Player Rating Time

[Bertuzzi44]

Well I've said it once and I'll say it again: Canada has the worst luck I've ever seen. They played well enough to win in Honduras... and remember, when people say Canada has trouble scoring, Canada should have 4 goals...(Devos/Occean/Hutch/DeRo)

My ratings of the boys saturday:

out of 10

Onstad 8.5 -Did everything asked of him, and has no chance on the goal.

Hutchison 8.5 -I thought he had a great game containing the Honduran forwards, plus a goal to boot.

Devos 8.5 -Solid as ever back there, great leadership

Watson 7 -Played fine except for the header he played right into our 6-yard box for the Honduran goal...

Jazic 7 -Played well... helped keep Honduran chances to a minimum.

Derosario 7.5 -Maybe frank should play DeRo up front or in the centre because he is at his best running at defences.

DeGuzman 7 -Not his best game. Too many giveaways, but is a constant threat to use his pace to make things happen (which also happened saturday)

Grande 8 -Gave Radzinski some of his best service. an adept passer...better showing than first game

Imhof 6.5 -Invisible again, not sure what he brings to the team a Bircham/Brennan/Brilliant couldn't do better...

Hume 7.5 -Looked sluggish during the second half (Good sub by Frank) but was dangerous in the first and could of had a goal.

Radzinski 8 -Canada's best player didn't play like it, but was still a major threat and had/created some decent chances

Occean 8 -I love the size and strength this guy brings up front... Canada in defensive mode for most of his time on so couldn't really see what he could do

Simpson 7.5 -Missed a great chance. Has good pace and will only get better

GOOD LUCK ON WEDNESDAY CANADA!!

[Free kick]

quote:Originally posted by Bertuzzi44

Hume 7.5 -Looked sluggish during the second half (Good sub by Frank) but was dangerous in the first and could of had a goal.

I would make a slight modification to your quote:

"Hume 7.5 -Looked sluggish during the second half (Good sub by Frank) but was dangerous in the first and <s>could</s> SHOULD of had a goal."

Also, DeRosario did not have a good game IMHO. Never mind the goal that didn't count. DeRo didn't create much from the flank position, was dispossessed too often and couldn't create space for himself. Giving Imhof the worst rating is very harsh IMHO. His role is not offensive but that of a defensive/Holding MF, therefore Gerry Dobson wont call his name very often. Compare him to someone like Dasovic or Bent and you realized Imhof's contributions have been solid. Compared to the other two, Imhof is a much more complete players. also, How many goals has our opposition scored on us originating from down the middle? the second goal versus Guatemala is the only one that I could think of. whereas that wsn't exactly the case in past WCQ efforts.

[Cheeta]

Haven't given the match a 2nd look yet but from what I recall I think it must have been Onstad's best match in memmory. There were a few missiles sent his way that went wide but he looked to have them covered. Now if he'd been able to stop them or no should they have been on target???? Otherwise for the most part I don't recall questioning his possitioning at all. His kicking which I've been critical of, looked professional. And he came out on that one play in particular to sweep a ball away without hesitiation. Good work that. Made up his mind on the spot and stuck to it. The defender coming back (Watson I believe) would just have to react to Pat's decision once he realised what was on, and that's exactly as it should be.

Having mentioned Watson, had we another alternative I don't think he'd have lasted the match. You knew half way into the 1st frame he'd play a part in any Honduran goal. At least I felt that way. Was so-so. Scary but so-so. And playing scared much of the match I thought. In particular I recall, (beer goggles fully on by this point) a ball going off to Hutchs flank and Watson trotting over to cover with a Honduran coming down the touch line. Now the Watson I remember from days gone by would have slide tackled that ball over the touch line with some enthusiasm. Zero chance of a foul and also unlikely to catch the Honduran, but the point would have been made. The ball was Watson's 110%. Instead he pulled up, pretty much letting the Honduran catch up to a ball which was no business being his, and shepparded the man until re-enforcements arrived. Fu'k, I would've thumped that ball over the line and hoped to catch some white socks along the way. It looked that perfect.

Dose anyone else think they need to talk more out there? Or at least give a yell? There have got to be instances in every match where a player having intercepted a ball, or stepped around one enemy player ending up loosing the ball to a back tracking enemy player all a surprised. Horrible. And we're four matchs in here. Horrible, horrible, stuff.

Lots more spinning around in the mellon, but I realy should give the contest another look before I stick too many feet into my mounth.

Good or bad ratings, I will say this. Dought I've seen a better performance by a Canadian side playing under those conditions in CA or the West Indies ever. Sea level and 35 degrees! Anybody who discounts those conditions hasn't a clue. Well done lads.

[Luis_Rancagua]

As an A-League player, I was also very impressed by Grande. He trully deserves an 8/10 rating. Too bad things did not work-out for him in Italy. If he continues to play the way he has, I could see him returning back to Europe. Perhaps Scandinavia.

[Gordon]

I thought DD was the weakest player on the pitch for either team, I am afraid to say. He did seem to play better when he switched to the right side.

The sad thing abouth this game, phantom call or not, is that Canada had 3-4 outstanding chances to score and didn't bury them. Hume at 22 mins, Simpson right at the end of the goal, and DD mangling his first touch on the give and go stand out particularly. Hume and DD for sure should have scored.

Bottom line still though, is that we lack the mental toughness required to win the games we should. Yeah, some calls, whether through corruption or incompetence - went against us, but we set up the scenarios that allowed these to be factors through mental errors.

[Free kick]

quote:Originally posted by Gordon

I thought DD was the weakest player on the pitch for either team, I am afraid to say. He did seem to play better when he switched to the right side.

He played his best games for canada when he was up front partnering Radzinski. At which time Radzinski was also at his most productive. But for some unexplained reason, Yallop doesn't see it this way. In the last four games Radzinski has not had effective partners taht he can play off of.

[Free kick]

Speaking of which, I think that I can safely declare a failure the notion of removing Brennan and Imhof from the outside MF spots in favour of DeRosario and Hume. Yallop's thinking was probably that we have a surplus of fwds/attack-minded players but neither of these players has particularly excelled in this round of WCQ and neither look really comfortable in their new roles that they are unfamiliar with.

I also thought that playing a 3-5-2 and employing more all-round players like Imhof and Brennan or Nsaliwa and Brennan gave us better defensive support without overly compromising the offive game plan. Sure we didn't score in WCQ 2000. But that was because we didn't have fwds who could finish.

[Gian-Luca]

Imhof was excellent last night. I wish all of the Imhof bashers would take the time to watch the game and just watch what he does and how effective he is. Mind you, I don't know if I would put him and Grande in the centre of midfield because they are both more defensive-minded link-up men than offensively creative. Especially as I don't think, and I believe said I was worried about this before hand, that De Guzman is as effective on the flanks than in the middle of the park where he has much more room to move past people.

Generally I think the whole team played well, especially in the conditions they were playing in. Yes, we could use some mental toughening with a player or two at the back, but that isn't the bottom line. The bottom line is that when you score more goals than the opposition, it means you win. Unless the game is in Concacaf of course.

[Gian-Luca]

quote:Originally posted by Free kick

Speaking of which, I think that I can safely declare a failure the notion of removing Brennan and Imhof from the outside MF spots in favour of DeRosario and Hume.

I wouldn't safely declare that. First of all Imhof hasn't played on the right flank of midfield for Canada in two years and it was Holger who started, in 2001, to use him in central midfield.

De Rosario was less effective on the left for Canada tonight, but played very well there in the last two matches, we shouldn't just forget that all of a sudden.

Having said that I still want Brennan back on the team.

[youllneverwalkalone]

Grande deserves the highest rating. Whether or not he's classified as a "defensive" MF, he was the main force behind the attack. Imhof deserves at least 8. By far his best effort I've seen. I totally agree DeRosario should be up front or on the bench. Although I felt he was a little more effective than DeGuzman because he led the attack a little deeper and held on to the ball. Next time I'd like to see Occean and DeRosario, flanking Radzinski in the CF position.

[Gordon]

quote:Originally posted by Gian-Luca

Imhof was excellent last night. I wish all of the Imhof bashers would take the time to watch the game and just watch what he does and how effective he is. Mind you, I don't know if I would put him and Grande in the centre of midfield because they are both more defensive-minded link-up men than offensively creative. Especially as I don't think, and I believe said I was worried about this before hand, that De Guzman is as effective on the flanks than in the middle of the park where he has much more room to move past people.

I thought the Grande-Imhoff partnership in the middle was the strongest we've played thus far. I can't say we lacked for chances on Saturday, and the defensive side of the equation was pretty well locked up. I don't know what is up with DeGuzman, but he really hasn't been as strong as I thought he could be thus far. I am not sure he is suited to the A-mid role at this point in his career. I agree with you though, that the flank is not his most effective position. I think he would have done better out there, however, with a guy like Stalteri pushing up on the overlap. If I had to critique Hutchinson's performance the only real flaw would be the lack of support up the wing. Perhaps the heat was a factor, but also, I think, the lack of a Nsaliwa and/or Stalteri to spell him if he got tired.

Imhoff was very very good last game as he has been through this semi-final. He may not be flashy, but he has been very effective. One of the best players on the pitch on Saturday. Grande has surprised me. He has a good engine, and a good sense of how to play the ball out of the defensive end of the field. Also one of the best players on the pitch.

Given the desire of both DeGuzman and DeRosario to cut into the middle while in attack, I think a more aggressive overlap by the outside fullbacks and a Grande-Imhoff partnership in the middle would be effective in generating chances from both the wings and the centre of the field.

[marcl_19]

Some of my thoughts on a few of the players.....

Onstad played well, the goal on him was rite to the post and hard to get to, can't really blame him.

Didnt see one bad play from deVos so he played like himslef.

Watson played well except that header that led to the goal and the header that was almost an own goal.

I remember that simpson was horrible vs the guats, but he's improving game-by-game and i think (well i think we all know) that it's because of his everyday playing time with Millwall.

DeRo did nothing bu give away the ball.......he'd make a half decent run, and then have a defender near him and just kick it to the feet of the honduran. He needs to be up front.....as good as hume was up front in the first half (and he really only had that one good chance) he'd be way betteron the right flank, with DeGuz on his more natural left (he played real well vs germany there)

Radz needs to finish a little better. One criticism i've heard from england was that he has enough chances on goal to be one of the top scorers so if he finished with a bit more consistancy. Also, as either craig forrest or gerry dobson mentioned.......radz spent too much time out on the flank.......while no one was in the middle....DeGuz should have been out there and radz shoulda been in the box waiting for a cross

I was unimpressed with DeGuzman.....not one of his best performances, but normally he's one of our best so i guess everyone has an off day. Add to that he's normally in the middle or on the right. I can only remember one time hearing of him playing on the right for '96.

Grande really passed well. Didnt really do anything bad. Played way better than Imhoff (wait, was imhoff even called up for the game!?!? )

Overall, Great game form our boys....Ref was exellant.....EXCEPT and this is a BIG exception......another ****ing bad call that cost us the ganme.........a 2nd goal vs the hondurans that was called back because of what? **** that. This is bull****. How many times can this happen to one goddamned team. It was almost as if, after we got the goal called back, i KNEW that they would score against us. it just HAD to happen. Does Andy Sharpe own a black cat that he brings ot all the MNT games?? Does frank yallop need to take down the ladder from when he painted his house that he keeps walking under? This is reall frustraing how **** just always ****s us up. Anyways......i know my post started more cheerfully but i needed to get that out.

One thing i want to add about Yallop. At the biggining of the semi final round, losts of us (me included) were saying yallop has made soime bad descisions with personel etc....but he's stuck by his guns and what do we get? The best away performance by a MNT in a WCQer in a few years. Here's to a win on wednesday and another great performance (with stalteri included, oh, and a win too) In Guatemala next month!

[BearcatSA]

I have already given my detailed player ratings on the third page of the Canada - Honduras postmatch thread, so I won't repeat them here.

Gian Luca, thanks for supporting Imhoff: the third time I went through this game on tape I watched him pretty closely and he did his job really well.

My perceptions of Hume are somewhat different from the others presented here. He's another Radz-type player who would benefit from running on to flick ons and knockdowns from a target man striker (future regular partnerhship with Occean?). Didn't bring much to the pairing with Radz during the match, but made a nice run to get the shot on net at 22 minutes . . . and should have finished.

Someone here mentioned the possibility of a 3-5-2 and if you think about it purely from a central midfield sense we have the personnel to pull it off: I think DeGuzman would play better in a free role behind the strikers, with Grande and Imhoff bottling up the centre defensively. As for the other positions on the field, the jury would be seriously deliberating.

[marcl_19]

i could see a 3-5-2 working for us ..... only one way to find out.....FRIENDLIES....even better....HOME FRIENDLIES!

[soccerbeast]

Player ratings.........Canada @ Honduras

Onstad....3 very careless on tiying goal

Devos.....7 very steady at the back

Watson....5 mediocre

Hutchison.10 player of the match

Jazic.....5 needs more playing time now that were out

De Rosario..8 future star

De Guzman...8 excellent game

Grande......6 so/so

Imhof........5 needs more playing time

Hume........9 Another great player for the future

Radzinski...2 needed to show up

Occean......8 another star

Simpson.....8 good game

Yallop......5 couldn't keep the side calm in the last few minutes of

the match, should have had them kicking the ball in to the stands/

out of touch to kill time.

[matthew]

On the road, I like having two ball-winning midfielders battling in there. Especially since our 4-4-2 has been known to be over-run in the middle at times. And Grande's distribution is quite decent.

I don't particularly like DeGuzman on the wing, but if he is going to play on a wing why not on the left? Let DeRo play up front, he would drop back and link well with the mids in the middle and leave Hume to play right mid which is would then have two of those three in their somewhat natural positions.

I didn't think DeRo was very good in either Honduras game, though he was strong in Costa Rica.

Man DeGuzman was maddening. And I can't believe no one can send in a decent cross. Of course, they're not real wingers, so maybe that's to be expected.

I didn't think Radzinski played very well either. While I didn't think Imhof had his best game, I thought he was very solid and certainly doesn't deserve the flack he's getting.

Jazic was better than some thought, I think and agreed that Hutchinson was very good. I honestly think he should be our right back and Stalteri should get back in the middle of the midfield for the hex. I have no idea who goes out for Stally, but I'm sure someone will be hurt or suspended and it'll be clearer by next summer.

I didn't think Onstad had much to do. Lots of wide shots, a couple right at him and a very, very tough save on the goal, which you can't really blame him for.

Still a very good performance on the road. One I'll always be proud of.

cheers,

matthew

[Guest Ed]

With the rankings in this thread, we surely beat Honduras 5-0. Get real. Hume was ineffective as he has been in every game other than playing against the grocery clerks from Belize. Radzinski never generated a single chance. Julian de Guzman had his worst ever game for the senior nats; granted he was playing in a position I've never seen him in. Watson and Onstad scared the crap out of me as usual. Only Grande and Imhof played well, with a nod to de Vos and Hutchison. Nobody else stood out.

And yet it was a game we HAD won but we blew it due to another outrageous defensive error late in the game.

This group looked to be the group of death but I think we'll only see one of these teams reach the 3.5 CONCACAF spots and it could so easily have been us.

[nolando]

...and let's not forget that DD scored!! Jeez guys, at least think about that before you say ridiculous things like he was the wordt player on the pitch for either team. Wasn't great- I'll give you that, but would have been a lauded as a hero had the goal been rightfully counted.

[Gordon]

quote:Originally posted by nolando

...and let's not forget that DD scored!! Jeez guys, at least think about that before you say ridiculous things like he was the wordt player on the pitch for either team. Wasn't great- I'll give you that, but would have been a lauded as a hero had the goal been rightfully counted.

Yes you are right he did score...if it had counted I would have said he was the worst player on the pitch for either side despite the goal. He turned over the ball so many times trying to beat the Honduran defence it was painful. Normally I am a big fan of his, but on Saturday he played poorly. But I'll tell you what Nolando, someone has to be the worst player on the pitch - who is your nominee? Perhaps you'll change my mind.

[Gian-Luca]

quote:Originally posted by Ed

Radzinski never generated a single chance.

Well actually he generated both of our best chances in the first half, setting up Hume all alone in front for his chance and having a major part in developing the play that led De Guzman flicking the ball on to De Rosario for what should have been a great chance but Dwayne mis-controlled the ball. I'm satisfied with Radz creating chances for others considering he is always double-teamed, but I would dearly like us to set up more for him.

I put the mis-control and poor crossing/shooting from skilled players like De Guzman, Radzinski and De Rosario mainly down to the crappy pitch as that ball seemed to be bouncing all over the place - give me Costa Rica's fieldturf over that crap any day. I think it might be a reason that Honduras - a fairly skilled team - does worse at home than on the road. They have two ties from two home games, and of course that should really be a tie and a loss.

[BearcatSA]

quote:Originally posted by Gian-Luca

Well actually he generated both of our best chances in the first half, setting up Hume all alone in front for his chance and having a major part in developing the play that led De Guzman flicking the ball on to De Rosario for what should have been a great chance but Dwayne mis-controlled the ball. I'm satisfied with Radz creating chances for others considering he is always double-teamed, but I would dearly like us to set up more for him.

Agreed, Gian Luca.

Radz's best performances as a player at club level have been when he has been teamed with a target man, such as Koller at Anderlecht or Campbell at Everton. I'm not advocating a long ball game here, either, just the utilization of a bigger man to hold the ball up so Radz can rely on his pace and anticipation. I think De Rosario is the man for now, and Occean (as he gains experience) is the man for the future in this role.

[Cheeta]

McKenna. He'll be back for November's match. See if Frankie selects him though.

Best target man we've had in a decade. And he's a defender. Go figure.

Otherwise totaly agree. Yallop's turned his back on the one traditional strength of the Canadian game because he's got a boner for on the ground ball-control-footie. A style of footie which has in four matchs produced exactly zero goals. Allowed or disallowed.

Given our healthy midfield options I can see the argument. At club level. But I'm sure everyone's noticed this isn't club level football.

[BearcatSA]

Forgot about Big Kev!

However, I'd like to see him doing this role on a regular basis for Hearts instead of the "jack-of-all -trades-master-of-none" niche he has taken on in Edinburgh. He'll have to continue to develop his first touch and positioning.

He'd be a good choice: holding up the on the deck passes from DeGuzman or Grande et al as well as providing a legitimate aerial threat on clearences and crosses.

[Daniel]

I'd like to see Grande and Serioux in central mid when they're both healthy, but where does that put Stalteri?

Maybe at right back with Hutch moving to the middle (where he played at the WYC)? Although I'm a fan of Gervais ().

[Vancouver Fan]

quote:Originally posted by soccerbeast

Player ratings.........Canada @ Honduras

Onstad....3 very careless on tiying goal

Devos.....7 very steady at the back

Watson....5 mediocre

Hutchison.10 player of the match

Jazic.....5 needs more playing time now that were out

De Rosario..8 future star

De Guzman...8 excellent game

Grande......6 so/so

Imhof........5 needs more playing time

Hume........9 Another great player for the future

Radzinski...2 needed to show up

Occean......8 another star

Simpson.....8 good game

Yallop......5 couldn't keep the side calm in the last few minutes of

the match, should have had them kicking the ball in to the stands/

out of touch to kill time.

Wow,if it wasn't apparent before it surely is now.You really don't know anything about soccer do you?Can you give me your address?I'd like to send you a copy of the game because it doesn't appear that you even watched it.

Jazic and Imhoff need more playing time?Is that right?Is that because they are young rookies and havn't had a chance to prove what they can do?

You give Onstad a 3 because he was careless on the goal but Watson gets a 5 because I guess,he wasn't as careless.

Hume gets a 9 and De Guzman and Occean an 8?Can you explain?What exactly did you like about their game on Saturday?

De Rosario is a future star?You know he's actually been around for a while.Many already consider him a star for San Jose.Thats a team in MLS.Thats a league in the USA.

Radzinski a 2.Yeah right,he was really that much worse than the rest of the team.

Try watching the game next time instead of following a script that you've made to carry out your agenda.