Luck of the draw

Canada, Haiti join Martinique in quarterfinals

Patrick Percin shields the ball from John Avery of Trinidad and Tobago during Martinique's 1-0 win. AP

MIAMI (AP) -- Canada finished first in its Gold Cup group after a drawing of lots Tuesday, advancing to the quarterfinals despite a 2-0 loss to Ecuador in a near empty Orange Bowl.

Canada was in the driver's seat going into the game, knowing a win, tie or one-goal loss would have been enough to advance. Ecuador, in contrast, needed to win by at least two goals to have any chance of staying alive.

Earlier Tuesday, Martinique upset Trinidad and Tobago 1-0 to book its place in the quarterfinals.

The battered Canadians were cruising until they gave up the key second goal when Paul Stalteri was penalized for taking down Alex Aguinaga, who converted the penalty kick. Goalkeeper Lars Hirschfeld guessed right but the ball went under him.

The result meant Canada, Ecuador and Haiti all finished the opening round at 1-1-0 with zero goal differential. Canada won the draw to place first in the group and will face Martinique in a quarterfinal Saturday.

Haiti finished second in the draw and will face Costa Rica in another quarterfinal Saturday, eliminating Ecuador, whose valiant comeback was in vain. The draw took place minutes after the game ended.

The first Ecuador goal came with one minute remaining when Aguinaga knocked in a close-range ball after Hirschfeld had made the initial save.

Up until the dying seconds, it was a game performance by Canada against a team ranked 38th in the world and headed to the World Cup this summer. Coach Holger Osieck's team took its lumps from a nasty take-no-prisoners Ecuadoran side and showed remarkable poise and composure against a desperate opponent.

The game was played before just 3,827 fans in the 72,000-capacity Orange Bowl, bringing the total attendance for three doubleheaders to a measly 30,865.

In the Martinique-Trinidad and Tobago match, Patrick Percin scored in the 51st minute to give Martinque a 1-0 win and advance to the quarterfinals.

Jean-Victor Lavril set up the goal, feeding Percin just outside the area. Percin then dribbled inside the box, eluded two defenders and blasted a 15-meter (yard) shot that beat Trinidad goalkeeper Shaka Hislop.

Trinidad, which had a man advantage after the ejection of Martinique's Marcel Gibon in the 40th minute, could not find the equalizer.

Martinique, which finished with a 1-1 record and three points in the first round, placed second in Group C behind Costa Rica. It will play the first-place finisher in Group D in the quarterfinals.

Fabrice Reuperne's 30-meter (yard) free kick, which deflected off the left post in the 43rd minute, nearly gave Martinique the lead during a scoreless first half.

In the 20th minute, Loic Lupon found a loose ball and dribbled inside the penalty box, but his 20-meter chip shot sailed over Hislop's crossbar.

Trinidad began finding space later in the first half, and in the 34th minute midfielder Angus Eve's shot from 28 meters (yards) went high over the crossbar.

Trinidad's best scoring chance came in the 41st minute when Stern John drilled a low shot from just outside the area that was stopped by diving Martinique goalkeeper Eddy Heurlie.

 

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