Match Thread: CONCACAF U-20 - Group Stage - Canada v Cuba - June 18, 2022 - 8:30pm ET/5:30pm PT

[harrycoyster]

This squad isn't THIS bad, but qualification does not appear to be on the menu.

[Footyeh]

1 hour ago, El Hombre said:

Not sure about that.  This team is a hard team to crack.  Solid front to back.  I think it just shows the depth at this age.  (and I'm a big Habibullah fan)

Real depth lol.  The one who was a key player in the last youth team going to a world cup is the one that sits... that makes sense.

[Watchmen]

1 minute ago, Aird25 said:

Ugly. At least I have the Whitecaps on in the background 

The Whitecaps is the good game right now. Which is a hell of an indictment against the U20s.

[Fullback]

Definitely best to steer clear of this forum when there is a youth tourney going on. You are all being overly dramatic. 

As we all know success in a U20 tournament is a great indicator of... absolutely nothing

[Gian-Luca]

Nothing like spending 4 straight hours in frustration watching soccer….

[Soccerpro2]

1 minute ago, Fullback said:

Definitely best to steer clear of this forum when there is a youth tourney going on. You are all being overly dramatic. 

As we all know success in a U20 tournament is a great indicator of... absolutely nothing

The goal is to hopefully find a player that can play at a higher level within the Canadian system. 
 

[toontownman]

I know the heat is a factor and these guys havent played enough together.

However..We beat ourselves by not being switched on. Offering nothing on goal and were rightly beaten.

Physically we were outmuscled for 97 mins. Was men against boys too often.

Hopefully a wakeup call. St Kitts are more than capable of doing the same and if we yet spanked by the US our confidence levels will be in bad shape. 

We wanted to finish 3rd and get Mexico in the semis anyway right?

[TOcanadafan]

2 minutes ago, Soccerpro2 said:

The goal is to hopefully find a player that can play at a higher level within the Canadian system. 
 

Smith and Franklin.  Maybe Zouhir.

Edit: Knight-Lebel f’d up large but I think has some promise too.

Edited June 19, 2022 by TOcanadafan

[Soccerpro2]

We still have such a level or arrogance within our program that we put “MLS academy” beside a player’s name and expect them to be really good. 

[Jack1997]

Best squad we’ve had in years…this is embarrassing,I don’t care about the ref or the pitch the US just won 10-0 I would’ve expected at least 3 honestly smith was great but other than that it was pretty bad. Now we have to get a point against the US to make knockout stage and that would be a miracle after what I just watched. Ever since the 9 point window the whole of Canada soccer has been awful, loss to Costa Rica, loss to panama, Csa disputes, loss to Honduras, U20 loss to Cuba, what’s next? is all we can ask I guess.

[Shway]

2 hours ago, Shway said:

Definitely looks like the coaching staff aren’t trying to show their best hand for the second game.

 

I stated this, but the starting XI was a horrible decision. Why didn’t we have the best guys out there from the start?

The reality is, a lot of these guys are laying with eachother for the first time, while we know the Cuban team has been preparing.

Preparation is fucking key!

Im disappoint at the result, but I’m not shocked at how we looked. One camp with 6 guys of the final roster not at that camp.

We’re expecting revolutionary results, from the same ole bullshit.

[Colliedor]

I know chemistry may not be all there, but in the end of the day when you have players playing for much much bigger academies and playing pro minutes compared to the Cubans, there's just no excuse.

[toontownman]

Just now, TOcanadafan said:

Smith and Franklin.  Maybe Zouhir.

Franklin really stood out in that second half imo. Smith looked fine. Alexander did fine in goal too. 

[VinceA]

No matter what this team should have been prepared for Cuba.

The US will most likely hammer them. The US team is also filled with MLS players so don't give me this crap about MLS academies.

[Ally McCoist]

Good thing our men's national team players mostly have a good 10 years left in them. Gives us enough time to put together a better u20 squad with the upcoming kids.

[VinceA]

1 minute ago, Shway said:

I stated this, but the starting XI was a horrible decision. Why didn’t we have the best guys out there from the start?

The reality is, a lot of these guys are laying with eachother for the first time, while we know the Cuban team has been preparing.

Preparation is fucking key!

Im disappoint at the result, but I’m not shocked at how we looked. One camp with 6 guys of the final roster not at that camp.

We’re expecting revolutionary results, from the same ole bullshit.

Yep. Mexico and the US have had dozens of camps.

[VinceA]

Just now, Ally McCoist said:

Good thing our men's national team players mostly have a good 10 years left in them. Gives us enough time to put together a better u20 squad with the upcoming kids.

How many years have we been saying this lol.

[masster]

1 hour ago, Soccerpro2 said:

Smith looks very good. Everyone else? Meh.

We’re playing an even game with Cuba right now. Our USL “pros” and CPL players that rarely, if ever see the field in regular season CPL play are a tad overhyped on this forum.

You called it after 20 minutes.

My takeaway from that game is that there is 1 player on that roster for me to maybe be excited about with regards to an international future.

[harrycoyster]

5 minutes ago, Jack1997 said:

Best squad we’ve had in years…this is embarrassing,I don’t care about the ref or the pitch the US just won 10-0 I would’ve expected at least 3 honestly smith was great but other than that it was pretty bad. Now we have to get a point against the US to make knockout stage and that would be a miracle after what I just watched. Ever since the 9 point window the whole of Canada soccer has been awful, loss to Costa Rica, loss to panama, Csa disputes, loss to Honduras, U20 loss to Cuba, what’s next? is all we can ask I guess.

As long as we beat St. Kitts we very likely qualify for the knockouts but finishing third gives us a likely path of El Salvador, Mexico to qualification instead of Guatemala and Costa Rica.

Edited June 19, 2022 by harrycoyster

[Soccerpro2]

Just now, VinceA said:

Yep. Mexico and the US have had dozens of camps.

Previous cycles made a point of having lots of camps and pointing out how that would prepare players for the tournament environment. It didn’t work.

Lack of camps didn’t help, but why would it have changed things this time?

[Soccerpro2]

1 minute ago, masster said:

You called it after 20 minutes.

My takeaway from that game is that there is 1 player on that roster for me to maybe be excited about with regards to an international future.

It was blatantly obvious.

[Christian B.]

A few guys here mentioned the heat. It's 22 degrees Celsius in Tegucigalpa. I mean come on.....

[VinceA]

2 minutes ago, harrycoyster said:

As long as we beat St. Kitts we very likely qualify for the knockouts but finishing third gives us a likely path of El Salvador, Mexico to qualification instead of Guatemala and Costa Rica.

We lost to Cuba man I don't think it matters who we face from CA it's gonna be a rough time😆

[TOcanadafan]

I’ll say why others have said - So much arrogance by the coach to rest better players.  And without much prep, use the opening game to build some much needed chemistry.

[Jack1997]

5 minutes ago, harrycoyster said:

As long as we beat St. Kitts we very likely qualify for the knockouts but finishing third gives us a likely path of El Salvador, Mexico to qualification instead of Guatemala and Costa Rica.

Oh my bad I honestly never even looked at the rule book, just assumed it was the typical top 2 from group