Cyle Larin may have been the number one overall selection in Thursday’s MLS SuperDraft, but the Orlando City forward had far from a perfect day.
Hours after OCSC made him their first-ever draft pick, Larin and his Canadian teammates lost a heartbreaker to El Salvador at the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship, conceding in the final minute of stoppage time to fall 3-2 in Montego Bay, Jamaica.
Midfielder Romilio Hernandez had the game-winner for El Salvador, pouncing on a rebound that bounced off of Canada goalkeeper Nolan Wirth and then hit Larin in the chest before falling to Hernandez for a close-range finish.
The loss drops Canada to fourth place in Group B, two points behind El Salvador for the all-important third-place spot. Sitting at just 1-2 after three games, Canada will have some serious work to do in their final two matches – they face last-place Cuba on Monday and second-place Honduras on Jan. 22 – if they’re to have a chance at qualifying for this summer’s FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand.
The top three teams in each group at the CONCACAF U-20 Championship will have a shot at qualifying for the U-20 World Cup. The winners of each group will automatically advance to New Zealand, while the second- and third-place teams from each group will battle it out in a four-team playoff, with the top-two teams advancing to the U-20 World Cup.
El Salvador completely controlled the first half, eventually going ahead in the 43rd minute through forward Bryan Perez. Perez ran onto a flicked through ball in the left side of the box, toe-poking his shot out of the air and over the head of the onrushing Wirth and inside the far post.
Canada responded just after the break, with halftime substitute Hanson Boakai equalizing in the 47th minute. Larin was involved in the buildup, laying the ball off to Boakai on the right side to allow the sub to cut in on his left foot and roof a shot into the top of the net from the top of the box.
El Salvador re-took the lead in the 77th minute when Jose Villavicencio hit a long range shot from the left side off the outside of his boot, swerving the 30-yard effort past Wirth and inside the far post to make it 2-1.
Once again, Canada answered quickly, with Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Kianz Froese pulling them level just a minute after Villavicencio’s strike. Froese played a give-and-go with Boakai, picking up the return pass just outside the box and continuing his run into the the area before slotting his chance past El Salvador goalkeeper Carlos Cañas and into the lower right corner.
Hernandez scored the winner in the fourth minute of stoppage time, giving El Salvador all three points with virtually the final kick of the match.
