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MIAMI — Canada ended up the victim of its own soccer stunner Saturday night.
Jocelyn Angloma and David Fleurival scored first-half goals to lead to a 2-1 win over the Canadians in a CONCACAF Gold Cup group match.
Three nights after upsetting 2006 World Cup participant Costa Rica, Canada looked sluggish and disorganized against a Guadeloupe team making its Gold Cup debut this year.
Canadian head coach Stephen Hart said he wasn't surprised at the outcome of the match, played before an estimated 25,000 fans at the Orange Bowl.
Guadeloupe goalkeeper Franck Grandel makes a diving save against Canada in the first half of their Gold Cup game in Miami on Saturday. Canada lost 2-1 and now needs to beat Haiti on Monday to assure itself a berth in the next round. (Marc Serota/Getty Images)
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"When I watched Guadeloupe play Haiti (to a 1-1 tie) I thought Guadeloupe was the better team," said Hart. "I was always concerned with Guadeloupe."
And with good reason, as it turned out. Jocelyn Angloma opened the scoring by lobbing a shot from 35 yards out, placing the ball perfectly over goalkeeper Greg Sutton's right side.
Angloma said it is a goal he will remember for a long time.
"A long ball was played up front," Angloma said, describing his goal. "I anticipated the goalie coming in. I tried to lob him ... It was a beautiful goal.
"I haven't scored many goals in my career. But that is one that will stay in my memories."
Ali Gerba responded for Canada in the 34th minute, taking a pass from midfielder Patrice Bernier and batting the ball down with his chest. On a bounce, he blasted a shot to the right of Guadeloupe keeper Franck Grandel, who deflected the ball but could not stop it.
Guadeloupe scored the winning goal three minutes later on a low, hard shot by defender David Fleurival, who connected from 30 yards out. The ball curved toward the left corner, where it slipped past a diving Sutton.
"Both goals were definitely preventable," Hart said. "On the first goal, (Sutton) got caught coming in. And on the second goal, we allowed him to come right down and shoot."
Canada missed several chances to tie the score again, especially in a dominant second half. Dwayne DeRosario blasted a shot off the right post in the 16th minute. Julian De Guzman, who scored two goals in Wednesday's game, missed to the left of the net in the 50th minute.
Paul Stalteri missed perhaps the best opportunity when he headed a ball over the crossbar from point-blank range.
The last good chance came in the 81st minute, when DeRosario made a great run and penetrated the box just to the left of the goal. His pass back to Stalteri in front of the goal was not handled cleanly.
In other Gold Cup games Saturday, Guatemala blanked El Salvador 1-0, Haiti drew 1-1 with Costa Rica and the U.S. got past Trinidad and Tobago 2-0.
Canada (1-1-0) has three points and can still advance with a win or possibly even a tie in Monday night's game against Haiti. The top two teams in each of the three groups advance, while the two third-place teams with the most points also move on.
