. It started in Canada's half when Arfield played a long ball down the right flank for Nik Ledgerwood to chase. His squared pass for Ricketts was out of his reach, but the Canadian forward kept the pressure on, and forced a bad clearance from El Salvador to hit Junior Hoilett. The rebound fell right to Larin who was behind the defence. He controlled the ball with one touch, and smashed the ball into the left side of the net with the second. Canada were 1-0 up early in the game.

Ricketts threatened again the 15th minute. Ledgerwood headed a cross field ball into the path of the onrushing striker whose first touch took him clear of the defence. Centre-back Roberto Dominguez made an astounding challenge to take the ball from Ricketts, whose momentum carried him through to a strong collision with the keeper Oscar Arroyo.

Darwin Ceren was shown the yellow card in the 18th minute for a cynical challenge on Ledgerwood as he was looking to start a counter attack against the exposed El Salvador centre-backs.

El Salvador looked to keep Milan Borjan on his toes in the 22nd minute, when Alexander Larin took a shot direct from a free-kick some 35 yards out. The shot was visciously struck, but the Canadian keeper was able to watch the shot go over the bar.

Canada came very close to extending the lead in the 29th minute. Junior Hoilett spread the ball out to an advancing Marcel De Jong on the left flank who fired in a low ball across the top of the six yard box. Larin was first to it, but was stretching and under pressure from Arroyo in the Salvadorean goal. The Canadian striker got under the ball too much and ended up putting his shot over the crossbar, but the ability to create chances was encouraging.

A helter-skelter passage of play was started in the 31st minute when Bryan Tamacas was able to get to the Canadian touchline and pull a ball back across the area. It missed everyone and Canada took off on a counter attack, Hoilett playing Larin in behind a ragged defence. His final attempt was a mix of a shot towards the right post and a cross for the onrushing Ricketts, but ended up being neither and bouncing wide.

Ricketts was involved just a minute later, getting on the end of another good De Jong cross. His headed attempt back towards the left post was solid, but rolled just wide, much to the relief of the stranded Arroyo.

A very slick passing move from Canada in the 38th minute saw Larin and Arfield move the ball laterally from right to left. An onrushing De Jong was able to strike the ball first time, but Arroyo was just about able to beat out the swerving shot.

Hoilett was involved once more, winning a centrally positioned free kick in the 42nd minute around 25 yards out from goal. The wingers shot was half blocked by the wall and Arroyo was out bravely to punch it clear in the face of a lot of Canadian traffic bearing down on him.

Canada kept advancing towards goal, De Jong winning another free kick on the left flank that was cleared out for a corner. Arfield was able to pick up possession inside the penalty box on the right side, and square it across for Doneil Henry on the penalty spot. The right back was falling backwards when he struck the ball, however, and the shot curled wide of the right post.

The score remained 1-0 at half-time, but the Canadian squad would have taken heart from their ability to consistently carve out chances against El Salvador, hitting them with fast transitions with particularly good work coming on the left flank and Arfield's set-piece deliveries proving dangerous.

SECOND HALF:

The second half started cagily, El Salvador having made two changes and Canada changing their shape slightly, pushing Tosaint Ricketts onto the right flank and Nik Ledgerwood into the centre of the field. The first chance came in the 51st minute when Scott Arfield drove in a free kick from the right side of midfield and Doneil Henry's header wasn't on target.

Ledgerwood was on hand to extend Canada's lead in the 54th minute. Atiba Hutchinson picked up the ball in the centre of the field from an Arfield pass on the right wing. The captain kept the ball moving to Hoilett on the left, who jinked and danced his way around three players before being fouled. He was able to stab it forward to an unmarked Ledgerwood on the penalty spot, who seized upon the advantage played by the referee and fired into the top right corner for his first goal for Canada.

El Salvador captain Darwin Ceren was shown a second yellow card in the 56th minute for a rash challenge on Junior Hoilett. Nelson Bonilla was also booked for dissent during the melee following the foul.

Oscar Arroyo was called upon to make a very good save in the 61st minute, after Arfield had played a nice pass to find Hoilett in space at the top of the box. His shot was well hit, but the Salvadorean keeper was alive to the danger and beat the opportunity away.

Cyle Larin had his name taken by the referee in the 63rd minute, the referee judging his challenge on Oscar Ceren to have been mistimed.

Marcel De Jong put in a good free-kick in the 68th minute from the left side of the midfield. The ball looped over the defence and found Hoilett unmarked at the back post, but the winger was unable to direct his header goalwards.

Despite being on the back foot, El Salvador were able to win a corner in the 72nd minute. The dead ball was whipped in dangerously and a glancing header only just bounced wide of the left post, reminding Canada that pressing for more goals can't be at the expense of solid defending.

El Salvador clawed a goal back in the 77th minute when Gerson Mayen controlled a long ball on the right flank. He was able to make som e space and roll the ball to Nelson Bonilla in the centre of the area, whose finish was a formality, making the score 2-1.

Canada came close once more in the 86th minute, as they broke with four players against two, the ball coming down the left flank with Marcel De Jong. His hard, low cross towards the advancing substitutes Marcus Haber and David Edgar was stopped at the second time of asking by Arroyo.

Henry Romero was shown a yellow card in the 88th minute for pulling back Edgar.

Milan Borjan was on hand in the 91st minute to deny the Salvadorean goalscorer, Bonilla, making a great save with his feet when from the forwards close shot.

Canada restored their two goal lead in the 92nd minute through David Edgar. Scott Arfield played the ball out to the right wing for Ricketts to chase down, and his first time cross was perfectly weighted for Edgar, who had gotten in between the Salvadorean defenders. His finish was a perfectly placed dink into the left side of the goal, putting Canada up 3-1 on the evening.

Alexadner Larin was shown a yellow card in the 95th minute for putting his elbow up into the face of Atiba Hutchinson on the right flank, and Gerson Mayen was booked for causing trouble in the crowd before play restarted. The free kick was floated in by Arfield, and Milan Borjan, who had made the long run from his own penalty area was able to make contact with the cross, but not send it goalbound.

The ball was on the roof of the Salvadorean net in the 97th minute, as De Jong's whipped cross from the left was deflected by a defender ahead of David Edgar.

Canada were able to press their advantage and make several good chances throughout the game, winning 3-1 on the night.

LINEUPS & NOTES:

Canada's starting XI featured Milan Borjan in goal, Doneil Henry at right back, Adam Straith and Manjrekar James at centre back, Marcel De Jong at left back, and Atiba Hutchinson (c), Nik Ledgerwood, Tosaint Ricketts Scott Arfield, Junior Hoilett and Cyle Larin from the midfield up through to the attack.

Coach Benito Floro made three substitutions, Marcus Haber replacing Cyle Larin, and Samual Piette replacing Nik Ledgerwood in the 74th minute, and David Edgar replacing Junior Hoilett in the 81st minute.

Nik Ledgerwood's goal was his first for the Canadian National Team.

El Salvador's starting XI featured Oscar Arroyo in goal, Bryan Tamacas at right back, Henry Romero and Roberto Dominguez at centre back, Juan Barahona at left back, and Darwin Ceren (c), Pablo Punyed, Oscar Ceren, Jaime Alas, Alexander Larin and Nelson Bonilla in midfield up through to the attack.

Coach Ramon Maradiaga made three substitutions bringing on Gerson Mayen on for Juan Barhona, and Andres Flores on for Pablo Punyed at half time, with Moises Garcia replacing Oscar Ceren in the 64th minute.

Referee Valdin Legister was kept busy in a physical contest that threatened to get ill-tempered, handing out seven yellow cards in total, taking down Darwin Ceren's name in the 18th minute, and again in the 56th. Nelson Borilla was booked in the 59th minute, Cyle Larin in the 63rd, and Henry Romero in the 89th and Alexander Larin and Gerson Mayen in the 95th minute.