TORONTO — Gambia scored the first-half goal last night that it should have scored on Monday.
The difference is that the opponent on Monday was Mexico, one of the favourites of the FIFA under-20 World Cup. Last night, the opponent was New Zealand, which has yet to score a goal in two games.
While Mexico went on to score three second-half goals against Gambia on Monday, the first-half goal last night was enough for a 1-0 victory for Gambia before a crowd of 11,869 at BMO Field. It was first game of the evening, preceding the more anticipated Group C match between Mexico and Portugal.
Gambia's goal was scored by forward Ousman Jallow in the 22nd minute, about six minutes after he hit the left post with a shot. It was a deserved lead on the run of play at that point.
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Gambia had hoped to score a couple more goals but didn't. When New Zealand showed more inspiration in the second half, Gambia head coach Peter Bonu Johnson figured it was time to concentrate more on defence to make sure of the three points that goes with the victory.
"In that we wanted to collect three points we were very cautious so that we would not be caught by surprise at the back," Johnson said. "We were trying to get some more goals but realizing it could not come we had to reinforce our defence and make sure we play safe to at least go home with three points."
On Monday, who knows that might have happened if Gambia had scored in the first half against Mexico.
Gambia had a chance to do some serious damage in that first half but didn't — and wound up losing 3-0, a flattering line for Mexico.
Mexico's goalkeeper Alfonso Blanco and a lack of focus around its own goal combined to foil Gambia against the Mexicans.
Gambia still had trouble closing the deal against New Zealand despite having a big advantage in the first half.
New Zealand, to its credit, stayed in the game as it did against Portugal in its previous game, which had a big advantage in skill level, and kept the score at 2-0. And again last night New Zealand came close to scoring in the second half, as it did against Portugal, but lacked the finish. New Zealand coach Stu Jacobs talked to his team during the half-time interval.
"I thought they were well off the pace in the first half," Jacobs said. "We had some words at halftime and I thought they came out gave all they gave all they could give."
Despite its flash, Gambia is a little more erratic than a team like Portugal and so in the 75th minute New Zealand was still in the game and had a big chance to equalize when Jeremy Brockie took a pass in the clear and broke in alone on goalkeeper Joseph Gomez. They went sprawling after a collision and the ball skipped harmlessly wide.
Brockie missed a late chance to make Monday's game against Portugal closer.
Greg Draper's header in the 80th minute was tipped over the bar by Gomez.
About three minutes after the goal, New Zealand made a substitution with forward Draper replacing midfielder Cole Peverley, who had picked up a yellow card in the seventh minute.
In New Zealand's 2-0 loss to Portugal, one of the goals came on a penalty that the losers considered questionable.
Gambia controlled the ball 54 per cent of the time in the first half but in the first 15 minutes it was closer to 65 per cent. Gambia outshot New Zealand 8-1 in the first half.
It was different in the second as New Zealand had the advantage in possession and was even with Gambia on shots on goal, 4-4. New Zealand goalkeeper Jacob Spoonley was busy and kept his team close in the 40th minute when he tipped one over the bar on an attempt by Tijan Jaiteh.
New Zealand did a have a couple of chances around the goal in the first half, most notably Dan Keat whose shot missed to the right of the goal in the 32nd minute.
New Zealand's Nick Roydhouse picked up his team's second yellow card of the match in the 56th minute. Seven minutes later, Brockie picked up New Zealand's third yellow card. Phil Edginton picked up New Zealand's fourth yellow in the 85th minute.
Jallow had a yellow card for Gambia.
