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

[Macksam]

To everyone, Rome wasn't built in a day. This is nothing but a stepping stone. Some younger guys will develop for us and the 2026 team will be better than this one. 

[canuckgbp]

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. 

Herdman set up that team wrong and our weaknesses were exposed against a good opponent. 
 

Croatia was up for this game irregardless of what Herdman said. What, they were going to try harder because big bad John told them to fuck off? Lol. 

[mpg_29]

You could 20 mins in that this wasn't going to be like the Belgium match. Canada didn't have the space to play the ball through the midfield. Perisic was burning Johnston. And Croatia in general were very clinicial. Their shooting ability is insane.

Edited November 27, 2022 by mpg_29

[jonovision]

Good players on the day: Davies, Buchanan, Osorio. Kone ok.

I forgot Miller, of course. I don't hold that one moment against him.

Edited November 27, 2022 by jonovision

[Kadenge]

We need more of our players facing this level of quality for their clubs at the top leagues. You can only raise your individual level playing higher quality. First WC in 36 yrs. We will get better but  need more investment in our program at all levels

[Floortom]

1. Croatia is much better than us and fully deserved the 3 points. That type of match shows us our true level. We’ve come a very long way in the last 4 years but we’re still a tier 3-4 side.

2. Herdman did not set us up wisely. Running that formation with Atiba vs Croatia was a huge mistake and it was massively exploited. It was painful watching him try to keep up with Croatia. Do we lose anyway? Probably, but I think Herdman really missed the mark there.

3. The lost opportunity was always Belgium - they sucked and tried to give us the game and we still couldn’t even grab a point.

4. The Morocco game is still big for us. A result gets the monkey off our back. We need something from that match and I hope Herdman goes for it and doesn’t send out the B squad.

[TGAA_Star]

7 minutes ago, jonovision said:

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

Yes that and holding a lead

[Allez les Rouges]

If Canada beats MAR, then they were actually good enough to advance, but got unlucky vs. BEL.

If Canada draws MAR, then I think we can say that they met expectations.

If Canada loses to MAR, then you've got to say that winning CONCACAF qualifying was probably flattering: lucky at times and with MEX/USA not great this cycle.

So even though they can't advance, that game vs MAR should still mean a lot.

In any case, I'm just happy the first goal was meaningful. It would've been a lot less exciting had it been when they were already down 2, like Qatar's first goal.

[Miche]

If only we had attained pot 3!

 

Kidding.

Edited November 27, 2022 by Miche

[vancanman]

6 minutes ago, rydermike said:

Moment ofthe tournament

Tampax signs multi-year sponsorship deal with CSB

[TGAA_Star]

3 minutes ago, king1010 said:

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

Yeah but it doesn't mean as much when the boys are already eliminated 

[king1010]

Just now, TGAA_Star said:

Yeah but it doesn't mean as much when the boys are already eliminated 

Thank you captain obvious. 
 

so we agree it is not meaningless, just less meaningful 

Edited November 27, 2022 by king1010

[JAVIERF]

6 minutes 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. 

Yes he showed amauterism, and why he came from women football, imagine if he said so coaching in a women's WC,  just a "desubicado total". I don't have the English word or concept for his quotes,  so lame!!

[dyslexic nam]

6 minutes ago, gwsmith63 said:

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

This was noted a few times in my household….

[InglewoodJack]

1 minute ago, Macksam said:

To everyone, Rome wasn't built in a day. This is nothing but a stepping stone. Some younger guys will develop for us and the 2026 team will be better than this one. 

Too early for any of this to mean anything for 2026, but one positive sign is that all our best players are young and ascending, all of our weak links are aging and will be gone by then. Vittoria is the only player we have right now that will be missed once he has aged out, but our “core” is mostly going to be in their prime by then.

[toontownman]

1 minute ago, frmr said:

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

Vitoria and Miller did ok in both games imo. Miller has really stepped up again. Have so much time for him.

This was a tournament most of us believes was out of our reach and too soon to qualify. The players didn't overreach to get here, they earned it and they will learn from this. More so this will inspire a new generation of players and fans of the game. 

[Sinc_Tanc_Olympic_Action]

I am personally looking forward to the Morocco game.  I hope you guys will all be watching it as well.

Not sure who to cheer for now.  Maybe Argentina.

[JAVIERF]

9 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.

And beat Morocco

[JAVIERF]

1 minute ago, Sinc_Tanc_Olympic_Action said:

I am personally looking forward to the Morocco game.  I hope you guys will all be watching it as well.

Not sure who to cheer for now.  Maybe Argentina.

Yeah that's the people' choice everybody roots for us,  but we can also get eliminated on Wednesday afternoon

[eramosat]

3 minutes ago, Macksam said:

To everyone, Rome wasn't built in a day. This is nothing but a stepping stone. Some younger guys will develop for us and the 2026 team will be better than this one. 

the best news is that, unlike all the past stepping stones Canada has had offered to them over the last 30 years but failed to capitalize on, this time we have (a) a bona fide group of young excellent players who will continue to play (b) a guaranteed spot in the next WC and the focus on practice and friendlies and all the rest of it that that entails and (c) a home-grown professional league.

Things look great.

[canucksfan]

We got outplayed by a better team. It happens. The Belgium game was our chance and that one is the real disappointment for me. Feel that if we had scored the PK or got 1 of the other 2 we deserved in that game, this third game would matter. 

I would go all out on the youth in the Morocco game. We need to get the experience for '26.

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

My hope recorded somewhere on this forum was we draw Belgium (Belgium are poorly coached) , lose this game (was always scared of that midfield) and win the last, somehow squeak through on goals.

We didn't finish and didn't get breaks in the first and here we are.

We can still grab something from Morocco and Croatia destroy Belgium and the two best teams go through.

Edited November 27, 2022 by WestHamCanadianinOxford

[JAVIERF]

Just now, JAVIERF said:

Yeah that's the people' choice everybody roots for us,  but we can also get eliminated on Wednesday afternoon

Michel Bublé is rooting for Argentina

[Miche]

Unfortunately two loses & the 4-1 are bad optics for the general public. But we all here know that we were up against two of the best with very little experience against top offensive talent.

I'll need a couple days to settle, but I'm excited to go against with Morocco with zero pressure.

[Sinc_Tanc_Olympic_Action]

5 minutes ago, canuckgbp said:

Herdman set up that team wrong and our weaknesses were exposed against a good opponent. 
 

Croatia was up for this game irregardless of what Herdman said. What, they were going to try harder because big bad John told them to fuck off? Lol. 

So you think Herdman should have said what he said and he shouldn't be embarrassed?