Canada - Jamaica 1-0 All Goals & Highlights 7/3/09

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• Description : Ali Gerba scored in the 75th minute...(more) to lead to Canada to a 1-0 win over Jamaica on Friday, kicking off the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Canadian defender Mike Klukowski took a loose ball in the middle of the field and sent a long elooping cross to the Toronto FC striker, who one-timed a strike past Jamaica goalkeeper Donovan Ricketts. The win in the first game of the doubleheader gave Canada three valuable points heading into its second match against El Salvador at Crew Stadium in Columbus on Tuesday. Costa Rica and El Salvador, both in the World Cup qualifying hexagonal, played in the second match of the evening. The match was a reversal of the last meeting between Canada and Jamaica, when the Reggae Boyz won 3-0 in a World Cup qualifier that they had to win by a huge margin to advance to the final round. Goaltending dominated as both Canadas Greg Sutton and Ricketts produced several dramatic saves, especially in the second half. Canada coach Stephen Harts decision to start the veteran Sutton ahead of Josh Wagenaar proved wise as the taller Sutton used his size to deny Jamaica repeatedly. Sutton stopped Ricardo Fullers point-blank shot in the 65th minute and minutes made a leaping save to deny defender Damian Stewart. Canada began with a possession game and used its one-touch passing in the middle to limit the athletic Jamaicans. The keep-away strategy seemed to work, denying Jamaica the ability to exploit the flanks with its speed. Jamaica was forced to counterattack, which resulted in two quality chances midway through the first half. Canadas more patient approach started to pay dividends late in the half. Canadas best and only real chance came when 2007 Gold Cup most valuable player Julian de Guzman sent a cross in off a free kick and Kevin McKenna one-timed it from 10 yards out that was tipped just over the bar by Ricketts. Minutes later, De Guzman sent a cross to Patrice Bernier on the left. Bernier fired just wide of left post and just out of reach of Will Johnson, who was late onto the ball. Play opened up consdiderably in the second half with both teams generating scoring chances before Gerbas goal. Referee Terry Vaughan issued six yellow cards, four to Jamaica (Claude Davis, Jermaine Johsnon, Luton Shelton, Demar Phillips, and ONeil Thompson) and one to Canada (de Guzman). Jamaica will try to regroup against Costa Rica in the other match on Tuesday. (less)