apbsmith

First European trophy of the season for a Canadian 😊

a small thing but a big thing. my 8 year old can be seen in the backyard trying to do an "ismael Kone!" when he's playing by himself. thats how soccer culture gets created.

Added to the MLS All Star roster.
 
 
 

I never get emotional about the personal lives of players. But what Eustaquio has gone through in the last couple years and only in his mid-20s is a lot. Losing both parents during dream tournaments in your career, it has to be a complete rollercoaster. And out of everyone, at least at Copa, Staq has performed better than most of our guys. Such a solid mind. All I can say, as a fan, is thank you for keeping it together. 

I bet missing out on Copa has lit a fire underneath him. As realistic or unrealistic as it seems to us that he's done with the CANMNT, I bet that he still strongly believes that he has more to give to the national team. 

With Bair being linked to Auxerre as well I hope this gets settled soon.
DAZN is rumoured to be front runner. 

Marsch had interesting comments about him in the post-game press conference. 
(Paraphrasing)
He said Kone is carrying a lot of guilt about the missed penalty and that, in general, Kone is very hard on himself.
Kone is likely the type of person who is never satisfied with their performance and always thinks they can be better.

I agree…met him once and had a bit of a chat.  Nice kid and young!  I love how he has that little bit of swagger to and performances to back it up.  Marseille will be a very hot place (especially with their Ultras); hope he keeps his head and makes them love him.

We are still camping so I didn’t post during the game but just wanted to say that people heard us cheering as we huddled around a laptop and watched David score the go-ahead goal. A guy came over asking if we were watching the game so we invited him to stay and watch the rest of it.  He came back with his two kids and they hung out until it was all over.  The dudes were prob around 10 and 13 and they both knew some of our players and guys like Suarez.  
Everyone was disappointed with the result but it was pretty cool to randomly encounter this sort of interest last night.  Silver linings and all that.  
 

French speaking kid and a super nice young man. 
Met him in Montréal, he's going to feel so at home in Marseille compared to Watford and in a fantastic development program. 
Long ways to go still for him, consistency will be key, but very bright future. Very excited and happy for him, kid works so hard. 

The problem is far before, when we are not pressing in the middle, when we are sending CBs forward on free kicks, instead of trying to defend a lead. It is pure naivety and an inability to read the game properly, from the coach and the players. You have to batten down the hatches. There was a third place medal and a million US for Canada and we were way out of position, guys on the wrong side of the ball in the build-ups, no time wasting or tactical fouling of note, and did not even seem like we cared that much.

In my opinion, The best way to solve the picture is before the screen shot. the simplistic answer is we should have a solid line of 4 atb. Instead we have weird depths and gaps.  Davies is high and the midfielder drifts between him and Koné but also 2 steps behind them.  The pass beats 2 lines of defence, strikers and midfielders. 
 
Davies is too high and opens up the gap in behind him so the striker can run off Cornelius shoulder down the wing.  Cornleius doesn’t read this because he’s not shoulder checking and bonbito is slightly behind him which allows the striker to stay onside and in a blind spot. Cornelius is too slow so bombito has to cover for him.  
 
laryea was also high and spaced too far from bombito so he cannot cover bombitos gap. 
 
if Davies is in line, Koné apply pressure to the midfielder. If he’s to slow getting there, Davies may be able to do track the strikers run and do enough to stop an early cross or at the very least, allow bombito to stay central. 
 
Shaf also could’ve angled his press of the defender in such a way that he cuts the passing lane into the midfielder. 
 
All of this happens so quick and we are out of shape so there’s holes in everything I said. “Shafs too far to cut passing lanes so it’s not a realistic solution” etc. but with poor shape, we become Swiss cheese. 
 
finally, Davies has no winger or fullback to mark on the play. The midfielder has tucked in centrally. Since he’s in no man’s land, it would’ve at least helped if he stepped inside to prevent the midfielder from an easy turn to pass. 

The value of this game is way bigger than the bronze medal IMO. This is a precious lesson our young team learned for preparing 2026 group stage and beyond. Kill off a game, free kick and corner kick tactics are  projects Jesse to take next in friendlies and NL games.

This whole tournament feels like a dream.
Going from the disappointment versus Jamaica in Toronto.
To barely squeaking by Trinidad.
To playing two very competitive matches versus the World Champs
And now this wonderful game versus a fully complete Uruguay team
What wonderful performances
 

When this kids game is on he’s Canadas best player… he’s only 22. Genuine world class potential.

He looked a bit nervous for the first 20 or so minutes, but then he got into the game, had a great tackle on Nunez, and then later on Suarez. Not a bad day's work, taking on those two. That should build his confidence. Only 18!  Can't wait to see how this kid grows.

I thought he looked nervous early but after that great stop on Nunez in the box, playing on a yellow, he was very strong and composed. I’d like to see more but to step in like he did and perform was very impressive. Our back line looks very good going forward 

Canada's B team outplaying Uruguay's A team. What a time to be alive 

I found the game last Friday and then through Tuesday to be such an emotional few days. Winning in that fashion and feeling that momentum across the country was amazing. I know this is first world problems, but when we went to Qatar, I didn’t get to see/share what it was like here in Canada and I feel that was something I missed out on despite the incredible experience I had actually being there to witness it. Feeling the euphoria this past week and then joining everyone in New York and being a part of that march from the mall was something I’ll never forget.  Losing sucked and I really hate Argentinian fans now. They're trash.
After a few days to reset I’m really looking forward to this game now and seeing some new faces playing. The last 4 months under Kevin Blue and now Jesse Marsch has been a rebirth. I hope we find more gems in our system the next 24 months and keep adding to our depth. It’s going to be amazing in 2026 

Great tournament by the MNT.
When the bandwagon empties next week hope there are a few more people behind this national team for the long haul than there were when the tournament started.

All best wishes for a great preseason and starting the year running. 

Reading the major Argentine dailies, Clarín and La Nación, both seem to think De María will start, Alvaréz up top, Paredes back in the line-up---oddly, the same guys who started against us might return. In general, Argentina football journalism is light years ahead of Mexican, say, which is very immature and simplistic. The Argentines play well and, I would dare say, are some of the most articulate and well-considered analyzing the game as well.
In an article in La Nación, the journalist Diego Mazzei breaks down the match-up, the first group stage meeting, pretty interesting and very balanced I'd say: "Argentina, and the lessons left by Canada. What to do and not do against a team that pushed Argentina in the debut"
https://www.lanacion.com.ar/deportes/futbol/argentina-y-las-lecciones-que-le-dejo-canada-lo-que-no-debe-hacer-ante-un-equipo-que-lo-puso-en-nid08072024/
The smiles and relief do not take away a nervous feeling in the Argentine team. They have already returned to a known refuge, in a remote place in New Jersey, where any fans who arrive, after traveling a long ways to get there, cannot go beyond a distant fence that prevents any contact. A strategic point to reset a team that has taken off on a familiar flight and that rarely in this Copa América has shown the impetuous walk of the great champion. There were flashes, almost reflex acts, in a group phase from highest to lowest in terms of demand. Until the first hand to hand came and… the abyss was just there. Ecuador showed them the precipice. That is why Lionel Scaloni, who did not enjoy the epic classification thanks to the hands of Dibu Martínez, took note.
Along this path, the start was not comfortable for Argentina either. In Jesse Marsch, Canada has an obsessive and intelligent coach who is trying to strengthen a generation with the potential to do much more than simply compete. And they will see each other again. Nineteen days will have gone by this Tuesday, at 9 p.m. in our country, when Argentina meets the Canadians again. That time it was in Atlanta, now it will be at MetLife, where Scaloni's team agonizingly defeated Chile. What lessons did that debut against the North Americans leave for Scaloni? What mistakes did Argentina make that it should not repeat? What strengths does Canada have to hurt us?
1) Shots against a compact opponent. That night the state of the field was in the spotlight. The application of natural grass on the original synthetic turf left the terrain difficult for the passing game that Argentina usually has, which repeatedly resorted to a script of vertical and direct balls from the center backs or cross deliveries behind the backs of the Canadian center backs. But it was not just the field of play that compelled the team to adopt this resource almost systematically. Canada became so compact when they did not have the ball that the space for the Argentine midfielders was drastically reduced. Di María, Messi and Julián had their opportunities on that stage. When, on the other hand, Argentina opted for its identity of associating passes, the two goals arrived.
2) The right defensive side. Argentina had a first half that was not without suffering, and the biggest deficiencies were on the side of Nahuel Molina. The match with Ecuador showed the same flaw. But it is not only the responsibility of the Atlético de Madrid footballer – we will have to see if he remains in the team or if Gonzalo Montiel enters in his place. There is a malfunction that leads the right back to be left without support and in inferior conditions when the rival groups players together to progress through that sector. Canada did it with its best weapon: Alphonso Davies. The one from Bayern Munich teamed up with Millar and even the elusive Jonathan David joined the triangulation. It was the Canadians' most interesting offensive argument. For Tuesday, Millar will not play; In his place will be the fast Jacob Shaffelburg, the revelation of the team.
3) Pay attention to the steering wheel that comes off. Canada has a leading forward who, although he has not been scoring, is dedicated to creating spaces for the arrival of teammates. Argentina suffered it with David – a French football figure – and with Eustaquio, whose header was notably blocked by Dibu Martínez when the match was 0-0.
That match there were several players who did not start against Ecuador. Julián Álvarez was the center forward, and could return after Lautaro's poor performance in the quarterfinals. Julián played a good game against the Canadians thanks to his deployment of pressure and the diagonals to offer himself as a passing option. The other is Leandro Paredes, who handled himself well in the axis, a place where Argentina has not found been ticking with Alexis Mac Allister.
As always, there are positions that are out of the question. The center backs will continue to be Cuti Romero and Lisandro Martínez, and Nicolás Tagliafico will remain at left back (Marcos Acuña played in the debut against Canada, was too isolated, and was therefore harmless in his attacking forays). Alexis Mac Allister would regain his place as an insider on the left, which he fulfilled efficiently in his debut.
Lionel Messi, who arrived with just enough against Ecuador and had an opaque performance, is expected to regain some more confidence and mobility thanks to the rehabilitation he has been carrying out.
Finally, there are possibilities that Ángel Di María will return, after not getting any minutes against Ecuador. In a difficult context, Di María has the capacity for individual resolution that Nicolás González has not shown until now, which would leave him his place in the attack.
Canada was Argentina's first obstacle in the Copa América, and the 2-0 of the albiceleste made up for several of the imperfections from then. Almost three weeks have passed and there are elements to take into account and not repeat. Above all, for a team that has reached these semifinals less with the total football that took it to the top than with skill and mystique, with saving individualities and hierarchy in key moments.

I would recommend 1 ticket at $350, a spa day for your wife, and a suitable bribe for the kids.   

Speaking of Tournament football.....and Portugal...and the Euros.....my mind drifts back to the early 2000s ...when Greece defeated hosts Portugal to lift their first (and only) European Championship (2004?)
I remember that was a result that shook the football world.
If we somehow manage to do the unthinkable and win the whole thing, where would that rank amongst the biggest underdog stories in World football?
Personally, I would like to think it'd be in the ballpark of Greece winning the Euros...