CNL FINAL: Canada vs USA - Sunday, June 18th - 8:30 pm ET/5:30 pm PT - Las Vegas

[Kadenge]

5 minutes ago, jhoops__ said:

Miller has to step in there…his indecisiveness cost us.

Yup but Miller's lack of speed probably made him back off from Weah. That was an example of team breakdown. Miller not being tight on his man, Reyna blowing past Oso, Kone not   intercepting Reyna after he is past Oso and Kennedy now having to deal with not only Balogun but an onrushing, unmarked Reyna. Borjan probably should have come out more as soon as Balogun got in front of Kennedy

[grigorio]

4 minutes ago, cronaldo7 said:

Like many others, just very disappointed at the performance. 

I don’t know if I’m inventing things but even when Canada was singing the anthem, it lacked that enthusiasm that we saw during WCQ and the World Cup. There was something missing. Feels like it may have been true since the performance was one of the worst I’ve watched this group play.

The performance lacked that edge that we’ve seen this team have success with. Canada looked like complete passengers which was shocking for such an occasion. 

The game was missing a Richie Lareya crazy-eyes moment. This team plays best with a chip on their shoulder and with unforgiving intensity. There was none of that. It’s hard to understand how.

I wouldn’t underestimate the impact of the players vs CSA drama of the past year. It surely has some sort of an effect on their focus, motivation, passion, etc… you can physically see it in Herdman for the past year and hear it anytime he speaks. That definitely trickles down to the players too. 
 

Feels like the “us against the world” energy you’re describing turned into “us against the CSA” and I’m not surprised to see it’s effects on spirit and performance. 

[Kadenge]

For a moment when Cardoso was subbed in for the US, I had visions of a young Freddy Mercury!   btw Aidan Morris has a steep uphill battle to make the US A team. Right now he is no better than 7th on the depth chart in a 3 man US midfield

[costarg]

52 minutes ago, dyslexic nam said:

 Realistically, we are looking at the prospect of consistently being second in the region, with the occasional shake up that maybe lets us hoist some hardware on occasion. 

I wouldn't write off Mexico so quick, they're in a dip and dark place at the moment, but they will bounce back.

[GasPed]

I agree with all the sober takes here this morning - the US won because, to a man (exception of Davies), they are equal to or better than us, even with two starters missing.  Talent matters.

Further to that, the reason we beat them in WCQ is because we overperformed, and even more importantly, they underperformed.  So yes, tactics and motivation (and funding and prep) matter too, but when those equalize, talent wins.

That said, talent is not purely a function of population - three of the four WC semi-finalists had a population comparable to or smaller than ours.  Yes, we think of our current crop as our "golden generation" but the fact is, with the consistent, continued popularity of soccer in this country, there's no reason we shouldn't be able to produce this type of talent into the future.  It may not make us kings of CONCACAF, but it certainly should keep us in the ruling class.

[Macksam]

1 hour ago, shortofbrillant said:

The US are more talented/ will probably always be more talented then Canada because of their player pool. To beat the US, Canada needs to play a fairly perfect game. Last night Canada looked pretty bad, which isn't to take away from how the US played, but if Canada plays like that against the US, there really have no chance of winning. 

With all due respect, I find this is a simplistic way of looking at things. The USA will always have more depth than us but when it comes to the quality of the starting elevens, we'll both have great squads in the future where anything can happen. I think our future situation would be not unlike how you see it in Europe with the smaller countries competing with the bigger ones, like Netherlands and France for example. Even though the latter is bigger and has a lot more depth, the former can still put a starting eleven that can evenly compete against them, and they don't need a perfect game to win, they just need to play their game and get the tactics right, which is a big thing we're lacking right now. Even with that in mind and the disappointing nature of this loss, we have still come a long way over the last 4 years or so, and we're just scratching the surface right now. Our players pool is only going to grow and the areas we need help in, defence and a pure attacking mid will come through. 

Edited June 19, 2023 by Macksam

[SpursFlu]

I think the early goal changed everything 

Our defending was scary almost every time the US got in our final 3rd

I think the Copa America next year will be a real chance for the US to show the world what they're about. Very young, very talented and very strong and combative team. Their biggest strength yesterday was their team defending. We had moments when we played nice football but when it was that moment for breakthrough the US was always there swarming and winning thr battles. Credit to them and I think they have huge upside with that team

Edited June 19, 2023 by SpursFlu

[trc2014]

Was pretty surprised the lack of changes at half and waiting to the standard 60th with the clearly pre-planned changes and no shift in plan was relatively muted on here.  That’s what screamed being our coaches to me.

[Ottawafan]

16 minutes ago, trc2014 said:

Was pretty surprised the lack of changes at half and waiting to the standard 60th with the clearly pre-planned changes and no shift in plan was relatively muted on here.  That’s what screamed being our coaches to me.

Figured TB for Richie and Vitoria for Kennedy were a given as the second half started.  Both those guys were on a yellow.

[Ruud]

47 minutes ago, Macksam said:

With all due respect, I find this is a simplistic way of looking at things. The USA will always have more depth than us but when it comes to the quality of the starting elevens, we'll both have great squads in the future where anything can happen. I think our future situation would be not unlike how you see it in Europe with the smaller countries competing with the bigger ones, like Netherlands and France for example. Even though the latter is bigger and has a lot more depth, the former can still put a starting eleven that can evenly compete against them, and they don't need a perfect game to win, they just need to play their game and get the tactics right, which is a big thing we're lacking right now. Even with that in mind and the disappointing nature of this loss, we have still come a long way over the last 4 years or so, and we're just scratching the surface right now. Our players pool is only going to grow and the areas we need help in, defence and a pure attacking mid will come through. 

Not lately but that’s another story.  Dutch also in a bit of a downturn.  Dutch seem to require a few big stars to drive the team - similar for many small nations - even us. We overperform because we have some stars to drive the team 

[Cheeta]

5 hours ago, TOcanadafan said:

The last 2 posts highlight a huge problem for us… lack of funding.  We won’t be able to get an elite coach because we can’t pay them.  And the reality is that if we want to compete amongst the world’s top 25 say, our program needs more resources (aka money) at our disposal, plain and simple… it’s not complaining or bitching, it’s reality.

Well, it is complaining, and it is bitching, and it is reality.  Ug.

Don't believe the US had much prep coming into these matches either. 

[Macksam]

54 minutes ago, Ruud said:

Not lately but that’s another story.  Dutch also in a bit of a downturn.  Dutch seem to require a few big stars to drive the team - similar for many small nations - even us. We overperform because we have some stars to drive the team 

No denying any of that. 

[Colliedor]

We had moments of some dangerous crosses put into the box that the strikers made no use of, but those chances didn't come enough.

Set piece defending was laughable. Just terrible.

Defending in general was poor. Kennedy looked way off. Also shows how important a ball moving defender is, cause he awkward as hell with the ball. Hopefully players like Mcgraw will fit in better, as I don't the Zator is good enough and I still question Cornelius.

I also want to address David. When does this guy plan on doing anything with Canada? I don't care how many goals he scores against minnows, when the games against Mexico, USA, World cup etc comes, he disappears. His form for Lille is all over the place.
Since Feburary, he has scored a grand total of 4 open play goals in league play with Lille. That is atrocious. This has happened a lot since he moved to France. It's shit like this why I think teams hesitate getting him. Either he needs to move back into the forward role and see if that works for him like it did in Belgium, or we are just stuck with a very very inconsistent striker. His starting spot should be questioned imo.

[VinceA]

I do hope the players take this crappy feeling, understand that they brought it upon themselves, and use it to push themselves forward and be better next time.

Edited June 19, 2023 by VinceA

[dyslexic nam]

People are ragging on Kennedy but ignoring the fact that he almost scored. 

[frmr]

12 minutes ago, Colliedor said:

We had moments of some dangerous crosses put into the box that the strikers made no use of, but those chances didn't come enough.

Set piece defending was laughable. Just terrible.

Defending in general was poor. Kennedy looked way off. Also shows how important a ball moving defender is, cause he awkward as hell with the ball. Hopefully players like Mcgraw will fit in better, as I don't the Zator is good enough and I still question Cornelius.

I also want to address David. When does this guy plan on doing anything with Canada? I don't care how many goals he scores against minnows, when the games against Mexico, USA, World cup etc comes, he disappears. His form for Lille is all over the place.
Since Feburary, he has scored a grand total of 4 open play goals in league play with Lille. That is atrocious. This has happened a lot since he moved to France. It's shit like this why I think teams hesitate getting him. Either he needs to move back into the forward role and see if that works for him like it did in Belgium, or we are just stuck with a very very inconsistent striker. His starting spot should be questioned imo.

In favour of whom? He's 100% our best striker, inconsistent or not. David got us to the final with his clinical finish and key pass to Davies. If he sits, it's for an extra midfielder or defender and that leaves Larin alone up top, who has been even more invisible for Canada lately.

[jhoops__]

What striker isn’t inconsistent?  Also, he does a ton of work on the pitch outside of scoring. 

[Colliedor]

11 minutes ago, frmr said:

In favour of whom? He's 100% our best striker, inconsistent or not. David got us to the final with his clinical finish and key pass to Davies. If he sits, it's for an extra midfielder or defender and that leaves Larin alone up top, who has been even more invisible for Canada lately.

I personally find Larin more dangerous than David lately. He at least has a history of showing up  for some of the bigger matches and I thought he was better in the world cup as well.

 

4 minutes ago, jhoops__ said:

What striker isn’t inconsistent?  Also, he does a ton of work on the pitch outside of scoring. 

When you're a "top" striker with high expectations to move to a bigger league, you don't score 4 goals in 5 months. He's been in loooonngg dry spells since moving to France every season.

Yes he can offer things outside of scoring, but he isn't really doing that for us lately either imo. Either way, his main goal is to score.

[Floortom]

31 minutes ago, Colliedor said:

We had moments of some dangerous crosses put into the box that the strikers made no use of, but those chances didn't come enough.

Set piece defending was laughable. Just terrible.

Defending in general was poor. Kennedy looked way off. Also shows how important a ball moving defender is, cause he awkward as hell with the ball. Hopefully players like Mcgraw will fit in better, as I don't the Zator is good enough and I still question Cornelius.

I also want to address David. When does this guy plan on doing anything with Canada? I don't care how many goals he scores against minnows, when the games against Mexico, USA, World cup etc comes, he disappears. His form for Lille is all over the place.
Since Feburary, he has scored a grand total of 4 open play goals in league play with Lille. That is atrocious. This has happened a lot since he moved to France. It's shit like this why I think teams hesitate getting him. Either he needs to move back into the forward role and see if that works for him like it did in Belgium, or we are just stuck with a very very inconsistent striker. His starting spot should be questioned imo.

I agree with some of this but one of David’s best matches in a Canadian shirt was the Hamilton 2-0 victory over the US. Even though he didn’t score a goal he was amazing. 
 

[jhoops__]

9 minutes ago, Colliedor said:

I personally find Larin more dangerous than David lately. He at least has a history of showing up  for some of the bigger matches and I thought he was better in the world cup as well.

 

When you're a "top" striker with high expectations to move to a bigger league, you don't score 4 goals in 5 months. He's been in loooonngg dry spells since moving to France every season.

Yes he can offer things outside of scoring, but he isn't really doing that for us lately either imo. Either way, his main goal is to score.

His bad stretch was 3 npg in 12 games.  Obviously not great but Haaland had one goal his last 8.   

[trc2014]

36 minutes ago, dyslexic nam said:

People are ragging on Kennedy but ignoring the fact that he almost scored. 

I know this is a joke, but he also saved a ball off the line that would have made in 3-0.

[jonovision]

21 minutes ago, Colliedor said:

I personally find Larin more dangerous than David lately. He at least has a history of showing up  for some of the bigger matches and I thought he was better in the world cup as well.

 

When you're a "top" striker with high expectations to move to a bigger league, you don't score 4 goals in 5 months. He's been in loooonngg dry spells since moving to France every season.

Yes he can offer things outside of scoring, but he isn't really doing that for us lately either imo. Either way, his main goal is to score.

Top strikers go on dry spells all the time. Even a random distribution (which is what a good striker should produce) will result in long stretches of games with no goals.

[Canadian Chuck]

In the second half, the US had *three* of their top CMs out due to injury or suspension and were still able to sub in a La Liga starter.

If you replace Zimmerman with Cameron Carter-Vickers who was hurt, then every player on their roster would have been age 25 or under except two keepers.

They are also able to recruit so many more European-developed or South America-developed top young players who they did not develop at all. Not just Balogun but also the likes of Dest, Musah, and Cardoso. No reason to believe that will subside moving forward. This aspect of the player pool is much more limiting for Canada and essentially non-existent for Mexico.

[jhoops__]

^no doubt we’re somewhat fucked trying to keep up with the US…

[jhoops__]

9 minutes ago, jonovision said:

Top strikers go on dry spells all the time. Even a random distribution (which is what a good striker should produce) will result in long stretches of games with no goals.

Even Mbappe when on a stretch of 6 straight in Ligue une without a goal…