Friendly: Japan vs Canada - Friday, October 13th - 6:35am Eastern / 3:35am Pacific - Niigata, Japan

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

11 minutes ago, Obinna said:

Well...we are just as good as Germany...confirmed. 

Fire Biello and replace him with Hansi Flick!

[Obinna]

14 minutes ago, JAVIERF said:

The Scholes dude and Choinière had been alright since introduced,  

Paton and Choniere were fine. Not sure how much we learned, but neither dragged the team down. Choinere has more upside than Paton, but Paton can be useful to us I think. Choinere had less time on the ball, but did nothing to make me NOT think long term it's between him and Ahmed for that 3rd spot midfield spot.

Edited October 13, 2023 by Obinna

[jhoops__]

Kone is starting to look like a bust!  

[Unnamed Trialist]

To be fair, if we'd scored that penalty, we probably would have gotten a point against Belgium and it would have made more sense to park the bus against Croatia after we scored. The Morocco game would have been meaningful and Borjan would have thought differently.

But Japan was too good for us, I feel I may have early onset dementia watching Canada.

[prairiecanuck]

Just now, jhoops__ said:

Kone is starting to look like a bust!  

Too young to be a bust...lol.  Physical skills are there.  Needs work on the mental side for sure and not playing as much lately probably plays into it.  He needs more intensity when he's out there.  The focus needs to be on the defensive side of the game first and foremost. 

[Borjans Sweatpants]

6 minutes ago, JAVIERF said:

The Scholes dude and Choinière had been alright since introduced,  the team needs someone from southamerica as a coach,  and if the rumours down here are correct,  then it is a good envisagé by the CSA.  Davies the worst player on the pitch,  lads an own goal, caged his teammates too selfish too amateur,  a different coach will bring him on the right midfield.  

This guys a troll right? I think I’ve seen him mention South American coach like 20 times

[PastPros]

1 minute ago, jhoops__ said:

Kone is starting to look like a bust!  

Harsh.

[JAVIERF]

Just now, Borjans Sweatpants said:

This guys a troll right? I think I’ve seen him mention South American coach like 20 times

No , man I heard it on the radio here in Buenos Aires,  three of our guys and an Uruguayan ( Alonso ). Former Inter Miami and Uruguay cosch

[jhoops__]

2 minutes ago, PastPros said:

Harsh.

Perhaps but he’s been in poor form for club and country for months now…

[PastPros]

1 minute ago, jhoops__ said:

Perhaps but he’s been in poor form for club and country for months now…

You could say the same about half our team.

Athletes have ups and downs, especially young ones.

[nolando]

52 minutes ago, jhoops__ said:

Perhaps but he’s been in poor form for club and country for months now…

Quite realistically, like Millar some might suppose,  (young or not) he may have reached his appropriate level club and country wise. I think we were spoiled with Jonny, AD, Eustaquio, Johnston into thinking some of these young starlets were just going to come in, start, and be impact players at good European clubs and at national level, and just keep up a meteoric rise, transfering to increasingly reputable clubs.  Statistically speaking,  you'd have to think some of these guys don't pan out as genuine tier one players or as massive impact players at the national level.

Nothing wrong with national squad depth players and second tier contributors, mind you. We may have a national team full of such players, is all I am saying.

Edited October 13, 2023 by nolando

[SpursFlu]

People need to start talking seriously about Japan being World Cup favorites. Canada's performance not terrible. Piette is solid but not on this level. Backline is the issue. We need an upgrade somehow 

Edited October 13, 2023 by SpursFlu

[mpg_29]

The 'A' team really hasn't really played well (or that much) since last winter.

Also some of the "playing well" in hindsight was probably based on enthusiasm/energy.

Edited October 13, 2023 by mpg_29

[Sal333]

Two points.

1) This was a Biello-coached team. Trust me, I had enough of him when he was in charge of the Impact.

2) I hope all the Herdman detractors are happy. Herdman may not be an elite coach but he was the best we could afford and a hell of a coach.

[Joe Keeper]

If Biello is being considered or anyone like him, we are in even deeper trouble. This is still a very good team. Post WC everything we should be doing should be about asking ourselves what we have to do in every facet of football in this country to now push to become a global level team.  It starts with shrewed and very honest and detailed work to define the problems and analyze on an on going basis. We arnt doing this.

We just got here. The full world level is so far removed from  Concacaf it isnt even funny. We planned and played this one like we were going to be up against El Salvador or Guatamala. This  loss is on the players on the pitch but right now, we should be looking to gut the CSA, renegotiate the terrible CSB deal and plan with a wartime effort what we need to do to get to the full level. Or we are screwed for 2026. The people we have in place are incompetent at the very least. This goes for the amateurish commentaters. These guys arnt analysts or play by play professionals.

We are not, repeat, not yet a football nation. If we continue on like this, this program will be completely back to the good old days within a few seasons. 

The bright side is many of the technically gifted players we have. Tactics and formations are our biggest problem. This team is high tempo, high attacking football. But they have no structure to operate through to bring out their technical qualities. Which also means no sophistication to adapt when things are going this bad.

Right now, we are screaming out for a master tactician coach.

[phresh]

14 minutes ago, jhoops__ said:

Perhaps but he’s been in poor form for club and country for months now…

Poor form is an exaggeration, he's inconsistent, lacks hunger and discipline in certain games. Doesn't help that his manager gives him a very short leash, which doesn't help him build confidence. He'll have very good performance as a sub, start and play extremely well the following game, and in the game after will get yanked at half and benched in the next. I really can't remember the last time he's been poor for Canada, the Panama game in '21? Though I realize saying that fits your narrative of Kone being a "bust"

Edited October 13, 2023 by phresh

[Joe Keeper]

25 minutes ago, jhoops__ said:

Kone is starting to look like a bust!  

We've seen what he can do; he can be great. But I think we've made the classic mistake of too much pressure too early.

 Even Herdman made that mistske. Hes not a starter and has dropped right off since we made him one.

Personally, I hope he ends up in Serie A as rumoured. The championship can be such a graveyard for development and careers.

Edited October 13, 2023 by Joe Keeper

[toontownman]

We came out scared and we were punished. 

Japan showed why they are one of the most underated teams in the world.

I thought Paton was very hit and miss. To be honest I barely remember choiniere getting on the ball. Paton did look good sometimes and then nervy and giving the ball away very sloppily the next. He wasn't alone though.

Great cameo from Liam. A rare bright spot.

In general, nothing we didn't already know with our weaknesses, just with an extra level of nervousness and underperformed against a very good team.

Edited October 13, 2023 by toontownman

[jhoops__]

6 minutes ago, phresh said:

Poor form is an exaggeration, he's inconsistent, lacks hunger and discipline in certain games. Doesn't help that his manager gives him a very short leash, which doesn't help him build confidence. He'll have very good performance as a sub, start and play extremely well the following game, and in the game after will get yanked at half and benched in the next. I really can't remember the last time he's been poor for Canada, the Panama game in '21? Though I realize saying that fits your narrative of Kone being a "bust"

Spin it any way you want but he hasn’t been good for quite a while now and although he has elite physical tools he doesn’t have the composure or feel for the game to match those…

[jonovision]

27 minutes ago, jhoops__ said:

Kone is starting to look like a bust!  

When was the last time a player moving to England ended well?

[Unnamed Trialist]

28 minutes ago, canuckgbp said:

If Tajon isn't on the field, then Millar should be. 

But Millar should play on the left, and Davies on the right. I've been saying this for a while now, our outside players should be turning onto their good feet and shooting, not looking for endlines and crossing like it's 1982. The whole set-up is archaic and there is no vision at all. 

Same with the back three. Remind me why the hell we think that is a good way to play? What is it enhancing? We got scored against today on a goal where three Japanese players went against Johnston and Davies and the latter had a badluck own goal: where where the others in the back three? I mean, a back three enables you to keep them back because you have 5 in the middle to add to the attack. But no, we throw those guys forwards too because the midfield is also wrong.

 

[prairiecanuck]

10 minutes ago, Joe Keeper said:

If Biello is being considered or anyone like him, we are in even deeper trouble. This is still a very good team. Post WC everything we should be doing should be about asking ourselves what we have to do in every facet of football in this country to now push to become a global level team.  It starts with shrewed and very honest and detailed work to define the problems and analyze on an on going basis. We arnt doing this.

We just got here. The full world level is so far removed from  Concacaf it isnt even funny. We planned and played this one like we were going to be up against El Salvador or Guatamala. This  loss is on the players on the pitch but right now, we should be looking to gut the CSA, renegotiate the terrible CSB deal and plan with a wartime effort what we need to do to get to the full level. Or we are screwed for 2026. The people we have in place are incompetent at the very least. This goes for the amateurish commentaters. These guys arnt analysts or play by play professionals.

We are not, repeat, not yet a football nation. If we continue on like this, this program will be completely back to the good old days within a few seasons. 

The bright side is many of the technically gifted players we have. Tactics and formations are our biggest problem. This team is high tempo, high attacking football. But they have no structure to operate through to bring out their technical qualities. Which also means no sophistication to adapt when things are going this bad.

Right now, we are screaming out for a master tactician coach.

The problem with the coaching search is the first question any candidate asks is so what is the pay?  The enevitable decline of the interview request follows shortly.  Are there no rich billionaire soccer fans that can help this country out..lol

[jonovision]

11 minutes ago, Joe Keeper said:

If Biello is being considered or anyone like him, we are in even deeper trouble. This is still a very good team. Post WC everything we should be doing should be about asking ourselves what we have to do in every facet of football in this country to now push to become a global level team.  It starts with shrewed and very honest and detailed work to define the problems and analyze on an on going basis. We arnt doing this.

We just got here. The full world level is so far removed from  Concacaf it isnt even funny. We planned and played this one like we were going to be up against El Salvador or Guatamala. This  loss is on the players on the pitch but right now, we should be looking to gut the CSA, renegotiate the terrible CSB deal and plan with a wartime effort what we need to do to get to the full level. Or we are screwed for 2026. The people we have in place are incompetent at the very least. This goes for the amateurish commentaters. These guys arnt analysts or play by play professionals.

We are not, repeat, not yet a football nation. If we continue on like this, this program will be completely back to the good old days within a few seasons. 

The bright side is many of the technically gifted players we have. Tactics and formations are our biggest problem. This team is high tempo, high attacking football. But they have no structure to operate through to bring out their technical qualities. Which also means no sophistication to adapt when things are going this bad.

Right now, we are screaming out for a master tactician coach.

I'd hope for a better manager than Biello, but let's be real here: if we're drawing conclusions about anyone after this match, it has to be some of the players, not a coach who has been in the gig for weeks.

[Floortom]

Nothing about this match was surprising or upsetting to me.

Japan is clearly better and we have largely been meh since our hot spell during World Cup Qualifying. In the past we had Herdman's "rah rah" motivational tactics at least which could help us to a higher level but I doubt any of the players really care about or respect Biello that much. 

[jhoops__]

https://x.com/joshuakloke/status/1712812832671117692?s=46

 

not sure what match this dude was watching…