The Canadian Men's Soccer Team Thread

[Ozy_Flame]

Sometimes you want the bigger guys in your Group. If they haven't played you before, and they seem your team lower ranked, they may start their 'B' team to give their starters a break for a more difficult opponent. That's when you strike, and leave them disoriented and caught off guard.

It's the lower ranked teams who are going to be playing with spirit and determination. I don't think Ghana, Saudi Arabia, Ecuador and Cameroon would be pushovers. They would be equally challenging for us if Canada made it into pot 3. Heck, Costa Rica has caused problems for us too; there's a good chance they're getting in (will probably wax the floor with New Zealand).

Pot 3 has some really interesting matchups for us. I think we can compete in that Pot no problem. Our FIFA ranking is somewhere in that bucket anyways.

And for the record, we've beaten two teams already in Pot 2. It's possible.

[CroFlames]

I've run the simulator a bunch of times, and this was the most favorable group we got:

Qatar
Switzerland
Serbia
Canada

Still not easy.

EDIT:

Then I ran it again and got this, lol. Could be some fireworks:

Qatar
Croatia
Serbia
Cameroon

[Enoch Root]

Sucks that we didn't get the win and get into Pot 3. I agree with the tweet that Herdman played it wrong. Oh well, is what it is.

It would still be better to be in Group A with Qatar, as the 4th seed, than to be in any other group as the 3rd seed. So let's hope we get lucky.

I mean, hell, we deserve it. We beat the US and Mexico, and qualified ahead of both of them, and they both get Pot 2 and we get Pot 4. Show us some justice, Footy Gods, show us some justice!

[Sidney Crosby's Hat]

Originally Posted by Ozy_Flame

Sometimes you want the bigger guys in your Group. If they haven't played you before, and they seem your team lower ranked, they may start their 'B' team to give their starters a break for a more difficult opponent. That's when you strike, and leave them disoriented and caught off guard.

It's the lower ranked teams who are going to be playing with spirit and determination. I don't think Ghana, Saudi Arabia, Ecuador and Cameroon would be pushovers. They would be equally challenging for us if Canada made it into pot 3. Heck, Costa Rica has caused problems for us too; there's a good chance they're getting in (will probably wax the floor with New Zealand).

Pot 3 has some really interesting matchups for us. I think we can compete in that Pot no problem. Our FIFA ranking is somewhere in that bucket anyways.

And for the record, we've beaten two teams already in Pot 2. It's possible.

This is true. Italy's not in the World Cup but they're a team I'd want to be in the same group with as they seem to always lose to those types of teams (Costa Rica, New Zealand, North Macedonia, etc.).

[SuperMatt18]

If Italy had made the World Cup, and been drawn into the same group as Canada, I have no doubt Italy draws or loses that game.

The pace of Davies and others on the wing would have been a poor match up for the Italian team (unless Spinazzola was back healthy)

Italy would likely control the midfield, but I think Canada could have done a lot of damage on the counter.

Plus that is the type of trap game that Italy always seems to struggle with at the World Cup.

[Icon]

Anyone know if they're using the same kit for the World Cup as they wore through the qualifications, or if it'll be a new one?

It's literally impossible to find mens Canada jerseys anywhere online. I think I found 1 site that was selling the white ones. (Nevermind the fact they're $200 blank, or $240 with a name&number, yeesh)

Wondering if part of the lack of supply is that they're waiting to release new ones?

[Muta]

Screw it, let's do Brazil / Germany / Poland / Canada. Let's be goddamn heroes here.

[shermanator]

Originally Posted by Icon

Anyone know if they're using the same kit for the World Cup as they wore through the qualifications, or if it'll be a new one?

It's literally impossible to find mens Canada jerseys anywhere online. I think I found 1 site that was selling the white ones. (Nevermind the fact they're $200 blank, or $240 with a name&number, yeesh)

Wondering if part of the lack of supply is that they're waiting to release new ones?

Apparently they will be using the same one. Wish the CSA stayed with Umbro, found them far superior to Nike...

https://twitter.com/user/status/1508862271333847041

[TheIronMaiden]

What is the measure of success for Canada? Winning a game?

[Icon]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

What is the measure of success for Canada? Winning a game?

[Yoho]

Originally Posted by SuperMatt18

If Italy had made the World Cup, and been drawn into the same group as Canada, I have no doubt Italy draws or loses that game.

The pace of Davies and others on the wing would have been a poor match up for the Italian team (unless Spinazzola was back healthy)

Italy would likely control the midfield, but I think Canada could have done a lot of damage on the counter.

Plus that is the type of trap game that Italy always seems to struggle with at the World Cup.

I wouldn’t say Canada would beat Italy with any certainty.
They just lost to Costa Rica and Panama in the last week.

[MillerTime GFG]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

What is the measure of success for Canada? Winning a game?

I think that depends completely on the group they're in.

[SuperMatt18]

Originally Posted by Yoho

I wouldn’t say Canada would beat Italy with any certainty.
They just lost to Costa Rica and Panama in the last week.

That was less about Canada being a better team than Italy as a whole...I don't think that's true, and Italy probably does win 9 times out of 10.

Just have a feeling that 1/10 Canada would win would be a World Cup group stage game lol.

Italy always seeming to struggle in at least one group game at the World Cup, generally against a smaller team. And I think Canada's main strength (pace & physical play on the wings) being a weakness for Italy over this last round of qualifying games (Really going back to Spinnazola being injured).

[GirlySports]

Basically I want to avoid two European teams in the group.

One European, One South American (in any order) and One African from Pot 3 would be my dream draw.

Outside of Group A of course.

[Cecil Terwilliger]

My dream is that FIFA folds, all of its executives are jailed, Qatar loses the World Cup and the sham that is a 48 team tourney gets rescinded and we go back to 32 teams.

Canada being involved is just the cherry on top.

[SebC]

Originally Posted by TheIronMaiden

What is the measure of success for Canada? Winning a game?

What are the measures of success for the USA and Mexico, who we qualified above? Offset that by the fact that we have a Pot 2 opponent in our group and they don't.

My expectations:
- We should beat our Pot 3 opponent
- We should be competitive with our Pot 2 opponent
- We should lose to our Pot 1 opponent (unless in Group A)

So "par" for this team is right on the edge of qualifying for the round of 16. That's what I'd consider a success. Anything less is disappointment. Anything more is gravy.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by SebC

What are the measures of success for the USA and Mexico, who we qualified above? Offset that by the fact that we have a Pot 2 opponent in our group and they don't.

My expectations:
- We should beat our Pot 3 opponent
- We should be competitive with our Pot 2 opponent
- We should lose to our Pot 1 opponent (unless in Group A)

So "par" for this team is right on the edge of qualifying for the round of 16. That's what I'd consider a success. Anything less is disappointment. Anything more is gravy.

Mexico's expectations are the quarterfinals. Mexico sleepwalks through qualifying, and it almost burned them in 2014. Why? Because their big test is the Round of 16 match.

They have lost in the Round of 16 SEVEN straight times! Yes, that also means whichever group they get put in, they've also gotten out of it SEVEN straight times. And they've had some tough groups. They've won the group with Italy in it, twice. Proving that Italy sucks in the Group Stage.

[Yoho]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

Mexico's expectations are the quarterfinals. Mexico sleepwalks through qualifying, and it almost burned them in 2014. Why? Because their big test is the Round of 16 match.

They have lost in the Round of 16 SEVEN straight times! Yes, that also means whichever group they get put in, they've also gotten out of it SEVEN straight times. And they've had some tough groups. They've won the group with Italy in it, twice. Proving that Italy sucks in the Group Stage.

Does Italy winning the FIFA World Cup 4 times prove they are good in the finals?

[The Big Chill]

This is an exciting day! I was born a few months after our last World Cup, and I’m such a mutt when it comes to my heritage that I don’t have any other international team that I support, so this is the first time I’ve gone through this.

[shermanator]

https://twitter.com/user/status/1509841344755294219