



With most of his European-based players unavailable due to the fact his squad’s first match of the calendar year does not fall on an official FIFA date, Head Coach Benito Floro called in a predominantly North American-based squad peppered with a number of young players who have earned their first call-ups with the senior men’s team.



Floro elected to go with a starting lineup consisting of a mix of veterans and youth to start this match played on neutral ground at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. Manjrekar James made his first appearance for Canada and long-time national team veterans Kenny Stamatopoulos and Iain Hume made their returns to the starting eleven at the keeper and striker positions respectively.



The Opening 45



Canada got off to a very slow start in this match and were punished early on when Iceland took the lead in the 6th minute when a completely unmarked Kristinn Steindórsson headed home a cross inside the far post.



Canada struggled to move the ball out of their own half in the early going but the Iceland goal seemed to wake them up, as the Canadians would move the ball more effectively and dominate possession as the half progressed.



Some nice build up play saw Canada generate scoring chances for Manjrekar James and Iain Hume, with both players ultimately called offside on close calls.



With Canada dominating the proceedings on the back of some fine play from young players such as Samuel Piette, Russell Teibert and Jonathan Osorio, the Canadians were got sleeping again just prior to the half time whistle, with Iceland midfielder Matthías Vilhjálmsson heading in a cross past a helpless Kenny Stamatopoulos. Second straight game, Teibert’s been our most dangerous player. #canMNT — Daniel Squizzato (@DanielSquizzato) January 16, 2015



The Second Half



As expected, Floro made a number of changes in the second half as Canada looked to get back into the game from two goals down, with Dwayne De Rosario, Issey Nakajima-Farran and Maxim Tissot all bringing energy and intelligent play to the Canadian attack.



Canada pulled a goal back in the 70th minute on a corner, with De Rosario heading the ball past the Icelandic keeper.



The Canadians would push forward in search of an equalizer for the remainder of the game. This made for some interesting counter attack opportunities for Iceland, who failed to convert on several good opportunities.



Canada had a decent chance in the 87th minute when Tissot delivered a dangerous looking free kick that midfielder Chris Mannella was unable to head on target.



Ultimately, the Canadians were unable to find that final ball or finish to generate an equalizer, as Floro’s squad fell 2-1 in their first match of 2015.



After impressing significantly in the matches they played in the latter half of 2014, the Canadian Men’s National Team was back in action on Monday for their first match of 2015 and the first of two friendlies against 33rd ranked Iceland.With most of his European-based players unavailable due to the fact his squad’s first match of the calendar year does not fall on an official FIFA date, Head Coach Benito Floro called in a predominantly North American-based squad peppered with a number of young players who have earned their first call-ups with the senior men’s team.Floro elected to go with a starting lineup consisting of a mix of veterans and youth to start this match played on neutral ground at the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida. Manjrekar James made his first appearance for Canada and long-time national team veterans Kenny Stamatopoulos and Iain Hume made their returns to the starting eleven at the keeper and striker positions respectively.Canada got off to a very slow start in this match and were punished early on when Iceland took the lead in the 6th minute when a completely unmarked Kristinn Steindórsson headed home a cross inside the far post.Canada struggled to move the ball out of their own half in the early going but the Iceland goal seemed to wake them up, as the Canadians would move the ball more effectively and dominate possession as the half progressed.Some nice build up play saw Canada generate scoring chances for Manjrekar James and Iain Hume, with both players ultimately called offside on close calls.With Canada dominating the proceedings on the back of some fine play from young players such as Samuel Piette, Russell Teibert and Jonathan Osorio, the Canadians were got sleeping again just prior to the half time whistle, with Iceland midfielder Matthías Vilhjálmsson heading in a cross past a helpless Kenny Stamatopoulos. While Canada were missing a number of key players, this match essentially played in a similar fashion to how Canada has performed in recent years, with the Canadians delivering a lot of positive elements but also struggling to both put the ball in the back of the opposition net and keep the ball out of their own net. As has been the case during the Floro era so far, Canada’s passing and buildup play was excellent in this match and that will be the main positive that the Spaniard and his coaching staff will be able to take away from the loss.

Man of the Match



Russell Teibert



The Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder was Canada’s most dangerous player during his sixty-plus minutes on the pitch. Teibert delivered a number of dangerous balls and kept the Iceland defenders on their feet during a first half in which Canada started slowly out of the gate.



Honourable mention



Dwayne De Rosario added to his tally as Canada’s leading scoring with his team’s only goal of the game. While Canada looked more dangerous after he entered the game, it is still somewhat disconcerting that the Canadian team is still depending on the 36 year old national team stalwart to provide the goals.



De Rosario’s fellow second half substitute Maxim Tissot was also a vital part of the squad’s improved second half attack. The Montreal Impact midfielder delivered some fine balls and linked up well with his teammates.



Canada Line-up



Kenny Stamatopoulos

Karl Ouimette

Dejan Jakovic

Manjrekar James

Nana Attakora

Adam Straith

Julian de Guzman

Russell Teibert

Samuel Piette

Jonathan Osorio

Iain Hume



Substitutions: Maxim Tissot for Jonathan Osorio; Dwayne De Rosario for Iain Hume (46); Patrice Bernier for Julian de Guzman; Issey Nakajima-Farran for Russell Teibert (56); Chris Mannella for Adam Straith (68).