Canada 1-0 Jamaica

Canada 1-0 Jamaica FT

GOAL: 75′ Ali Gerba

Subs: Josh Simpson in for Marcel de Jong, Jackson in for Johnson

Bookings: Davis (Jamaica), Johnson (Jamaica), Phillips (Jamaica), Thompson (Jamaica), de Guzman (Canada)

Standings:
Canada 3pts
El Salvador 0pts
Costa Rica 0pts
Jamaica 0pts

Canada is off to a perfect start at the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup, defeating Jamaica 1-0 on Friday in Los Angeles.

Toronto FC’s Ali Gerba scored the winner for the Canadians in the 75th minute.

On a three-man break, Mike Klukowski sent a cross from the left side that Gerba volleyed into the left side of the net past Jamaican keeper Donovan Ricketts.

The teams were evenly matched throughout the game. Possession was spread out evenly, though Canada held the slight edge in shots (6-5).

There was a spell in the second half when Jamaica pressed, but Canadian keeper Greg Sutton held firm. The Reggae Boyz had eight corner kicks while Canada only had three.

The victory is a big boost to Canada’s chances of advancing past the group stage of the competition.

Drawn into Group A, the tournament’s “Group of Death,” the Canadians needed a win against Jamaica to set themselves up well heading into tough games against El Salvador and Costa Rica.

The victory was a measure of revenge for Canada, too. The Jamaicans defeated the Canadians 3-0 the last time the two sides met, a World Cup qualifier in November. Both teams are eliminated from World Cup 2010.

Canada’s next match is against El Salvador on July 7 in Columbus, Ohio.

Both sides had a couple chances to open the scoring in the first half.

Canadian keeper Sutton made the first save of the match in the 16th minute when Jamaican captain Ricardo Gardner suddenly found himself with some space with the ball just outside the penalty area. But Gardner couldn’t get enough power behind his attempt and Sutton made an easy stop.

The Jamaicans came close again in the 24th minute as Jermaine Johnson sent a shot just wide of Sutton’s left post.

The Canadians came back with a quality chance of their own: Kevin McKenna flicked an early cross on goal that keeper Ricketts just tipped over the bar in the 25th minute.

Canada came close again in the 34th minute. Patrice Bernier played a great one-two with Julián De Guzman and found himself free in close on Ricketts, but the keeper dove and just got his fingers on the shot to parry the ball wide of the right post.

Two more chances went by the wayside right after the re-start for the Canadians.

A minute after entering the game in place of Marcel De Jong, Josh Simpson took a powerful first-touch shot that keeper Ricketts parried, and the ensuing corner saw Johnson boot one high over the Jamaican goal.

After that Jamaica began to press.

Sutton made a big save on the 54th minute off Luton Shelton, who fired a shot from the right side of the box that the Canadian keeper had to dive at. He was called on again in to make a crucial stop when Stoke forward Ricardo Fuller was sent through the Canada defence in the 63rd minute.

The Reggae Boyz had four corners in the first 20 minutes of the half. But after that Jamaican flurry, Canada found the breakthrough in the 75th minute with Gerba’s one-touch volley into the back of the net.

Gerba, 27, who was acquired by Toronto FC on June 23, has scored 14 goals for Canada in the last 25 games. He almost had his second of the match near stoppage time, but couldn’t get his boot on a Johnson cross with an open net in front of him.