General Discussion on CMNT

[CanadaFan123]

1 hour ago, MauditYvon said:

He left a bad squad of D1 for a good squad he knows in D2. He’ll be 27 for WC 2026 and 31 for WC 2030. Might be an established Eredivisie player at these points.

The decision to call up Brym but leave off Fraser is puzzling from multiple perspectives. Both are playing at similar levels ... the difference is:

1) Fraser plays a position of need, particularly at this time, while Brym plays a position we don’t need help at (probably could look at someone else I.e. Ennin)

2) Fraser has had some nice moments with Canada, while Brym hasn’t and was even poor on the u23 team. 

[VinceA]

19 minutes ago, CanadaFan123 said:

The decision to call up Brym but leave off Fraser is puzzling from multiple perspectives. Both are playing at similar levels ... the difference is:

1) Fraser plays a position of need, particularly at this time, while Brym plays a position we don’t need help at (probably could look at someone else I.e. Ennin)

2) Fraser has had some nice moments with Canada, while Brym hasn’t and was even poor on the u23 team. 

Honestly if we were looking at replacement midfielders I'd rather have seen Loturi brought in.

[InglewoodJack]

24 minutes ago, CanadaFan123 said:

The decision to call up Brym but leave off Fraser is puzzling from multiple perspectives. Both are playing at similar levels ... the difference is:

1) Fraser plays a position of need, particularly at this time, while Brym plays a position we don’t need help at (probably could look at someone else I.e. Ennin)

2) Fraser has had some nice moments with Canada, while Brym hasn’t and was even poor on the u23 team. 

The thing Herdman has been most consistent in saying is that he really prioritized guys who can get into those tier 1 leagues. Brym is on the radar for a Dutch top flight team whereas Fraser could only manage to find his way to a Belgian second division team (lesser league), and in his second year, doesn’t have any interest from better teams in Belgium, and beyond that, is on a bottom of the table club, and he’s definitely started off the bench some times this year. Brym could take a step and return to the Dutch top flight, I don’t think that’s the case for Fraser.

[Bison44]

This has been bugging me...the bit about herdman and top 5 leagues.  The detailed breakdown of how many top 5 players per team and their chances in WC.  I mean this makes it sound real scientific, but isnt that just boiled down to...you need good players to win, ummm who exactly didnt know this before?   How exactly does a national team coach get more kids into top 5 leagues???   Other than recruiting duals that are there or on there way there??    

We should prioritize getting top 5 leagues players....ummmmm thats an excellent point. I wonder why Holger or Hart didnt pick more players from top 5 leagues??  What were they thinking??

[Unnamed Trialist]

2 hours ago, InglewoodJack said:

The thing Herdman has been most consistent in saying is that he really prioritized guys who can get into those tier 1 leagues. Brym is on the radar for a Dutch top flight team whereas Fraser could only manage to find his way to a Belgian second division team (lesser league), and in his second year, doesn’t have any interest from better teams in Belgium, and beyond that, is on a bottom of the table club, and he’s definitely started off the bench some times this year. Brym could take a step and return to the Dutch top flight, I don’t think that’s the case for Fraser.

Brym almost immediately was proven to be not good enough to get minutes for a newly promoted low-end Dutch top flight team. 

So I don't get how you can be twisting the logic. He's not a kid, been doing this for a while, and they demoted him to 2nd tier almost immediately, a few weeks and he was gone. 

Not good enough for Canada.

Edited September 16, 2022 by Unnamed Trialist

[phil03]

1 hour ago, Bison44 said:

This has been bugging me...the bit about herdman and top 5 leagues.  The detailed breakdown of how many top 5 players per team and their chances in WC.  I mean this makes it sound real scientific, but isnt that just boiled down to...you need good players to win, ummm who exactly didnt know this before?   How exactly does a national team coach get more kids into top 5 leagues???   Other than recruiting duals that are there or on there way there??    

We should prioritize getting top 5 leagues players....ummmmm thats an excellent point. I wonder why Holger or Hart didnt pick more players from top 5 leagues??  What were they thinking??

My train of thoughts is that having a concrete, specific, goal tend to help at making people do things that help move things in that direction.

Like, Herdman knows that the ods of it happening under his tenure are pretty slim but if every actor needing the CMNT to keep improving, or at least in a position where they woud clearly benefit from it (the current players, other players interested in the NT, the federation, the CESB, the CPL, the MLS clubs, etc...) is to do everything they can to improve they need to be on the hook somehow. If we keep with a vague understanding that it would be good for the team to be better then they can say stuff like ''yes, we want it to happen too but...'' and then not do, or not fully commit, to something they could do that would benefit the CMNT. If Herdman did get to say that yes, the five leagues thing is where we need to get, then its way harder for the individual or organisation to do that since you can basically tell them something along the lines of ''we are glad you agree with us about the need to reach that standard and we believe you should do X as part of the steps we need to achieve the next steps toward this objective!''

For a good example to see how that objective is ''weaponised'', for lack of a better term, we actually don't have to look far: in the very first conference were Herdman brought it up he basically immediately transitioned to ''and that's why I think Johnston, Miller and Kone should find a good transfer for next season!''

Edited September 16, 2022 by phil03

[rkomar]

5 hours ago, Pottsy3 said:

I wouldn't say I'm surprised, but I think some people would expect him over Brym. Akinola is definitely not deserving of a call atm, if any young TFC guy were to be added to the fold I would've expected it to be Nelson on merit.

Not for me.  Nelson is still trying to figure out how to play in the MLS.  The World Cup is no place to learn your trade.  I feel pretty confident that he will be in consideration for 2026, but 2022 is too early for him.

[narduch]

Good article by Galindo on the call ups.

https://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/article/lingering-world-cup-questions-for-canada-to-be-answered-in-september-window/

 

[Free kick]

Here is a preview piece from FIFA (on Canada) in their World Cup tournament website.  No highly revealing info (as usual from FIFA) but it is something that we have been waiting to see for 36 years on a World Cup website.

Canada: Five players to watch (fifa.com)

[VinceA]

Does Johnston miss the first friendly against Qatar because of his red card in the Honduras game?

Edited September 17, 2022 by VinceA

[Kent]

15 minutes ago, VinceA said:

Does Johnston miss the first friendly against Qatar because of his red card in the Honduras game?

I don't know, but for the sake of the sport I hope he would miss the next Nations League game, not some meaningless friendly that you could just book to clear your players' suspensions.

[narduch]

18 minutes ago, VinceA said:

Does Johnston miss the first friendly against Qatar because of his red card in the Honduras game?

No.

Nations League is a separate Concacaf run tournament. Has nothing to do with FIFA 

Edited September 17, 2022 by narduch

[Jack1997]

With the lack of midfield depth and stars, who do we think starts at the WC obviously Eustaqio but other than that, Hutchinson not fit at all, Don’t trust Kaye very much, Osorio probably needs a 3 man midfield , don’t trust Piette, does that mean Kone might be the best option as crazy as it sounds? 

[BearcatSA]

On 9/16/2022 at 9:52 AM, Shway said:

Brym has skill…. I like what I’ve seen of him in his highlight reels.

I have my doubts about him but when first I saw him play in the Olympic qualies, axpositive for me was his mobility off the ball.  Now granted, maybe he just looked way better in comparison to Theo Bair, I don't know.  I guess the coaches like the progress he has been making at club level.

[Ivan]

9 hours ago, Jack1997 said:

With the lack of midfield depth and stars, who do we think starts at the WC obviously Eustaqio but other than that, Hutchinson not fit at all, Don’t trust Kaye very much, Osorio probably needs a 3 man midfield , don’t trust Piette, does that mean Kone might be the best option as crazy as it sounds? 

For me right now?  Estaquio, Osorio and Piette. 

[EJsens1]

24 minutes ago, Ivan said:

For me right now?  Estaquio, Osorio and Piette. 

I think a lot is left to be determined. Herdman shifted guys around the pitch several times during qualifying. He’ll do it again I would suspect. I can certainly see guys like Hoilett moved into the middle or David drop back a bit. 

Edited September 18, 2022 by EJsens1

[jhoops__]

53 minutes ago, Ivan said:

For me right now?  Estaquio, Osorio and Piette. Against Belgium and Croatia we’ll get dominated in the middle of the pitch with Osorio and Piette.  

Edited September 18, 2022 by jhoops__
Not sure why it’s formatted this way…

[VinceA]

10 hours ago, Jack1997 said:

With the lack of midfield depth and stars, who do we think starts at the WC obviously Eustaqio but other than that, Hutchinson not fit at all, Don’t trust Kaye very much, Osorio probably needs a 3 man midfield , don’t trust Piette, does that mean Kone might be the best option as crazy as it sounds? 

If you don't trust Piette then that's just a personal issue. He's been lights out for Montreal this season and I don't think I've ever seen him be "poor" for Canada. Knows his role and he would allow Eustaquio and Osorio express themselves more.

[jhoops__]

Piette is not a starting calibre WC player…

[VinceA]

6 minutes ago, jhoops__ said:

Piette is not a starting calibre WC player…

We have no reference point for that as Canadians lmao. We won't know till we actually play.

[EJsens1]

8 minutes ago, VinceA said:

If you don't trust Piette then that's just a personal issue. He's been lights out for Montreal this season and I don't think I've ever seen him be "poor" for Canada. Knows his role and he would allow Eustaquio and Osorio express themselves more.

Never been a big fan. Maybe I’m knit picking, but he was really bad in that Jamaica game last October. I understand the pitch was terrible but he was not good that night. Had that one egregious giveaway that fortunately did not end up in our net. I agree with jhoops above, he’s not a World Cup starting calibre type player. He’s been really good this year but maybe I’m too biased to give him a chance like that. 

[El Hombre]

5 minutes ago, jhoops__ said:

Piette is not a starting calibre WC player…

I don't understand the underrating of Piette.  I was skimming through the Arfield thread and there were a few comments lauding Arfield's game against the US as a reason why he should be called back but in that game Piette played out of his head.  He was a big reason we won that one.

Further to that, his game has progressed and he's having a great season at the exact right time for the World Cup.  I really think he'd be fine stepping in to the MAK role with Eustaquio and his defensive acumen might be something we need going up against the likes of Belgium and Croatia.

Really hope these next two games make a few believers out of some.

[EJsens1]

24 minutes ago, El Hombre said:

I don't understand the underrating of Piette.  I was skimming through the Arfield thread and there were a few comments lauding Arfield's game against the US as a reason why he should be called back but in that game Piette played out of his head.  He was a big reason we won that one.

Further to that, his game has progressed and he's having a great season at the exact right time for the World Cup.  I really think he'd be fine stepping in to the MAK role with Eustaquio and his defensive acumen might be something we need going up against the likes of Belgium and Croatia.

Really hope these next two games make a few believers out of some.

You make fair points but I think I’ve seen enough over his career to make an informed opinion on him as a player. We all see it differently of course. I’m certainly not rooting against him or hope he fails whatsoever. As you said, having a good year leading into Qatar, it’s good to see. If he can be an integral player who plays lights out, I’ll certainly eat crow, but I’ve got to see it on the big stage at this point 

[Ivan]

3 hours ago, EJsens1 said:

I think a lot is left to be determined. Herdman shifted guys around the pitch several times during qualifying. He’ll do it again I would suspect. I can certainly see guys like Hoilett moved into the middle or David drop back a bit. 

Yup, that's why I prefaced my post with " for me right now".

[MauditYvon]

17 Canadians defenders played in MLS this season and together, they tallied 17 goals and 36 assists. Crazy.