Canucks4Ever
Well-Known Member
After our loss to the US we are now 15 FIFA points behind El Salvador and, therefore, out of the Hex as it stands.
We will have the two remaining FIFA windows in March and June to try and make up those points, but it will be difficult with points in friendlies not worth as much as points in an official confederation tournament (ie the Nations League). We also need to find countries that are 1) willing to play us, 2) ranked high enough in the FIFA table that a win helps us earn a decent number of points and 3) beatable.
Presumably this is all being frantically scheduled behind the scenes by CSA (one name I heard was Bolivia) but it is no doubt a challenge. These countries also need to have something worth playing for, plus there is the issue of where to host the games with European players having to travel etc.
All in all not an easy task. One that must be done, however, before we resign ourselves to the desperate, last gasp, single elimination, backdoor qualification chance CONCACAF has developed.
One idea though, what about a January camp with MLS and CPL players the way the US holds? Matches outside official FIFA windows are worth even less than regular friendlies, but El Salvador would not be playing so even if we only gain 3 or 4 points it still closes the gap. Of course the flip side being that if we lose we fall further back.
So the question is do we have enough talent in the MLS/CPL ranks to beat a minnow or two in January and try and grab a few precious points?
Players presumably available:
GK - Crepeau
GK - Carducci
DF - Breault-Guillard
DF - Cornelius
DF - Laryea
DF - K Millar
DF - Morgan
MF - Piette
MF - Osorio
MF - L Fraser
MF - Tiebert
MF - Johnson
MF - Kaye
ST - Jackson Hamel
ST - Tabla
ST - Ricketts
ST - Akindele
Plus probably some other younger academy kids or Can PL players (maybe that Borges kid who won MVP in Can PL?)
Good idea? Bad idea? Thoughts?
We will have the two remaining FIFA windows in March and June to try and make up those points, but it will be difficult with points in friendlies not worth as much as points in an official confederation tournament (ie the Nations League). We also need to find countries that are 1) willing to play us, 2) ranked high enough in the FIFA table that a win helps us earn a decent number of points and 3) beatable.
Presumably this is all being frantically scheduled behind the scenes by CSA (one name I heard was Bolivia) but it is no doubt a challenge. These countries also need to have something worth playing for, plus there is the issue of where to host the games with European players having to travel etc.
All in all not an easy task. One that must be done, however, before we resign ourselves to the desperate, last gasp, single elimination, backdoor qualification chance CONCACAF has developed.
One idea though, what about a January camp with MLS and CPL players the way the US holds? Matches outside official FIFA windows are worth even less than regular friendlies, but El Salvador would not be playing so even if we only gain 3 or 4 points it still closes the gap. Of course the flip side being that if we lose we fall further back.
So the question is do we have enough talent in the MLS/CPL ranks to beat a minnow or two in January and try and grab a few precious points?
Players presumably available:
GK - Crepeau
GK - Carducci
DF - Breault-Guillard
DF - Cornelius
DF - Laryea
DF - K Millar
DF - Morgan
MF - Piette
MF - Osorio
MF - L Fraser
MF - Tiebert
MF - Johnson
MF - Kaye
ST - Jackson Hamel
ST - Tabla
ST - Ricketts
ST - Akindele
Plus probably some other younger academy kids or Can PL players (maybe that Borges kid who won MVP in Can PL?)
Good idea? Bad idea? Thoughts?