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Cuba-Canada match ends in scoreless draw |
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June 13, 2000
WINNIPEG, JUNE 12 (AP) - Canada, on the strength of an earlier 1-0 win in Havana, advanced to the next round of World Cup qualifying after a scoreless tie with Cuba.
The draw extended Canada's unbeaten streak to 15 games. With injuries ravaging the midfield and knowing the Cubans would come out pressing in search of a goal, the Canadians played a 4-4-2 formation instead of its preferred 3-5-2.
Despite the extra body, the Canadian backline looked a little ragged in the early going. But when Canada began to counterattack, scoring chances began to come for the home side.
Carlo Corazzin hit the crossbar with a curling cross from the corner, and Paul Peschisolido raked a shot across the goal that bounced off a post.
Winger Jeff Clarke had three solid cracks at a goal in a space of seven minutes midway through the half, but failed to capitalize.
The Canadians kept on misfiring, either shooting wide or hitting the ball at goalkeeper Odelin Molina.
The Cubans have been plagued by an inability to score on the road, relying on home wins to move up the qualifying ladder after 0-0 draws away both to the Cayman Islands and Suriname. They only managed one goal, against Barbados, in the three trips from home prior to coming to Canada.
Canada, currently ranked No. 59 in the world by FIFA, will be in a CONCACAF semifinal round group - one of three - with Mexico (No. 8), Panama (119) and Trinidad and Tobago (No. 34).
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