2022 WC Qualifying

[Regs]

I'm sorry @Gurps & @Dude but you are both wrong. And while I'm not the mayor of wrongville I want to see this team play. Fcuk what the other teams can do.

Let's see how they perform next month in the Gold Cup vs these teams and how they do in warm climates. My money is on them showing well. If not, well, Whitehorse Sports Complex it is

 

[mtkb]

That own goal... one blunder on a play is one thing... two on the same play? I dunno...

In any event, still doesn't hold a candle to "de Wilde's blunder"... what a tournament he had:

 

[Canucks4Ever]

Let's put the conspiracy theories to bed on the OG. The keeper was Haiti's second choice and not even confirmed to be playing until just hours before the match. Not the guy at the top of the bribe list...

The guy had a stormer in the first half, stopping David four times point blank and making other saves as well. I can't say I have any experience match fixing myself, but I have to think that the key is some level of subtlety. Scoring one of the worst OGs in the history of soccer doesn't really fit that description.

The GK, I believe, is left footed. The ball is rolled back to him from his left and he opts not to clear it long down field, it looks like he decides he want to switch it. However, he seems to take his eyes off the ball to scan the Canadian Press at the wrong moment and misses making a set up touch with his left foot, which allows the ball to roll between his legs.

It's far from imminent disaster at this point though, as the ball is rolling towards the line. There is no immediate pressure from Canada but now the forwards are charging. Any type of clearance will do but the GK opt to go for a big whack. The problem is that given the position of the ball and his body he has to go with his weekend right foot. Keepers aren't known for being great with their feet at the best of times and I think we all know that feeling of trying to play with your weaker foot, for most of us the muscle memory and mechanics are nowhere near as polished.

With adrenaline at maximum he tries to play it away with his right but get it all wrong. His plant foot clips the ball causing him to Charlie Brown his clearance and then it's all over. I wanted to celebrate because random sh*t like that has happened to Canada too many times to count, but the kid looked genuinely destroyed. Again, no chance it was intentional. Credit to him as well as he made a couple more stops before Larin finally salted things away.

 

[Canucks4Ever]

I'm sorry @Gurps & @Dude but you are both wrong. And while I'm not the mayor of wrongville I want to see this team play. Fcuk what the other teams can do.

Let's see how they perform next month in the Gold Cup vs these teams and how they do in warm climates. My money is on them showing well. If not, well, Whitehorse Sports Complex it is

They will play as many games at BMO as possible. As much as I am loathed to admit it, it is the best surface in the country. It is also close and convenient for European based players. It's why we played the US there when we beat them back in 2019.

The only thing that might change their thinking is the pandemic. The Sept. window is very early - pre-labour day. Presumably Canada will get to play in Canada, but that comes down to the feds and their border reopening plan. Yes they are letting Vegas come to Montreal to play the Habs this week, but that is one closed group of vaccinated athletes already living under strict protocols that can be isolated to their hotel and the rink. Hopefully by Sept. a group of soccer players coming from all different parts of the world who need to train together, play a game, travel to another country and then return home to play an entirely different group of athletes all within 10 days is something that can be accommodated.

Assuming the feds open the boarder enough to allow the games to be hosted in Canada, it is then on the Provinces re fans in the stands. It would be interesting to see if Ontario, who are still trying to get things under control, is in a position to have some type of attendance in Sept. The CFL is set to begin play the first week of August, but there are no games in Eastern Canada until Weeks 3&4. The idea obviously being that Western cities can likely have fans in the stands by early Aug. while out East it is much less certain.

Will be interesting to see what CSA decides if the choice is between an empty stadium in Toronto or fans somewhere else. Presumably it will be the same calculus for the Panama game in Oct.

As I said, the back to back home games in November, IMO, a screaming to be played in a cold weather setting. I would guess they end up at BMO in Toronto too, but this seems like a great time to play in Edmonton or Winnipeg, just saying.

January has to be at BC Place. It not a matter of just clearing the snow somewhere else. Those other fields are not equipped to host a game at this time of year.

If Canada is out of it by March I think you could see the spirit building move to host a game somewhere like Halifax, but if there's anything to play for it will surely be back to Toronto for this one.

As for the Gold Cup @Regs it will be interesting to see who is in the team. Most of the European heavy hitters will likely be given the rest of the summer off to get ready for their club seasons. Seems weird to think Canada is strong enough, deep enough, and has enough other legitimate priorities to send a "1A" team to the Gold Cup the way the States usually does. Looking forward to seeing some guys get their chances to earn a spot for the September window and beyond.

 

[Gurps]

Herdman revealed that he had his players practise penalties the night before the game, asking each to make three. That took a while for some, which led to the turf in the penalty box where Duverger had his misfortune getting cut up a bit.

"The goalkeeper coach came up and said 'Look, you're wrecking my six-yard box.' And we were, to be fair," Herdman said.

Hilarious!

 

[Dude]

Like I said, nothing quite like home field advantage.

 

[Dude]

I'm sorry @Gurps & @Dude but you are both wrong. And while I'm not the mayor of wrongville I want to see this team play. Fcuk what the other teams can do.

Let's see how they perform next month in the Gold Cup vs these teams and how they do in warm climates. My money is on them showing well. If not, well, Whitehorse Sports Complex it is

It's a great debate. I enjoy it.

I especially enjoy being right while you are wrong.

 

[mtkb]

Let's put the conspiracy theories to bed on the OG. The keeper was Haiti's second choice and not even confirmed to be playing until just hours before the match. Not the guy at the top of the bribe list...

The guy had a stormer in the first half, stopping David four times point blank and making other saves as well. I can't say I have any experience match fixing myself, but I have to think that the key is some level of subtlety. Scoring one of the worst OGs in the history of soccer doesn't really fit that description.

The GK, I believe, is left footed. The ball is rolled back to him from his left and he opts not to clear it long down field, it looks like he decides he want to switch it. However, he seems to take his eyes off the ball to scan the Canadian Press at the wrong moment and misses making a set up touch with his left foot, which allows the ball to roll between his legs.

It's far from imminent disaster at this point though, as the ball is rolling towards the line. There is no immediate pressure from Canada but now the forwards are charging. Any type of clearance will do but the GK opt to go for a big whack. The problem is that given the position of the ball and his body he has to go with his weekend right foot. Keepers aren't known for being great with their feet at the best of times and I think we all know that feeling of trying to play with your weaker foot, for most of us the muscle memory and mechanics are nowhere near as polished.

With adrenaline at maximum he tries to play it away with his right but get it all wrong. His plant foot clips the ball causing him to Charlie Brown his clearance and then it's all over. I wanted to celebrate because random sh*t like that has happened to Canada too many times to count, but the kid looked genuinely destroyed. Again, no chance it was intentional. Credit to him as well as he made a couple more stops before Larin finally salted things away.

Alright, I'm convinced. Ruin my fun...

 

[Dude]

I wanted to celebrate, too. I couldn't. It was cringe worthy uncomfortable. Even the players didn't celebrate. I didn't because I felt us popping in a couple was inevitable, but yeah, shite like that happens ALL THE TIME to us. My reaction was pretty muted. When Larin scored, I definitely celebrated.

 

[freddy]

Ouch. I had one of those in my career as a centerback clearing off the line with the worst wiff ever. It was actually a pretty funny game in a tragic way. We had just got back from our first and very triumphant trip to South America, Peru. We were feeling pretty good about our soccer prowess. It was our first game back against a team that we would normally handle with ease. Before we knew it, they had rattled the cross bar, post, Merks saved 2 break aways and then they knocked one in. I think mine was #2. They then cracked a third. Then, they dropped a ball over top and their guy ran onto it. Merks made his classic Cat maneuver and stuffed the guy. Seeing as the situation was dealt with, I turned back the other way. The next thing I know the other team are cheering. I'm like, wtf? I look back and the ball is in the back of the net. Apparently, Merks (who hadn't gone on the trip to Peru) had said, "Ya, you f'kin guys are so f'kin good. FukEwe" and then launched a driller into the top of the net.

 

[Dude]

Ouch. I had one of those in my career as a centerback clearing off the line with the worst wiff ever. It was actually a pretty funny game in a tragic way. We had just got back from our first and very triumphant trip to South America, Peru. We were feeling pretty good about our soccer prowess. It was our first game back against a team that we would normally handle with ease. Before we knew it, they had rattled the cross bar, post, Merks saved 2 break aways and then they knocked one in. I think mine was #2. They then cracked a third. Then, they dropped a ball over top and their guy ran onto it. Merks made his classic Cat maneuver and stuffed the guy. Seeing as the situation was dealt with, I turned back the other way. The next thing I know the other team are cheering. I'm like, wtf? I look back and the ball is in the back of the net. Apparently, Merks (who hadn't gone on the trip to Peru) had said, "Ya, you f'kin guys are so f'kin good. FukEwe" and then launched a driller into the top of the net.

Awesome.

Me, Pak Cup Semis, 2004. We are up 2-0 over Delta, 10 to go and cruising. The game was being played out at this point, they just could not generate anything, and we were getting chances.

Corner come up, me marking a man in the back corner of the 18, ball comes in, I beat him cleanly in the air to clear the ball, but I could not adjust my positioning to glance it along or go out, In fact, I headed it with so much power, Tim Wagner (who was the best keeper in the league that year, even better than Matt Clayton @ Delta, who never let's me forget this) did not even move his feet while the ball smashed into the supporting post at the back of the net. Calmly says, "Dude, I never had a chance!".

I wanted to peel up that field turf and crawl to Australia.

Worse, probably half the league was in the new stadium at MAP watching, and I could hear ever fcuking one of them chirp me.

Tense final 10' plus stoppage, tide shifts in their favor, we bunker, two more corners, 1st one Teddy Brennan shouts, clear as day for the whole city to hear, "Dude, THAT way this time!"

We won in regular time, but fcuk me.

 

[Gurps]

Jeez that must have been a long ten minutes!

Your heart races the whole time and you can feel the momentum turn. What a horrible feeling!

 

[Dude]

I wanted to evaporate.

 

[mtkb]

I wanted to evaporate.

Look on the bright side - now you'd be happy just to drop ten or twenty... you've evolved....

 

[Gurps]

Do you guys think Canada should welcome back Scott Arfield for the next round? Assuming he wants to come back?

Some say he was just burnt out others say he didnt want to play the minnow games.....

Not sure what the truth is.

 

[Regs]

Do you guys think Canada should welcome back Scott Arfield for the next round? Assuming he wants to come back?

Some say he was just burnt out others say he didnt want to play the minnow games.....

Not sure what the truth is.

I was thinking about that the other day... with how the squad is coming together, who would you sit in the middle of the park if he was brought back in? Even Atiba at this point of his career, is it worth it? For me, I would bring back Atiba for a single home game to give him a proper "send off" game.

Thoughts?

 

[Rangerforever]

Of course.

 

[dezza]

If Atiba and Arfield take the place of Piette and Osorio then yes 100% sign me up for that.

However, Eustaqio and Kaye need to stay as starters. Don't fcuk with that part of the lineup.

 

[Dude]

Do you guys think Canada should welcome back Scott Arfield for the next round? Assuming he wants to come back?

Some say he was just burnt out others say he didnt want to play the minnow games.....

Not sure what the truth is.

Herdman knows the truth.

Burnt out? I can forgive. But passing because of minnows? I dunno. Atiba only passed because he was injured, but even he would have played...and Arfiled is no Atiba. Alphonzo played, Davis, Larin...so....

I'll just say I'll trust Herdman's judgement here, he's proven pretty good at the Ted Talk / Personnel management side.

 

[Dude]

I was thinking about that the other day... with how the squad is coming together, who would you sit in the middle of the park if he was brought back in? Even Atiba at this point of his career, is it worth it? For me, I would bring back Atiba for a single home game to give him a proper "send off" game.

Thoughts?

As good as MAK was, are you kidding? Yeah, he sits if it's in the middle where you want Atiba....but honestly I'd sit out Vitoria if keeping MAK in the 11 is deemed critical. The role Vitoria was playing, Atiba could play that better, and add more in terms of leadership, quality, and big game mentality. I'd ride out Atiba in the critical games. Where we see an opportunity to steal a point or all three, so USA matches, CR, Jamaica, and maybe Mexico when they are playing here.

Arfield….coming off the bench if all others are healthy.