At halftime of Tuesday’s soggy 0-0 World Cup qualifying draw with Puerto Rico, Canada had 70% possession of the ball. They hadn’t created much, and certainly hadn’t finished anything.
Yes, the visitors were bunkering. Their shape was ragged, and the fact that they celebrated at the match’s final whistle – despite being mathematically eliminated at that very exact moment – tells ya what it tells ya, j’suppose.
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Canada pushed forward – some. They also uncorked two field-wide passes that went out of bounds without anyone being able to run them down. Yes, they ran into an offside-happy linesman after the break, but late in the game, they were dawdling on the ball even more than the Bunker Boys.
And pretty much never, when Canada worked the ball to an attack point, did the attacker look calm or comfortable. Lots of hurrying. Very little effectiveness.
So let’s go back to halftime, and send in a play. Since head coach Stephen Hart evidently didn’t have a plan for the second half, here’s a retroactive suggestion.
Make it a training exercise.
“Lads, there’s a defence-minded team out there, and we’re going to go out and break them down. They’re honestly not that good. Heck, the next guy off the bench is Marco Freakin’ Velez!
“Here’s where we learn how to dribble and play to feet under pressure. Spend the entire 45 creating. Break these yobbos down, because soon enough it’ll be Honduras out there.
“How ‘bout, for the second half, we not even play Puerto Rico? Let’s road test what we’re going to have to do against Panama, Cuba and those blue-stripey whomligans no one up here can honestly stand."
If all Canada wanted on Tuesday was a result, well, they got it. Kinda.
But there was never really any serious question that Canada would qualify from this group. The real issue is, how ready are they to play for real?
The last time we saw Canada try to do that, in the Gold Cup, they faded late against a largely second-string Panama squad. And there is no vision of Canada in the World Cup that does not include – as a basic first principle – being better than Panama.
In the end, I wasn’t annoyed that Canada didn’t score against Puerto Rico. It was the weak, faltering way they didn’t score that concerned me.
This team doesn’t get to play a lot of games. They get even fewer chances to just go out there any try something they’re going to need to be clear and sharp on later.
A 0-0 draw with Puerto Rico, with the shots raining in from everywhere and the visiting goalkeeper playing the match of his freaking life? Yeah, I could live with that.
But a good opportunity to train and improve, squandered with barely a peep? Very disappointing.
It’s not, after all, like getting results against Puerto Rico was ever really the issue.
Onward!