GUATEMALA CITY -- Lucas Cavallini and Derrick Bassi scored five minutes apart early in the second half to rally Canada to a 2-1 victory over Guadeloupe on Monday in the opening game of the CONCACAF Under-20 Championship.
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Cavallini's equalizer in the 53rd and Bassi's winner in the 58th - both off feeds from Russell Teibert -- rescued the two-time champion from a shocking upset against a team making only its second appearance in the CONCACAF finals and still seeking its first win.
Canada, seeking a ninth trip to the U-20 World Cup and its first CONCACAF title since 1996, had the better of play and chances, but were susceptible to defensive lapses and fell behind in the 26th minute.
Guadeloupe had only one shot in the first 20 minutes, but finally looked dangerous in the 23rd when Vladimir Pascal worked free on the left and sent a cross through the six-yard box.
Three minutes later Jean March Hatchi also found space on the left, turned inside Canada captain Ethan Gage and sent a rolling ball just outside the arc. Christophe Houelche ran onto the ball and struck it first time, sending it into the top right corner past Canada keeper Julien Latendresse-Levesque.
Video replays from behind the goal show the ball deflecting off the left hand of Pascal, who was standing inside the penalty area.
The goal appeared to lift Guadeloupe, which quickly generated another shot by Pascal in the 28th, that Bassi had to make a sliding tackle to partially block and knock wide.
Canada regained control at the start of the second half and equalized when Teibert outdueled Guadeloupe's Kevin Sainte-Luce for the ball near the byline at the corner of the penalty area, turned inside and crossed into the area. Cavallini was able to spin and volley the ball, bouncing it once from eight meters past Guadeloupe keeper Kevin Anselme.
The Canadians then went ahead when Teibert bent his free kick from the left side to the back post, where Bassi outleapt the defense and headed it back across goal and inside the left upright.
The loss was the third in as many games for Guadeloupe in the CONCACAF finals and the second to Canada, which won 4-2 in their only other meeting 1992.
Group C will resume Wednesday with Guadeloupe facing defending champion Costa Rica, which has qualified for the past two World Cups and finished fourth in 2009.
Canada will play its group finale on Friday against Costa Rica.
