{"id":32225,"date":"2021-03-23T13:43:07","date_gmt":"2021-03-23T17:43:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/?p=32225"},"modified":"2021-03-23T13:43:07","modified_gmt":"2021-03-23T17:43:07","slug":"james-pantemis-shines-for-canada","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/2021\/03\/23\/james-pantemis-shines-for-canada\/","title":{"rendered":"James Pantemis is the player of the game in a scoreless tie against Haiti"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>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.<\/p>\n<h2>Canada U-23s tied with Haiti<\/h2>\n<h3>Three keys to the game<\/h3>\n<h4>James Pantemis the player of the game for Canada<\/h4>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Ladies and gentlemen, James Pantemis. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/CanM23?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#CanM23<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/zw4WhZCaP7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/zw4WhZCaP7<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CanadaSoccerEN\/status\/1374143539911753730?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 22, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>In particular, the incredible save shown in the above video, in the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Concacaf\/status\/1374139648281300992\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">56th minute<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n<p>It also shows the influence the Canadian Premier League has played in this tournament. While Pantemis is attached to <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/category\/mls\/montreal\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">CF Montr\u00e9al<\/a> (formerly the Montreal Impact) he was loaned to <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/category\/cpl\/valour-fc\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Valour FC<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n<h4>Alan J\u00e9r\u00f4me the star player for Haiti<\/h4>\n<p>It is hard to decide who should be the player of the game between James Pantemis and Alan J\u00e9r\u00f4me. J\u00e9r\u00f4me, who was Haiti\u2019s goalkeeper stepped up when his team needed him most. This included the 13th minute when he stopped a Tajon Buchanan shot.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\ud83d\ude4c  Alan Jerome! In the last minutes of the game! What a save!<a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/fhfhaiti?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">@fhfhaiti<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/CMOQ?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#CMOQ<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/NlW2b2jLFj\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/NlW2b2jLFj<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Concacaf (@Concacaf) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Concacaf\/status\/1374149612869718017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 23, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>J\u00e9r\u00f4me 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 J\u00e9r\u00f4me played very well today. As a result, their chances of qualifying for the semi-finals stage of the Concacaf Men\u2019s Olympic Qualifying Championship are still alive.<\/p>\n<h4>Missed chances for both Canada and Haiti<\/h4>\n<p>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\u2019s eight shots.<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>A similar statement can be made for the Canada U-23s. Head coach of Canada&#8217;s U-23s, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Concacaf\/status\/1374175605126795264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1374175605126795264%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Flastwordonsports.com%2Fsoccer%2Fwp-admin%2Fpost.php%3Fpost%3D32225action%3Dedit\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mauro Biello even mentioned that in his post-game press conference<\/a> 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 J\u00e9r\u00f4me. Lastly, some of Canada\u2019s shots went straight to the goalkeeper, making it easy for J\u00e9r\u00f4me to make the save. <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/2021\/03\/20\/tajon-buchanan-shines-for-canada\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">Like the previous game against El Salvador<\/a>, Buchanan had chances to score. Unfortunately, unlike the previous game, Buchanan was not able to capitalize on his chances against Haiti.<\/p>\n<h3>Other factors<\/h3>\n<p>Canada\u2019s 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 <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LastWordSC\/status\/1374135672492195843\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">did not have to face a shot on goal in the first half<\/a>. As a result, they now have two clean sheets in two games. Something they were not able to do in the 2015 Concacaf Men\u2019s Olympic Qualifying Championship.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Full Game Summary:<\/p>\n<p>The passing percentage of Canada was only 85 percent. <\/p>\n<p>Both goalkeepers stepped up including <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/CanM23?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#CanM23<\/a>&#39;s James Pantemis and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/kiteboullawoule?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#kiteboullawoule<\/a>&#39;s Alan J\u00e9r\u00f4me.<\/p>\n<p>It was an even match with both teams having four shots on goal. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/HAIvCAN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#HAIvCAN<\/a> | 0-0 | <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/CMOQ?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#CMOQ<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/xln5c3RMxn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/xln5c3RMxn<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Last Word on Soccer (@LastWordSC) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/LastWordSC\/status\/1374150645553446918?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 23, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<h3>What is ahead for both Haiti and Canada<\/h3>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">Group B standings after the second round of Concacaf Men&#39;s Olympic Qualifying matches. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Canm23?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#Canm23<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/CMOQ?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#CMOQ<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/YyEorvUNDD\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/YyEorvUNDD<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CanadaSoccerEN\/status\/1374189421923348483?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 23, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>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&#8217;s Olympic Qualifying Championship. A tie between Haiti and El Salvador would mean Canada and Honduras both advance to the Concacaf Men\u2019s Olympic Qualifying Championship Semi-Finals round.<\/p>\n<p>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\u2019s National Senior Team <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/2020\/08\/25\/canadian-mens-national-team-world-cup-qualifying-group-b-preview\/\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_self\">is starting their 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign<\/a> on Thursday against Bermuda at 8:00 p.m. ET. It is a great double-header for Canadian men\u2019s soccer fans to enjoy watching.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"Uz6vX2q1QHJxJi8NLz2_CA\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.ca\/detail\/1229282990\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'Uz6vX2q1QHJxJi8NLz2_CA',sig:'-4JsGkTcOTDhuWD7CV_GaEtWI-QMDbWHHo0ZfDjzNdY=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'1229282990',caption: true ,tld:'ca',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn about James Pantemis, who played a key role in Canada getting a point against Haiti. Canada will play Honduras next on Thursday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3104,"featured_media":32232,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3406,2,27],"tags":[4175,4170,4168],"class_list":["post-32225","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-canada-mnt","category-featured","category-fifa-tournament","tag-alan-jerome","tag-concacaf-mens-olympic-qualifying-championship","tag-james-pantemis"],"modified_by":"Rachael Kriger, Senior Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32225","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3104"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32225"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32225\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32232"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32225"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32225"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32225"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}