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

[jonovision]

1 minute ago, AvroArrow said:

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.

I rewatched a fair bit of the first CAN-HON match. It "didn't go well" in the sense that we didn't win the game or score any goals from open play. But both players had plenty of chances, and at times linked up well together. 

[Obinna]

18 minutes ago, AvroArrow said:

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. 

We started both against Haiti in the second leg if I am not mistaken. In my opinion the signs were promising. I have been a proponent of them playing together for some time now and feel that people are making too big a deal about them occupying the same space and/or getting into each others way. I am not sure they are the most natural fit (either with Ugbo may be more natural - which I have also mentioned), but I still believe they can form a very good partnership with more reps and familiarity. 

Edit: To your third question, they would interchange and this is where I see the potential and value in pairing them together. Herdman loves fluidity and if he can get them interchanging it makes things harder for the opponent to focus on each of them exclusively, if you know what I mean. 

Edited January 27, 2022 by Obinna

[Treppy2]

Sending support and good vibes from today's skate on the Rideau Canal in Ottawa. LET'S GO!

See all you guys in Hamilton.

[gator]

1 minute ago, Treppy2 said:

Sending support and good vibes from today's skate on the Rideau Canal in Ottawa. LET'S GO!

See all you guys in Hamilton.

Those look like serious speed skating skates, I bet they are fun on the canal, I have some good Graf hockey skates that would probably be ok too, I want to skate the canal some time and get one of those Beaver Tail things, it's on my list!

[frmr]

Luckily I have a project being unveiled at the NBA All Star Game (humble brag) and am under the crunch so I don't have my usual time to spend perusing this forum and Twitter getting nervous for the game. It's a blessing during what is usually a very anxious build up to these final qualifying games. I'll see you all at game time.

(who am I kidding, I'll still be posting)

[Approve My Account Pls]

15 minutes ago, jonovision said:

I rewatched a fair bit of the first CAN-HON match. It "didn't go well" in the sense that we didn't win the game or score any goals from open play. But both players had plenty of chances, and at times linked up well together. 

Precisely this, I watched it back recently as well. It wasn't for lack of chances but more-so lack of finishing. Also there's a lot of other contributors - this was our first and only match starting Davies, Larin, David, and Buchanan. Quite frankly Buchanan was quite poor in this match, the offence picked up substantially when Hoilett took his place. Also this was the first time that Eustaquio and Hutch played in the middle together and there was a clear lack of chemistry at the time. In general, that first match to me was us being nervous with the first game in the octagonal and a lot of working out kinks which should be done by now.

Edited January 27, 2022 by Approve My Account Pls

[Approve My Account Pls]

5 minutes ago, frmr said:

Luckily I have a project being unveiled at the NBA All Star Game (humble brag) and am under the crunch so I don't have my usual time to spend perusing this forum and Twitter getting nervous for the game. It's a blessing during what is usually a very anxious build up to these final qualifying games. I'll see you all at game time.

(who am I kidding, I'll still be posting)

Any inside scoop on if any of our boys will get named 👀

[frmr]

4 minutes ago, Approve My Account Pls said:

Any inside scoop on if any of our boys will get named 👀

Not only do I not have an inside scoop, I don't even have an outside scoop.

[EJsens1]

3 minutes ago, Approve My Account Pls said:

Precisely this, I watched it back recently as well. It wasn't for lack of chances but more-so lack of finishing. Also there's a lot of other contributors - this was our first match starting Davies, Larin, David, and Buchanan. Quite frankly Buchanan was quite poor in this match, the offence picked up substantially when Hoilett took his place. Also this was the first time that Eustaquio and Hutch played in the middle together and there was a clear lack of chemistry at the time. In general, that first match to me was us being nervous with the first game in the octagonal and a lot of working out kinks which should be done by now.

This is pretty much spot on.  The thing I take out of that game now in hindsight, was it a combination of us underachieving or them overachieving?  After the first 15 minutes I thought Honduras looked really sharp, but the game did shift early second. 

[Kent]

1 hour 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 agree with most of what you are saying but for the part I highlighted in bold I think you are forgetting about Mexico (and I guess technically USA as well).

For everyone that says definitively that every World Cup host ever has been auto-qualified so we will too, I counter by saying every other host has had 50% to 100% of the games, not just 12.5% like the plan for us.

[Treppy2]

16 minutes ago, gator said:

Those look like serious speed skating skates, I bet they are fun on the canal, I have some good Graf hockey skates that would probably be ok too, I want to skate the canal some time and get one of those Beaver Tail things, it's on my list!

Let me know next time you're in Ottawa - the BeaverTails are on me.

Skating nearly 8km with barely needing to make a turn is one of the best things in the world. I imagine it's not a thing in most of the world, but lots of people on the canal use longblades like the ones I'm wearing. You use your cross-country ski boots and step into a regular cross-country binding mounted on top of a, well, long blade. Hockey skates work perfectly fine on the canal, too.

[Unnamed Trialist]

9 minutes ago, Kent said:

I agree with most of what you are saying but for the part I highlighted in bold I think you are forgetting about Mexico (and I guess technically USA as well).

For everyone that says definitively that every World Cup host ever has been auto-qualified so we will too, I counter by saying every other host has had 50% to 100% of the games, not just 12.5% like the plan for us.

Which is why it was a very bad deal to sign on our part. 

EDIT: I just posted something longer but prefer to not let this thread get off track. It's game day, I had an amazing nap and am just feeling nervous and feisty. But better to focus on the match.

Edited January 27, 2022 by Unnamed Trialist

[AvroArrow]

37 minutes ago, Obinna said:

Edit: To your third question, they would interchange and this is where I see the potential and value in pairing them together. Herdman loves fluidity and if he can get them interchanging it makes things harder for the opponent to focus on each of them exclusively, if you know what I mean. 

Makes sense to me.  Neither of these two are your stereotypical big target men, so a more fluid two striker system makes sense, but playing this type of system at this high of a level is not as common as it used to be.

[theaub]

Let's be honest, Canada and Mexico were tacked on as hosts to soften the blow of a Trump-led World Cup bid.  Its a US tournament.

[cornerkick]

Anyone reading Craig Forrest’s comments on the game?  I gotta think this really is one of the better chances, if not the best, we’ve had to get 3 points in Honduras.  

 

 

[theaub]

Reminds me of El Salvador in 2015...thankfully we have a progressive manager now and not a dinosaur.

[Free kick]

1 hour ago, AvroArrow said:

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. 

in the first game versus HON in Sept both played up front.  I thought there was a chemistry problem and this was one reason for the less than optimal result.

[gator]

The whole team looked like they hadn't played together in that first match at BMO, at least for the first part, how often do you see Atiba with multiple giveaways in a half! Herdman's swap the wingers move backfired and gifted them a penalty which seemed to wake us up and we were maybe unlucky not to win that match! With the team more settled I think the Larin/David partnership is bound to click as long as we can get control of the midfield and get some service to them, that is my biggest concern!

[cornerkick]

3 minutes ago, gator said:

The whole team looked like they hadn't played together in that first match at BMO, at least for the first part, how often do you see Atiba with multiple giveaways in a half! Herdman's swap the wingers move backfired and gifted them a penalty which seemed to wake us up and we were maybe unlucky not to win that match! With the team more settled I think the Larin/David partnership is bound to click as long as we can get control of the midfield and get some service to them, that is my biggest concern!

Yeah, the first half wasn’t great but chalk it up to game 1 nerves….look how far they’ve progressed since then.  

[frmr]

I don't care if most of the country is focusing on political matters, the players won't be and that's all that matters. I'm not liking this overconfidence, it seems like bad juju. A quiet confidence sure, but Honduras is not going to roll over for us.

[CCrTFC]

What's going on politically? 

[jonovision]

1 minute ago, CCrTFC said:

What's going on politically? 

New (female) president sworn in today after the previous one resign in scandal.

[Joe MacCarthy]

15 minutes ago, frmr said:

I'm not liking this overconfidence, it seems like bad juju. A quiet confidence sure, but Honduras is not going to roll over for us.

I don't think any major pundits are saying that, Forrest is just saying if there was ever a good opportunity it is now.

[gator]

19 minutes ago, frmr said:

I don't care if most of the country is focusing on political matters, the players won't be and that's all that matters. I'm not liking this overconfidence, it seems like bad juju. A quiet confidence sure, but Honduras is not going to roll over for us.

I don't think our players will be overconfident with none of them ever playing on anything but a losing side in Honduras, if the swearing in of a new president and lacklustre performances by the team so far means a smaller less robust and intimidating crowd that is a good thing! I sure as hell am not overconfident!😟

[JohnnyFranchise]

interesting to see ollie platt talk about 4 or 5 points being a good window for us. we definitely have set ourselves up to the point where we can afford a loss somewhere in there, but anything less than 6 points would be a disappointment to me. not standings-wise, but because we should beat the states at home and el salvador in the third matchday of a window with their absolute lack of depth.