The Canadian Men's Soccer Team Thread

[Slava]

Originally Posted by cam_wmh

The refs are scared to call simulation. That's the root of this.

Well it’s double-edged. They give fouls/penalties when players go down, but not when they fight through. Players do these things because they work. It’s annoying, and overall detracts from the game, but that’s just my opinion.

[browna]

Originally Posted by Yoho

https://twitter.com/user/status/1460982085070450693

CSA best not to get too smug or cute with this stuff.

No matter where, Canada is coming back (flying over the US) from a 3rd world country after the game on Thursday, whereas the States is at home that Thursday.

Probably another reason Vancouver is out if the CSA is worries about stuff like that...the US can play in Seattle and be in Vancouver before Canada lands. But they can also be in Hamilton or Toronto or Montreal before Canada gets there too.

Play somewhere where the team has the best support and best conditions to beat the States.

And, if the CSA wants to throw curve balls, US Soccer will make sure that Canada in 2026 will get to host Canada group games and then Faroe Islands vs Paraguay, Malta vs Iceland et al as the other games to host.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by Slava

They give fouls/penalties when players go down, but not when they fight through.

The no card when Laryea got horse-collared is a great example of this.

[Yoho]

Originally Posted by browna

CSA best not to get too smug or cute with this stuff.

No matter where, Canada is coming back (flying over the US) from a 3rd world country after the game on Thursday, whereas the States is at home that Thursday.

Probably another reason Vancouver is out if the CSA is worries about stuff like that...the US can play in Seattle and be in Vancouver before Canada lands. But they can also be in Hamilton or Toronto or Montreal before Canada gets there too.

Play somewhere where the team has the best support and best conditions to beat the States.

And, if the CSA wants to throw curve balls, US Soccer will make sure that Canada in 2026 will get to host Canada group games and then Faroe Islands vs Paraguay, Malta vs Iceland et al as the other games to host.

If this playing coy is on purpose by Herdman I love it.
Use the size of Canada to advantage why gift the USA a 30 min commute to all venues.

Technically if the USA has to host a game on Jan.27th shouldn’t they be the ones who have to announce their venue intentions first?

Canada will get 10 games out of the 80 in 2026 just like Mexico with the US getting 60 it's in the agreement to host. FIFA will decide the games played where not USA soccer.


Edit :From the comments of the above tweet for clarification of timelines on when venues must be announced.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1461040849719070737

[GirlySports]

The world cup schedule comes out long before the teams are known. The Qatar schedule is already out.

Want soccer overload? 48 games in the first 12 days.
3am, 6am, 9am, 12pm

[PeteMoss]

Originally Posted by MegaErtz

You'll often see the team chasing gesticulating with the referee when the opposing players feign cramp late in matches. As with the referee last night, you'll see the official pointing at their watch and promising to add time on to make it up, but it seldom happens. Going down "injured" stops the other team's momentum, and Mexico had us on the ropes last night at the end. I couldn't believe they missed their big chance at equalizing and I'm still trying to figure out how it didn't go in.

You'll often see "smaller" teams do things like take their time putting the ball back in play whenever they have a throw-in, goal kick, corner, free kick, especially when the score line suits them. What is even more infuriating for the team that needs to score is when the smaller teams do things like dribble the ball into the corners to waste time, or take turns making small fouls when they turn the ball over to avoid getting yellow cards, while at the same time stopping play and allowing more players to get back in the space between the ball and their own goal. The amount of time wasted by doing these things always exceeds the amount of time a referee will add onto the end of the match, and that's why players do it.

Herdman has brought a proper mentality to the team where they aren't afraid to delve into the "dark arts" of football. All the best teams do it. Go back and watch Spain when they were winning everything from 2008-2012, they had players so good with the ball at their feet that they could effectively "kill" the game with twenty minutes to go just by maintaining possession in an opposition's corner.

Borjan impressed me the most of any player yesterday, although Adekugbe was the best player on the pitch by a mile. Borjan brought the experience and level-headedness which has been sorely lacking over the past couple of decades. When Mexico tried starting something at the end of the match, it looked to me like he was basically pushing the Canadian players very strongly in the chest to get them to back off and avoid any kind of suspension for future matches. You just can't buy that kind of experience.

If you're old enough to remember when clearing the puck over the glass didn't result in a penalty, you might be better able to comprehend what I'm getting at here. Is it within the laws of the game? Sure. Is it fair? No, but being fair and honest hasn't gotten the male team very far over the last thirty-five years, so most fans will take it if it means they're winning.

Smaller teams like Italy in Euro this year?

[Slava]

Originally Posted by SebC

The no card when Laryea got horse-collared is a great example of this.

That was exactly what was in my head at the time. Half the point of playing advantage is that they still get to have the chance, and the situation is revisited. I have no idea how that was given though, because it was so blatant.

[GirlySports]

8 weeks can't be right. Edmonton was announced really late, like 4 weeks when they played Panama.

[CroFlames]

Originally Posted by Slava

That was exactly what was in my head at the time. Half the point of playing advantage is that they still get to have the chance, and the situation is revisited. I have no idea how that was given though, because it was so blatant.

You can play the advantage, then circle back when the play dies and give the player a card.

This is Concacaf though.

[MillerTime GFG]

There is no doubt that play should have yielded a delayed yellow. I'm sure the Mexican player fouled him knowing it was going to be a yellow. Definite professional foul, as Laryea was gone otherwise.

[CroFlames]

Yep. In all honesty, it was the right play. Just like Chiellini absolutely mauling that poor Englishman was the right play.

But you pay the price with a yellow.

[Yoho]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1461117458690068487

[Locke]

That...is probably unwise.

That trick is rarely going to work twice and especially not against the Americans.

Primarily because they are far more used to adverse weather conditions and secondarily because you are not going to 'out-spite' America.

They're going to be wise to that trick, its just going to piss them off and they are rather adept at using that anger to their advantage.

What you want to do with the Americans is the exact opposite, dont antagonize them rather lull them into feeling secure and come out of the gates hard.

[Ozy_Flame]

I'd probably try and play on a warm/dry surface against the US, and let Davies work the right side. We will need to out-pace and out-run them; focus on tiring them out. Our boys seem to have deft control at long-passes and through-passes, so let's make them run. Also not let Davies try and be a dipsy-doodling hero, it cost him multiple times during his games in Edmonton.

3-4-3 sounds proper, with Adekugbe, Estaquio, Laryea and Buchanan manning the middle, Johnston, Miller and Davies on the backend, and get Larin/David up front taking switches and through-passes, with Ugbo swapping in depending on pace.

[PeteMoss]

Sounds like the decision is being made based on being easier on the players as there is a boatload of travel in the next sequence. Toronto/Hamilton save a couple of hours on a plane for the players playing in Europe and then probably a couple of hours total for the flights to Central America. 6 hours less travel for them could be a big deal.

[shermanator]

Yup, I think the decision has more to do with travel than anything else.

Assuming the roster is heavily built from those playing in Europe as Herdman has stated, players will have to go from Europe to Honduras to Canada back to El Salvador back to Europe in a 2 week span. That's a crazy amount of travel. If you can cut 8 hours of travel out that helps the players.

[Yoho]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1461421279576219669

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

I'd probably try and play on a warm/dry surface against the US, and let Davies work the right side. We will need to out-pace and out-run them; focus on tiring them out. Our boys seem to have deft control at long-passes and through-passes, so let's make them run. Also not let Davies try and be a dipsy-doodling hero, it cost him multiple times during his games in Edmonton.

3-4-3 sounds proper, with Adekugbe, Estaquio, Laryea and Buchanan manning the middle, Johnston, Miller and Davies on the backend, and get Larin/David up front taking switches and through-passes, with Ugbo swapping in depending on pace.

Davies as a centre back? Truly, bizarre.

[dino7c]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

this might be the craziest stat yet, with respect to their run

IDK its not like they are playing the same competition

[cam_wmh]

Originally Posted by dino7c

IDK its not like they are playing the same competition

You nailed it - Exactly this. From the original tweet, and to those who are endorsing it, they all fully believe that goals scored ranking, are a reflections of their Nation's FIFA ranking.

Not though, that a simple stat is bringing Canadian Mens soccer into the international conversation, & that they're no longer irrelevant.






Lol,