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Canadian teens off to CONCACAF final

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Luca Gasparotto
Canada got an early goal, and then held on. Check that. Held on desperately in a 1-0 win over Panama in the first of two semifinals at the U-17 CONCACAF Championship in Montego Bay, Jamaica. Canada, which had already qualified for the U-17 World Cup in Mexico by making it to the semifinals of the competition, faces the winner of the United States-Jamaica semifinal, being staged later Friday. Canada started off as it did in the quarter-final win over Trinidad and Tobago; the Canadians came out hungry to score, and hit paydirt when central defender Luca Gasparotto out-leaped a group of Panamanians off a corner kick and headed home what would be the game’s only goal. Halfway through the second half, Canada should have made it 2-0; reigning U-17 played of the year Bryce Alderson made an audacious chip pass into the Panamanian penalty area. The ball looped over the defenders and onto the foot of striker Keven Aleman, who tried to nudge the ball past Panamanian keeper Ivan Picart. But Picart got a hand to it and sent it wide. Panama roared back in the second half — and Canada can thank keeper Maxime Crepeau and, well, Lady Luck, for keeping it on top. In the 55th minute, a rocket of a shot from Panamanian midfielder Roberto Chen struck the woodwork. Later in the half, a bouncing, left-footed free kick from Panama’s Omar Browne thumped off the right post. Chen had a chance to tie it with just minutes left in the match; after a scramble in the box, the ball fell to Chen’s feet, who only had Crepeau to beat. But he sent his hurried shot right at the Canadian keeper. Canada will need to be better if it wants to win the championship.

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