The Canadian Men's Soccer Team Thread

[shermanator]

Next game I'd like to see Bombito moved to CB to replace Vitoria and start Loturi at DM. Loturi is the highest profile DM on this squad I don't know why he's stapled to the bench.

[MillerTime GFG]

Agreed. We need the younger guys/the next wave of talent to start getting some minutes on the international stage. We're not winning this tournament. Let's get some kids some minutes and see what we've got.

It's so important as we head into 2026 that we can solidify some more depth behind Davies/David, etc.

[Ozy_Flame]

Loved what I saw from Ali Ahmed. Guy was a threat down that right side.

[shermanator]

Thought Ahmed was the lone bright spot for the debutants yesterday. Glad to see he is back after getting knocked out against Pacific a few weeks ago. Bombito wasn't great but he was playing out of position. McGraw was slow and looked a similar profile to Vitoria.

The vets looked terrible, Hoilett being the exception. Vitoria, Laryea, Miller, Osorio, Cavallini (despite scoring) just didn't look up to the game.

Need wholesale changes for the next match all over the pitch.

[M*A*S*H 4077]

Honestly I would rather play Waterman and have the upside of his passing ability and deal with his defensive lapses if that’s the play Vitoria and Miller are going to give us every match now.. I know he’s not in the squad and he’s in the wrong age bracket to really push into the mix going forward but Waterman has game changing passing ability, especially compared to the rest of the CB group

Bombito has been having a really strong MLS season and he should get a shot back there. He’s younger than the other guys too which is a huge plus. And Zator has done well since moving to Europe and he’s a lot more athletic than Vitoria/Miller.

[M*A*S*H 4077]

Laryea has got to get out of TFC and to Europe and get the stench of TFC off of him. Herdman really shouldn’t call any TFC guys up until they right that ship, sorry Oso.

[shermanator]

I don't know if I'd say Bombito has had a really strong season. He's played 210 minutes. Looked good in those minutes but that's a very small sample size.

Canada are desperate for CBs and that's the only reason he's in the squad right now.

[M*A*S*H 4077]

Good point, I thought he’d played more to be honest. I watched him a couple times and he’s looked good in those matches

[Slava]

The commentary on the Gold Cup is hilarious. They have a drinks break and the colour guy is asked whether the game is going as he thought...a pretty standard time fill. Whoever they have as the colour commentator just says "Yeah. It's a pretty good game.". I'm not saying I wish we had Terry Dunfield there, but it's pretty amateur.

[shermanator]

I think this is the MNT's way of going on strike. Just playing terribly at the Gold Cup against nations they should be dominating.

Don't know what Loturi has to do to get on the pitch but apparently Herdman rates playing a CB at DM or a DM playing at a relegation battling second tier Belgian side. Maybe he should just switch to South Sudan they'll make him the centrepiece.

[The Big Chill]

Why do we need two right backs on the field at all times?

[Spurs]

its so boring and awful to watch.

This team was fun during the World Cup qualifying, even when Davies wasn't there. Now it is like pulling teeth watching them try to string more than 2 forward passes together.

[Ozy_Flame]

I'm convinced the CMNT is just using the gold cup to give the bench warmers playing time. We are absolutely struggling against teams we should be waxing the floor with.

No Davies, David, Larin, Estaquio, Buchanan, Johnston, Kone or Ugbo, Piette, Adekugbe. That is damning.

It's like watching the team from eight years ago.

[M*A*S*H 4077]

I don’t understand the lack of rotation of the squad as this group clearly doesn’t want to play.

Has Canada played well since the 2nd minute vs Croatia? This is starting to be an alarming sample size, with or without the key guys

[browna]

With the players who are missing, it means Canada has to play a totally different style if they want to try and win these games.

You're not playing the ball up and creating through Estaquio or Buchanan and have and trust them use their skill and keep possession, you are playing it up through young guys or second stringers trying to learn, while playing against somewhat more experienced players, and the result is not having clean possession or continuing the move as much.

Even if those young midfielders navigate fine, their options then aren't Davies or Larin to continue the move, it's a plug like Cavallini running up and down the field like a rinocerous (with a touch to match) to try and service, again a totally different style and skill set.

That makes things super tough on Herdman. Do you play the same style as you do with your talent in there, so that thr younger players will learn that style for when the star skilled players are back? Or do you adapt the style to play a different game to play to the strengths of the players here to try and win these games, and hope the young players adapt back to the proper style when the stars as back?

To me, it looks like the former, where Herdman isn't changing the style or tactics to match the lesser talent he has right now, and forcing these young players to learn to play this way. Without the experience and or individual talent to execute the game plan, they are struggling to move the ball up the field.

But again, do this with all up and coming talent so they gain the experience and learn the playing style the hard way. The above mentioned Cavallini should be the last player on the field.

[Spurs]

For me it is frustrating to see a lot of the same old players (some good- Vitoria, some bad- Cavalini, Wotherspoon, most in the meh range- Osorio, Hoillet, Borjan).

I understand that Herdman still has to try to win and we can't play all guys under 22, but there is way too much time given to guys over 30 in these past two games to get two draws against weak squads.

[The Big Chill]

I don’t like playing 5 and the back and then two wingers. Our formation always has us overloaded on the wings and leaves us light in the midfield. We saw it at the World Cup and are seeing it still now. It might work against the minnows, but it doesn’t work when we don’t have superior talent then the other team.

[shermanator]

Guess this will force Herdman to give St. Clair a chance. Should have been starting this whole time.

https://twitter.com/user/status/1675888191235039233

[Matty81]

Yeah it's about time. Borjan's committment to the program has been admirable, but the loyalty to him with his erratic play at times is puzzling when Herdman didn't show the same loyalty to Tiba and even give him that late cameo.

[Matty81]

Originally Posted by The Big Chill

I don’t like playing 5 and the back and then two wingers. Our formation always has us overloaded on the wings and leaves us light in the midfield. We saw it at the World Cup and are seeing it still now. It might work against the minnows, but it doesn’t work when we don’t have superior talent then the other team.

I feel like our wingbacks are given so much license to get upfield in that formation that we're often playing with a back 3 at times and with CB being our weakest position it is ugly. A traditional back four with fullbacks who stay deep would be much smarter.