Camp Poutine 2022: Canada vs. Guatemala Friendly in Miami - Jan 22 ahead of the next World Cup Qualifying window.

[Shway]

Just now, VinceA said:

Could be an opportunity for someone like Bustos to put up or shut up. 

Wait...he's been talking? is he even healthy?

[Kadenge]

49 minutes ago, dyslexic nam said:

I have no idea, but we would be crazy if we didn’t at least invite them and see what they think.  I guess it wouldn’t be quite the same as having them rub shoulders with our very best players but there might be enough overlap that they could cross paths.  

 

It's crucially  important If we call in Jebbo, Flores, Dias etc that they  train and spend time with our top young players esp Davies, David & Tajon as well as Staq, Atiba, Borjan etc. Gotta make your best sales presentation. Not much point in going half in. 

Edited November 29, 2021 by Kadenge

[Obinna]

28 minutes ago, El Hombre said:

I don't understand this.  The majority of players that would be going to Honduras will be playing with their club teams the weekend of this game.  I think you would have to have a number of players that aren't expected to go to Honduras in order to make up a team to play Guatemala.  And I think Nelsen and Okello are the exact type of players that would get the call.  I hope to see some CPL players there.

I know what you mean. 

We're going to need to dip into our pool, just to have sufficient camp numbers, but I don't think we're going to reach deep enough to call those players. 

MLS Core players: Kaye, Osorio, Piette, Laryea, Cavallini, Crepeau, Johnston, Miller

MLS Quasi-core players: Brault-Guillard, Fraser, Schaffleburg, Pantemis, Akinola

That's 13...

Then as @Shwayeludes to, you have a handful of the off season European players who may be called: Borjan, Ennin, possibly a Corbeanu, who knows.

Finally, you have the dual nationals. Could get some or none of these, but Jebbison, Flores, Dias, and Mitrovic are some of the possibilities. 

That could very well bring us up to 20 

After this, you then supplement with the most "ready" domestic guys left over. Gutierrez, Priso, Bassong, Waterman, Choniere are at top of the list for me.

After that, you then get into the guys like Nelson, Okello, Bair, etc. I just don't think we'll get THAT far down the quality trail...

Maybe we will get a few seasoned players in specifically for training, such as Chapman and Akindele, hell maybe even Teibert. Edwards is still only 26 as well, not that I am necessarily advocating for him or any of those others...

 

Edited November 29, 2021 by Obinna

[Obinna]

9 minutes ago, Kadenge said:

It's crucially  important If we call in Jebbo, Flores, Dias etc that they  train and spend time with our top young players esp Davies, David & Tajon as well as Staq, Atiba, Borjan etc. Gotta make your best sales presentation. Not much point in going half in. 

Haven't looked too closely at how the schedules line up, but I imagine they'll be joining the rest of the group in Florida before they head to San Pedro Sula. We probably fly in and out and stay for as little time as possible. 

Theoretically, they'd get their chance to train with the studs if it plays out that way.

[dyslexic nam]

10 minutes ago, Obinna said:

Haven't looked too closely at how the schedules line up, but I imagine they'll be joining the rest of the group in Florida before they head to San Pedro Sula. We probably fly in and out and stay for as little time as possible. 

Theoretically, they'd get their chance to train with the studs if it plays out that way.

That is what I am thinking.  Get the duals in for a camp and a non-committal friendly if they will come, and then let them train with the big guns for a few days before the boys leave for Honduras.  It would be a decent sales pitch for sure.  

Edited November 29, 2021 by dyslexic nam

[rydermike]

Where/how did the camp poutine name originate? I love the name, but genuinely curious where/when it started

[Obinna]

1 minute ago, dyslexic nam said:

That is what I am thinking.  Get the duals in for a camp and a non-committal friendly if they will come, and then let them train with the big guns for a few days before the boys leave for Honduras.  It would be a decent sales pitch for sure.  

A non-committal friendly would be massive for the recruitment push. Beats simply training and then flying home, I imagine. 

I tend to prefer us having official friendlies, but in this case we are better off keeping it unofficial. 

[Approve My Account Pls]

45 minutes ago, Shway said:

I think this team will have an equal European feel to it with guys like Corbeanu, Enin, Paton, Amanda, Halbouni, Sturing and Brym.

I was just about to say, no ones been bringing up these names. Would be very interested to see all the guys we haven't seen but have talked about for a while

[narduch]

45 minutes ago, Shway said:

Agreed @Obinna

Let's look at the guys who are active in Europe and are our main guys.

Davies, David, Larin, Hutchinson, Vitoria, Kennedy, Buchanan, Henry, Borjan, Ugbo, Eustaqiuo, Wotherspoon, Hoilett, Adekugbe, Corneilius, Millar = 16 guys who I foresee won't be at this camp

Henry will be in his off season. 

Borjan and Millar will be on a winter break 

[Obinna]

10 minutes ago, rydermike said:

Where/how did the camp poutine name originate? I love the name, but genuinely curious where/when it started

It's a play on Camp Cupcake, which is the American equivalent of these domestic, winter camps. It's a chance for the Americans to expand their player pool and unearth some diamonds in MLS, but such players wouldn't typically be part of the best selection, hence the name "Cupcake".

When we started to have these type of camps, someone coined the term "Camp Poutine" and it stuck. 

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

43 minutes ago, rydermike said:

Where/how did the camp poutine name originate? I love the name, but genuinely curious where/when it started

The origin story:

The #USMNT fans started calling their January / early February Camp for (mostly) MLS guys Camp Cupcake.

Cupcake in the pejorative sense; this is because this is the "easy" camp because the big guns are stuck playing in Europe.

They still call it that:

https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/camp-cupcake-jan-2022.2117979/

 

In 2014 poster @Yohan (what is his current forum name or real name?) said, why not name our January camp for (mostly) MLS and unattached players after a food as well? Poutine to make it Canadian.

So it was a hardcore fan "inside joke"/"rip-off" of the US name.

Edit: @Obinna beat me to the answer but I've added a few more details.

Edit 2: The mods merged the threads the other way so @Cblake you've got to edit the Camp Poutine back into the beginning of the title! 

Edited November 29, 2021 by Olympique_de_Marseille

[rydermike]

Thanks @Obinna and @Olympique_de_Marseille! 

[johnyb]

My guess is Herdman is thinking this would be a way to give out of season guys a full camp and a game to get their legs back in game shape before the Europeans show up. 

[TGAA_Star]

I wonder if this friendly will also help boost our FIFA World ranking should we win this

[Shway]

10 minutes ago, TGAA_Star said:

I wonder if this friendly will also help boost our FIFA World ranking should we win this

Of course everything helps, as long as its an official friendly.

This time last year we had point experts figuring out how we could catch El Salvador to get into the Hex, and look at us now...

[Cblake]

3 hours ago, Shway said:

Agreed @Obinna

Let's look at the guys who are active in Europe and are our main guys.

Davies, David, Larin, Hutchinson, Vitoria, Kennedy, Buchanan, Henry, Borjan, Ugbo, Eustaqiuo, Wotherspoon, Hoilett, Adekugbe, Corneilius, Millar = 16 guys who I foresee won't be at this camp, but will meet in Honduras.

I don't see a wide list of NA players (as @Cblake mentioned) in this camp considering they will be out of season, and this camp has a different importance - seeing who's ready to fill in where needed.

So I suspect we'll see the main regulars in Osorio, Kaye, Crepeau, Johnston, Laryea, Miller, Cavallini, Piette, (that's 8 guys) and add some of the fringe guys, and MLS guys in Fraser, Shaffelburg, ZBG, Pantemis, Breza, St. Clair, Waterman, Pasher (8 guys)

I think this team will have an equal European feel to it with guys like Corbeanu, Enin, Paton, Amanda, Halbouni, Sturing and Brym. Throw in the potential return of Captain Canada and that brings the number even higher while not mentioning the possible dual appearances from Dias, Mitrovic, Flores, or DJ. 

...if we're calling in guys like JMR, Nelson, or Morgan...i'll have to question the significance considering the minutes they played this year.

 

9 of the 23 who were called in for the November WCQs are in MLS. Unless a Euro team is on winter break a said player like Corbeanu will not be available prior to the release date for the qualifiers. For instances both Bayern Munich and Lille play on Sunday, Jan 23rd to give an idea on when the Euro guys will be heading this way. So to have 11 v 11 in the early part of camp leading into the Guatemala match some of the so-called fringe guys will be a part of it I figure. 

[Obinna]

11 minutes ago, TGAA_Star said:

I wonder if this friendly will also help boost our FIFA World ranking should we win this

Not if it’s unofficial. That’s why I prefer official matches. However, it is unofficial, and should we call players like Jebbison or Flores, they could play in the friendly and keep their eligibility for England and Mexico open.

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

2 hours ago, TGAA_Star said:

I wonder if this friendly will also help boost our FIFA World ranking should we win this

Yes; if we win, it would boost our ranking. Maybe 2½ points or so I'd guess off the top of my head but perhaps @Jedi Ram or @maplebanana can give us the exact amount.

Edited November 30, 2021 by Olympique_de_Marseille

[Cblake]

1 minute ago, Obinna said:

Not if it’s unofficial. That’s why I prefer official matches. However, it is unofficial, and should we call players like Jebbison or Flores, they could play in the friendly and keep their eligibility for England and Mexico open.

I think you meant if , right? Nothing  I have read suggests this would be unofficial which means it nothing more than a training group scrimmage,. 

[maplebanana]

9 minutes ago, Olympique_de_Marseille said:

Yes; if we win, it would boost our ranking. Maybe 2½ points so I'd guess off the top of my head but perhaps @Jedi Ram or @maplebanana can give us the exact amount.

I feel like someone just lit up the math symbol into the sky, summoning a dorky Batman. But I'm all for it.

W/D/L = +1.12 / -1.38 / -3.88

This is assuming neither Canada nor Guatemala play any games between now and then. Also this is for a friendly outside of international window, which I think this would be. If I'm wrong and it's inside, double all these numbers.

As to our ranking, we are 3.3 pts behind Hungary and 6.9 pts ahead of Norway. So this friendly would not move our ranking in any way. 

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

1 hour ago, maplebanana said:

I feel like someone just lit up the math symbol into the sky, summoning a dorky Batman. But I'm all for it. 

Haha, thanks for answering my summons.

1 hour ago, maplebanana said:

...this is for a friendly outside of international window...

It's outside the window.

1 hour ago, maplebanana said:

W/D/L = +1.12 / -1.38 / -3.88

Wow, this is way less than I guessed. Maybe I was thinking of friendlies within a window. It is like what we got per match against Barbados at Camp Poutine 2020.

Edited November 30, 2021 by Olympique_de_Marseille

[Obinna]

52 minutes ago, Cblake said:

I think you meant if , right? Nothing  I have read suggests this would be unofficial which means it nothing more than a training group scrimmage,. 

Yup was a typo!

[rydermike]

Probably would be a smaller camp, maybe 18-20 guys instead of a full 23 man roster, since the Euros will join after. Probably 2 keepers (unless Borjan can join in which case could have 3). No need for a full 23 if it a one match, since Davies and co will join in a few days. Call 18-20 and let everyone play in the match.

[Cblake]

51 minutes ago, rydermike said:

Probably would be a smaller camp, maybe 18-20 guys instead of a full 23 man roster, since the Euros will join after. Probably 2 keepers (unless Borjan can join in which case could have 3). No need for a full 23 if it a one match, since Davies and co will join in a few days. Call 18-20 and let everyone play in the match.

Most of the Euro guys will be arriving after their matches on weekend of Jan 22-23 ahead of the WCQ. Depending on how early the camp for the rest of the of the guys begins, having a full compliment of players will be important especially if you want as I sure Herdman will , having 11v 11 in training. I think you have to look at this as two rosters, the camp one which takes you up to the Guatemala game and the WCQ roster than comes into play on the 24th as all the Euro guys arrive. 

This being a three game window, I think it will be important to have a compliment of 26-27 players at your disposal with all that travel over such a short period of time, it will be a grind, especially being in the different climates of Honduras and El Salvador coupled with Hamilton. Injuries, knocks could come into play and I think it will be best to avoid having to call in guys last minute. 

[rydermike]

Fair enough for the 11v11 in training ahead of Guatemala. I hadn't considered that. I agree with the 26-27 roster for the latter part of camp (that's where I was going with the smaller camp, because the reinforcements would push us to that larger number without having to send many guys home, most could just stay and we'd have a roster in the upper 20s.