The Road to Qatar.

[An Observer]

10 hours ago, trc2014 said:

Also funny to me Molinaro’s 2022 bold predictions include Canada not only advancing to the WC Final, but the round of 16. The amazing thing is, without some amazing goaltending against Honduras and Mexico and some potentially lucky bounces in the Jamaica and US games, Canada could easily be sitting in fourth in the group.

That’s true but we could have won all of the Honduras, US, Mexico, and Jamaica matches we tied and already qualified. We had our chances. 

[dyslexic nam]

I dont know where to post it because i am hammered in my hot tub and the fam has abandoned me, but happy new year you crazy fuckers.  We are an odd sort of bunch…

Edited January 1, 2022 by dyslexic nam

[RichV]

^Happy New Year to you too

[ag futbol]

I don’t know where to post this but great on sports net to show all the WCQ games in a condensed format. 
 

Not so great.. the “highlights” are mostly stoppages in play and injuries / guys arguing with officials. Maybe find someone else to do the editing next time.

[Floortom]

 

very good addition for Jamaica. 

Gray - Antonio - Bailey is a really impressive attack. In terms of pure quality on paper I would have to say it's the best in Concacaf. Of course, they still have to play together and Bailey has been very underwhelming in a Jamaican shirt.

 

[Obinna]

13 minutes ago, Floortom said:

 

very good addition for Jamaica. 

Gray - Antonio - Bailey is a really impressive attack. In terms of pure quality on paper I would have to say it's the best in Concacaf. Of course, they still have to play together and Bailey has been very underwhelming in a Jamaican shirt.

 

In less than 12 months....Antonio, Musah, Ugbo, Gray

Imagine being English and watching those players bleed out from your system, and then not really giving a shit lol

[Free kick]

20 minutes ago, Obinna said:

In less than 12 months....Antonio, Musah, Ugbo, Gray

Imagine being English and watching those players bleed out from your system, and then not really giving a shit lol

Well they would not need to give a shit if these players would'nt be on any kind of radar for England (internationally).  The questions I have is:   why is it that the kind of player(s) that England regards as total after thoughts, is/are regarded by some here as the best in Concacaf?    Some posters here on this forum  really have a low opinion of Concacaf.    Yet, if anyone dares to go back and look at the WC from the past 30 years,  they would note that Concacaf has held its own at the WC and certainly done better than AFC and even CAF sides at the WC.  

Edited January 4, 2022 by Free kick

[Floortom]

3 minutes ago, Free kick said:

Well they would not need to give a shit if these players would'nt be on any kind of radar for England (internationally).  The questions I have is:   why is it that the kind of player(s) that England regards as total after thoughts, is/are regarded by some here as the best in Concacaf?    Some posters here on this forum  really have a low opinion of Concacaf.   

Antonio was valued by a decent number of England supporters. Quite a few wanted Southgate to select him as he would be valuable as sub to offer something no one else does on the squad. 

Musah, based purely on his age, was a bit of a loss for England. He has good upside. 

I don't think any of them really give a shit about Gray, and especially Ugbo. For good reason. Ugbo is backup at Genk. Gray is a solid EPL player - which is great for concacaf - but wont get you on England's radar. They have 10+ players ahead of him

 

[Obinna]

2 minutes ago, Free kick said:

Well they would not need to give a shit if these players would'nt be on any kind of radar for England (internationally).  The questions I have is:   why is is that the kind of player(s) that England regards as total after thoughts, is/are regarded by some here as the best in Concacaf?    Some posters here on this forum  really have a low opinion of Concacaf.  

Not sure which posters this is referring to, nor am I sure of what point you are making here. Are you suggesting we overrate these players for being English / underrate the other concacaf players in relation to these? If that is what you're getting at, my thoughts are that people are looking at their club resumes first and foremost. For example, if Musah was in the Ghana system rather than the English system, he'd be just as highly rated. He's a 2002 who plays for Valencia regularly (much less this season though). Same with Ugbo, I don't think anyone cares about his Englishness when they rate him, they just care that he scored tons of goals as part of the Chelsea loan army and now plays for a respectable Genk side. 

Musah and Ugbo are afterthoughts for England because England has an insanely deep player pool, that's it. They are grabbing attention in CONCACAF because of their resumes and that is not a slight on CONCACAF in my eyes. I would call neither amongst the best in CONCACAF yet, that's way too premature. Antonio is fair though, if we can consider his tiny sample size. He's got 2 goals in his 3 Jamaica games and both were beauties.

[Free kick]

1 minute ago, Obinna said:

Not sure which posters this is referring to,

I wasnt referring to you

[Obinna]

1 minute ago, Free kick said:

I wasnt referring to you

All good. More interested in the point you're getting at in your post actually, if you care to elaborate?

[Free kick]

33 minutes ago, Floortom said:

Antonio was valued by a decent number of England supporters. Quite a few wanted Southgate to select him as he would be valuable as sub to offer something no one else does on the squad. 

Musah, based purely on his age, was a bit of a loss for England. He has good upside. 

I don't think any of them really give a shit about Gray, and especially Ugbo. For good reason. Ugbo is backup at Genk. Gray is a solid EPL player - which is great for concacaf - but wont get you on England's radar. They have 10+ players ahead of him

 

England must have really awesome National team.  I wonder why they haven't won a WC or Euro since 1966? 🙂 or why they didnt manage better results against Concacaf sides like CRC or the US at recent WC's?   🙂

Edited January 4, 2022 by Free kick

[Shway]

40 minutes ago, Obinna said:

In less than 12 months....Antonio, Musah, Ugbo, Gray

Imagine being English and watching those players bleed out from your system, and then not really giving a shit lol

In less than 12 months....Saka, Smith-Rowe, Eze, Gallagher, and Elliot have all emerged as real talents in the "pinnacle league" in addition to what they already have. So it's very easy to not give a shit. 

I suspect a lot more will continue to be recruited, especially with their new manager being Jamish. It just might be a little too late.

As a Canadian-Jamaican I would love to see Jamaica qualify - but not at the expense of Canada fuck that.

[Floortom]

24 minutes ago, Free kick said:

England must have really awesome National team.  I wonder why they haven't won a WC or Euro since 1966?  or why they didnt manage better results against Concacaf sides like CRC or the US at recent WC's?   

I don’t understand your point. Are you suggesting that Demari Gray is good enough for England and they should be calling him in - i guess at Sterling, Rashford or Grealish’s expense? or are you saying he’s not a top Concacaf talent?

Edited January 4, 2022 by Floortom

[EJsens1]

19 minutes ago, Free kick said:

England must have really awesome National team.  I wonder why they haven't won a WC or Euro since 1966?  or why they didnt manage better results against Concacaf sides like CRC or the US at recent WC's?   

Really?  The last 2 tournaments they’ve lost in the semis to Croatia in extra time and lost the Euro final in a shootout.  They’re a young team.  I don’t care about their success one way or another but they are knocking at the door and almost every country around the world would want a lot of the talent they have at their disposal playing for them 

[Unnamed Trialist]

12 minutes ago, EJsens1 said:

Really?  The last 2 tournaments they’ve lost in the semis to Croatia in extra time and lost the Euro final in a shootout.  They’re a young team.  I don’t care about their success one way or another but they are knocking at the door and almost every country around the world would want a lot of the talent they have at their disposal playing for them 

This is the best and most humble England team I have ever seen. It's like they are the opposite of the general tone of that part of the country with the Brexit mentality, which they defy. They also play well. They have youth, despite the EPL sides being overloaded with foreign talent for the past 15 years. Which is hard to do. But you are not going to get called in that easily, and I fully agree with you: they have very strong results lately. 

The only Concacaf players, as we stand, who would be considered on a top European side are the three obvious ones. I'd suggest no Mexican, Davies, David and Pulisic. That is it. Spain would call up Antonio they way they called in Adama Traoré--half-heartedly. 

[Sal333]

1 hour ago, Obinna said:

In less than 12 months....Antonio, Musah, Ugbo, Gray

Imagine being English and watching those players bleed out from your system, and then not really giving a shit lol

Well that could mean one of two things:

1) The English produce footballers like my front yard produces weeds

or

2) This could explain why England hasn't won a WC since 66

[SpursFlu]

5 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

This is the best and most humble England team I have ever seen. It's like they are the opposite of the general tone of that part of the country with the Brexit mentality, which they defy. They also play well. They have youth, despite the EPL sides being overloaded with foreign talent for the past 15 years. Which is hard to do. But you are not going to get called in that easily, and I fully agree with you: they have very strong results lately. 

The only Concacaf players, as we stand, who would be considered on a top European side are the three obvious ones. I'd suggest no Mexican, Davies, David and Pulisic. That is it. Spain would call up Antonio they way they called in Adama Traoré--half-heartedly. 

I actually find the current England squad a little vanilla. Not a lot of personality 

[Free kick]

i dont disagree that England have a very good side.  They could win the WC.  And that the EPL has emerged in the last 5-10 years as the most stable league and the league where the clubs are the most well funded and well managed.   They added new stadiums, better TV deals etc.   So yes, to all of that. Including the fact that their clubs are doing much better in Europe than they ever have.

Having said that,  where i take issue with is the degree of difference relative to else where.  And this applies to the EPL as well as the NT.   Some would have us believe that mediocre talent in the EPL translates to superstar talent in Concacaf.  This is what i really take issue with.  There are still good clubs and leagues on the continent.  And,  Conacaf has talented players even if they dont play professionally in Eng..    One of our own fwds is the target of Big clubs but yet we are being told that some Jamaican 30+ year old fwd with career (mediocre) EPL stats is better.  This is what i take issue with.

Edited January 4, 2022 by Free kick

[Unnamed Trialist]

4 minutes ago, Free kick said:

i dont disagree that England have a very good side.  And that the EPL has emerged in the last 5-10 years as the most stable league and the league where the clubs are the most well funded and well managed.   They added new stadiums, better TV deals etc.   So yes, to all of that. including the fact that their clubs are doing much better in Europe than they ever have.

Having said that,  where i take issue with is the degree of difference relative to else where.  and this applied to the EPL as well as the NT.   some would have us believe that mediocre talent in the EPL translates to superstar talent in Concacaf.  This is what i really take issue with.

You guys are teeing me off because I was hoping for Pot 3 and avoiding these chumps, but I guess we'll have to draw them and take them out just to prove an argument. 

[EJsens1]

19 minutes ago, Free kick said:

Having said that,  where i take issue with is the degree of difference relative to else where.  and this applied to the EPL as well as the NT.   some would have us believe that mediocre talent in the EPL translates to superstar talent in Concacaf.  This is what i really take issue with.  There are still good clubs and leagues on the continent.  And,  Conacaf has talented players.    One of our own fwds is the target of Big clubs but yet we are being told that some Jamaican 30+ year old fwd with career (mediocre) EPL stats is better.  This is what i take issue with.

Good point.  There are good players elsewhere.  Soccer is unique compared to North American sports in that all the best leagues are basically in the US and Canada for the big 4, so we know the drop off is pretty significant outside of North America. It’s not like that in soccer where numerous countries have excellent talent.  The majority is in Europe but the drop off isn’t as dramatic like other leagues around the world compared to the NBA, NFL, MLB and NHL (and yes I know there are other good leagues/players around the world in basketball, hockey and baseball.  There isn’t in football).

13 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

You guys are teeing me off because I was hoping for Pot 3 and avoiding these chumps, but I guess we'll have to draw them and take them out just to prove an argument. 

Here here!!🍻

Edited January 4, 2022 by EJsens1

[Blackjack15]

 

 

[trc2014]

51 minutes ago, Blackjack15 said:

 

 

Pretty surprised Galindo is so optimistic about a full stadium in Hamilton.

[SpursFlu]

Mark me down. Jamaica will finish 4th

Edited January 5, 2022 by SpursFlu

[An Observer]

I agree with all the positive comments about the English side so won’t repeat them. I lived in London for 17 years and got immense joy out of their collapses after being unbelievably pumped up by their fans before each and every tournament. But this side is young and fresh and a pleasure to watch. 

that being said, they also benefited tremendously from easy routes to both the semis and finals respectively in the last two tournaments. The easiest I can think I have ever seen before.  So I am curious to see how they do in Qatar if they have to go through the top sides (and not benefiting from playing at home or in Europe).