September and October 2023 friendly matches (plans, speculation, rumours etc.)

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

3 hours ago, YorkRegionFan said:

...something like promising a set number of camps/friends for a calendar year...

I could use this promise myself.😉

[Mattd97]

On 8/9/2023 at 1:47 AM, Obinna said:

It was an own goal for sure and something which could have been totally avoided. In hindsight it would have been better to take the short term political blow-back instead of the multiple Ls which came out of that window. 

Another option wouldve just not being dumb enough to book Iran in the first place.  Anyone whos read a newspaper in the last handful of years could have told you that was a bad idea.  CSA was bragging about all the top end teams but somehow landed on the team that its always a hot potato even when they play the US in the world cup.

 

23 hours ago, Obinna said:

Halfway through the OneSoccer vid talking about the Japan friendly and I had to hit pause and vent a little bit here. 

Okay, I get the equal spend push, but if it's true that we had two World Cup calibre opponents wanting to play us, offering us a decent sum, but we couldn't accept because we'd "have" to run an additional women's program (which we "couldn't" as it wasn't budgeted for), well that's cutting our nose off to spite our face, frankly. 

Why can't we be flexible? Why not take the offer and promise the women we'll match the spend in another calender year? Why can't these people figure this out? Why are we contraining ourselves like this for the sake of the calendar year?

Both programs will suffer so long as they cannot figure this out. And if I were a dual national seeing Canada struggle to get out of it's own way I would seriously think twice about committing to our program. It's a real shambles. 

If its as presented its obviously ridiculous, but I think most things in life if theyre so completely farfetched its probably because its not as presented.  Maybe the CSA cant figure this stuff out, though youd hope anyone with any level of authority could, but I highly doubt when approached with this that the womens team would say No.  Maybe with a "try to get us some friendlies too" attached as you say but I dont think theyd look at that and say 'yup what you wrote is our stance'

[Obinna]

35 minutes ago, Mattd97 said:

Another option wouldve just not being dumb enough to book Iran in the first place.  Anyone whos read a newspaper in the last handful of years could have told you that was a bad idea.  CSA was bragging about all the top end teams but somehow landed on the team that its always a hot potato even when they play the US in the world cup.

For sure. I recall that Berhalter and Herdman were going to trade notes about Iran and Morocco. Not sure if that was contrived before or after the friendlies were sealed, but if I had to guess I would say Iran wasn't picked as an opponent with note sharing in mind. 

Only those "in the know" know, but I would like to think Iran was the best option available at the time. It was a world cup team ranked in the top 30 by FIFA. We've already had the debate in the past around whether the CSA should have been more sensitive to the political risks. I'll just say that despite the media frenzy many Canadian and Iranian soccer fans were very excited about the game and the stadium was anticipated to be a near sell out. A strong but beatable WC opponent with a strong draw at the gate would have checked off the football and financial boxes on the CSA checklist.

[Watchmen]

3 hours ago, Obinna said:

Only those "in the know" know, but I would like to think Iran was the best option available at the time. It was a world cup team ranked in the top 30 by FIFA. We've already had the debate in the past around whether the CSA should have been more sensitive to the political risks. I'll just say that despite the media frenzy many Canadian and Iranian soccer fans were very excited about the game and the stadium was anticipated to be a near sell out. A strong but beatable WC opponent with a strong draw at the gate would have checked off the football and financial boxes on the CSA checklist.

I think the appearance fee for Iran was only about $200k? And Iran has so many problems booking friendlies against top opposition that even that was considered generous. So I think it was a case of "best avaliable opponent for the least $", and no other considerations were really made.

[Obinna]

20 minutes ago, Watchmen said:

I think the appearance fee for Iran was only about $200k? And Iran has so many problems booking friendlies against top opposition that even that was considered generous. So I think it was a case of "best avaliable opponent for the least $", and no other considerations were really made.

Maybe the large Iranian population in Vancouver was more of a happy coincidence and didn't play into the decision...

[Watchmen]

2 hours ago, Obinna said:

Maybe the large Iranian population in Vancouver was more of a happy coincidence and didn't play into the decision...

I think whatever the "big friendly" was going to be, it was going to be in Vancouver. I think the CSA viewed it (correctly) as an opportunity show off the team, in a large stadium, in a city that didn't get a chance to host any qualifying games. And all of that makes perfect sense. It just completely imploded not once but twice.

[kacbru]

7 hours ago, Mattd97 said:

Another option wouldve just not being dumb enough to book Iran in the first place.

Bingo.

[vancanman]

On 8/8/2023 at 2:21 PM, maplebanana said:

Ah man, the one time I won't be able to go to Japan on business... 

Well, that's crappy.  (Also, I thought you live here.) 

I have a feeling I'll be the only person in red in the whole stadium.

[vancanman]

On 8/10/2023 at 10:05 PM, Mattd97 said:

Another option would've [been] just not being dumb enough to book Iran in the first place.  Anyone whos read a newspaper in the last handful of years could have told you that was a bad idea.  CSA was bragging about all the top end teams but somehow landed on the team that its always a hot potato even when they play the US in the world cup.

I've been following the shenanigans of the CSA for many, many years, and from what I've seen, not being dumb has never been an option for them.

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

I just realised that Japan also invited Tunisia during the October window.

https://www.jfa.jp/news/00032599/

This invites two possibilities:

- The better one is another team being invited so that there are 4 teams. This gives both Canada and Tunisia a 2nd opponent. Japan has done this kind of thing before with their hosting of various editions of the "Kirin Cup"

- The 💩 possibility is a match on the Sunday (48 hours later) against Tunisia with a completely different starting XI given the short turnover time. Tunisia would also need to feature a different XI from what they would use to face Japan on the Tuesday (48 hours later).

[Approve My Account Pls]

3 minutes ago, Olympique_de_Marseille said:

The 💩 possibility is a match on the Sunday (48 hours later) against Tunisia with a completely different starting XI given the short turnover time. Tunisia would also need to feature a different XI from what they would use to face Japan on the Tuesday (48 hours later).

Still better than only one match

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

6 minutes ago, Approve My Account Pls said:

Still better than only one match

Exactly!

 

[CanadaFan123]

2 hours ago, Olympique_de_Marseille said:

I just realised that Japan also invited Tunisia during the October window.

https://www.jfa.jp/news/00032599/

This invites two possibilities:

- The better one is another team being invited so that there are 4 teams. This gives both Canada and Tunisia a 2nd opponent. Japan has done this kind of thing before with their hosting of various editions of the "Kirin Cup"

- The 💩 possibility is a match on the Sunday (48 hours later) against Tunisia with a completely different starting XI given the short turnover time. Tunisia would also need to feature a different XI from what they would use to face Japan on the Tuesday (48 hours later).

The other team will be Korea. 

[Stoppage Time]

On 8/13/2023 at 2:42 PM, CanadaFan123 said:

The other team will be Korea. 

Surely hope that Canada is involved in such a "tournament". Two game makes sense!

[Stoppage Time]

I still think that a Herculean effort be made to play Australia in September in the US, or Canada, even if it is just costs that are covered. Can there be a separate sponsor outside of regular structures? 

"Brought to you buy  Canadian Tire, the official everything store for your home, shop, yard, and garage, and official sponsor of Canada Soccer September Friendly versus Australia from (BMO, or in an American city?)  Cost to Canadian Tire - $500,000 or less?

CSA Revenue - Any TV deal, gate revenue %, sponsor . . .

[BearcatSA]

5 minutes ago, Stoppage Time said:

"Brought to you buy  Canadian Tire, the official everything store for your home, shop, yard, and garage, and official sponsor of Canada Soccer September Friendly versus Australia from (BMO, or in an American city?)  Cost to Canadian Tire - $500,000 or less?

CSA Revenue - Any TV deal, gate rev

So when I have to go through the self service checkout, the request for a $2 donation to Jumpstart will be replaced by this?

[Kadenge]

Looks like Costa Rica "replaced"  the CMNT in the 2 games vs the Saudis & South Korea in the Sept window that would have cost the CSA a net of $200K.  Games will be played at St. James Park in Newcastle.  Herdman must be seething right now. This was a massive missed opportunity.

[VinceA]

26 minutes ago, Kadenge said:

Looks like Costa Rica "replaced"  the CMNT in the 2 games vs the Saudis & South Korea in the Sept window that would have cost the CSA a net of $200K.  Games will be played at St. James Park in Newcastle.  Herdman must be seething right now. This was a massive missed opportunity.

Costa Rica will probably be scary again too they fired Suarez and now all their best players are coming back to the team. We are in for a rough reality check I feel the next couple of years.

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

On 8/8/2023 at 10:58 AM, Olympique_de_Marseille said:

Costa Rica: United Arab Emirates + Saudi Arabia (in Europe)

https://elmundo.cr/deportes/costa-rica-cerca-de-concretar-dos-fogueos-para-el-mes-de-septiembre/

 

1 hour ago, Kadenge said:

Looks like Costa Rica "replaced"  the CMNT in the 2 games vs the Saudis & South Korea in the Sept window

@Kadenge only their first match against Saudi Arabia is the one we would have had.

Costa Rica's 2nd match is against the United Arab Emirates in Croatia!

[Kadenge]

5 hours ago, Olympique_de_Marseille said:

 

@Kadenge only their first match against Saudi Arabia is the one we would have had.

Costa Rica's 2nd match is against the United Arab Emirates in Croatia!

Cheers.  Were we not per JDV, also playing SK as part of a 2 game window that we turned down though?

[SthMelbRed]

16 hours ago, Kadenge said:

Looks like Costa Rica "replaced"  the CMNT in the 2 games vs the Saudis & South Korea in the Sept window that would have cost the CSA a net of $200K.  Games will be played at St. James Park in Newcastle.  Herdman must be seething right now. This was a massive missed opportunity.

So, if I've got this straight, playing an Iranian team that has generally aligned itself with the people against an oppressive regime was going to be a diplomatic disaster, but playing Bonesaw McGraw's propaganda vehicle would've been a massive opportunity?

[Kadenge]

4 hours ago, SthMelbRed said:

So, if I've got this straight, playing an Iranian team that has generally aligned itself with the people against an oppressive regime was going to be a diplomatic disaster, but playing Bonesaw McGraw's propaganda vehicle would've been a massive opportunity?

I hear he's been invited to the UK?

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

5 hours ago, SthMelbRed said:

Bonesaw McGraw's propaganda vehicle 

Who knew our new centre back was so politically active.

[InglewoodJack]

5 hours ago, SthMelbRed said:

So, if I've got this straight, playing an Iranian team that has generally aligned itself with the people against an oppressive regime was going to be a diplomatic disaster, but playing Bonesaw McGraw's propaganda vehicle would've been a massive opportunity?

Oh I’m sorry did Iran start buying $15B in weapons from our government? Maybe if they loosened the purse strings we might rethink the ethics of playing them.

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

20 hours ago, Kadenge said:

Cheers.  Were we not per JDV, also playing SK as part of a 2 game window that we turned down though?

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cv_qoYds5rw/

https://m.hani.co.kr/arti/sports/soccer/1104537.html

South Korea will play Saudi Arabia instead of us or Mexico. Two AFC teams facing off in England.

 

On 8/13/2023 at 3:16 PM, Olympique_de_Marseille said:

I just realised that Japan also invited Tunisia during the October window.

https://www.jfa.jp/news/00032599/

The bigger news for us is that Tunisia will play Korea in October. Korea will then host an Asian team (likely Vietnam).

It looks like we will only play a single game during the October window.