WCQ: Third Round - Window 4 (January 27- February 2, 2022)

[Ruud]

Fucking win in Honduras so we don’t all start getting nervous as fuck.  
then pressure is off at home for a draw and then win again away. 

[EJsens1]

8 minutes ago, Ruud said:

Fucking win in Honduras so we don’t all start getting nervous as fuck.  
then pressure is off at home for a draw and then win again away. 

This..

I hate Honduras so much.  Cheering for them is like cheering for the Cowboys or Patriots 

[Wayverider]

Most of you still don't realize just how good we really are. F*&k this psychological-inferiority discussion of 'I'd trade a loss in this game if we could get a win in this one' or 'Oh I'm nervous, the central American jungles have been historically unkind to us' .... Look down, make sure you've got a set. Ok, we good, they are still there? Damn right, now let's go out and take 3 from every opponent we ever face. Let our players cherish those moments in games when they see the first glimpses of failure register on our opponent's faces because they can't handle this 21st century version of Canadian soccer. And then put your foot to their throats and crush them.

Ok, before I take too much flack I'm also a realist and know we are not going to take three points every single time we take the field. But we finally have a team good enough to take the approach I laid out above (every single time they take the field). As fans we need to start mirroring their expectations and expecting victories.

9 points next window!!!

[SthMelbRed]

1 hour ago, Sal333 said:

Does it really matter if the US will be unhappy about sitting in 4th place?  If both teams have their best players, I think Canada has the better starting rotation. If both teams start losing players to injuries and Covid protocol then Canada is at a disadvantage. The USA has superior depth that far exceeds our starting 23. I really wouldn't worry about the US game until we start seeing our starting players scratched from this window. And I think Herdman is a better manager than GGG.

Unless a terrible catastrophe hits our team like a plane goes down, I think Canada and the USA are battling for 1st and 2nd. Mexico, Panama and Jamaica - if they can gel - will be fighting for 3rd and 4th. 

Mexico has three difficult games against Jamaica, Panama and the USA.

Panama has 4 difficult games against Jamaica, Mexico, USA and Canada.

Jamaica has three against Mexico, Panama and Canada.

Our three difficult games are against the USA, Jamaica and Panama but two of those are at home.

Also, I wouldn't put too much weight on our history in Central America. We never had a group of players and a coaching staff as we do today. This is a top notch squad.

 

I think you're onto something here. I reckon with 23 on the pitch from kickoff and we're definitely getting at least a draw! 😄 

 

[Sal333]

7 minutes ago, Wayverider said:

Most of you still don't realize just how good we really are. F*&k this psychological-inferiority discussion of 'I'd trade a loss in this game if we could get a win in this one' or 'Oh I'm nervous, the central American jungles have been historically unkind to us' .... Look down, make sure you've got a set. Ok, we good, they are still there? Damn right, now let's go out and take 3 from every opponent we ever face. Let our players cherish those moments in games when they see the first glimpses of failure register on our opponent's faces because they can't handle this 21st century version of Canadian soccer. And then put your foot to their throats and crush them.

Ok, before I take too much flack I'm also a realist and know we are not going to take three points every single time we take the field. But we finally have a team good enough to take the approach I laid out above (every single time they take the field). As fans we need to start mirroring their expectations and expecting victories.

9 points next window!!!

YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Joe MacCarthy]

6 minutes ago, Wayverider said:

Most of you still don't realize just how good we really are. F*&k this psychological-inferiority discussion of 'I'd trade a loss in this game if we could get a win in this one' or 'Oh I'm nervous, the central American jungles have been historically unkind to us' .... Look down, make sure you've got a set.

I don't realize how good (or not good) we are and I've been following them since the mid 1970s.  I'm not overconfident because this is the most difficult part of the schedule coming up, it could all go to hell right here.

But I also agree this let's draw one here and win one there is ridiculous.  This team plays to win every game (praise be to Allah), is disappointed not to win and that's the only way to play.

In my long time informal study of sport psychology I always liked the approach of the mid/late 70s Montreal Canadiens.  Confident to win and scared to lose.  They never feared anything but their own complacency and the embarrassment of losing to a lesser opponent.

[narduch]

Honduras camp has already started and they have a friendly v Colombia on Sunday in Florida 

[RandomGuy]

13 minutes ago, narduch said:

Honduras camp has already started and they have a friendly v Colombia on Sunday in Florida 

There is definitely a risk vs reward for them. If they get multiple Covid cases throughout their team then this was the wrong decision. But if they stay negative then they have that extra training time and a friendly to prepare for the window.

 

Time will give us the answer.

[ag futbol]

Of course I would love Davies be available for these games and wish the kid a quick recovery, but this presents an opportunity for the remaining group to setup and continue much of the good work they started with the gold cup in the summer. 

Good opportunity for Ugbo to step in here I think. The use of a real target man helps our attack quite a bit and he’s playing with something to prove at the moment.

 

[CanadaFan123]

12 minutes ago, ag futbol said:

Of course I would love Davies be available for these games and wish the kid a quick recovery, but this presents an opportunity for the remaining group to setup and continue much of the good work they started with the gold cup in the summer. 

Good opportunity for Ugbo to step in here I think. The use of a real target man helps our attack quite a bit and he’s playing with something to prove at the moment.

 

Ugbo is not a target man, more like an advanced forward/poacher. 

 

[El Diego]

23 minutes ago, CanadaFan123 said:

Ugbo is not a target man, more like an advanced forward/poacher. 

 

Ah FM roles coming into the mainstream, I love it. Perhaps we should try using Larin in the ramdeuter role he seems to be occupying at Besiktas with Davies out?

[CanadaFan123]

2 minutes ago, El Diego said:

Ah FM roles coming into the mainstream, I love it. Perhaps we should try using Larin in the ramdeuter role he seems to be occupying at Besiktas with Davies out?

LOL - they just make a lot more sense than people saying he's a "9", which could mean a variety of roles. 

[narduch]

CSA confirms Davies out

 

[El Diego]

26 minutes ago, CanadaFan123 said:

LOL - they just make a lot more sense than people saying he's a "9", which could mean a variety of roles. 

I hear you, it's nice to have a common language

[Floortom]

we're still absolutely better than Honduras and El Salvador without Davies. Even the US is struggling with injuries - Gio and Weah are probably out. Their attack will not be formidable. We can grind out a draw or win.

All this to say 4-7 points is still totally reasonable and I would be very pleased if we went into the last window on 20+ points.

[CanadianSoccerFan]

 

[Yoginess]

I’m excited about the opportunity to go down to Honduras and win sans Davies.

 

phonzie is an absolute game changer (see vs Panama). However if there is one thing this team has shown us in the last year is that it can win through good team play. 
 

(Also #FH)

[Free kick]

On 1/13/2022 at 6:19 PM, Wayverider said:

Most of you still don't realize just how good we really are. F*&k this psychological-inferiority discussion of 'I'd trade a loss in this game if we could get a win in this one' or 'Oh I'm nervous, the central American jungles have been historically unkind to us' .... Look down, make sure you've got a set. Ok, we good, they are still there? Damn right, now let's go out and take 3 from every opponent we ever face. Let our players cherish those moments in games when they see the first glimpses of failure register on our opponent's faces because they can't handle this 21st century version of Canadian soccer. And then put your foot to their throats and crush them.

Ok, before I take too much flack I'm also a realist and know we are not going to take three points every single time we take the field. But we finally have a team good enough to take the approach I laid out above (every single time they take the field). As fans we need to start mirroring their expectations and expecting victories.

9 points next window!!!

But then, lets close down discussion forums and sports talk podcasts & radio 😄.  I dont think this is about having an inferiority complex or not because I am sure everyone here (most of us anyways) cheer like mad for a win in every game that we sit down to watch.  But like you said, its un realistic to win every game.   Its interesting to discuss the micro picture of looking at everything in a game by game basis versus the bigger picture of “qualifying for the world cup.  
 

Like everything else in life,  there is a set of narrow or micro objectives we set expect or set of ourselves and then there is there is the bigger picture.  And not all of the micro objectives carry the same weight with respect to achieving success in teh big picture.  When you go to work everyday, you hope and strive that you will get all your tasks and reports done perfectly that day because in the long term, they can impact the performance review you get at the end of year.  But you know that there are some that are more important to affecting your year end review than others.  You need to reflect on these. So you prioritized and manage your efforts.  Its doesnt mean you totally blow off or totally say “the hell with it” with some of those daily micro tasks.  
 

Something like an NBA, NHL season or a world cup qualifying campaign is no different.  Not every shift or every game is of the same importance or weight with regards to succeeding in the big picture.  And not every game has teh same importance. And having an eye on the big picture gives to sence of teh level of disappointment or satisfaction should be feel when you did well or poorly in a micro task.  
 

In the WCQ campaign each game is micro task.  And the big picture objective is Qualifying for the world cup.  You may strive for an A+ on 14 assignements and tests but you know realistically you’re are not get A+ on all but you know that your objective is to pass the course.  So whats wrong with having a discusion about the importance of each assignment or test in relation to you objective of passing the course?   Thats all i see here!  Interesting discussions of where we need to be in relation to the big picture.   Countries  (in soccer)  do this all the time, look at the history of Germany in international soccer,  did they win all the games in qualifying, group stage …etc when they won the WC?

So what wrong with a nice discussion about which games are more important,  whats the effort required and the payback and how does each impacts the big picture?  Where we need to be to meet our big picture goals?  Etc.  Many Soccer fans enjoy these discussions (eg.: Whats more important?  Beating Aruba versus beatingq Honduras in Honduras or Mecico at home?…etc etc).  we  are fans, we are not coaches or players in the dressing room.

 

Edited January 15, 2022 by Free kick

[jordan]

Hoilett left the game injured.

[Floortom]

2 minutes ago, jordan said:

Hoilett left the game injured.

What happened ?

[jordan]

1 minute ago, Floortom said:

What happened ?

He walked off the pitch so that’s probably a plus. But this guy wrote he was holding hamstring/back of knee

 

[Hawkguy]

3 minutes ago, Floortom said:

What happened ?

https://twitter.com/BenjyNurick/status/1482385737878315016?s=20

[archer21]

4 minutes ago, jordan said:

He walked off the pitch so that’s probably a plus. But this guy wrote he was holding hamstring/back of knee

 

Terrible news. I was expecting Hoilett to play a big role with Davies out. Thankfully we still have more options on the wing (Millar, Corbeanu). Could lead to more time for Oso as well if we need someone to play between the lines. 

[Floortom]

Bad news since he was just out 2 months with a hamstring injury. Fingers crossed he will be ok in 2 weeks time 

[EJsens1]

7 minutes ago, archer21 said:

Terrible news. I was expecting Hoilett to play a big role with Davies out. Thankfully we still have more options on the wing (Millar, Corbeanu). Could lead to more time for Oso as well if we need someone to play between the lines. 

Arfield baby, Arfield!!