Redpunkfiddle

And what .. was he.. thinking about?
 
 
 

Ah That warm comforting feeling of familiarity. 

And what .. was he.. thinking about?
 
 
 

And what .. was he.. thinking about?
 
 
 

Scott played in a friendly today (Jahn won).  Scott's shoulder was tested.  All is well.

There was a plan. The plan was for the players to decide. I’m sure Herdman’s meticulous control freak data driven brotherhood  etc etc everything everyone mentioned led to his decision to leave it to players. Rightly or wrongly. 

I would also like to complain in advance  that 17,000 Curaçaoans showed up.

I would also like to complain in advance  that 17,000 Curaçaoans showed up.

I would also like to complain in advance  that 17,000 Curaçaoans showed up.

I would also like to complain in advance  that 17,000 Curaçaoans showed up.

I would also like to complain in advance  that 17,000 Curaçaoans showed up.

I would also like to complain in advance  that 17,000 Curaçaoans showed up.

I would also like to complain in advance  that 17,000 Curaçaoans showed up.

I would also like to complain in advance  that 17,000 Curaçaoans showed up.

No idea why I keep opening this thread.  

You can see how strongly I feel about this....

This is probably why he looked so beaten around the Panama players strike and some of us - me included - thought he was upset  by the situation at CSA. We forget these guys have a life outside of soccer.

Yes.  I was going to allude to this.   It was for the casuals in Canada who don't really follow game or have an understanding of the game, the history of Concacaf etc....   Davies made some far greater plays and impacted the team in far greater ways throughout the WCQ cycle than with that goal against Panama.    For example, that one touch combos (plus run dribble and pass) to Larin to setup for the equalizer against the US.   The pass that split five defenders to setup the Oso goal against Mexico.    The reason that that goal got so much attention is because many people (and media) who don't follow soccer were watching that game.  If you follow the game and appreciate the game, there were other great goals (I would argue better soccer goals) scored in WCQ such as:   1) The goal by Adekugbe in Hamilton, 2) The Jonathan David goal in ES 3) The buildup of passes that led to the Atiba goal against ES 4) Larin Goal (and buildup) in Nashville.   That goal against Panama was nice goal and individual effort but it got so much attention because it was an individual effort and of the athletic skills moreso that the soccer skills involved.  And people who don't follow sport defer to or can understand athleticism more so than soccer skills.

The turning point for me was the game 5 days earlier at the Azteca that ended 1-1.   When you go to the Azteca and you play Mexico the way Canada did in that in that game (AT THE AZTECA), you know that you have an unprecedented team.   In that game, Canada took it to the Mexicans and traded chances with them.  Nobody in Concacaf has ever delivered that kind of performance against Mexico at the Azteca.   We had the Mexicans (at a few times) laying back and respecting our attacking players whereas, in the past, teams that go to the Azteca, would just sit back and pray and hope to survive and limit the damage to their goal differential.  One just has to go back in history until 1930 and see how many times Mexico has dropped points in the altitude of Azteca. 
I find it hard or even odd to select the home game against Panama game as a turning point when, in the end, Panama didnt even qualify for the WC.   It was and should have been expected that we would win or get a result against Panama.  It would have been a big failure not to do so.  But the Performance at the Azteca, surprised me at how good a team we had, and I knew then that chance of going to the WC was very real.

I think we should try this strategy at the world cup.  I think it has a higher chance of success than conceding two goals in the first half.

As a public service to John Herdman and his staff, I have just gone through this thread and compiled the following notes for his consideration:
1) Alphonso Davies was both the best and worst player on the pitch.
2) Our defense will likely get overrun by Belgium and Croatia, but we should also play more attacking players.
3) While the rules limit your substitutions, you should still ensure all 26 players in camp touch the field, especially for sentimental reasons like they once played in that country.
4) Larin, who has scored twice against both the US and Mexico in the last calendar year, is an unviable option up front, while Ugbo is the key (despite missing a sitter against mighty Qatar).
5) Simon Eaddy should definitely not be our set-piece taker going forward.
Hopefully I captured it all correctly.

For me way we are lined up is mistaken. We are not taking advantage of our virtues 
We'd do much better with Davies taking the wing and Adekugbe hanging back to support the back line. Sam does not get to the endline and Davies is not an attacking mid: those praising him here, he's not been effective. It is just improvised training ground stuff.
Then Davies only appears as a mid in the final third, he's not playing the position in the rest of the pitch. So Stephan and Piette are alone in the middle. Adekugbe can't support them, and Laryea plain doesn't. The whole right side, Johnston, Laryea, Larin, is poor.

Ok, gonna go walk the dog.