Bahrain vs Canada - Friday, November 11th - 10:30am EST / 7:30am Pacific - Isa Town, Bahrain

[SpursFlu]

1 minute ago, jhoops__ said:

Doubt he sees the pitch in all honesty…

I dont know if you need a goal late and your desperately putting balls in to the box. Also if you're killing a game off he can grind alone up top, defend corners and burn off the clock by being a total prick. I think he'll see the pitch 100%

Even his fluky goal today. That's doesn't just happen by accident as it appears 

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

2 minutes ago, Craig11rm said:

I think I would play 3 in the midfield but my CM rankings would be 

Eustaquio 

Osorio

Hutchinson

Kone

Piette 

Choiniere 

Fraser 

Kaye

 

just got to find the right balance with those players. Admittedly I would rank Arfield #2 if he were included..

Wotherspoon?

[Corazon]

Overall, disappointing game for Canada and disappointing performances from several Canadian players.  Understand this was our "B" team but was still hoping for more from us and the players.  Here is my best assessments of the players.

St Clair - Not much he could do on either goal but he looked very shaking on crosses and any elevated ball in the box really.  Also he looked very timid with the ball at his feet.  I'm much more concerned now with Crepeau out injured if Borjan gets injured or suspended.

Waterman - Although the last 30 minutes he looked better, he was quite poor for 60 minutes.  His passing was poor, his defending was poor.  Just overall poor.  I've been asking for him to get minutes for Canada but not a good debut for him.  Anyone calling for him to go to Qatar over a healthy Henry is borderline delusional in my opinion.  At fault twice on the first goal as well.

Miller - Had a good pass to set up Kone on his goal but was not his usual self.  Looked a bit lost or uncomfortable out there.  Perhaps he was playing most of the game with a minor issue.

Johnston - Probably his worst performance in a Canada jersey.  A bit unlucky on the penalty as it looked soft and outside of the box.

Edwards - In my opinion a very mixed performance from him.  Always seemed to be on the ball which was good considering many of players went MIA for periods.  Unfortunately struggled once he had the ball.  The pitch on the near side didn't look to be his friend either.  Many misplaced passes but Kone inexcusably missed a great cross from him.

Laryea - Disappointing again.  2022 has not been his year but he did show glimpses of his old self.  Missed a chance to set up Cavallini or Akinola late.

Piette - Very average performance.  Rises to the occasion when he has a better midfielder beside him but he wasn't particularly good either.

Kaye - Abysmal performance in my opinion.  I don't think he is missing the plane to Qatar but at this point I'd be shocked if he even sees the field.

Osorio - Very solid performance.  One of the only positives to take away from this game.  Should have has an assist if Cavallini could have stayed onside.

Kone - Man of the match performance from him, despite missing an absolute sitter.  He really showed his class.  Again, one of the few bright spots for Canada.

Cavallini - I thought he was once again quite poor.  I'm not sure how he is getting credit for the goal right now but I'm sure that will be updated because he barely got a touch on it.  But good on him for being at the right spot at the right time.  The mishit own goal was the only positive I saw from him today.

Fraser - Looked fairly good.  Absolutely better than Kaye out there and does add a different dynamic with his ability to ping a ball.  I'm not sure he is brought in over any midfielder though.

ZBG - Looked solid in his short stint.  Based on this performance, he was better than Edwards.  Both Edwards and ZBG has solid seasons, ZBG just had much less playing time.

Akinola - Looked out of shape and poor.  Hopefully he can pull a Lukaku from last season who lost a lot of weight and become a different player.

MacNaughton - Didn't really put a foot wrong in the short appearance.  Better than Waterman but I would still pick Waterman over him based on his season performance and familiarity with the backline.

Nelson - Wasn't able to do much in his limited minutes but looked okay.

Shaffelburg - Looked pretty good and thought he had some good movements going forward and attacking.  Pulled a similar move he did with Jamaica running into an opposing player on a break.

[SpursFlu]

13 minutes ago, Shway said:

Thing with Fraser Vs Kaye is that Kaye is looking to advance or get forward.

Fraser is always looking to drop. I like him, and his game, but those two are just not comparable as their games are different. 

Sure but how many players can do what MAK does? How many players can do what Fraser does? It becomes a numbers game a bit. We're splitting hairs a bit but I think Herdman also sees a lot in training that we don't see as well

The thing is MAK keeps getting opportunities and I really haven't seen him play well in a long time

Edited November 11, 2022 by SpursFlu

[VinceA]

MacNaughton in a team that's better organized defensively looked pretty nice. Much less Spongebob brain on fire like with TFC.

[VinceA]

3 minutes ago, Corazon said:

Overall, disappointing game for Canada and disappointing performances from several Canadian players.  Understand this was our "B" team but was still hoping for more from us and the players.  Here is my best assessments of the players.

St Clair - Not much he could do on either goal but he looked very shaking on crosses and any elevated ball in the box really.  Also he looked very timid with the ball at his feet.  I'm much more concerned now with Crepeau out injured if Borjan gets injured or suspended.

Waterman - Although the last 30 minutes he looked better, he was quite poor for 60 minutes.  His passing was poor, his defending was poor.  Just overall poor.  I've been asking for him to get minutes for Canada but not a good debut for him.  Anyone calling for him to go to Qatar over a healthy Henry is borderline delusional in my opinion.  At fault twice on the first goal as well.

Miller - Had a good pass to set up Kone on his goal but was not his usual self.  Looked a bit lost or uncomfortable out there.  Perhaps he was playing most of the game with a minor issue.

Johnston - Probably his worst performance in a Canada jersey.  A bit unlucky on the penalty as it looked soft and outside of the box.

Edwards - In my opinion a very mixed performance from him.  Always seemed to be on the ball which was good considering many of players went MIA for periods.  Unfortunately struggled once he had the ball.  The pitch on the near side didn't look to be his friend either.  Many misplaced passes but Kone inexcusably missed a great cross from him.

Laryea - Disappointing again.  2022 has not been his year but he did show glimpses of his old self.  Missed a chance to set up Cavallini or Akinola late.

Piette - Very average performance.  Rises to the occasion when he has a better midfielder beside him but he wasn't particularly good either.

Kaye - Abysmal performance in my opinion.  I don't think he is missing the plane to Qatar but at this point I'd be shocked if he even sees the field.

Osorio - Very solid performance.  One of the only positives to take away from this game.  Should have has an assist if Cavallini could have stayed onside.

Kone - Man of the match performance from him, despite missing an absolute sitter.  He really showed his class.  Again, one of the few bright spots for Canada.

Cavallini - I thought he was once again quite poor.  I'm not sure how he is getting credit for the goal right now but I'm sure that will be updated because he barely got a touch on it.  But good on him for being at the right spot at the right time.  The mishit own goal was the only positive I saw from him today.

Fraser - Looked fairly good.  Absolutely better than Kaye out there and does add a different dynamic with his ability to ping a ball.  I'm not sure he is brought in over any midfielder though.

ZBG - Looked solid in his short stint.  Based on this performance, he was better than Edwards.  Both Edwards and ZBG has solid seasons, ZBG just had much less playing time.

Akinola - Looked out of shape and poor.  Hopefully he can pull a Lukaku from last season who lost a lot of weight and become a different player.

MacNaughton - Didn't really put a foot wrong in the short appearance.  Better than Waterman but I would still pick Waterman over him based on his season performance and familiarity with the backline.

Nelson - Wasn't able to do much in his limited minutes but looked okay.

Shaffelburg - Looked pretty good and thought he had some good movements going forward and attacking.  Pulled a similar move he did with Jamaica running into an opposing player on a break.

Johnston was a clear pen.

[Craig11rm]

Just now, WestHamCanadianinOxford said:

Wotherspoon?

I knew I forgot someone.. probably around Piette on the list. Obviously very different midfielders. Attacking mids I would rank as Oso, Kone, Wotherspoon. I don’t think I would play Kone partnered with Eustaquio unless we are pushing for a goal. Hutch or Piette would be my defensive mid options. 

[JamboAl]

8 minutes ago, Floortom said:

Belgian second tier is better than half of the Norway top tier? What are you basing that on ?

There is no way the Belgian second division is as good as the Norwegian Eliteserien.

[Bigandy]

12 minutes ago, SpursFlu said:

Wotherspoon, Fraser, Atiba, MAK, Kone

Atiba will get the benefit of the doubt but after that Herdman has to take the best players. Some people ain't coming. This ain't a country club. 2 of those guys aren't coming and it won't be Kone, that's for sure

2?  Surely 4/5 will come. 

[mpg_29]

I get that the MLS is out of season and JH wants to decide his roster but I feel a game trialling a bunch of non-regular players introduce so many new variables and reduce cohesion and familiarity to the core MNT. A bunch of new players, players playing out of position, formation differences etc...and aside of that the pitch was terrible.

Case in point...the team seemed to have a bit more flow at the end of the game....but why? Was it the subs, players playing in familiar positions or chemistry? I dunno...not sure JH could tell you either. Though hopefully he watches game tape.

Edited November 11, 2022 by mpg_29

[Lansdude]

1 minute ago, SpursFlu said:

Sure but how many players can do what MAK does? How many players can do what Fraser does? It becomes a numbers game a bit. We're splitting hairs a bit but I think Herdman also sees a lot in training that we don't see as well

I think Fraser's ability to hit a winger on the run from the middle would be hugely valuable when we're collapsed in our own end, Kaye plays the occasional line breaking pass but further up the field. He probably has a step on Fraser though and they're both prone to dumb fouls, but I also feel Kaye gets tunnel vision when's under pressure. If I had to have one of the two for these matches it would be Fraser because he has a better long outlet pass than any other midfielder we have, including Eustaquio. Realistically though neither guy is gonna get on the field.

[frmr]

Just now, mpg_29 said:

I get that the MLS is out of season and JH wants to decide his roster but I feel a game trialling a bunch of players introduce so many new variables and reduce cohesion and familiarity to the core MNT. A bunch of new players, players playing out of position, formation differences etc...and aside of that the pitch was terrible.

Case in point...the team seemed seemed to have a bit more flow at the end of the game....but why? Was it the subs, players playing in familiar positions or chemistry? I dunno...not sure JH could tell you either. Though hopefully he watches game tape.

Fitness more than anything.

[Unnamed Trialist]

1 minute ago, JamboAl said:

There is no way the Belgian second division is as good as the Norwegian Eliteserien.

There's probably not more than 1-2 Belgian 2nd tier teams who could stay up in Norway. 

Norway has fallen in terms of the best teams, like Rosenborg, it does not compete as it did, but the mid and lower level top flight holds up. Mechelen, Eupen, Seraing United, a chunk of lower first tier Belgium would be pretty similar in Norway, IMO.

[Unnamed Trialist]

I know this is an "I told you so", but brotherhood and loyalty has not been working for months now, and it'll hurt us before it helps us. If that is the story until here, fine. Let's move on and start rewarding those most deserving with spots on the team representing all of Canada.

[SpursFlu]

3 minutes ago, Bigandy said:

2?  Surely 4/5 will come. 

Maybe? I don't know. Maybe as mentioned in the broadcast Atiba comes in more as a CB to replace Kennedy. Fraser definitely gave Herdman something to think about 

[jonovision]

13 minutes ago, Floortom said:

Belgian second tier is better than half of the Norway top tier? What are you basing that on ?

Transfermarkt values aren't worth much, but the Belgian second tier ranks better there. There are only like 3 good teams in Norway. Our guys in Ham Kam are hardly world beaters. I could go on.

[prairiecanuck]

Just now, SpursFlu said:

Maybe? I don't know. Maybe as mentioned in the broadcast Atiba comes in more as a CB to replace Kennedy. Fraser definitely gave Herdman something to think about 

I think Atiba is the plan if Miller can't.  He hasn't looked great the last 2 matches I've seen him.  He did play a decent ball to Kone, but that aside I thought he struggled a bit at times this match.  Losing Kennedy was a big blow.  Miller at the very least was dealing with cramping.  If he went down to injury it would be very concerning.  I might even be tempted to start Atiba in Miller's place if we play a back 4. 

[Corazon]

I'm not too worried about the brotherhood because the players that we are concerned about from the brotherhood likely won't be seeing the field at all in Qatar like they did today.  

We have enough quality players 1 through 16 that are part of the brotherhood that will be playing in Qatar.

Edited November 11, 2022 by Corazon

[PiedPilko]

3 minutes ago, prairiecanuck said:

I think Atiba is the plan if Miller can't.  He hasn't looked great the last 2 matches I've seen him.  He did play a decent ball to Kone, but that aside I thought he struggled a bit at times this match.  Losing Kennedy was a big blow.  Miller at the very least was dealing with cramping.  If he went down to injury it would be very concerning.  I might even be tempted to start Atiba in Miller's place if we play a back 4. 

Cornelius still exists... 

[Bigandy]

 

2 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

I know this is an "I told you so", but brotherhood and loyalty has not been working for months now, and it'll hurt us before it helps us. If that is the story until here, fine. Let's move on and start rewarding those most deserving with spots on the team representing all of Canada.

Trying to claim an I told you so is so so delusional.  
 

waterman started over henry(injury obv). that is the main brotherhood claim.  Waterman was awful. He did nothing to justify that he should be on the squad over henry.  This proves that Henry is being kept around because waterman is terrible.  Maybe henry is equally as bad with his current form  who knows?  What we do know is that Henry has experience and was good in wcq.  

Who else is benefitting from the brotherhood argument. Kaye?  He was bad. Who would you replace Kaye with.  The only option is Fraser but they are different players.  

I’ve asked you several times to list your 26 players.  Identify which players are benefitting from the brotherhood and who should replace them.

 

you keep trying to claim this brotherhood is happening and that better players are being ignored for inferior ones, but you never list your 26, or actually name which players should replace which player.   

 

[prairiecanuck]

2 minutes ago, PiedPilko said:

Cornelius still exists... 

I know.  I thought about this when I made my post.  I might just be under rating him because we haven't seen him.  He's only made 2 apperances the last 2 years. 

[SpursFlu]

4 minutes ago, prairiecanuck said:

I know.  I thought about this when I made my post.  I might just be under rating him because we haven't seen him.  He's only made 2 apperances the last 2 years. 

Which is strange because isn't he playing every week for his club? Henry for instance can't seem to stick anywhere right now. Bit of a head scratcher

[gator]

30 minutes ago, Stoppage Time said:

Herdman's job is to field the best squad. Other WC teams are leaving guys out (US left out Steffan and Pepi, for example) If Fraser is the better choice, then he should be in and vice-versa.

That's why Arfield should be in it, yes, I went there!😀

[SpursFlu]

I think people are getting a bit weird with this brotherhood thing. It was just a fun way to bring everyone together at the start of qualifying. It's not like a secret society or something 

[Kadenge]

The Montreal  contingent should not have been as rusty as the others. They played 2 playoff games and we had a back 3 that has played together all season albeit not as a back 3.  I can understand the players not giving 100% given the field and temp fearing an injury at this stage like Henry. The field had more of an impact on players that rely on their skill on the ball than others. Not saying anything new here but our defenders need to have massive performances to give us a chance at points in Qatar