Canada coach slates Gold Cup referee selection

CHICAGO, June 22 (Reuters) Canada coach Stephen Hart slammed the selection of a Mexican referee to officiate Gold Cup semi-final defeat to the United States after his team had a stoppage time equaliser disallowed.

Two goals down at halftime, Canada got one back in the 76th minute, and four minutes into injury time Atiba Hutchinson found the net only for Benito Archundia to rule it out for offside, yesterday.

The Canadians claimed the ball had deflected off the head of American defender Oguchi Onyewu and television replays supported that view.

Hart said the choice of Archundia was inappropriate given Mexico were playing Guadeloupe in the other semi-final of the tournament for nations of North and Central America and the Caribbean.

''I think it's the only confederation in the world that will do that,'' he told reporters.

American coach Bob Bradley refused to be drawn into the controversy even though his son Michael was dismissed in the 89th minute and will miss Sunday's final against Mexico.

CENTURY Bradley said his team needed to be better at killing off matches in the last quarter and paid tribute to goalkeeper Kasey Keller, who won his 100th international cap during the match.

''I thought he played well,'' Bradley said of the 37-year-old.

It's particularly special that it's his 100th cap. It's an unbelievable achievement.'' Pavel Pardo's fine strike was the only goal in the other semi-final and the Mexican conceded that the Americans would offer a much tougher proposition in the final.

''In life you get opportunities,'' he said. ''The last year has been tough and we've been unable to beat the US in US territory. But like I said, in life you get opportunities.'' An overseas department of France and not a member of world governing body FIFA, Guadeloupe were playing in their first Gold Cup.

''We feel proud,'' their coach Roger Salnot said. ''We came into this competition with no pressure on our backs. We came to play good football and to let people know that Guadeloupe are a good football team.'' REUTERS BJR PM1247