Canada 6-1 Guatemala: 2010 Senior World Cup Qualification

Canada avoids another upset by coming back to win easily and set up a do-or-die clash with Wales.
Canada wasted no time looking for the first goal, but were unable to get it. With eight minutes gone, Guatemala finally got the ball in attack and made it count: Jamie Lawson shocking the Canadians with a low long-range effort that Angel Vang should have done better with. Though Canada were completely dominating, Guatemala started becoming more confident and had a couple of chances of their own, though not enough to really trouble the Canadian net. It was in the 33rd minute that Canada finally got the equaliser, when Perry Ferreira's great pass found a wide open Carlos Eldridge in the penalty area, who easily slotted home past Sebastian Venables, who was having an impressive game, to make it 1-1. Ferreira could have given us the lead before half-time, but his 1-on-1 effort was saved by Venables, and Canada, again, were heading into half-time without the lead against a weak team.
Incredibly, the Central Americans should have taken the lead again when Paschal Burnham gave the ball away to Lawson, whose breakaway effort was thwarted by Vang. Finally, in the 58th minute, Shad Marcus set up Eldridge, whose shot went in off the far post, giving Canada the lead. The floodgates had opened for Canada and for Carlos: Leslie Love set up the striker for his third, with Eldridge finishing from close-range, and his fourth was from a very tight angle which somehow went past Venables and in. He came close to his fifth when he hit the post, and the ball careened off the goalkeeper and out for a corner, but Ferreira was still struggling, as he was unable to get on the score sheet. He was dreadfully unlucky to hit the post himself, but finally notched up a goal of his own when tapping in from close range after Venables had failed to hold Eldridge's effort. As icing on the cake, Marcus scored the sixth from 25 yards out to make the final score Canada 6 Guatemala 1.
The opening half gave us a real scare, but by the end of it, we were playing the kind of football we saw at the Confederations Cup; and it will take some of that to get Canada past Wales in the next game.
Canada went with the same tactic as the one against Andorra (4-1-3-2), and it just about did the trick, although I, personally, am not crazy about it, as I don't think it's seen our team play well. Guatemala had a similar tactic, although it was much more of a 4-1-2-3, with the centre striker playing slightly behind the other two.
Clearly Carlos Eldridge was the man of the match here, while Marcus and Love continued their good form. Still, the likes of Burnham and Shepard haven't much impressed me in the last couple of games, and Ferreira needs to get his game back if we're to make it through to the World Cup.
The game against Wales is as straight-forward as it can be. If we win, we'll be in the World Cup. If we don't win, we won't be in the World Cup. No exceptions, no questions asked. All we need is the three points against Wales and we'll be through, but, make no mistakes, it will be a very tough game against a Welsh side that is - and always has been - capable of pulling off upsets, as was shown against Turkey a couple of weeks ago when they won 2-1. No doubt what will happen this Saturday will be an important game in the Canadian NT's history.
Carlos Eldridge received the only booking of the game.