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MONTREAL — Two quick goals in a nine-minute span of the second half were enough for Honduras to see off a 10-man Canadian side 2-1 in a crucial World Cup qualifier on Saturday.
After a 1-1 draw with Jamaica in their first home game on Aug. 20, the Canadian camp was banking on a victory against Honduras to kick-start their qualifying campaign ahead of next Wednesday's game away at powerhouse Mexico.
Instead, they were bested before a pro-Honduran crowd, which confers added importance the game with Mexico, the third of six games in the current qualifying round.
Only two teams from Canada's four-team pool will advance to the next stage of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Canada's Rob Friend, left, clashes heads with Carlo Costly of Honduras during their World Cup qualifying game in Montreal on Saturday. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press)
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"Our first objective was obviously to win the game, the second objective was not to get beat," stone-faced Canadian coach Dale Mitchell said after the match. "Now we have four games to go . . . we have to show what we're made of."
Canada's sense of urgency was plainly on display from the opening kickoff, where Mitchell fielded an attack-minded formation.
A boisterous Saputo Stadium crowd of 12,338 — at least half of whom were bedecked in Honduran blue — were treated to an enthralling, bruising encounter played under soggy pitch conditions best described as diabolical.
Canada got off to a dream start, scoring with their first offensive attack after just four minutes had elapsed.
Clever interplay between Tomasz Radzinski, deployed on the left of a three-man Canadian frontline, and left-back Mike Klukowski led to the game's first corner.
Midfielder Patrice Bernier's delivery was met by defender Adrian Serioux, who powered a header off the palms of Honduran goalkeeper Noel Valladares and into the net.
Radzinski would leave the game through injury 15 minutes later after being clattered into the ad hoardings behind the net by Honduran right-back Sergio Mendoza
"I think Tomasz' injury hurt us, he was looking sharp on the left-hand side," Mitchell said. "After the goal, I thought we sat back too much, we should have gone at them more . . . it looked like the [Honduras] goal was coming."
Mitchell also bemoaned the fact that Honduras' two goals came on counter-attacks after Canada surrendered possession.
"I couldn't argue with the result tonight, to be honest," Mitchell said.
Canada was unlucky not to go uo two late in the half when an angled Ali Gerba header from skipper Paul Stalteri's right wing cross hit Valladares' left upright.
Throughout the first half, the Canadians dictated play, with the midfield trio of Julian de Guzman, Atiba Hutchinson and Bernier harrying their opponents and pressing forward.
Gerba's hold-up play and stalwart performances from Serioux and fellow central defender Richard Hastings thwarted an anemic Honduran attack.
But as Stalteri and Honduran coach Reynaldo Rueda both put it, this game was effectively a tale of two halves.
"We had to adjust at half-time and it worked," Rueda said.
In the second frame, the Hondurans began asserting themselves through Toronto FC's Amado Guevara, and their free-wheeling striking pair of David Suazo, who plays his club football in Portugal, and Carlo Costly.
First Suazo eluded the Canadian backline in the 55th minute with a diagonal run through the 18-yard box, cutting the ball back for midfielder Ramon Nunez to smash home on the half-volley.
Barely nine minutes later, Suazo was again the provider, rampaging down the right wing before making another sumptuous pass to Nunez, who slotted the ball past helpless Canadian keeper Lars Hirschfeld.
Though the Costa Rican referees were content to let all but the most egregious fouls go unpunished in the first half — ignoring a decent penalty appeal after Radzinski was bowled over — the situation changed as the game went on.
Indeed Bernier picked up two yellow cards in quick succession in the second half and was sent off in the 74th minute.
"Anywhere in the world that's a foul, but not a yellow card. There were lots of incidents on the other side that went unpunished . . . but it's like that with Central American referees, we just have to deal with it," a crestfallen Bernier said after the game.
Despite being reduced to 10 attackers, Canada had several chances to equalize, the best of which was a fierce Dwayne de Rosario drive that forced a reaction save from Valladares.
Toronto FC captain Jim Brennan came on in the late going and nearly brought Canada back in injury time, heading just wide from a pinpoint Stalteri cross.
But as the final whistle went, it was the sizable contingent of dancing, flag-waving Honduras fans who went home happy.
Canada now faces an uphill road to finish among the top two in its four team pool,
"It's going to be a tough game [against Mexico], but we need a result, period," Bernier said.
