Canadian striker Ali Gerba is on a goal-a-game pace for Canada at the Gold Cup. Not bad for a player who is still trying to shake off the rust.
Gerba will try to extend his goal-scoring streak on Friday when Canada looks to finish strong in group play with a win over Costa Rica.
(Update -- Canada, Costa Rica draw 2-2 in finale of group play)
"It is always great to score goals, especially for your country in big tournaments," Gerba told Sportsnet.ca on Thursday. "The goals have put us in a position to go through to the next round."
Canada opened the tournament with a 1-0 win over Jamaica, in which Gerba scored the only goal of the game. The storyline was duplicated against El Salvador in the second group game when Gerba again provided the only offence in keeping Stephan Hart's team undefeated. And then their spot in the quarter-finals was secured when Panama and Mexico played to a 1-1 draw Thursday night.
"(Stephan) allows the players to play their game," Gerba said of the team's confidence under Hart. "We have talent on the team and he lets us play."
Not much was expected of the Canadian team heading into the Gold Cup after a disappointing run of World Cup qualifiers led to the dismissal of Dale Mitchell as coach and the interim hiring of Hart. Since that move, Canada has won all four of its games under Hart and has many of the pundits retelling stories of how an underdog Canadian team won the tournament back in 2000.
"We are just happy to get the two victories and to be playing consistently," Canada manager Hart said. "Whether we are the surprise of the tournament or not that's other people's thoughts.
The form of Gerba also comes as a surprise as the striker has not played competitively since his former club Milton Keynes Dons (League One in England) announced they would not be offering Gerba a new contract for the 2009-10 season. The 27-year old has long been a target for Toronto FC director of soccer Mo Johnston, who made the move to acquire his rights from San Jose.
"I have not been playing a regular game for two months or so now, so it is good to play a full 90 minutes and contribute before I get back to league play with Toronto," Gerba said.
In Toronto on Thursday, coach Chris Cummins admitted he would like to have Gerba in his lineup this weekend in San Jose, but also knows the more games Canada wins at the Gold Cup means the more minutes Gerba gets under his belt.
"We wanted him to play as many games as possible so he is nice and fit and ready to go when he joins us," Cummins said of Gerba. "I watched the game the other night and he is a natural goal scorer who plays between the posts and he does what great goal scorers do, and that is put the ball in the back of the net."
The Reds have occupied the headlines alongside Canada during its Gold Cup run as fellow out-of-contract midfielder Julian De Guzman has also been linked with a move to Toronto this summer. De Guzman played professionally with Deportivo de La Coruna in Spain's top league last season but has yet to find a place to play for the upcoming year. While Gerba would love to see his friend and teammate join him at BMO Field this summer, he knows that De Guzman has the talent to continue his career wherever he chooses.
"Julian is a big man in Spain, he can play at that level," Gerba said. "He is also a good friend of mine on the team so we joke about him coming (to Toronto), but it is his decision, and if or when he decides to come play at home he will be welcomed."
