Feb 9 Friendly - N Ireland v Canada POST-match [R]

[Free kick]

quote:Originally posted by Kurosawa

The problem was that our defender were not able to pass the ball to our midfielders.

Yes. So very true and a point that I really meant to mention but forgot. That is exactly why this game resembled a Lennarduzzi era game and another reason why, with each progessing game, I am becomming very concerned about the coaching philsophies. The problem at that time was that the MF hardly ever got to touch the ball as the D either hoofed it as far as possible, kicked it out of bounds or failed to connect with the MF's. Forrest made an interesting point that successful defending can be helped greatly by the work of the fwds by eliminating threats and buildups at back. But the same could be said about the role of defenders in the offensive part of the game. Yet, Yallop thinks he can score goals or establish offensive credibility by just tossing a bunch of renowned strikers at the FWD and wing positions as he did in WCQ.

[David C.]

After watching the game last night, I have a few thoughts to offer, some of which might vary from what others have said:

Positives:

Kuklowski is the obvious one here. He seems to be really improving and growing in confidence. We'll see you in Portugal Mike.

Sutton: Although I didn't think he had as great of a game, as others have posted (very shaky 1st half), he did settle down and improve as the game progressed. Just needs more international experience and a shorter off-season.

Not as bad as you might think:

Imhof and Serioux: Yes, both made glaring errors but I also feel that both competed tirelessly, covering a lot of ground with a never-say-die attitude. Two of the reasons why we didn't cave with a man missing. They are both defensive players though and should only be used as such.

Reda and Gervais: Hard to compare the two. Gervais is way too out-of-season to judge, especially in 22 minutes. Reda looked better in central defense than on the wings and (like Sutton) just needs more experience and time with the team.

Bernier also made a few errors but played decently at left-back, especially if he really is mainly an offensive player. I'd like to see more of him.

Reason for worry:

McKenna: Regardless of how much he is loved on this board, I feel as though he really hasn't progress over the past few years. He just seems to get turned around way too easily. Somewhere along the line, he needs to put his foot down and decide on a position, to work on. To his credit though, he was probably playing with an injury throughout the first half.

Lost in the shuffle:

Didn't really see a whole lot of Brennan out there or Simpson either (other than being a tackle dummy early on).

Why Hume and Peters didn't get more time is beyond me, especially with DeRosario being so out of sync.

Conclusion: Playing on awful conditions, down a man, on the road, with (mostly) new teammates, many of whom are out of season...? Not exactly a recipe for greatness. All things considered, we stole a win.

[Champs]

quote:Originally posted by BrennanFan

ok, maybe we didnt play the best looking game, but the fact is we won a close, hard fought game under tough conditions (away, in the rain, with only 10 men). Not to mention we did it without our stars. cmon guys, this is a great result, and all looks well for the future.

brennan fan is 100% rite..r weakness of world Cup qualifying was the fact that we couldnt defend. And are goaltending was poor..That wasnt the case this game. To defend a an average team for 70 mins with a man down its not very easy. Are 4 backline players Simpson, Klukowski, Mckenna, and Reda looked very good at defneding. Like what more do you want from yallop he wins he gets in **** he looses, a\he gets in ****. What does he have to do. We played with a man down poor conditiions and we still won regardlesss how much possesion, how many shots on goal etc. Canada Won!!!!!!!!!! Now I understand we didnt play good but i seen some improvemnets in some areas in the park. Wait till portugal will see a very strong Canadian side. Yallop's side for portugal will loook like this:

Gk:Hirchfeld

LB:Simpson

LCB:Klukowski

RCB:Mckenna

RB:Hutchinson

LWM:Brennan

LCM:DeGuzman

RCM:Staltieri

RWM:Bernier

F:Occean

F:Radzinski

Subs:

Reda

Sutton

DeRosario

Hume

Imhof

Serioux

Jazic

[Gian-Luca]

Having re-watched most of the game late last night, I still maintain that most of the bad passing is a result of miscommunication between the players, and that this stems mainly from unfamiliarity. There is also some lack of sharpness in some cases, but again, hardly surprising. And when I see players shivering & trying to protect themselves on the field from the wind & rain I'm inclined to believe the elements were as bad as the people on the field said they were (as opposed to those of us watching on tv). I also think its worth pointing out the game was evenly played until the sending off, and we scored fairly quickly after that. I also think we may be a little guilty of underestimating Northern Ireland and taking their FIFA ranking a little too seriously (ironic considering we always complain about ours) - in particular, Grizzly I think comparing them unfavourably to Belize is nothing short of astonishing.

Its these kinds of games which can unite a young team & set up some good chemistry between the players, which is vital for a team that is not bursting at the seams with world-class talent. There are many things that need to be worked on, but its early days yet. I'll take the chemistry-building, confidence-boosting, experience-gaining win. Whether Yallop remains blind to the faults that were apparent remains to be seen.

[Andrew W]

I think all that remains to be debated is who will be added to the Portugal camp. I don't honestly think I could confidently predict what Frank has in mind, so I'd be hesitant to guess.

I'd like to see Simpson, Reda, Klukowski, Bernier and Occean continue to gather experience whether as starters or subs against Portugal. Obviously, like so many others have posted, I want to see Hume start up front and Hutchinson healthy and playing. Oh yes, be nice to see Nsaliwa because he has potential and Stamatopolous because we need to get a look at all the keepers in competitive environments. Maybe that means Fernandez getting a call too.

Anyways, NI is behind us and the ominous spectre of Portugal in front of us.

BTW, does anyone have an insiders idea of how much preparation and camp time the team will have for the Gold Cup.

[big paddy]

both teams were truly piss poor last nite , but take nothing away from you's , you scored & we didnt "though god only knows how we did not manage to get at least one goal" .

no excuses here but truthfully that is one of the worst northern ireland performances i have seen in a long time .

our corners & free kicks were a total joke .

we had players missing " as did canada " but still should have done better despite the horrendous weather conditions that the tv pictures did not do justice too.

it was mentioned that we will get torn apart by england but from what i hear they were awefull last night also . one thing i will say is that consistantly over the years our team has always played above themselves when they have been written off before a game & dont be surprised if the expected mauling of us by england does not materialise at old trafford.

congrats on the hard fought away win & keep a wee eye out for a minor miracle from us in manchester on march 26th.

ps the usa, usa, chants at the game were tongue in cheek . []

[big paddy]

both teams were truly piss poor last nite , but take nothing away from you's , you scored & we didnt "though god only knows how we did not manage to get at least one goal" .

no excuses here but truthfully that is one of the worst northern ireland performances i have seen in a long time .

our corners & free kicks were a total joke .

we had players missing " as did canada " but still should have done better despite the horrendous weather conditions that the tv pictures did not do justice too.

it was mentioned that we will get torn apart by england but from what i hear they were awefull last night also . one thing i will say is that consistantly over the years our team has always played above themselves when they have been written off before a game & dont be surprised if the expected mauling of us by england does not materialise at old trafford.

congrats on the hard fought away win & keep a wee eye out for a minor miracle from us in manchester on march 26th.

ps the usa, usa, chants at the game were tongue in cheek . []

[Cheeta]

That chant was the best. Ouch.

Ranks right up there with Mimglow's "Canada welcomes British Honduras" banner when Belize came to Kingston.

Anyone see who Serioux was gabbing with there in the 2nd half? Got to give the match a "sober" 2nd look tonight.

[Cheeta]

That chant was the best. Ouch.

Ranks right up there with Mimglow's "Canada welcomes British Honduras" banner when Belize came to Kingston.

Anyone see who Serioux was gabbing with there in the 2nd half? Got to give the match a "sober" 2nd look tonight.

[theirishhoser]

the view from my seat in the south stand:

– first of all. that's 90 minutes of my life i'll never get back. both teams were diabolical.

– i too was a bit confused with the lack of substitutions. hume, peters and klukoski, were clearly (CLEARLY!) the best players on the pitch when they came on.

- sutton looks like a keeper in both senses of the word

- if i'm a northern ireland fan, the fact that my team more or less quit with 20 minutes to go would worry me

- and finally, as a canadian of catholic northern ireland parentage, i have to say i was impressed by the northern ireland supporters at windsor park. i didn't hear any sectarian chanting and the usa chant was in good humour. fair play to the ifa, all their good work seems to be paying off.

[canuck-fan]

quote:Originally posted by Cheeta

That chant was the best. Ouch.

Ranks right up there with Mimglow's "Canada welcomes British Honduras" banner when Belize came to Kingston.

The USA chant was very funny. I hadn't previously heard about the British Honduras sign -- Excellent work, Mimglow!

I watched the game again last night and saw a few more bright spots than in the first go round. Kluka, as everyone agres, was excellent, and Sutton was solid. I also thought that Simpson was better than most have said. I'm not sure that he is strong enough to play at left back, and think he may well be more suited to playing left half. I note, in this regard, that many of the posters on various Millwall fansites appear to agree with this. I love Josh's ability and willingness to take on opposing players. We need to encourage that type of offensive flair. I think that the Stalteri comparison that someone made in this thread is apt.

Clearly De Ro should have come off in favour of a midfielder who could defend. He really is a one-dimensional player. Its just unfortunate that we haven't seen much of him in his preferred position, either last night or in WCQ. Please, Frank, don't play him as a midfielder again.

I thought that Serioux was solid and can play the role of the combative, hard-working holding midfielder. He ran all night and, as Forrest said, "has a great engine on him". He does not appear to have the ofensive skills to be an attacking midfielder, though. I usually like Imhof as DM, but thought he was poor last night. I would have called the penalty against him without hesitation. he was nowhere close to the ball and bundled over the NI striker as he cut across our box. The NI player made a bit of a meal of it, but it was still a foul.

Also, I thought both Hume and Peters looked really good in their limited time. Their pace and energy changed the match and NI had less of the ball after their entry to the match. I would like to have seen them come on much, much earlier.

Lastly, what the hell was the ref playing at, allowing 5 1/2 minutes (by my watch) of stoppage time? I thought his performance on the night was very poor.

[Gian-Luca]

As long as you don't mind us shouting tongue in cheek "IRA! IRA!" in response the next time we host you in Canada.

Just kidding.

[toddy0011]

Oh dear [V] What a performance from NI - we got what we deserved from the game -NOTHING!

Congratulations to your young, inexperienced team on the victory. Obviosuly the performance from both sides was not good enough but the weather played a part in that. To be fair, I think you're being a bit harsh on your team lads - you where a man short for 70 minutes, so there was only one way you could play. And thanks to our complete ineptness in the final third, you hung on for a victory.

Now to go back to work tomorrow and face the ridicule from my work mates (I work in England)... ah well. Next game v England... bring it on!!! Don't you just love football! []

P.S Really glad you enjoyed the game 'theirishhoser' I was disappointed with the atmosphere last night... very quiet compared to normal. Make sure you come back for another game!!!

[Massive Attack]

Nobody should be surprised about the harsh criticisms, as they have come from the usual suspects. I wanted Yallop fired after the WCQ debacle, but I think people should give credit where its due. Yes, we played like crap, but we won. We played on the road, with 10 men for 70 minutes, with most players out of season. NI should be embarrassed.

[beachesl]

quote:Originally posted by Andrew W

Anyways, NI is behind us and the ominous spectre of Portugal in front of us.

BTW, does anyone have an insiders idea of how much preparation and camp time the team will have for the Gold Cup.

Apart from those listed above, I would also like to see Felix Brillant brought in for a boo too. We have to expand our attacking options as well (by the way, did anyone else have a vision of moving Serioux up into frontal attack during the match, or was that just the ale speaking?)

Ominous spectre? Well, the Chinese sign for danger is also opportunity.

I'm not an insider, but the potential is there for mega-preparation for the Gold Cup.

First of all, the FIFA regs give us 15 days of release prior to the comp (starting July 6 ) so that's June 22-July 5. Frank should use this as a minumum, and should not screw around. After July, we can then round out the year with a fall friendly or 2 in Europe.

Second, the June 3-8 international calendar period gives us potentially May30-June 8 if we play two friendlies (many of our Euro players would be free then anyway). This makes more sense than playing in the Kirin Cup.

Third, our players in Britain and Germany will be off at least by the end of May (but they should have some holiday).

Fourth, if we play in the Kirin Cup in mid to late May in Japan (no release provisions apply tho), some of our players may get some practice in together, but this is almost too soon for the Gold Cup. I am indifferent to participation in this, although it would be like an all-expenses paid camp.

Some of the intangibles are:

- whether we play in Japan in May

-the suggested friendlies before the Gold Cup in Ontario and/or Quebec announced about two months ago were based on the expectation that we would be playing our Group matches in the Northeast US. Now that we may be opening two matches in Seattle, that may change the equation, although they will probably just play on the QWest FieldTurf, so preparatory matches in Ottawa's Lansdowne (sorry, Frank Clair) and Montreal's Molson make sense. Ottawa (Carleton) would be a great place for a camp too. If we open play in Seattle, at least a mini-camp in Burnaby would have to be in the equation (just as a query, what is the FieldTurf practice situation on the lower mainland now?)

-how much Frank is willing to cut into the club matches for our players (whoever by then) play in North America, Scandinavia, Switerland and Russia. He is sometimes a little queasy about playing hard-ball (or reaching solid deals) with the clubs.

-whether the CSA can actually do some rational planning around this

My philosophy is that the Gold Cup is really just part of what should be a long-term WCQ strategy anyway, but if we are going to the Gold Cup, let's see if we can at least address how we can adequately prepare.

[bettermirror]

we wouldn't chant "IRA! IRA!" we'd have to chant "Republic of Ireland! Republic of Ireland" (i know it's much longer, but equal in chants!)

[big paddy]

i suppose the usa , usa , chant is just as much an afront to canadians as ira , ira , is to us ..

btw toddy is right when he says you are to harsh in your critisism of your team . A WIN IS A WIN away from home with 10 men, dont forget that . see ya in manchester for a pint toddy . [:0]

incidently does anybody know who this ann coulter maniac is ? i promise she is not a disgruntled northern ireland fan gian-luca. now i gotta go dog-sledding []

http://mediamatters.org/static/video/cc-200412010011.wmv

quote:Originally posted by Gian-Luca

As long as you don't mind us shouting tongue in cheek "IRA! IRA!" in response the next time we host you in Canada.

Just kidding.

[Varsity Tyler]

a few more comments:

we completely lost the midfield in this game. really, we never had any possession there. the irish lined up 4-5-1 and with the extra man already had the upper hand. then, aside from Brennan there was nobody capable of keeping possession or winning balls in the middle. Serioux and Imhof are defensive players and nobody is going to tell me differently. Serioux was a disaster in Toronto as an attacking mid and always looked most comfortable as a defender or a defensive mid, and Imhof couldn't go forward to save his own life.

without possession in the middle it all falls apart. our defense wasn't nearly good enough,but at the same time everything that they cleared was coming right back to them. i'm not saying that the back line is completely blameless, but they weren't helped out at all by a midfield doing its job. if we can hold possession in the middle of the pitch then 25% of the chances the defenders faced never happen in the first place. that right there takes away one of NI's posts and maybe Reda's (comical) diving header.

am i the only one who wants a replay? we know that both sides were crap, but neither team played anywhere near potential. i'd be all for a rematch when both country's players are in season (an October date would be nice) and both sides can call their ideal lineup. i do think that a side like NI is a good development game to play - certainly better than Barbados or Belize. i think a rematch could be quite good, much like Canada vs Scotland before we decided to refrain from using our subs.

on the plus side it is a win. it's a dirty one, but i guess we're entitled to one every now and again. it's unfortunate that one couldn't come in WCQ : /

so how about those friendlies in Ontario and Quebec? we can do better and i want a chance to prove it.

[The Beaver]

Wow, sad to see that some of you simply have no VISION or UNDERSTANDING of this game and this team at all! G-L and Beaches, among the other sober Vs, have had their say on this, and I will echo it here by simply saying I'm disappointed with the negative and unrealistic crap that comes out of some of you.

The reality? We sent a very young, very inexperienced, and very "ungelled" team to Northern Ireland, had a player sent off, and still found a way to win. The whole point of this game was to get experience, to learn how to play together, and to see who we can use and who needs more development (or who should be left off the team entirely). We played a very agressive team--with a ****e ref--and still kept a clean sheet and notched a very nice goal. Should we be bouncing off the walls with joy, screaming "We are the champions!"? Hell, no! This was merely a step. Playing down a man is GREAT experience. Playing down a man and winning will do much for these young men. Playing down a man and winning with mostly out-of-season players and what is generally considered our second string (mostly) line-up, is not bad at all. Yes, we are not "good" yet. But we are a better team today than we were yesterday, if only for the experience and the knowledge gained.

My quick assessment: It was a messy game, and I am sad that we went down a man because what we needed was time to get familiar and start knocking the ball around like we can. Instead, with only 10 men, we had to play defensive ball. Still, a game like this builds character and confidence. It was clear that the lads were frustrated with the poor passing. But as G-L said, this had more to do with game-shape and unfamiliarity than anything else.

Players:

Sutton -- very solid, especially as the game wore on. With confidence, I think Lars will have a tought time replacing him. Not sure if Yallop sees it this way, though.

Kluka-- also very solid. He is becoming a fine young defender. I say pair him with Reda in the middle and see what they can do.

Reda-- much stronger in the centre. I'd say give him a chance to take this role on.

Bernier -- admirable and feisty at right back. He has more to offer and I hope he gets a chance to show it.

Simpson -- great pace, but not much in confidence yesterday. (Aside from the first few runs he made [where he got fouled savagely twice]) I agree with the assessment that he is better on the left in mid. His pace troubles defenders, but I don't feel he is a defender at heart.

DD -- sorry, G-L, but it is hard to forgive him for being a one-dimensional player. He's great in the opponents third of the field, but a liability elsewhere. Down a man is not DD's forte.

Occean -- good, and with time and more development will be a force. He does well as a target man, and with familiarity, this team will be able to use this to much stronger effect. Well taken goal.

Imhof - hard working as ever, but limited. We all know it. Still, Daniel has decent pace and is a decent d-midfielder.

Serioux - same as Imhof, though he has better pace and could develop into an even stronger, nastier d-mid than daniel.

Gervais - though he was out of season and all, I don't see him playing a role on this team. lack of confindence? Perhaps. He is way back on the depth chart for me.

Brennan -- invisible save for a brilliant free kick. He never seems involved in the play (at least in this game). still, he's got some skill and decent pace. I wonder if he has a starting role going forward?

Hume -- should have come on for DD just after the half. He is the real thing: fast, skilled, creative, fierce and willing to "back check" Occean and Hume should start up front. I am not convinced of DD at all (though I see G-Ls point)

McKenna -- good, and a potentially good leader, but I don't know if he is a starter anymore.

Peters -- loved to see the lad out sprint his mark for a free ball. The kid's got pace and will be a force once ipswich get their development-claws into him.

After this game, this is who I'd go with in the future:

Sutton

Nsaliwa Reda Kluka DeGuzman

Stalteri Hutch Grande Simpson

Hume Occean

---

Subs: Brennan, DD, Peters, Bernier, Serioux, McKenna, Lars

If Devos and Radzinski are around, then put Devos in for Reda and Radz in for Occean.

Yallop? He didn't do too badly, but I have concerns. I am excited to see what he does going forward.

[Soju]

I wonder how this win could affect our rank in the FIFA standings?

Nice clips big paddy. Carlson and Coulter are cute right wing talking heads who should take notes from the Simpsons and South Park on how to make a joke of Canada properly. American media figures trashing Canada is a safe bet for them because we're similar to the USA enough culturally and religiously that it won't come off as being too offensive, plus they get to seem like they've got a pair in front of their stupid audiences.

[Andrew W]

quote:Originally posted by big paddy

incidently does anybody know who this ann coulter maniac is ? i promise she is not a disgruntled northern ireland fan gian-luca. now i gotta go dog-sledding []

She's someone who just needs to be ignored. Funny clip though.

[beachesl]

DeVos and Radzinski are gone. Period, except for a bracket that DeVos may be back for WCQ in 2008.

Forget it for Portugal.

We'll have Stalteri and Julian DeG down there, and hopefully Nsilwa and Grande, the rest will be new guys, with a surprise or two (ie: Begovic or Waagenar for 3rd camp GK- the other GK's on the depth list are as old or older than Sutton or Lars, they will not be given a chance).

[Andrew W]

I think Grande just had surgery. Not sure he'll be back and fit by the end of March.

I also wouldn't mind Rob Friend getting a look. He's done pretty well in the same league as Occean. Although similar to OO, I don't see any problem with him serving as a backup. Get Olivier to bang and crash for 70 minutes and then send on Friend to hammer at them for 20 more. Some would like to see McKenna do the role I'm proposing for Friend, but I see RF as more of a natural striker although KM has taken some quality goals for both club and country.

Just more fuel for the debate-fire.

[Soju]

Jeez, no more Radz?

Radzinski'd: To receive inaccurate passes from midfielders over and over resulting in astronomical amounts of headshaking and flailing arms. Usage: "I kept getting Radzinski'd so I just gave up".

[beachesl]

quote:Originally posted by Soju

I wonder how this win could affect our rank in the FIFA standings?

The next rankings are due Wednesday, February 16.

Although we only beat a lower ranked opponent in a friendly (minumum points) the 5 ahead of us were only a fraction ahead, so we could move up as high as 83, and should move to at least 86. Guinea tied Mali last night, so we may pass them (since Mali was rated higher, Guinea will actually earn a few points for this). Togo was idle, we pass them. Scotland was idle, we may pass them (how long has it been since we were ahead of Scotland, wow). Albania got beat 2:0 by a highly ranked Ukraine in a WCQ (just moderate loss of points. Syria got beat by Japan 3-0 and Kuwait 2-3 in late January, so we should catch them. UAE got beat by Switzerland in Dubai friendly last night 1:2 by a higer ranked Switzerland) so we may pass them. and Burkina Fasso got smashed 3-0 by Algeria in a friendly, so we pass them. Austria drew lower-ranked Cyprus and higher ranked Latvia, so they more or less stay stable, and they are too far ahead of us. Thailand was idle and to far ahead to catch. The criteria are set out in the FIFA site, but you'd need an actual computer rpogram to work it all out, it's not simple or straightforward at all.

Nobody below us has the potential to pass us at the moment.

Current standings:

80 Thailand -1 525 -1

82 Austria 1 522 0

83 United Arab Emirates -1 521 -2

84 Burkina Faso 0 519 -1

85 Syria 0 516 0

86 Albania 0 515 0

86 Scotland 0 515 0

88 Guinea -2 514 -1

89 Togo 0 513 0

90 Canada 0 512 3

91 Indonesia 0 505 1

92 Haiti 3 501 20

93 FYR Macedonia -1 497 0

94 Iceland -1 494 -1

95 Bolivia -1 484 -1

96 New Zealand -1 481 0

97 Korea DPR -2 480 -1

98 Rwanda 1 479 4

99 Turkmenistan -1 478 0

100 Lithuania 0 472 0