The Canadian Men's Soccer Team Thread

[browna]

Davies, like Hargreaves owes a lot to Bayern to give him the structure and discipline as part of his becoming a better player month by month while there, and turned raw skill and talent into a machine. It's what the Germans and Bayern do very well.

Madrid is in option to train with some overall better players, but is the league overall, past Barckna and Athletico, much better? Sure, maybe favoured in CL play, but he's gotten a lot of that experience already with Bayern including a win.

I think a PL move would make him an overall better player with more pressure.

[ditty]

Originally Posted by browna

Davies, like Hargreaves owes a lot to Bayern to give him the structure and discipline as part of his becoming a better player month by month while there, and turned raw skill and talent into a machine. It's what the Germans and Bayern do very well.

Madrid is in option to train with some overall better players, but is the league overall, past Barckna and Athletico, much better? Sure, maybe favoured in CL play, but he's gotten a lot of that experience already with Bayern including a win.

I think a PL move would make him an overall better player with more pressure.

Following this in the German media, it seems like he's definitely going to move to Real in the summer though I think Bayern sincerely want to keep him. When asked about Davies' future, Thomas Tuchel emphasized that Davies has established himself as regular in the team, week in week out, which is no small feat at club like Bayern. He's an indispensable member of the team. Tuchel also pointed out that Davies isn't even the finished article yet. He's only 23 and has only been playing LB for a few years. Tuchel was clear that he sees even greater potential in Davies. But I think the writing's on the wall. Davies wants to go to Real and Real appear to want him so that leaves Bayern with little choice but to sell him this year or possibly lose him for nothing after next season.

I'm a Bundesliga fanatic but to me it's hard to argue against Davies' decision to go to Real. Bayern are consistently a top 8 club in Europe but I think for a player, Real as a club are a level beyond them and even all the English clubs other than Man City. They're building a new version of young galacticos with players like Bellingham, Vinny Jr., Militao and Rodrygo. I think a player like Davies is hungry to be part of something like that. I also think the fact that David Alaba is at Real is a factor as well. He and Davies are really close and he was a mentor to Davies when he came to Bayern, particularly in supporting him in adapting to playing LB.

The Bundesliga is getting better each season in terms of talent but I still think there's a gulf between it and La Liga. I actually think it's the teams outside of the big three that make La Liga stronger. I think clubs like Sevilla (thought not so much this season , Sociedad, Valencia, Villareal and others are generally better than the likes of Frankfurt, Mönchengladbach, Freiburg, Wolfsburg and others who are often in the 4th to 9th place range in the Bundesliga. The Premier League is such a cash cow and has the talent that comes with that but they still only have 2 teams in the last 16 of the CL this year vs 4 for Spain. And Spanish teams' record in the Europa League over the last decade is crazy.

My concern with his move as a Canada fan is the risk that comes with going to a club like Real when it comes to playing week in and week out. He's got that at Bayern now and he's basically kept his spot even when his performances haven't been great. Real will be a step up in terms of pressure to perform and competition for a place in the 11.

Anyway, we shall see how it all plays out.

[shermanator]

So the new general secretary who was supposed to start today backed out at the last minute. Unreal...

https://twitter.com/user/status/1749495872038093273

[GirlySports]

wow and she posted on her linkedin

that sounds unprofessional to me and doesn't seem that 'unforeseen"

Many of you will know I accepted the role of Secretary General at Canada Soccer last month and was to start today; however, after careful consideration and conversation with my family, I have decided for personal reasons not to step into the role. I wish Canada Soccer the very best and will be cheering on the Women’s National Team as they prepare for the Olympic Games in Paris and the Men’s National Team in the lead-up to the FIFA World Cup in 2026 on home soil. I look forward to sharing more of my professional journey in the future.

[M*A*S*H 4077]

I might be reaching but this might add some context to why Biello was extended as interim manager last week (if they knew then)

[ditty]

Originally Posted by M*A*S*H 4077

I might be reaching but this might add some context to why Biello was extended as interim manager last week (if they knew then)

I think it was still gonna be a stretch to get a new manager in place by March. We'll see how long the new search for a General Secretary takes. Hopefully it's a lot quicker than the last one.

[lazypucker]

Originally Posted by GirlySports

wow and she posted on her linkedin

that sounds unprofessional to me and doesn't seem that 'unforeseen"

I think the LinkedIn post is as professional as it can be, without mentioning any shady sh*t the CSA has been doing, which prompts her to reverse her decision to not take the job to get involved with dirty work.

[browna]

She probably should've done more homework before accepting, but we all know how the CSA works. There probably was a deadline they imposed and had to make a quick decision. Likely any questions she had before accepting (and maybe after) were deflected or marginalized by the CSA.

In theory this would be a pretty significant position in sport in this country but with the multiple skeletons in the CSA closet, some of which have been outed this past 2.5 years, some of which haven't, when she started learning more about how things work and have worked there, either from first or second hand sources, and called a last minute audible.

[lazypucker]

wrong thread

[browna]

Toronto June 12 2026 is Canada's first WC game. Next 2 group games in Vancouver.
Canada gets 13 games to host. 6 in Toronto and 7 in Vancouver, including one round of 16 match.

One could only imagine if the original plan with Vancouver out thanks to a headline grabbing premier would've meant. My guess is Vancouver tickets for all games will be pricey. Seattle may be a better place to go if you just want to catch a non Canada game, for prices.
But, either way, I'm not sure I would've believed you 30 years ago after USA 1994, when saying I could catch a 1.25h flight, a 40 min train ride, and watch a World Cup match.

https://www.tsn.ca/soccer/toronto-to...-cup-1.2071566

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by browna

Toronto June 12 2026 is Canada's first WC game. Next 2 group games in Vancouver.
Canada gets 13 games to host. 6 in Toronto and 7 in Vancouver, including one round of 16 match.

One could only imagine if the original plan with Vancouver out thanks to a headline grabbing premier would've meant. My guess is Vancouver tickets for all games will be pricey. Seattle may be a better place to go if you just want to catch a non Canada game, for prices.
But, either way, I'm not sure I would've believed you 30 years ago after USA 1994, when saying I could catch a 1.25h flight, a 40 min train ride, and watch a World Cup match.

https://www.tsn.ca/soccer/toronto-to...-cup-1.2071566

You can go to Seattle then go back and forth!

June 13 - Vancouver
June 15 - Seattle
June 18 - Vancouver (Canada game!)
June 19 - Seattle (USA game!)
June 21 Vancouver
June 24 Vancouver (Canada game!) AND Seattle
June 26 Vancouver AND Seattle
July 1 Seattle (Round of 32)
July 2 Vancouver (Round of 32)
July 6 Seattle (Round of 16)
July 7 Vancouver (Round of 16)

[Slava]

I just wonder how crazy the ticket prices will be, and how hard it will be to get tickets in the first place?

[browna]

Originally Posted by Slava

I just wonder how crazy the ticket prices will be, and how hard it will be to get tickets in the first place?

My guess is it will be a small fortune especially for a Canada game, probably a draw process. The inevitable complaining about corporate seats and violin playing on how a family of 6 is priced out of a game, and how that shouldn't be allowed by FIFA/BC or Federal Government and will this hinder kids from wanting to play soccer, as if it's a right to go to a game because it's hosted here.

Now, if you want to go see Panama play Ghana, you may have better luck.

[GirlySports]

I think you'd have to buy the entire Vancouver 7 game package and even that will be a lottery.

Times have changed. My ticket about halfway up the Cotton Bowl for the Brazil-Netherlands quarterfinal in 1994 was $95

[Winsor_Pilates]

Do they usually allocate a specific # of tickets to locals?
I wonder if the Whitecaps will have any pull for season ticket holders too.

[GirlySports]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

Do they usually allocate a specific # of tickets to locals?
I wonder if the Whitecaps will have any pull for season ticket holders too.

Hard to say. In past World Cups, the allocated early tickets are for "neutrals", tickets offered before the draw. Because you have to leave tickets to allocate for the teams actually playing in the game, for example, Panama vs Ghana. If those tickets aren't entirely filled, then they may go back up for sale.

The guys who went to the Qatar world cup may have better insight on how they got tickets.

[lazypucker]

Tickets will be lottery-based worldwide, which are mostly to follow a particular team (like all Brazil games from start to finish no matter what stadium the team plays in). And I think usually there are small sections blocked off for local purhcase (also through a draw). Everything is through FIFA. And I think there were hospitality packages available for VIPs and celebrities that were like $10K a ticket - but that is out of my budget.

I believe with the sheer amount of people in North America plus the ease of travel to the Canada and US (unlike making an exotic trip to the likes of South Africa and Qatar), tickets will be scarse and difficult to get. Nowadays even a Panama vs Ghana match will be sold out, unlike the good old days when I went to the Korea/Japan World Cup in 2002.

I remember I was in Jeju Island for a Slovenia-Paraguay match, there were hundreds of Korean grandpas and grandmas in the stadium wearing "Korean supporters for Paraguay" t-shirts. Obviously they were given tickets to fill the stands so that the stadium looks full for TV....

[Matty81]

Sounds like Davies to Real is done... pretty cool move to see him playing with the like of Mbappe and Bellingham in the near future.

For those without the Athletic, contract is verbally agreed. Davies has one year to run on his existing contract, Real will wait if needed but are about to start negotiations with Bayern on a fee for it to happen this summer.

Writer says that Bayern will likely play ball and sell this summer rather than lose him for nothing next year.

https://theathletic.com/5294621/2024...drid-transfer/

[shermanator]

It's still insane to me that we've had a Canadian on one of the top clubs in Europe the last 5 years and they're about to move to probably the biggest club in the world.

[The Big Chill]

That’s an amazing move. Real Madrid are set up to be incredible for the next decade.