CNL: Curaçao vs Canada - Saturday, March 25th, 9pm Eastern / 6pm Pacific - Willemstad, Curaçao

[cornerkick]

What’s the mindset of Curaçao right now?  While it’s do or die for them in Concacaf Nations League, they’ve also got a once in a lifetime match vs Argentina in a few days.

[cornerkick]

 

[Obinna]

4 minutes ago, cornerkick said:

What’s the mindset of Curaçao right now?  While it’s do or die for them in Concacaf Nations League, they’ve also got a once in a lifetime match vs Argentina in a few days.

First game of the new cycle, just go out there and show your qualities and start things off on the right foot. They cannot advance out of the group and they cannot get relegated due to a rule change for this edition only.

Never knew they were playing Argentina as well. That will proably be the big game of the window for them despite it being a friendly. They'll want to use the game against us to see where they are ahead of that, I imagine. 

Edited March 22, 2023 by Obinna

[JamboAl]

I just came back from a brief visit to the Ergilio Hato Stadium and took a few photos.  No advertising I’ve seen anywhere for the game so far.  
Oops…photos are upside down when I upload them.  Never mind!

[Shway]

25 minutes ago, JamboAl said:

I just came back from a brief visit to the Ergilio Hato Stadium and took a few photos.  No advertising I’ve seen anywhere for the game so far.  
Oops…photos are upside down when I upload them.  Never mind!

How does the turf look. 😯

[footballfreak]

1 hour ago, Obinna said:

First game of the new cycle, just go out there and show your qualities and start things off on the right foot. They cannot advance out of the group and they cannot get relegated due to a rule change for this edition only.

Never knew they were playing Argentina as well. That will proably be the big game of the window for them despite it being a friendly. They'll want to use the game against us to see where they are ahead of that, I imagine. 

That’s not strictly true.

Advancing to the Nations League finals would be a very tall task.

• beat Canada 4-0, Canada beats Honduras 1-0
• Everyone finishes on 6 points with a GD of 0
• Honduras finishes last on the 3rd tiebreak (goals scored)
• Group winner between Canada/Curaçao goes to 8th/9th tiebreak (fair points table/drawing of lots)

 

Advancing directly to the Gold Cup is still a possibility though.

• Curaçao beats Canada 2-0, Canada beats Honduras 3-0
• Canada wins the first tiebreaker (GD) and tops the group
• Curaçao/Honduras goes all the way down to the 7th tiebreaker (away goals between Curaçao/Honduras) which Curaçao wins.

That second scenario is still unlikely, but much crazier things have happened in CONCACAF. We’re missing Miller, Kennedy, and Henry from the backline, plus Johnston and Edwards (?) for the first game due to suspension. Some other key guys aren’t in camp. The atmosphere is still tense due to the contract negotiations. We give up an early fluke goal, go chasing, get hit again on the counter or a set piece. Come home and spank Honduras just to prove a point. Totally plausible.

[JamboAl]

1 hour ago, Shway said:

How does the turf look. 😯

Unless they water it, it will be rock hard and dry.  They get very little rain here.  There are a lot of drier plants like cactus around.

The stadium has bleachers on one side only.  I’ll get to go inside on Friday when I pick up the tickets for the Vs and other Canadians.

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

The ref crew:

 

[cornerkick]

51 minutes ago, JamboAl said:

Unless they water it, it will be rock hard and dry.  They get very little rain here.  There are a lot of drier plants like cactus around.

The stadium has bleachers on one side only.  I’ll get to go inside on Friday when I pick up the tickets for the Vs and other Canadians.

Ajax played a friendly there last year.  It looks like an artifical surface?

 

 

[Ally McCoist]

5 hours ago, Obinna said:

Man, these next 3 days are going to draaaaaag. Can't wait to see the boys in action. Hard to concentrate on anything else. Life of an obsessed CMNT fan 😄

I don't blame you. That period from November to March is the longest in the year without an international window (except the unique Jan/Feb window we had due to covid)

[JamboAl]

1 hour ago, cornerkick said:

Ajax played a friendly there last year.  It looks like an artifical surface?

 

 

It’s possible.  I couldn’t see the pitch from outside the barbed wire fence and moat.  Hoping to see it the day before the game as I have a meeting at the federation to pick up tickets for the 50-60 Canadians that will be supporting the team.

[CanadaFan123]

Reading that Curaçao has no natural left backs or centre backs in their squad. Their squad sort of reminds me of our 2018 WCQ team with a decent roster but clear holes in certain areas.

[youllneverwalkalone]

No left back?

[VinceA]

29 minutes ago, CanadaFan123 said:

Reading that Curaçao has no natural left backs or centre backs in their squad. Their squad sort of reminds me of our 2018 WCQ team with a decent roster but clear holes in certain areas.

There's this one account I follow on Twitter Curacaofootballnews ( a good follow if you want to know more about the Curacao pool, being a CONCACAF sicko I totally do) who covers players abroad and dual-nat progress and he's mentioned its a general frustration from the manager with a number of players not being committed to the program.

A few guys are hilariously holding out for the Netherlands despite being bench players in like MLS.

[Alex]

There’s a couple guys they called in to defence who play 4th division in Holland.

Edited March 23, 2023 by Alex

[Stryker911]

That's pretty wild. I went throught their team on Wikipedia and of the 8 defenceman listed 6 are listed at right back and 2 at centre back.

[El Diego]

1 hour ago, VinceA said:

There's this one account I follow on Twitter Curacaofootballnews ( a good follow if you want to know more about the Curacao pool, being a CONCACAF sicko I totally do) who covers players abroad and dual-nat progress and he's mentioned its a general frustration from the manager with a number of players not being committed to the program.

A few guys are hilariously holding out for the Netherlands despite being bench players in like MLS.

This is me when I manage Canada in Football Manager

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

6 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

The article says Herdman is sitting out the first game with a red- is this new? I thought only AJ and Edwards got a red last game.

Well...well...well!

"Coach John Herdman and fullback/wingback Alistair Johnston will have to sit out the Curacao game after being red-carded last June in a chaotic ending to a 2-1 loss in Honduras."

https://chatnewstoday.ca/2023/03/23/young-brighton-goalkeeper-enjoying-first-taste-of-camp-with-canadian-national-team/

Coach Herdman is on a red!

Biello time? Someone else?

@SpecialK , Olivieri time?

Edited March 23, 2023 by Olympique_de_Marseille

[InglewoodJack]

2 minutes ago, Olympique_de_Marseille said:

Well...well...well!

"Coach John Herdman and fullback/wingback Alistair Johnston will have to sit out the Curacao game after being red-carded last June in a chaotic ending to a 2-1 loss in Honduras."

https://chatnewstoday.ca/2023/03/23/young-brighton-goalkeeper-enjoying-first-taste-of-camp-with-canadian-national-team/

Coach Herdman is on a red!

Biello time? Someone else?

@SpecialK , Olivieri time?

I think they give it to the new assistant, Ron Birdman. Small fellow from Newcastle, very intense personality, known for his habit of showing up to games with a thick moustache and dark sunglasses. Can’t find much about his background though.

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

7 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

known for his habit of showing up to games with a thick moustache and dark sunglasses.

 

[costarg]

3 hours ago, El Diego said:

This is me when I manage Canada in Football Manager

It's not just you, Herdman plays the worlds best LWB as a libero 10 and Losado plays Piette as CB, so if anything it's quite avant-garde and fashionable.

[narduch]

 

 

[JamboAl]

13 minutes ago, narduch said:

 

 

That’s interesting.  They weren’t usually flying in until the night before during the WC qualifiers.  Having said that, this isn’t the most soccer mad country in the world either (or if they do, they would be supporting Holland) so they probably won’t be bothered much.

[rydermike]

So does that mean Biello gets to wear the AirPods now.

[costarg]

2 hours ago, rydermike said:

So does that mean Biello gets to wear the AirPods now.

Wasn't it airpod?  I don't think I recall seeing him wear both.