In the end, it was the result that most expected – but it was a heck of a lot closer than anyone dared imagine.
Colombia defeated Canada 1-0 at Red Bull Arena on Tuesday night, but it was hardly the sort of one-sided affair that many had predicted, given the relative world rankings of the two teams (Colombia came in at No. 3, Canada at No. 120). Despite a noisy pro-Colombian crowd in New Jersey, the underdog Canadians weren’t intimidated by the World Cup quarterfinalists, and actually produced the game’s best early chance.
In the fourth minute, an excellent through ball from Montreal Impact midfielder Issey Nakajima-Farran found striker Tosaint Ricketts, who was bundled over in the area by a Colombian defender. But referee Juan Guzman declined to award a penalty.
On the other end, Colombia likely felt aggrieved 13 minutes later, when a series of passes inside Canada’s area resulted in Radamel Falcao finding the back of the net – but the goal was waved off on a rather tight offside decision.
The momentum shifted back and forth for the remainder of the half, with Canada actually enjoying several stretches of quality possession and attacking opportunities. Real Madrid star James Rodriguez had Colombia’s best chance with a 30-yard free kick in the 41st minute, but a quality diving save by ’keeper Milan Borjan sent the game into the break deadlocked at 0-0.
The Canadian side, captained by Julian de Guzman, looked composed in the opening 45, and head coach Benito Floro stuck with the veteran-heavy starting lineup to begin the second half.
But the Colombians came out with a head of steam, earning a few dangerous chances early on. Juan Guillermo Cuadrado forced another fine diving save from Borjan in the 56th minute, with a dipping shot from distance. James then curled a left-footed shot that missed Borjan’s goal post by inches several minutes later.
The seemingly inevitable breakthrough finally came in the 74th minute, when a quickly-taken free kick gave James the opportunity to strike a sublime 25-yard shot into the back of the Canadian net.
As the second half wore on, Floro provided valuable experience to a number of youngsters – Montreal’s Karl Ouimette and Jeremy Gagnon-Lapare, University of Connecticut striker Cyle Larin, and Toronto FC youngsters Jordan Hamilton and Manny Aparicio.
Larin got a late chance on goal with a strike from distance, while Aparicio got the chance to step up and take a 90th-minute free kick from 25 yards out. That free kick was, in fact, Aparicio’s first-ever touch on the ball for the senior national team, as he’d just been subbed into the game and was earning his first cap. Unfortunately for the 19-year-old, it was drilled into the Colombian wall.
Ultimately, the young troops couldn’t find an equalizer before the final whistle sounded, but the Canadian players surely left the stadium with their heads high after a creditable performance against one of the world’s top teams.
Canada’s next scheduled match is a friendly against Panama on Nov. 18 in Panama City.
