Canada is hoping for one more dramatic twist at an already surprising CONCACAF men's Olympic soccer qualifying tournament.
After a shock 2-0 win against the U.S. and a disappointing 1-1 draw with Cuba in group play, the Canadian under-23 team will need a monumental performance against Mexico in Saturday's semifinal to advance to the London Games.
And the team needs to look no further than its captain for inspiration.
Nana Attakora is a player who has experienced success against Saturday's opponent, having led the Canadian U-20 team that defeated Mexico in 2009.
"They're humans just like us," Attakora said from Kansas City. "They'll make mistakes and we can't look at them like they can't be beat. Anyone can be beat. Everyone thought the U.S. would finish first in this tournament and they're out now."
Canada wasn't expected to make it out of the group stage, let alone be one win away from London.
"It was a tough group -- El Salvador, great team. U.S. obviously has a ton of great young players," Attakora said. "Getting out of the group has been an accomplishment. I think if we work hard we've proven that anything can happen."
The 22-year-old defender sat helplessly on the bench Monday as the Cubans snatched a late equalizer on a set piece to deny the Canadians a chance at top spot in their group.
The goal meant El Salvador, which produced a surprising 3-3 tie against the favoured U.S. later Monday to win the group and eliminate the Americans, will take on Honduras in one of Saturday's semifinals.
Attakora, who sat out against Cuba to avoid picking up a second yellow card and a subsequent suspension, said there was clearly confusion on the tying goal.
"It's something that happens, especially that late in the game," Attakora said. "You're hanging on, you don't want to give away a goal and things just don't go right.
"It obviously wasn't our best game. I don't think anybody was happy with the performance, but we've put it in the past and are looking forward to the game against (Mexico) on the weekend."
Attakora's performance in leading a young Canadian team that includes two 17-year-olds through a difficult group will surely turn some heads for a player who is currently without a professional team.
"It's great to see so many young players," he said. "It's only going to help Canada in the future. I think all the young players getting this experience now is going to help the country in qualifying for World Cups in a couple years."
Attakora had a bright start to his professional career at Toronto FC but fell out of favour because of a contract dispute last season before being dealt the San Jose Earthquakes.
The Toronto native, who made just six appearances with San Jose in 2011 and has been without a club ever since, recently trained with Hibernia of the Scottish Premier League.
Despite his personal uncertainty, Attakora wants to focus only on the task at hand -- getting to London.
"A tournament like this is good for anybody to show (what they can do), not just myself," he said. "But my main focus is coming here and doing well for the team. My club situation will take care of itself in due time. It's the least of my worries and right now I'm focused on helping the team as much as I can."
TSN.CA
After a shock 2-0 win against the U.S. and a disappointing 1-1 draw with Cuba in group play, the Canadian under-23 team will need a monumental performance against Mexico in Saturday's semifinal to advance to the London Games.
And the team needs to look no further than its captain for inspiration.
Nana Attakora is a player who has experienced success against Saturday's opponent, having led the Canadian U-20 team that defeated Mexico in 2009.
"They're humans just like us," Attakora said from Kansas City. "They'll make mistakes and we can't look at them like they can't be beat. Anyone can be beat. Everyone thought the U.S. would finish first in this tournament and they're out now."
Canada wasn't expected to make it out of the group stage, let alone be one win away from London.
"It was a tough group -- El Salvador, great team. U.S. obviously has a ton of great young players," Attakora said. "Getting out of the group has been an accomplishment. I think if we work hard we've proven that anything can happen."
The 22-year-old defender sat helplessly on the bench Monday as the Cubans snatched a late equalizer on a set piece to deny the Canadians a chance at top spot in their group.
The goal meant El Salvador, which produced a surprising 3-3 tie against the favoured U.S. later Monday to win the group and eliminate the Americans, will take on Honduras in one of Saturday's semifinals.
Attakora, who sat out against Cuba to avoid picking up a second yellow card and a subsequent suspension, said there was clearly confusion on the tying goal.
"It's something that happens, especially that late in the game," Attakora said. "You're hanging on, you don't want to give away a goal and things just don't go right.
"It obviously wasn't our best game. I don't think anybody was happy with the performance, but we've put it in the past and are looking forward to the game against (Mexico) on the weekend."
Attakora's performance in leading a young Canadian team that includes two 17-year-olds through a difficult group will surely turn some heads for a player who is currently without a professional team.
"It's great to see so many young players," he said. "It's only going to help Canada in the future. I think all the young players getting this experience now is going to help the country in qualifying for World Cups in a couple years."
Attakora had a bright start to his professional career at Toronto FC but fell out of favour because of a contract dispute last season before being dealt the San Jose Earthquakes.
The Toronto native, who made just six appearances with San Jose in 2011 and has been without a club ever since, recently trained with Hibernia of the Scottish Premier League.
Despite his personal uncertainty, Attakora wants to focus only on the task at hand -- getting to London.
"A tournament like this is good for anybody to show (what they can do), not just myself," he said. "But my main focus is coming here and doing well for the team. My club situation will take care of itself in due time. It's the least of my worries and right now I'm focused on helping the team as much as I can."
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