WCQ: Honduras vs Canada - Thursday, Jan 27, 8pm EST / 5pm Pacific - San Pedro Sula, Honduras

[David Pinto]

44 minutes ago, scullion44 said:

Borjan shared a story on insta of a projected lineup, even if that ends up not being the lineup what a weird thing to share 

 

Adekugbe-Miller-Vitoria-Johnston

Buchanan-Hutchinson-Kaye-Lareya

Larin-David

Can easily be shifted into a 5-2-3 as well. 

 

I think this may be slightly out of order as I assume johnston/richie are the right side and adekube is the left

[EJsens1]

Game day baby..from today through next Wednesday, it’s such an amazing time and also such a stressful time.  I remember someone wrote this a couple months back, but this is such a unique qualifying journey, in that it’s an 8 team ‘hex’, we’ll automatically qualify next tournament and in ‘26 and beyond, top 5 teams will get in, making it much easier to qualify. The line between winning and losing in this edition of qualifying is astronomical.  We’ll never experience this again and in 2 months (or less hopefully in a good way!!) we’ll know our fate.  What a time to be a supporter of the Mens program 

[Kingston]

10 minutes ago, EJsens1 said:

Game day baby..from today through next Wednesday, it’s such an amazing time and also such a stressful time.  I remember someone wrote this a couple months back, but this is such a unique qualifying journey, in that it’s an 8 team ‘hex’, we’ll automatically qualify next tournament and in ‘26 and beyond, top 5 teams will get in, making it much easier to qualify. The line between winning and losing in this edition of qualifying is astronomical.  We’ll never experience this again and in 2 months (or less hopefully in a good way!!) we’ll know our fate.  What a time to be a supporter of the Mens program 

I agree.  There's an excitement about this WCQ that is unique.  (Although it is six spots for CONCACAF going forward, no?)

Edited January 27, 2022 by Kingston

[EJsens1]

11 minutes ago, Kingston said:

I agree.  There's an excitement about this WCQ that is unique.  (Although it is six spots for CONCACAF going forward, no?)

I thought it was 5 automatic and one playoff spot.  I could certainly be wrong.  It happens a lot..

[Ally McCoist]

19 minutes ago, EJsens1 said:

I thought it was 5 automatic and one playoff spot.  I could certainly be wrong.  It happens a lot..

It's actually 6 guaranteed spots with a potential extra 2 from a "Playoff tournament". As per Wikipedia:  

> A playoff tournament involving six teams will be held to decide the last two FIFA World Cup berths,^[20] consisting of one team per confederation (except for UEFA) and one additional team from the confederation of the host countries (i.e., CONCACAF).  

Canada will 100% be a staple team in World Cups moving forward. These are exciting times for us.

Edited January 27, 2022 by Ally McCoist

[narduch]

I'm pretty sure the 2026 spots are not confirmed yet.

We still don't know if Canada will auto qualify

Whatever happens this will probably be the only ever Octagonal. 

They will for sure need a new format for 2026 and beyond 

[jonovision]

1 minute ago, narduch said:

I'm pretty sure the 2026 spots are not confirmed yet.

We still don't know if Canada will auto qualify

Whatever happens this will probably be the only ever Octagonal. 

They will for sure need a new format for 2026 and beyond 

For sure. Hopefully one that allows at least the middle class of CONCACAF (Cuba, Guatemala, Haiti, Nicaragua, etc.) to play a few more important matches.

[archer21]

32 minutes ago, jonovision said:

For sure. Hopefully one that allows at least the middle class of CONCACAF (Cuba, Guatemala, Haiti, Nicaragua, etc.) to play a few more important matches.

I agree, I would like to know how Curacao, Haiti, Suriname, etc could do against some of these teams. Curacao nearly made it to the Ocho over Panama, so it’s possible they’d be doing just as well had they qualified.

[canadasoccer20]

I know it's only thursday but I have already mailed it in for the rest of the week....... it's GAME DAY BABY

[QBCS]

55 minutes ago, narduch said:

I'm pretty sure the 2026 spots are not confirmed yet.

We still don't know if Canada will auto qualify

Whatever happens this will probably be the only ever Octagonal. 

They will for sure need a new format for 2026 and beyond 

If Canada, the US and Mexico auto qualify how does that work for the rest of concacaf? Would it be 1 auto qualify and 1 playoff? 

[finchster]

I want this win more than any other. Beat Honduras in Honduras, and the ghosts of the past are truly gone.

[dyslexic nam]

23 minutes ago, finchster said:

I want this win more than any other. Beat Honduras in Honduras, and the ghosts of the past are truly gone.

Honestly for me it isn’t even about the revenge mission.  Don’t get me wrong - it would be great.   But I am still all about the long game.  Three points tonight would be a fantastic start to a potential 6-9 point window that would pretty much see us in Qatar.  The best revenge will be seeing a bunch of our guys taking the pitch at the WC while Hondurans are home pissing in bags in anticipation of the next cycle.  

Edited January 27, 2022 by dyslexic nam

[lamptern]

46 minutes ago, dyslexic nam said:

Honestly for me it isn’t even about the revenge mission.  Don’t get me wrong - it would be great.   But I am still all about the long game.  Three points tonight would be a fantastic start to a potential 6-9 point window that would pretty much see us in Qatar.  The best revenge will be seeing a bunch of our guys taking the pitch at the WC while Hondurans are home pissing in bags in anticipation of the next cycle.  

Agreed. 

And I am seeing this game as one stone three birds.

A win in San  Pendro Sula

1. will boost our qualifying opportunity. 

2. Get the monkey (or the demon what so ever) off our shoulder when play in Central America 

3. Hs have 10 more months to collect more pee. 

 

[frmr]

2 hours ago, EJsens1 said:

Game day baby..from today through next Wednesday, it’s such an amazing time and also such a stressful time.  I remember someone wrote this a couple months back, but this is such a unique qualifying journey, in that it’s an 8 team ‘hex’, we’ll automatically qualify next tournament and in ‘26 and beyond, top 5 teams will get in, making it much easier to qualify. The line between winning and losing in this edition of qualifying is astronomical.  We’ll never experience this again and in 2 months (or less hopefully in a good way!!) we’ll know our fate.  What a time to be a supporter of the Mens program 

Hear hear.

[Yoginess]

I’m ready 

[gator]

I'm nervous as hell already, that is normal for me on game day no matter who and where we are playing, it is all about starting the window off with a win tonight, that will be enough revenge for me! I do remember the last time we won there in 85, I had to work that day and recorded the match on my Betamax to watch when I got home, my Dad had left about 6 messages on my answering machine (remember them?) I didn't listen but figured it was good news and it sure was as we snuck out a 1 nil win which set us up to qualify for Mexico 86! More of the same tonight please!

[youllneverwalkalone]

[Unnamed Trialist]

3 hours ago, narduch said:

I'm pretty sure the 2026 spots are not confirmed yet.

We still don't know if Canada will auto qualify

Whatever happens this will probably be the only ever Octagonal. 

They will for sure need a new format for 2026 and beyond 

Folks just assume we qualify, and do not realise you are right. There is no confirmation at all. The CSA made a deal to host without hinging it on automatic qualification, which is simply one of the most incompetent negotiations in the recent history of world football. Always the dupes.

Then we have a CSA unable to get our potential host cities to pin down their committment, and then perfect venues not bidding, referring to BC Place and Vancouver, which shows how totally amateur the BCSA are. How can you not lobby your ass off for that? So we have not one confirmed stadium in conditions, and the only national soccer entity in a hundred years to even think about hosting without qualifying its national team. 

[narduch]

8 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Folks just assume we qualify, and do not realise you are right. There is no confirmation at all. The CSA made a deal to host without hinging it on automatic qualification, which is simply one of the most incompetent negotiations in the recent history of world football. Always the dupes.

Then we have a CSA unable to get our potential host cities to pin down their committment, and then perfect venues not bidding, referring to BC Place and Vancouver, which shows how totally amateur the BCSA are. How can you not lobby your ass off for that? So we have not one confirmed stadium in conditions, and the only national soccer entity in a hundred years to even think about hosting without qualifying its national team. 

I know this is off topic, but the fact that we aren't building a nice new stadium somewhere as part of hosting is a travesty. 

For example this would have been a good time to get Vancouver an outdoor natural grass stadium.

Feels like we are squandering an opportunity 

Edited January 27, 2022 by narduch

[scullion44]

I’m seeing so much different information about the allowed capacity for tonight. Does anyone know what it officially is? 50% 100%?

[CanadaFan123]

Just now, scullion44 said:

I’m seeing so much different information about the allowed capacity for tonight. Does anyone know what it officially is? 50% 100%?

I read 60%. I don't think it matters much anyhow because they're not likely to sell out.

[canuckgbp]

Platt has the same lineup projection that Borjan instagram had...

 

[Unnamed Trialist]

1 minute ago, canuckgbp said:

Platt has the same lineup projection that Borjan instagram had...

I'm good with it, with one exception.

Eventually David and Larin are going to have to learn to click, why not now?

Tajon where they had him last week at Bruges, on his wrong side. Also the side he scored against Mexico from in the GC. 

Since the other side of the middle is often attacking, or at least uncertain (Laryea can be a loose screw sometimes), we have a four-man backline to hold things down, where the outside backs don't need to progress that much. 

We are missing someone to connect well with the strikers, MAK will have to hold to release Atiba at times to play that role. 

I'd put Kennedy in over Miller, who is out of season. I suppose if we go this way it has to do with Steven and Kamal having that chemistry that Kennedy has not gotten yet with the Nats. 

 

[Treppy2]

4 hours ago, EJsens1 said:

Game day baby..from today through next Wednesday, it’s such an amazing time and also such a stressful time.  I remember someone wrote this a couple months back, but this is such a unique qualifying journey, in that it’s an 8 team ‘hex’, we’ll automatically qualify next tournament and in ‘26 and beyond, top 5 teams will get in, making it much easier to qualify. The line between winning and losing in this edition of qualifying is astronomical.  We’ll never experience this again and in 2 months (or less hopefully in a good way!!) we’ll know our fate.  What a time to be a supporter of the Mens program 

Hopefully by Wednesday, your “All-purpose Going to Qatar” thread will be “Hot”!

[AvroArrow]

Just three questions on the David-Larin starting up top together:

1.  How often have we done this?  We tried this the last time against Honduras and it didn't go well.

2.  If we have done this in the past, have we had a game where things clicked?

3.  Would they be playing side by side or would David drop back behind Larin?

 

Would love to see this work well.  Gives us another option going forward.

Edit:  Had to add another question. 

Edited January 27, 2022 by AvroArrow