An organized Canadian side opened the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup with a 1-0 win over Group A opponent Jamaica last Friday in Los Angeles, Canada’s third consecutive victory under interim coach Stephen Hart. “It’s obviously important in the first game of a tournament to get off to a good start and we managed to do that,” Canadian captain Paul Stalteri said Monday after the team’s practice at the Columbus Crew facility. “It was a bit of a tricky game for some of us coming off of our summer breaks. It was important that we were well organized, and found our rhythm early in the game.”
Canada will try to extend its win streak against El Salvador on Tuesday night. El Salvador sits alongside Canada with three points atop Group A – considered the Gold Cup’s “group of death” — following a 2-1 win over Costa Rica Friday.
For a team trying to develop consistency and better chemistry, the Gold Cup provides an ideal venue. “When you have a tournament like this, it’s a great opportunity because you’re together for longer periods of time with the same group of guys as opposed to maybe World Cup qualifying where the group changes,” said Stalteri. “The guys are together and manage to build a good rapport with each other. It’s an important time for us.”