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how about a January MNT tour?


Jason

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I suggested this a while back on the other forum, but didn't get any response. If our first WCQ match is in the third week of January, why doesn't the new coach put together a side of North American and Scandanavian players to do a three match tour in the Carribean/Central American/northern South American area? Do we really want our offensive sparkplug (DeRosario) and perhaps starting keeper (Onstad) without game action a couple of months? Our Scandanavian group will be in the same boat. Plus this will give some players who haven't played at this level a chance to gain some experience. Here's my proposed roster:

Goal: Onstad, Stamatopoulous (if Hirschfeld is not doing much for Tottenham he could maybe get the call too).

Defense: Pozniak, Reda, Menenzes, Pizzolito, Gervais, Fletcher or Watson

Midfielders: Hutchinson, Bernier, Nash, Aristodemo, Dasovic, Jeff Clarke

Forwards: DeRosario, Friend, Jordan, Corrazin or Budalic

This would be the last chance a few of the greybeards would have to prove themselves for the preliminary round. Besides, if any of them are to play, they need some game action. Menenzes should be recalled to see if he's got his game back. Reda has never earned a cap. Gervais seems like an up-and-coming guy worth a look. I see Friend as a good partner up front with some of the shorter guys.

We have youth teams always on these kind of tours, why not send the seniors? It's not like any of them have other commitments at that time of year, except for the indoor players.

Jason

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Yes, it would be a good idea and I think that with the player pool you mentionned it would be possible to have enough players for that kind of preparation.

BTW, I'm worried with our goalkeeping situation, Onstad is playing great with SJ but never seem to play well with Canada. Hirshfeld is playing well in GC for us but don't play that much in England and was injured for a while last season. Those 2 are the only keepers who played for us in the last 2 years I think (maybe I forgot someone). I believe that Canada will need tremendous goalkeeping if we want to get to the WC, and I'm not sure if one of those two guys can provide that on a consistent basis. I would've love to see Kenny S. or Sutton in net for Canada, just to see what they are capable of, but now its too late, we need to prepare not to experiment new things.

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Guest Jeffery S.

I am sort of guessing, but it seems to me if we get a group of three for qualifying, in January we won't get a home game. I don't know if they'd make us start with two road games, guess it is possible, but I think the logical draw would have us play away to one side from either Caribbean or C. America, and then those two teams would play on the 2nd January date, with the team we play away playing away themselves to the third team.

I doubt we'd play at home in Victoria or Van then fly to do a 2nd a few days later, or vice versa. And I sure hope we don't have to start with two road games, forcing us into do or die games back home later in the spring. But being Concacaf, we'll see what they come up with.

This would mean it would be logical to call up the guys, maybe a bigger roster than usual (21 would be nice), and do a camp before the match, say a week, and to reduce travelling, do it in the country we are playing. There will be no way to do a friendly vs. a Concacaf team, so all we could expect is a friendly vs. a club team a few days before the match. Though even then there'd be the risk of injuries and I am not sure we'd opt for that.

Note that as it is not a FIFA date there will be club conflicts with all those in season in January, notably Britain-based guys. Radzinski especially is not going to be happy about that. Problem is that in fact the guys in the isles will be the most in game shape. So what does that leave us?

When is the draw by the way?

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