Team BC were eliminated from medal contention in the men's soccer competition at the 2009 Canada Games after a 2-0 defeat to Ontario in the quarterfinals on Thursday evening.
Two goals by Justin Maheu secured Ontario's spot in the semifinals and a Friday match-up with arch-rivals Quebec. British Columbia fall into the consolation side of the competition following Thursday's defeat in Prince Edward Island.
In what was the most anticipated match of the quarterfinals, both Team BC and Ontario played some attractive soccer, with Ontario using their pace on the wings to attack their Western Canadian foes, while Bart Choufour's side used the strength of their central midfielders to create much of their forward play.
Maheu opened the scoring for Ontario on 34 minutes before doubling his province's lead with a powerful close-range header for the victory.
Though disappointed to lose Thursday's quarterfinal match, Choufour was impressed with the high quality of soccer on display from both teams. "It was a fantastic game, I thought both teams played well," said the Team BC head coach. "Both teams tried to play football, it was a joy to watch. There were some great attacking sequences in the match from both sides. Ontario’s second goal, in particular, was fantastic. They like to play down the wing, and we like to use our central midfield engine room. It was interesting to see how two teams adapted to each other. I cannot blame my players, they left everything on the field. They really played for each other."
Team BC will now aim to finish fifth in the men's soccer competition. To achieve that, they must defeat New Brunswick in Friday's classification match in order to reach the game for fifth and sixth place on Saturday.
