Match Thread: World Cup Group F - Matchday 2 - Croatia v Canada - November 27, 2022 - 7pm local time / 11am ET / 8am PT

[wallflower]

Karma is a bitch.

How effed is Croatia?

[TGAA_Star]

Canada are done and honestly the game against Morocco at this point is utterly meaningless especially if the boys are eliminated. Might as well use this as a learning experience for 2026.

[jonovision]

I'm having a really hard time understanding all these "Canada exposed" comments. What did you think was going to happen?

[Corazon]

Im still so proud of this team.  Croatia were just so much better than us in quality.  A number of factors really hurt us.

1) Our defenders were completely outclassed today.  To me this was our biggest weakness.

2) Herdman decision to go with only Hutch and Eustaquio vs arguably the best midifeld at the World Cup.  Let alone one of those two players is 39 and out of game shape.  I don’t blame Hutchinson for being put in that position and unlucky Eustaquio because it was Hutch that would have been pulled.

3) Glad it was Davies who scored our first goal and as good as he is at times.  It’s painful to continually watch him try and play hero ball.  Especially on set pieces.  

Edited November 27, 2022 by Corazon

[jonovision]

Just now, TGAA_Star said:

Canada are done and honestly the game against Morocco at this point is utterly meaningless especially if the boys are eliminated. Might as well use this as a learning experience for 2026.

Absolutely not. The best experience to learn would be winning a game at a WC finals.

[JAVIERF]

Canadá not being able to hold on the early lead haunted down this team,  it is hard to defend when you have David Davies Buchanan and Larin all together,   buchanan was inmense today, even with all his mistakes his attitude is remarkable in both games

[sonic_fcpf]

100% on speed...0% on game control !

Soccer is not a speed race....we need to have more Kone's and Eustaquios to make the ball run and not the players.

[Macksam]

6 minutes ago, The Real Marc said:

This is embarrassing 

It happens bro

[rydermike]

Moment ofthe tournament

Edited November 27, 2022 by rydermike

[narduch]

Just now, jonovision said:

I'm having a really hard time understanding all these "Canada exposed" comments. What did you think was going to happen?

Really expected both Belgium and Croatia games to go like this.

On paper that really is what should have happened. 

It was always going to be a monumental task

[Dominic94]

We all need to calm the fuck down.

We showed the world who we are, that we’re here and we’re going to stay. We are going to get better, we are going to become a threat. We will produce more of the Kone’s, the Staqs, the Davies and co. No one will underestimate us now. We are no longer an unknown. We are going to get there.

Miller and Johnston will improve and get their moves, but yes do they have limits to them of course. We have to be real, Miller is never going to be better than a lower team Championship caliber CB, and Johnston will likely not become a starter on a team that’s better than top flight mid table.

 

However, the Nelson’s, Rutty’s, Kone’s and co, they will carry this team further than ever before. 
 

Until then, sit back, enjoy the ride and wait. We are headed there.

[Sinc_Tanc_Olympic_Action]

21 minutes ago, canuckgbp said:

Croatia is an excellent team with a ton of experience. Tabloids have nothing to do with it. 

No, tabloids isn't the reason for Canada's loss, but John Herdman should still have kept his comment inside the locker room. 

[frmr]

Defensively we can’t hang with the big boys. Shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone. Good learning experience for 2026 for everyone.

[InglewoodJack]

I expect Atiba to go down with the ship and start against morocco, but I wouldn’t mind having Kone start for him, especially if Eustaquio plays.

[DeRo_Is_King]

2 minutes ago, jonovision said:

I'm having a really hard time understanding all these "Canada exposed" comments. What did you think was going to happen?

I think the Belgium game raised expectations, but if I'm honest, Belgium played like trash. So, we have to take that narrow loss for what it's worth. 

[JAVIERF]

Just now, jonovision said:

Absolutely not. The best experience to learn would be winning a game at a WC finals.

Yeah Canada must win and eliminate them if able, without pressure.  I'm still mystify by Alphonso role,  he let the team down again today as the other match and Jonathan David felt the pressure,  you have to be more critical with those players,  not with Miller Layrea or Johnston

[gwsmith63]

1 minute ago, rydermike said:

Moment ofthe tournament

Couldn’t the Physio or trainer at least have cut the damn string off???

[A.D.I.D.A.S.]

Except for replays of Davies' goal, I will probably never re-watch highlights of these 2 matches for the rest of my life.

[eramosat]

7 minutes ago, DeRo_Is_King said:

Not taking anything away from what the boys accomplished during qualifying, but we've just been completely outclassed today. 

which makes perfect sense looking at the quality of the competition, the lack of experience versus big-time squads by majority of Canadian squad, history...the reasons are endless.

playing spoiler, getting a goal at the WC...those were always the most reasonable hurdles to overcome for Canada, and the fact that they gave us two matches(or one and a half) where we thought they were in it is still excellent value for fans.  and there's a third game, so just enjoy it, I know I am, and without any difficulty or anger at how Canada has played, individually and as a team.

[SpursFlu]

Total downer

But really proud of our team

[king1010]

6 minutes ago, TGAA_Star said:

Canada are done and honestly the game against Morocco at this point is utterly meaningless especially if the boys are eliminated. Might as well use this as a learning experience for 2026.

Its not meaningless. We have the first world cup points ever or world cup win to play for. 

Edited November 27, 2022 by king1010

[JAVIERF]

2 minutes ago, Dominic94 said:

We all need to calm the fuck down.

We showed the world who we are, that we’re here and we’re going to stay. We are going to get better, we are going to become a threat. We will produce more of the Kone’s, the Staqs, the Davies and co. No one will underestimate us now. We are no longer an unknown. We are going to get there.

Miller and Johnston will improve and get their moves, but yes do they have limits to them of course. We have to be real, Miller is never going to be better than a lower team Championship caliber CB, and Johnston will likely not become a starter on a team that’s better than top flight mid table.

 

However, the Nelson’s, Rutty’s, Kone’s and co, they will carry this team further than ever before. 
 

Until then, sit back, enjoy the ride and wait. We are headed there.

In Argentina free to air TV there were plaudits on the Canada team, but the Davies enygma,  where Davies can be decisive

[Califax]

The tampon / F croatia jokes write themselves. 

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

1 minute ago, Sinc_Tanc_Olympic_Action said:

No, tabloids isn't the reason for Canada's loss, but John Herdman should still have kept his comment inside the locker room. 

Maybe the way he approached things helped get things off to a flying start early in the game? What he needs to look at is why he didn't make an adjustment tactically quickly enough in the later stages of first half when Croatia started to overpower the midfield.

[Cheeta]

2 minutes ago, gwsmith63 said:

Couldn’t the Physio or trainer at least have cut the damn string off???

What?  

NO!