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2022 WC Qualifying

Dude

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Agree with Regs as well about Larin.

It's always the same with him.

Maybe time to bring in Cava.
Back to this....

Why not?

Cava is a pure striker (that's a True 9, for all you fancy talk nerds). His strengths are in finishing and being disruptive in the box. Drawing attention. He's not going to ghost anyone...in fact may piss off defenders just enough to distract them from the Wonder Twins. (On a side note, I find my strengths are also being disruptive in the box, but that's a different discussion). If you have him either paired w/ David, or have three forwards in Davies, Cava, and David, seems to me the attack is just as potent, and let's not overlook, Cava was statistically influential yesterday in drawing David's PK, Larin was not...except for the offside call. And, as we all know, @mtkb, stats matter. :D

Sure is fun waking up after a big Canada win where they advance. Was dreading the other scenario.
 

Canucks4Ever

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Back to this....

Why not?

Cava is a pure striker (that's a True 9, for all you fancy talk nerds). His strengths are in finishing and being disruptive in the box. Drawing attention. He's not going to ghost anyone...in fact may piss off defenders just enough to distract them from the Wonder Twins. (On a side note, I find my strengths are also being disruptive in the box, but that's a different discussion). If you have him either paired w/ David, or have three forwards in Davies, Cava, and David, seems to me the attack is just as potent, and let's not overlook, Cava was statistically influential yesterday in drawing David's PK, Larin was not...except for the offside call. And, as we all know, @mtkb, stats matter. :D

Sure is fun waking up after a big Canada win where they advance. Was dreading the other scenario.
Surely both Larin and Cavalini know that spot is up for grabs. With David absent in March they both started against Bermuda. Cava missed a handful of chances, including at least two sitters, and Larin bagged a hat trick. Larin started the rout of Cayman Islands and scored before being replaced by Cavalini who banged in a garbage time hat trick to take the score to 11-0.

Larin then went back to Turkey and clattered in the goals for Besiktas en route to a title. Cava went sputtering along with the Whitecaps. Now there's a whole thread here dedicated to the fact that his lack of club success hardly falls on Cava alone, but the point is it seems pretty clear that based on these parameters Larin had done enough to edge ahead of Cava for the starting roll in this window.

Again, with Herdman taking his "split squad" approach to these games, it seemed obvious that Cava would start against Aruba and Larin would get the Suriname game. Cava did his job against Aruba by potting a brace, but Larin came on late and banged one in himself.

All signs had pointed to this being a "new and improved" Larin after having plenty of domestic success and being in goal scoring form for Canada. Perhaps that why his performance against Suriname was all the more disappointing. He looked on the back foot all night, his link up play was non-existent and he created no chances of note for himself or others. Yes, Suriname were doing their best to be suffocating defensively, but Larin looked like a shadow of the player that his recent form has produced and much more like the sour disinterested player we have seen in the past. I'm certain he was interested as he was full value for the start in Canada's biggest game in over 8 years, but, for whatever reason, he just didn't have it on the night. Maybe it was the formation and deferring to David in those central areas, but Larin was more or less a ghost. Then, when he was rightly replaced, there looked to be flashes of the attitude problems we've seen from him in the past.
His frustration is perhaps somewhat understandable as, after being swarmed by Suriname all game to that point things were finally starting to open up with the visitors forced to chase the game, and you respect that players don't want to come out, but still, given his attitude in the past it was cause for a bit of concern.

Cavalini, on the other hand, looked like a man possessed when he came on; no doubt because he has realized that, at least in the immediate term, he is behind Larin in the pecking order. Cava put himself about and looked lively, chasing down loose balls and pressuring defenders. Again, as noted, Suriname no longer had the luxury of sitting in the way they did early on when Larin was on the field, but Cavalini's energy was still noticable. Credit to Cava for drawing the penalty, although he did miss another glorious chance of his own, but one could argue it was one more chance than Larin had during his time on the pitch.

So where does this leave them going forward? Was it just a bad day at the office for Larin, who has otherwise been more or less trumps for both club and country in recent months? In which case, perhaps the best thing to do is run him right back out there against Haiti. That said, Cava certainly looks motivated and maybe that energy is what could make the difference, especially in hostile territory down in Port-au-Prince. I'm sure both will get their minutes in the two matches but it will be interesting to see how they are used for sure.
 

machel

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Job done. If the "big 3" started that game, 20-nil isn't an outrageous thought :)

My MOTM: Tajon Buchanan
He came on for a few minutes and was fun to watch last night.

MAK is too good to play from the bench imo.

I've never been a huge fan but Piette played well last night. Usually prone to mistakes but was composed last night.

Cava for Larin but I understand why Larin is starting considering he killed it in Turkey this year. Form wise isn't even comparable really.

Defence is still shaky even in a clean sheet performance. I could see some holes where a better team would just eat them up.

Having said all of this, this is still one of the most exciting teams I've seen for us in a while!
 

Dude

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Surely both Larin and Cavalini know that spot is up for grabs. With David absent in March they both started against Bermuda. Cava missed a handful of chances, including at least two sitters, and Larin bagged a hat trick. Larin started the rout of Cayman Islands and scored before being replaced by Cavalini who banged in a garbage time hat trick to take the score to 11-0.

Larin then went back to Turkey and clattered in the goals for Besiktas en route to a title. Cava went sputtering along with the Whitecaps. Now there's a whole thread here dedicated to the fact that his lack of club success hardly falls on Cava alone, but the point is it seems pretty clear that based on these parameters Larin had done enough to edge ahead of Cava for the starting roll in this window.

Again, with Herdman taking his "split squad" approach to these games, it seemed obvious that Cava would start against Aruba and Larin would get the Suriname game. Cava did his job against Aruba by potting a brace, but Larin came on late and banged one in himself.

All signs had pointed to this being a "new and improved" Larin after having plenty of domestic success and being in goal scoring form for Canada. Perhaps that why his performance against Suriname was all the more disappointing. He looked on the back foot all night, his link up play was non-existent and he created no chances of note for himself or others. Yes, Suriname were doing their best to be suffocating defensively, but Larin looked like a shadow of the player that his recent form has produced and much more like the sour disinterested player we have seen in the past. I'm certain he was interested as he was full value for the start in Canada's biggest game in over 8 years, but, for whatever reason, he just didn't have it on the night. Maybe it was the formation and deferring to David in those central areas, but Larin was more or less a ghost. Then, when he was rightly replaced, there looked to be flashes of the attitude problems we've seen from him in the past.
His frustration is perhaps somewhat understandable as, after being swarmed by Suriname all game to that point things were finally starting to open up with the visitors forced to chase the game, and you respect that players don't want to come out, but still, given his attitude in the past it was cause for a bit of concern.

Cavalini, on the other hand, looked like a man possessed when he came on; no doubt because he has realized that, at least in the immediate term, he is behind Larin in the pecking order. Cava put himself about and looked lively, chasing down loose balls and pressuring defenders. Again, as noted, Suriname no longer had the luxury of sitting in the way they did early on when Larin was on the field, but Cavalini's energy was still noticable. Credit to Cava for drawing the penalty, although he did miss another glorious chance of his own, but one could argue it was one more chance than Larin had during his time on the pitch.

So where does this leave them going forward? Was it just a bad day at the office for Larin, who has otherwise been more or less trumps for both club and country in recent months? In which case, perhaps the best thing to do is run him right back out there against Haiti. That said, Cava certainly looks motivated and maybe that energy is what could make the difference, especially in hostile territory down in Port-au-Prince. I'm sure both will get their minutes in the two matches but it will be interesting to see how they are used for sure.

I'd definitely agree (and stated here, actually) that Larin deserved the nod. Just totally disappointed in what I saw. For a big lad with "all the tools", you need the guy in that spot disrupting the back-line, commanding attention. David is the guy that ghosts on defenders. He'll appear out of nowhere and kill you...so don't give teams a reason to key in on him, or Davies. Cava gets it...and I know this is very much flavor of the day kinda analysis, but that's what makes this fun.

As for finishing chances....Aruba and most of the other Beach Boy nations (save Jamaica) are mince; any one of our strikers should have and did pile it up. really didn't matter what point in the match, because the fate was inevitable. Surniam was a better squad, 100%.

For Haiti, I want the guy who's going to play his role, and do it well. No pouting, no reverting back to bad habits. Leave Larin on the bench, use him at a point where you may feel you need to change the look of the attack. This way he may (or may not, he is Larin) get the message that it's about country, not club.
 

Dude

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Forgot about that. I wonder what he's like in real life? Because, from my keyboard and couch, he sure looks pretty unlikeable.
 

Gurps

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Personally on the road in Haiti I feel like Cava is the one who should get the nod. He works hard and I think in a away game when you want to be more aggressive in a hostile crowd he is more suited to that.

I totally get why Larin started. I felt like he was a changed man for Canada.

I also do wonder how he would ha e done once the game opened up more.

Having said that use Cava when your down in Haiti and bring on Larin in the second leg.

I just think the pressure and aggressive play of Cava is bigger suited for the first leg.
 

Regs

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He fcuking makes things up and way to much of a homer.

Worse thing ever is a combination of not knowledgeable and homerism.

homer simpson GIF
 

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