A goal by Houston Dynamo defender Andre Hainault was the difference on Tuesday as Canada won their first match of the year, 1-0, over Belarus. The match was a closed-door friendly played in Antalya, Turkey, and pitted the Canucks against the 37th-ranked Belarussians.
Canada were the more aggressive side in the opening half and went into the halftime break up 4-0 on corner kicks and outshooting the Belarussians 4-2. Yet the Canucks had nothing to show for it on the scoreboard, and the first 45 minutes ended scoreless.
The second half started more evenly, with a couple of Belarus substitutions bringing a bit of fire to the match. The Canadians were up to the task, however, and in the 58th minute they finally broke the deadlock. After winning a free kick, Canada forced the Belarussians to push the ball out for a corner. On the ensuing restart, Hainault met the cross to put the Canadians ahead.
The goal was Hainault's second for his country in 18 appearances, with Tuesday's match his first call-up since May 2010. Hainault's other goal came on October 11, 2008, in a 3-1 World Cup qualifying loss at Honduras.
Hainault's strike seemed to galvanize Belarus, which pressed hard for an equalizer, but Canada soaked up the pressure and secured the victory. Real Salt Lake's Will Johnson also started in Stephen Hart's lineup.
The match was Canada’s third straight against European opposition, following a 2-2 draw at Ukraine last fall and a 1-0 loss to Greece in February. The Canadians do not have another match scheduled until the CONCACAF Gold Cup kicks off June 7, although a friendly against an unknown opponent at Toronto’s BMO Field is rumored for June 1.
