Thanks to a stoppage-time own goal, Guadeloupe — a French overseas territory without FIFA membership — stunned Canada 2-2 in their opening match of the CONCACAF Gold Cup on Tuesday night in Toronto.
Guadeloupe’s Thierry Ambrose scored in the 23rd minute of the Group D match before the highly favored Canadians moved ahead 2-1 in the 70th.
In the third minute of second-half stoppage time, Ambrose tried a low pass in the box and Canada’s Jacen Russel-Rowe, a forward with the Columbus Crew, accidentally kicked the ball into his own net while trying to block it.
The Canadians faced a 1-0 deficit at halftime before Lucas Cavallini struck in the 49th minute to tie the match. Canada then capitalized on an own goal as well, with Guadeloupe defender Meddy Lina tapping a Canadian through ball past his own goalkeeper.
Canada finished with a hefty 17-9 advantage in total shots, but only five of the Canadians’ shots were on target.
Davy Rouyard made four saves for Guadeloupe. Canada’s Milan Borjan saved three shots.
Guatemala 1, Cuba 0
Darwin Lom, who had a penalty saved in first-half stoppage time, scored the only goal early in the second half of the opening Group D match for both teams at Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
In the 48th minute, Nathaniel Mendez-Laing weaved through the Cuba defense and sent a through ball to Lom on the right side of the 18-yard box. Lom hit a low shot past Cuba goalie Raiko Arozarena, and it went inside the far post.
Just before halftime, Cuba’s Dariel Morejon fouled Carlos Mejia in the penalty area, but Arozarena dived to his right and pushed Lom’s penalty off the post and back into the field of play.
Arozarena is the brother of Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena.
–Field Level Media
