James Pantemis was the player of the game for Canada in a scoreless draw against Haiti. The game was a frustrating one for the Canada U-23s. They were unable to score a goal and looked like the better team in the first half. However, Haiti looked dangerous in the second half, with no goals. This resulted in a scoreless draw.
Canada U-23s tied with Haiti
Three keys to the game
James Pantemis the player of the game for Canada
James Pantemis really stepped up when his team needed him most. He did not have to do much in the first half. However, he played well in the second half. He made some critical and important saves in the second half to keep Canada in the game.
Ladies and gentlemen, James Pantemis. #CanM23 pic.twitter.com/zw4WhZCaP7
— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) March 22, 2021
In particular, the incredible save shown in the above video, in the 56th minute and the 72nd minute really helped Canada. Haiti was threatening Canada many times in parts of the second half, which was when Pantemis came in for Team Canada.
It also shows the influence the Canadian Premier League has played in this tournament. While Pantemis is attached to CF Montréal (formerly the Montreal Impact) he was loaned to Valour FC based in Winnipeg last year. He was able to get playing time as the starting goalkeeper for Winnipeg at The Island Games in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.
Alan Jérôme the star player for Haiti
It is hard to decide who should be the player of the game between James Pantemis and Alan Jérôme. Jérôme, who was Haiti’s goalkeeper stepped up when his team needed him most. This included the 13th minute when he stopped a Tajon Buchanan shot.
🙌 Alan Jerome! In the last minutes of the game! What a save!@fhfhaiti | #CMOQ pic.twitter.com/NlW2b2jLFj
— Concacaf (@Concacaf) March 23, 2021
Jérôme also had to be sharp at the end of the game. These were two of the four saves he had to make against Team Canada. He also played fearlessly throughout the game. In one play, he collided with Buchanan to save a goal. It is fair to say that Jérôme played very well today. As a result, their chances of qualifying for the semi-finals stage of the Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying Championship are still alive.
Missed chances for both Canada and Haiti
Yes, it was a scoreless draw and both goalkeepers had the game of their lives. However, there were still plenty of opportunities for both teams to score. Both teams had four shots on goal. Overall, Haiti had 11 shots compared to Canada’s eight shots.
For Haiti, a lot of their chances came in the second half. At one point they had almost complete control of the game in parts of the second half. However, Haiti was unable to capitalize on its chances. Furthermore, their team also had a few chances in the first half but were never able to get a shot on goal.
A similar statement can be made for the Canada U-23s. Head coach of Canada’s U-23s, Mauro Biello even mentioned that in his post-game press conference that they did not take advantage of their opportunities in the first half. In particular, Ballou Tabla had a great chance to score in the second half. However, his shot in a dangerous position went straight to Haitian goalkeeper Jérôme. Lastly, some of Canada’s shots went straight to the goalkeeper, making it easy for Jérôme to make the save. Like the previous game against El Salvador, Buchanan had chances to score. Unfortunately, unlike the previous game, Buchanan was not able to capitalize on his chances against Haiti.
Other factors
Canada’s passing will need improvement when they face Honduras on March 25. The passing did not look fluid during the game against Haiti. It showed on the stat sheet. Canada was only 85 percent in passing percentage while Haiti was at 91 percent. Saying that, give credit to the Canadian defense. Derek Cornelius played well for Canada today and Pantemis did not have to face a shot on goal in the first half. As a result, they now have two clean sheets in two games. Something they were not able to do in the 2015 Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying Championship.
Full Game Summary:
The passing percentage of Canada was only 85 percent.
Both goalkeepers stepped up including #CanM23's James Pantemis and #kiteboullawoule's Alan Jérôme.
It was an even match with both teams having four shots on goal. #HAIvCAN | 0-0 | #CMOQ pic.twitter.com/xln5c3RMxn
— Last Word on Soccer (@LastWordSC) March 23, 2021
It was a fair result considering that Haiti looked more dangerous in the second half. This was while Canada was the better team in the first half.
What is ahead for both Haiti and Canada
All four teams in Group B all have something to play for. Honduras and Canada should still be considered favorites to advance. They both have four points each. However, Honduras has a better goal differential than Canada. This means that Canada needs to win against Honduras to finish first in the group. A tie for Honduras against Canada would be good enough for them to win the group.
Group B standings after the second round of Concacaf Men's Olympic Qualifying matches. #Canm23 #CMOQ pic.twitter.com/YyEorvUNDD
— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) March 23, 2021
For Haiti and El Salvador, their chances of making the semifinals are slim. In order to keep their Olympic dreams alive, both teams may need to win by a big margin on Thursday. Canada has a +2 goal differential while Honduras has a +3 goal differential.
El Salvador has a -2 goal differential while Haiti has a -3 goal differential. Haiti and El Salvador might need to rely on a big win by Canada or Honduras in order to qualify for the semi-final round of Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying Championship. A tie between Haiti and El Salvador would mean Canada and Honduras both advance to the Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying Championship Semi-Finals round.
El Salvador will face Haiti at 7:30 p.m. ET while Canada will face Honduras at 10:00 p.m. ET on Thursday. Only the Canada vs. Honduras game will be shown on OneSoccer. A potential reason for that is the Canadian Men’s National Senior Team is starting their 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign on Thursday against Bermuda at 8:00 p.m. ET. It is a great double-header for Canadian men’s soccer fans to enjoy watching.
