DETROIT— The U.S. Men’s National Team dominated Canada in a CONCACAF Gold Cup match at Ford Field. The 2-0 final score didn’t really indicate how close the came was as both sides had opportunities.
Canada had a rally at the American goal late in the match and Howard made two vital saves. He denied Josh Simpson and then Ali Gerba from point-blank range in the 85th minute. “Howard was absolute magic,” Canadian coach Stephen Hart said. “I almost clapped, he continued.”
San Jose Earthquake scoring sensation, Chris Wondolowski, # 11 was in the middle of the action against Canada at the recent CONCACAF game at Ford Field in Detroit. The U.S. won 2-0. Wondolowski has six goals in 11 games in MLS action this season.
Photo by Jens Niehoff , Rolco Sports Network
Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes) got quality playing time and a late scoring chance. Wondolowski was the first substitute for the U.S. in the second-half. Chicago native son, Eric Lichaj (Leeds, England) did not see action.
The U.S. moved to the top of Group C with the win at Ford Field, and leads the standings over Panama on goal differential. Panama opened with a 3-2 win over Guadeloupe in the first game.
Wearing all white, the U.S. controlled most of the possession time against Canada. After the game U.S. Coach Bob Bradley said, “I think it’s a good start. From the moment the group was put together and the first game was Canada, we expected a tough match because this is a good Canadian team. When you get into a tournament you need to keep growing. There are some good starting points and things for us to build on.” Plenty of Canadian revelers kept up a singing cheering section throughout the game and the noise echoed Ford Field. Attendance was very sparse for the Panama versus Guadalupe match. Just over 28,000 in attendance were announced for the second game.
The Gold Cup winner will represent CONCACAF in the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil. The championship game will be at The Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., on June 25. A quarter-finals doubleheader will take place Saturday June 18, at the Meadowlands.
Planning Time for EURO 2012
At a conference in Warsaw staged to mark the one year to go date until the start of UEFA EURO 2012, UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino expressed his confidence in Poland and Ukraine’s ability to host a successful tournament.
“Of course there are still many things to do,” said Infantino. “There is a delay in the construction of two stadiums in Poland, but we are absolutely sure the tournament will be organized well. There is no doubt Poland and Ukraine will be ready to organize UEFA EURO 2012 well.”
UEFA Executive Committee member František Laurinec, UEFA Events SA chief executive David Taylor and Polish UEFA EURO 2012 ambassador Zbigniew Boniek were among the guests at the event, where Polish Football Federation (PZPN) president Grzegorz Lato said, “I realize how very important security is. Every guest who comes to Poland for the tournament must feel 100% safe. That is the only way this event can be a success for the country.”
Adam Giersz of the Ministry for Sport and Tourism is convinced the finals will have enormous benefits for Poland. “It is not only the sporting aspect that is important for us,” he explained. “This event will help in the development of the whole country. That is a very important motivation for us, as well as having good relations with our neighbors in Ukraine.”
The sales of tickets for the UEFA European Football Championship taking place in Poland and Ukraine next summer is now closed. There was an impressive 12 million ticket requests. Applications came from 206 countries.
Polish and Ukrainian citizens have shown the largest interest in purchasing tickets. Over 80% of the requests came from the host countries. The tremendous success of the ticket sales demonstrates the great interest of soccer supporters towards EURO 2012. The next hurdles will be stadium completion, road improvements and addressing the ‘hooliganism’ issue. This global event is a great opportunity to show off the region and develop a sustained tourism industry. It will be a three-week festive celebration of the best European soccer and entertainment events that will show off Poland. It will be a summer to remember, the summer of EURO 2012.
Germany all but secured qualification for Euro 2012 after beating Azerbaijan, 3-1 recently, while Sweden and the Faroe Islands also won.
Goals from Real Madrid midfielder Mesut Oezil, Bayern Munich striker Mario Gomez and Mainz forward Andre Schurrle sealed the victory for Germany while playing away at the Tofiq Bahramov Stadium.
Five New Friends Named to Polish Promotion
Former Liverpool FC and Real Madrid CF goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek was one of five new Friends of UEFA EURO 2012 who announced their commitment to the tournament as part of Poland’s one year to go celebrations. The Friends of Euro 2012 will act as ambassadors for the tournament and related activities.
Capped 59 times by Poland’s National Team, the 38-year-old Dudek said, “This is a big honor for me. I feel a major responsibility for making sure that guests visiting Poland will take the best memories back to their countries.” The 2005 UEFA Champions League winner with Liverpool added, “I feel proud that I can present my home country to the international public. It’s a huge event for all Polish people.”
Actor Janusz Gajos, cabaret star Robert Górski, Polish rock band singer Muniek Staszczyk and stand-up comedian Marcin Daniec also became Friends of EURO at the announcement. “I love football and I always get behind the Polish national team – I am very happy that they are playing better so I can finish joking about them in my stand-up shows,” Daniec said with a smile.
CONCACAF GOLD CUP GAMES IN CHICAGO AT SOLDIER FIELD
On Sunday June 12, 2011
El Salvador vs. Cuba 6:00 PM
Mexico vs. Costa Rica 8:00 PM
A ‘Soccer Village’ with entertainment was set up in the streets adjacent to Comerica Park for the festive revelers. Chevrolet and Home Depot had popular interactive attractions outside the stadium. The natural grass inside of the roof covered Ford Field appeared to hold up well enough. It was evident though that the playing surface was hard on the participants.