Match Thread: World Cup Group B - Matchday 3 - Canada v Australia - July 31, 2023 - 6 am ET / 3 am PT / 8 pm local time

[Shway]

Wow glad I missed this.

But I hate to say I told you so, but didn't I?

On 7/25/2023 at 10:20 PM, Shway said:

The women will crash out earlier than expected, and will blame that their focus was on ratifying this deal. 

[BearcatSA]

23 hours ago, BearcatSA said:

I'm very confident that we are going through.  I like our back end, I think we can control tempo in midfield,  we can cause damage at set pieces, and we can hopefully be opportunistic with our chances up top.  I don't expect us to be overwhelmed by this particular occasion.  There is too much experience in the dressing room here and it's a good unit with the blend of newbies and vets. 

I got a chuckle out of asshat Lalas on Fox and his "power" rankings, getting persuaded by Katrina Leblanc to put us ahead of Nigeria in the top 10.  Frankly, I like us being out of the international media radar and conversation so that just allows us to concentrate on what we need to do to win.

 

My comment aged faster than a tuna fish sandwich in the glove compartment of a black sedan parked in Death Valley at high noon in mid-July!

Ouch!

[Califax]

2 hours ago, dyslexic nam said:

Domestic pro teams would certainly help build the developmental structure but I am not convinced that Project 8 will survive.  I always thought that the MLS model where we have a couple of teams in NWSL was a more sustainable model for women's soccer in this country.  The reality is that if this is what the best of the best look like in terms of Canadian talent, I can't see people consistently shelling out $$ to watch a diluted version of what we just saw.  

Fack...

This is such a good comment. 

[BearcatSA]

4 hours ago, jonovision said:

Back to bed. Hopefully no nightmares like the one Ashley Lawrence is having.

Poorest that I have ever seen her play.  For a player of her experience and club pedigree, that was a shocker.  

[Joe MacCarthy]

I have never left watching a game in progress until the 70th minute today. I thought Buchanan, Gilles, Lawrence and Sheridan were terrible, especially the former two.  Maybe Buchanan has an excuse (sickness/injury) but I don't think I've seen her worse.

My prediction in this thread was right but I only figured (not posted) that we would lose 2-0, I didn't think we would be disgraced.  I'm sure the CSA will be run under the bus but I think we all know who is to blame and they just need a big mirror for that.

As I said, I think Onesoccer's Jordan Wilson wanted to call this but felt he couldn't.

I went to bed late last night and because I figured we would lose I would sleep through the game and if we won I could enjoy a replay later.  Unfortunately, I woke up early and on time to watch this and wish I had slept in.

[Ivan]

1 hour ago, BearcatSA said:

Poorest that I have ever seen her play.  For a player of her experience and club pedigree, that was a shocker.  

I didn't see the game (PVR'd it, but will now press "delete"), but I haven't seen Lawrence play well in a long time.  Olympics maybe?

[Joe MacCarthy]

4 hours ago, Nick P said:

I know there’s a lot going on with the women’s program but Bev Priestman should be no part of it

It's no excuse for her or the players, the CSA wasn't on the field playing.

[Ansem]

That's how you answer it

[BrennanFan]

Worst I've seen of the CWNT in many years.  Sheridan was barely there.  Her play on that second goal was just pathetic.  Both centre backs ball watching all game.  Riviere and Lawrence were both bad, they did nothing on the counters.  Lawrence was basically in slow motion.  Grosso was invisible.  Sinclair? Forget about it, she had no business starting this game.  Huitema on the wing?  What the hell?  Lacasse was always a spark plug, why she didnt start I'll never know.  Leon at least was putting the effort in.  But you gotta have proper wingers out there if you're gonna play that system and we couldnt get a decent cross in to save our lives.  What a way to go out of a tournament. 

Just shameful overall player selection,  positioning, motivation, Priestman shit the bed hard and fast in every way possible.  How does the team come out so flat in a do or die world cup match?

Utter humiliation. Epic disaster.  

 

Edited July 31, 2023 by BrennanFan

[Colonel Green]

6 hours ago, dyslexic nam said:

Unfortunately, I think it will be challenging for us to make that quantum step back up to elite level in the short term.  Domestic pro teams would certainly help build the developmental structure but I am not convinced that Project 8 will survive.  I always thought that the MLS model where we have a couple of teams in NWSL was a more sustainable model for women's soccer in this country.

The new NWSL expansion fees are $50+ million. If there was a group with that kind of money to invest in women's soccer, you could use it to start several teams in a pro league here for the same amount.

Beyond which, there's no indication NWSL has any interest in expanding into Canada, and it's dubious whether FIFA would even allow that given their pronounced dislike of cross-border leagues.

[The Ref]

It's been a while since Priestman reached her Peter Principle.  Like the two Ronnies say it is good bye now.  She has got to go.

[Ansem]

6 minutes ago, Colonel Green said:

The new NWSL expansion fees are $50+ million. If there was a group with that kind of money to invest in women's soccer, you could use it to start several teams in a pro league here for the same amount.

Beyond which, there's no indication NWSL has any interest in expanding into Canada, and it's dubious whether FIFA would even allow that given their pronounced dislike of cross-border leagues.

I had read that CONCACAF already said no to NWSL in Canada. Whatever Project8 has planned will be it but I still hope that cooler heads prevails and they work with CSB

[dyslexic nam]

Just now, Colonel Green said:

The new NWSL expansion fees are $50+ million. If there was a group with that kind of money to invest in women's soccer, you could use it to start several teams in a pro league here for the same amount.

Beyond which, there's no indication NWSL has any interest in expanding into Canada, and it's dubious whether FIFA would even allow that given their pronounced dislike of cross-border leagues.

We have that exact template with MLS so if ever FIFA was going to allow another exemption it seems like this would be it.  And if it meant substantially advancing pro women’s soccer in a relatively stable and untapped market, I think you could argue that it is for the good of the game.

The expansion fee is a separate story.  Maybe a group would pony it up and maybe not.  Again though, it is possible that the league could be flexible to expand its brand into Canada. 

At the end of the day I can’t see Project 8 succeeding as it is currently envisioned.  I just don’t believe there is enough interest in supporting women’s soccer to sustain 8 teams across the country.  I will be happy to be proven wrong but I just don’t see the demand.  

It is easy for people to stand on an internet soapbox and proclaim the need for women’s sport, but it is another thing to actually have a large group of people consistently paying money and taking the time to go see games week in and week out.  Unfortunately I believe that a lot of the public chatter that is interpreted as supporting this sort of venture is the former type of support-light.   

[Ansem]

15 minutes ago, dyslexic nam said:

We have that exact template with MLS so if ever FIFA was going to allow another exemption it seems like this would be it.  And if it meant substantially advancing pro women’s soccer in a relatively stable and untapped market, I think you could argue that it is for the good of the game.

The expansion fee is a separate story.  Maybe a group would pony it up and maybe not.  Again though, it is possible that the league could be flexible to expand its brand into Canada. 

They won't allow an exemption because of Project8 and there's no indication that the league was even interested in Canada

[Cadeau]

7 hours ago, dyslexic nam said:

Only got to watch some of the game because I had a meeting with the boss this morning, but this is indicative of where our program is at right now.   I think we got very lucky at Tokyo and our inflated world ranking is a product of historical results that no longer apply.  We won many games on the back of a player who was at the top o the world game, but she is aging out and there is no clear successor. 

Other countries have gotten more technically proficient while we have stagnated.  Watching teams like France or the US play you see a level of sophistication that is simply absent from our game.  Maybe we have occasional flashes of good play, and we can still play attractive footy against weak opponents, but against the world's best teams our lack of collective quality is exposed.  Not sure if that is a Priestman issue or a player issue - but we seem to have a squad of individuals that play at a high level so it may indicate coaching.    

Unfortunately, I think it will be challenging for us to make that quantum step back up to elite level in the short term.  Domestic pro teams would certainly help build the developmental structure but I am not convinced that Project 8 will survive.  I always thought that the MLS model where we have a couple of teams in NWSL was a more sustainable model for women's soccer in this country.  The reality is that if this is what the best of the best look like in terms of Canadian talent, I can't see people consistently shelling out $$ to watch a diluted version of what we just saw.  

Fack...

I agree. I'm getting annoyed at all the whining in the media about a women's league by people who are just trying to broaden their own career scope. Would any of them put up their OWN money for that league? You cant just ask people to put up money for the sake of the athletes when its such a risky proposition. Were not the US.

[Gian-Luca]

Kaylyn Kyle has said this 4-0 loss is all the fault of the “Canadian Soccer Federation” and not the players, so this must be true. I am so glad we have insightful women like her as pundits in the media, it is really productive 

[kacbru]

23 minutes ago, Gian-Luca said:

Kaylyn Kyle has said this 4-0 loss is all the fault of the “Canadian Soccer Federation” and not the players, so this must be true. I am so glad we have insightful women like her as pundits in the media, it is really productive 

The sad thing is we know what will get more attention - Kyle's version from a studio instead of Christine Sinclair's version from actually playing in the game (above).

[Ansem]

28 minutes ago, Gian-Luca said:

Kaylyn Kyle has said this 4-0 loss is all the fault of the “Canadian Soccer Federation” and not the players, so this must be true. I am so glad we have insightful women like her as pundits in the media, it is really productive 

"feels" over "reel"

[GasPed]

5 hours ago, Ansem said:

That's how you answer it

Gotta be honest, I'm not a huge fan of the quote.  First she says the CSA is not to blame, and the players/staff need to take accountability.  Then she proceeds to blames the CSA.  The first two sentences are good.  The last two pretty much unwind the first two. 

[Joe MacCarthy]

3 hours ago, GasPed said:

Gotta be honest, I'm not a huge fan of the quote.  First she says the CSA is not to blame, and the players/staff need to take accountability.  Then she proceeds to blames the CSA.  The first two sentences are good.  The last two pretty much unwind the first two. 

Bingo!

[BearcatSA]

9 hours ago, Ivan said:

I didn't see the game (PVR'd it, but will now press "delete"), but I haven't seen Lawrence play well in a long time.  Olympics maybe?

She was well below her capabilities but almost all the of attacks in the first came down the other side of the field, and that showed a pretty glaring weakness for us there.

[MrR]

The viewing numbers for the remaining World Cup matches should give some indication of how popular women's soccer really is in Canada?

[Onelessstar]

6 hours ago, GasPed said:

Gotta be honest, I'm not a huge fan of the quote.  First she says the CSA is not to blame, and the players/staff need to take accountability.  Then she proceeds to blames the CSA.  The first two sentences are good.  The last two pretty much unwind the first two. 

Maybe it didn't come out exactly as she'd hoped but I think her point is that the current CWNT players and staff are wholly to blame for their loss versus Australia and their lacklustre performances through this World Cup..... but that the lack of player identification and development (thorough scouting, camps, friendlies) is impacting and will continue to impact the federation's ability to field a world class or, perhaps, competitive team. 

I think that we're seeing a new reality related to growth and development amongst upcoming women's national teams. Does Canada have a new Christine Sinclair coming? A Linda Caicedo? A Sophia Smith? I certainly don't know and I'd be surprised if anyone does. Things could get tough, for sure.

Edited August 1, 2023 by Onelessstar

[SoCalTransport]

9 hours ago, Colonel Green said:

The new NWSL expansion fees are $50+ million. If there was a group with that kind of money to invest in women's soccer, you could use it to start several teams in a pro league here for the same amount.

Beyond which, there's no indication NWSL has any interest in expanding into Canada, and it's dubious whether FIFA would even allow that given their pronounced dislike of cross-border leagues.

50 million for a women's soccer team? Seriously? No one in their right mind would pay that.

[narduch]

4 hours ago, SoCalTransport said:

50 million for a women's soccer team? Seriously? No one in their right mind would pay that.

There are teams in that league that average 5,000 attendance