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

[narduch]

I actually think it may be beneficial to give the MLS guys the entire month of December off.

They need some sort of a break and some time to rest and recuperate. They may not get anymore time off if we do qualify.

Reconvene in early January and run a domestic camp leading up to the January 27 game.

 

[Kadenge]

8 minutes ago, narduch said:

Personally think we are over-stating this problem.

2 of our opponents will have the same issues. Honduras and El Salvador's leagues will both be off too. And they have tons of domestic players on their rosters.

The US will also have this problem, to a lesser extent.

I"ve been thinking about this and I think we still need to call in our best MLS players. They are too important. Sure sprinkler in a few extra Euro based players from leagues that are still playing.

 

we need every advantage over Honduras & ES away. They may be at the bottom of the standings but it's CA and time to exorcise our past demons. 6 points from those 2 games will be massive. Agree that none of our starters from MLS will be dropped but we may see some changes with the fringe MLS squad players. In any event we need to increase our squad size with more Euro based players

[frattinator]

How likely are we going to see a closed door friendly with the camp poutine participants so that they get some game action for the MLS folks prior to the Jan 27 match? I’ll take a match in Florida against T&T or Guatemala just so players like Laryea gets some game time.

[canuckgbp]

I just hope this doesn't come down to money with regards to friendlies or an extended camp. Time to go all in and do everything possible to qualify. Which will reap the $$$. 

[dyslexic nam]

20 minutes ago, narduch said:

Personally think we are over-stating this problem.

2 of our opponents will have the same issues. Honduras and El Salvador's leagues will both be off too. And they have tons of domestic players on their rosters.

The US will also have this problem, to a lesser extent.

I"ve been thinking about this and I think we still need to call in our best MLS players. They are too important. Sure sprinkler in a few extra Euro based players from leagues that are still playing.

Just because other teams will also have these issues doesn’t mean we shouldn’t give our full attention.  We need to ensure we are doing everything we can to give ourselves an advantage.   I agree that the MLS guys will be important - I just don’t know how to weigh that against the in-season fringe Euro guys.  
 

12 minutes ago, mrstepp817 said:

Could Herdman and the CSA do something similar to what the US is doing where they call a December two-week camp for the MLS guys and play a friendly maybe against an island minnow? (US is playing Bosnia and Herzegovina) Then in January you bring the MLS based guys in earlier for an extended camp before the Jan window starts? 

Mayne I may over-estimating the logistics involved, but we are in the latter half of November.  You would think we need to get moving very quickly on something like this to have a chance of it coming together.   

It seems like every window there is a massive amount riding on preparations and outcomes (which is true) but the prep for the January window is huge.   With the excellent results of the last window, January could be the platform that launches us to Qatar.   We need to get this right.  

[narduch]

I wonder if they should just run a concurrent U20 camp and just use them as a sparing partner.

[Kadenge]

1 minute ago, canuckgbp said:

I just hope this doesn't come down to money with regards to friendlies or an extended camp. Time to go all in and do everything possible to qualify. Which will reap the $$$. 

not after ICETECA

[dyslexic nam]

4 minutes ago, canuckgbp said:

I just hope this doesn't come down to money with regards to friendlies or an extended camp. Time to go all in and do everything possible to qualify. Which will reap the $$$. 

If ever you were going to crack open the piggy bank, it seems like. Ow is the time.  The cash windfall from making the WC - and the subsequent surge in popularity that would result in additional revenue streams - justify putting a few more items on the Visa over the next two windows.  The players have done their part.  Herdman has done his part.   And the fans have done their part.  Now it is time for the bean-counters to step up to the plate and do theirs.  

[Sal333]

17 minutes ago, dyslexic nam said:

If ever you were going to crack open the piggy bank, it seems like. Ow is the time.  The cash windfall from making the WC - and the subsequent surge in popularity that would result in additional revenue streams - justify putting a few more items on the Visa over the next two windows.  The players have done their part.  Herdman has done his part.   And the fans have done their part.  Now it is time for the bean-counters to step up to the plate and do theirs.  

But the bean-cutters are doing their part. They're counting beans.

[Kadenge]

Many of us have speculated what would happen to our country/fanbase/media/corporate Canada etc if we made Qatar. I think we are getting a glimpse of that now....TV ratings, media saturation, sold out games. Corporate sponsors can't  be far away. I think I saw a new Corp sponsor (of Canada Soccer) advertise on the SN channel during the Mexico game. Just can't remember the name. It's happening guys. We just need to keep up the momentum in the next window

[Bison44]

46 minutes ago, narduch said:

I wonder if they should just run a concurrent U20 camp and just use them as a sparing partner.

Something like that would give them the perfect excuse to call in a bunch of dual youngsters that we have been obsessing about.  Put the call out, start the camp a week before the window, bring a bunch of young MLS kids to work out with the main squad.  We have to think big, look at the guys who have stepped up in the last 2 years.  Get the next gen guys in there like, Habibullah, Baldy, Rutty, Ferdinand, Breza, Sirois etc.  The BUZZ in there now, the CDN champ, Forge in CONCACAF, MLS and CPL playoffs...all of this is happening ASAP.  If we cant generate interest, expand the operations now..when the hell are we going to do it??  

[Kadenge]

This 4th window is our best opportunity to widen the points spread with Panama. They have CR & Jamaica who are on life support for  4th spot and Mexico away.  I am hoping  we pick up a min of 6 points. 7 would be great. I can't see Panama matching that. 

[gator]

I'm not sure if this has been posted anywhere but if we were to finish 4th it is one match in a neutral site:

 

[Lansdude]

58 minutes ago, Kadenge said:

Many of us have speculated what would happen to our country/fanbase/media/corporate Canada etc if we made Qatar. I think we are getting a glimpse of that now....TV ratings, media saturation, sold out games. Corporate sponsors can't  be far away. I think I saw a new Corp sponsor (of Canada Soccer) advertise on the SN channel during the Mexico game. Just can't remember the name. It's happening guys. We just need to keep up the momentum in the next window

There has been so much pent-up demand for a good men's team in this country. There has always been a ton of potential here but we didn't have the critical mass/met a standard of success for fans of foreign leagues and their/their parents/their grandparents to switch on to Canada. Now that we have that imo there's no going back. The amount of interest in this team has moved up an order of magnitude overnight. You don't want to get ahead of yourself but it's hard to imagine us ever going back to the status we had even two years ago. There's just so much momentum and attention now and the money is following. You love to see it, going to hear a lot of 'I liked that band before they were cool' type stuff lol.

[jonovision]

11 minutes ago, gator said:

I'm not sure if this has been posted anywhere but if we were to finish 4th it is one match in a neutral site:

 

Wow, that's sure going to suck for USA and their fans!

[Treppy2]

22 hours ago, CanadaFan123 said:

We're all in the same boat. The only thing that can save anyone is their depth - and we have a ton, while ES has little. Playing them on the 3rd matchday is a blessing.

To your point: I realize that Canada has played the last match of each window at home, but I think these results — showing all teams' results in the last match of the each window — show Canada's depth. 

Canada       W W W
US               W W D
Jamaica      D W D
Mexico        D W L
Panama       D L W
Costa Rica  D L W
Honduras    L D L
El Salvador  L D L
 

[footballfreak]

I’m having real difficulty loading this on mobile, but from what I can gather Maynor Figueroa might be done. After the game he had against Panama, I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.

https://www.diez.hn/eliminatoriasqatar2022/1502842-498/maynor-figueroa-habla-sobre-su-futuro-después-de-la-debacle-de-honduras

[Unnamed Trialist]

Totally against playing friendlies in January. Intersquad. 

10 days camp. In Florida say. Or 7 days. But that's a lot of work for the manager and team. Is it the NTs responsability to get players game fit? Should Herdman have to be these guys' personal trainer apart from worrying about beating Honduras? I'm not sure.

[El Hombre]

1 minute ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Totally against playing friendlies in January. Intersquad. 

10 days camp. In Florida say. Or 7 days. But that's a lot of work for the manager and team. Is it the NTs responsability to get players game fit? Should Herdman have to be these guys' personal trainer apart from worrying about beating Honduras? I'm not sure.

He's not responsible but neither are the clubs responsible to have these guys in game shape more than a month before their league kicks off.  I really like @narduch's idea of bringing a bunch of U20s.  Split the teams up so that there is a mix on both sides and run them for 60 to 75 minutes a couple times.

[Cblake]

22 hours ago, footballfreak said:

Success will be largely contingent on matching Panama’s results. A middle of the road expectation for them is probably 4 points. Extending our lead from 2 points to 3 would be huge for our chances. Really think 6 should be the goal, with 5 considered good enough. Hit Honduras with both barrels, try to salvage something from the US game with a partially rotated squad, then hit El Salvador just as hard. It doesn’t jibe with the usual strategy of winning at home, but the schedule dictates somewhat of a departure from dogma.

Disclaimer about how past results don’t dictate future performance... however, Honduras has not lost a competitive game to El Salvador in 7 games dating back to 2014. Honduras has not lost a Gold Cup game or World Cup qualifier to El Salvador since 1993. Honduras will desperately want to win that game at home even if it means nothing to them in terms of qualifying. There is a very good chance El Salvador are 8-13 points back and all but mathematically eliminated before we play them.

 

Not silly. But I think the whole team travels together. Setting aside personnel choices on match day, it’s beneficial for all of them to get the practice time together. Might make sense for a guy like Henry - long flight in, unlikely to see the field in Honduras, good chance he starts against the US.

 

East is the right call, but it still hurts for those of us in Vancouver. Hopefully we get a preparation friendly or Nations League game if we qualify.

Nation's League has a four match days in June. 

[dyslexic nam]

57 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Totally against playing friendlies in January. Intersquad. 

10 days camp. In Florida say. Or 7 days. But that's a lot of work for the manager and team. Is it the NTs responsability to get players game fit? Should Herdman have to be these guys' personal trainer apart from worrying about beating Honduras? I'm not sure.

I don’t think Herdman or the CSA are “responsible” for getting them into game-shape, and I don’t think anyone is really making that argument.   I think the idea is that it would be far better for our WCQ chances of our best guys enter the January window in the best shape possible.  I think a lot of our guys will want this so bad (and will absolutely want to keep their starting spot nailed down) that they will put the work in.  But the common belief is that no training can replicate the level of fitness and sharpness that comes from playing competitive games.  If we want to optimize our chances, training harder through intra-squad games in the buildup to the January games is one way of doing it - regardless of whose responsibility it is to stay fit.  

With proper preparation, the January window could almost seal the campaign.  I think we should be able to get 3 points in ES.  One more win from the other two games would put us on 22 points.   I know the goalposts keep moving in terms of the projected points needed, but we could almost book our spot in Qatar if we can win twice.  We should be doing absolutely anything possible to make that happen.  
 

[Kadenge]

I feel sorry for any team playing Mexico in this window

 

 

[footballfreak]

1 hour ago, Kadenge said:

I feel sorry for any team playing Mexico in this window

 

 

Would you look at that, they play Panama this window. How unfortunate for them.

 

Edited November 20, 2021 by footballfreak

[footballfreak]

Thinking a little about roster/lineup construction - I hope some weight goes to players who have previous experience in Central American conditions. Haiti and Jamaica are the only games we’ve played in his cycle that approximate what it’s like, and not every player will be able to cope equally. How well do our SPL guys adjust to 30C with humidity? Not saying it should be THE deciding factor, but It’s something worth consideration.

[JohnnyFranchise]

51 minutes ago, footballfreak said:

Thinking a little about roster/lineup construction - I hope some weight goes to players who have previous experience in Central American conditions. Haiti and Jamaica are the only games we’ve played in his cycle that approximate what it’s like, and not every player will be able to cope equally. How well do our SPL guys adjust to 30C with humidity? Not saying it should be THE deciding factor, but It’s something worth consideration.

Evening games and more subs should lessen the impact of the heat/humidity on the games. Bring the best players we've got, we'll be just fine.