The Canadian Men’s National Team picked up its first win of the 2014 Commonwealth Games on Sunday with a 3-1 defeat of Trinidad and Tobago. Earlier in the day, the Women’s National Team also beat Trinidad and Tobago for their first victory, making Sunday a successful one on the pitch for Canada.
The Canadian men had several chances to open the scoring in the first after, namely multiple chances from captain Scott Tupper. Tupper hit back-to-back posts on penalty corners in the twenty-second and twenty-third minutes. Tupper must have felt luck wasn’t on his side, but it quickly turned it its favour minutes later.
It was in the twenty-eighth minute when Tupper found himself on the receiving end of another penalty corner and this time he made no mistake, beating the Trinidadian goalkeeper to give the Canadians their first lead of the tournament.
Before the half was out, Canadian keeper David Carter was forced to earn his keep, making a save off Kwandwane Browne on a penalty corner in the thirty-third minute. That kept the game at 1-0 for Canada heading into the half.
In the second half, after multiple chances for Canada, all of which were turned away, veteran Mark Pearson was able to break through in the forty-fourth minute and convert for Canada’s second goal of the game and the 2-0 lead.
Trinidad’s Browne had another glorious opportunity to tie the game but hit the post. Soon after, he would make good on a penalty corner, scoring in the fifty-sixth minute for Trinidad and Tobago’s first goal of the game. The match stood at 2-1 with time running out.
The next goal would be pivotal and it was another Canadian veteran, David Jameson, who was playing in his 201st international cap, who would score a field goal to give Canada the 3-1 lead and insurance in the sixteith minute.
For complete match statistics click here.
Canada faces England on Thursday at 1:00amPST/4:00amEST.
Click here for the Canada’s men’s full Commonwealth Games schedule and results.
To support the Men’s National Team with a tax-receipted donation, visit their Chimp page here.
