Soccer_Josh Posted July 3, 2005 Share Posted July 3, 2005 As Canada heads into this years Gold Cup, what in everybody's opinion is Canada's biggest weakness. in my opinion it would probably be Experience. Canada is missing many of their more experienced players. 6 starters that were in WCQ are gone. Sure we have a young team but look at the USA. They are stacked. Defense will also most likley be a problem once again. I don't think Goalkeeping will be much of a problem...Thank God. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheeta Posted July 3, 2005 Share Posted July 3, 2005 Outside of management? Familiarity and preperation? Hard to play any sort of transition game without it. Meaning you've got to try to play some pretty basic formations and tactics and hope individual quality will carry you through. If you can manage to get some isolation developed in the attacking 3rd of the pitch. Which brings us to... Having your core of important players in season form? That's where Team MLS got us. Big time. Other than de Rossario, Hutch, Sutton and maybe Grande, for our other key players this is a training camp. Fitness? See above. Hinders training and we're still stuck playing two matchs in three nights and three in six with a cross continent flight inbetween. I don't know. Basicaly the last defencive line is the most troubling and I don't think there's enough time to prepare that tactical flow between the mid-field, defense and 'keeper to help hide that. But yeah, you're right about the experience levels out there. Least at this level. No denying that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted July 3, 2005 Share Posted July 3, 2005 OO is in-season, as are Hutch and the other Scandinavia-based players. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikeD Posted July 3, 2005 Share Posted July 3, 2005 Defence - the Big D. I can't remember Canada ever being as thin at the back as we've been since DeVos retired from international football. The good news is that we've got three years to find our new DeVos before the next round of WCQ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BeatleManU Posted July 3, 2005 Share Posted July 3, 2005 I saw some clips of your past games, you looked alright up front... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youllneverwalkalone Posted July 3, 2005 Share Posted July 3, 2005 The weakness I saw last night was that the wings generated little in attack and were often beaten defensively. Simpson had a nice run or two, but mostly it was Dero running himself into a corner down there. In fact, Canada actually seemed to be controlling the middle of the pitch against Honduras (how strange is that?) We won't be able to do this against the US and Costa Rica, so we'd better shore up the wings. I would recommend Bernier on his natural right side, with Serioux behind him at RB. With Simpson and Brennan on the left. Hopefully Serioux and Brennan can generate enough on set pieces to squeak out 4 points in the group. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted July 3, 2005 Share Posted July 3, 2005 Dero running himself into a corner? NEVER! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bertuzzi44 Posted July 3, 2005 Share Posted July 3, 2005 The Defence... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redhat Posted July 3, 2005 Share Posted July 3, 2005 quote:Originally posted by Bertuzzi44 The Defence... Yep, apparently the slowness of the defence was evident on the two Honduran goals. Were we hoping for a 5-4 score? Our weaknesses? It's the (1) defence, (2) lack of preparation, (3) availability of most our top players, and (4) lack of money, or the inability of the CSA to raise or come up with the funds. We can fix (1), but the rest are long-term concerns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ref Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 The players - lack of skill The coach - recognizing talent The CSA - lack of a program The media - lack of support Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markus Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 weakness? what weakness??? sorry, that's not much of a contribution... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LMW Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 quote:Originally posted by The Ref The players - lack of skill The coach - recognizing talent The CSA - lack of a program The media - lack of support With respect to players skill, this comes down to how they were trained and coached when they were kids at the amateur level in Canada. Obviously the coaching and training our kids are getting is recreational league calibre. We need to get a program going where all provinces are using the same coaching and training across Canada. We need to be copying what they do in Europe and the rest of the world at the amateur level. We can't have mom and pop rec. coaches who aren't serious about soccer, teaching how the game is played or how players skills are developed. We need to send soccer delegations over to europe from all provinces and these people will need to observe, take notes, take video, get all the info. they can from Europe and their amateur systems and come back to Canada, have a huge conference and start to implement serious changes to the way the game is taught over here. Simple enough. Do this NOW and in ten years time you will see better skilled players and a better calibre of play from amateur up to the pro level. Why we are not doing this is beyond me. It is like that movie "What stupid people do", only this applies to Canadian soccer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stacks Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 Fan Negativity Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free kick Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 quote:Originally posted by LMW Yes, thats exactly what it is. Yes, I know that there are the occasional wizards here and there but far too few of them. At all levels, collectively, we are just too weak "on the ball" compared to our opponents. Our players "touches" are no where near what we see from our opponents. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free kick Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 quote:Originally posted by stacks Fan Negativity I have to disagree. Have you looked at our record in this world cup cycle ( ie.: from WC 2002 to present)? Its brutal. And its the worst of any cycle going back to 1986. You cannot sugar coat that. We all support our national side here, but as far as the population at large, how much more support can you expect, when we are not winning and then we get treated to a game like the recent Can-Col match where our opponents control the ball posession for an unheard of 75% of the game. I was wathcing that game during my lunch break at a location where many people popped in for lunch. I was at that same location when the WC games were on and this crowd represents a good cross section of the population at large and our performance did not capture their attention despite the initial good intentions and emotional attachment to Canada. I heard and observed some of the reactions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derosario23 Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 1- An experienced coach 2-fan support accross the country by this i mean soccer becoming canadas number 1 sport 3- more training facilities 4 mls in canada 5- more sponsors 6- canadian spirit and faith Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 BTW, Leduc had a great quote in a interview: "In Canada, the better a young player is, the more he pays (elite team, provincials, trips). In Europe, the better you are, the more the club pays for you." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free kick Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 quote:Originally posted by Free kick I have to disagree. Have you looked at our record in this world cup cycle ( ie.: from WC 2002 to present)? Its brutal. And its the worst of any cycle going back to 1986. You cannot sugar coat that. We all support our national side here, but as far as the population at large, how much more support can you expect, when we are not winning and then we get treated to a game like the recent Can-Col match where our opponents control the ball posession for an unheard of 75% of the game. I was wathcing that game during my lunch break at a location where many people popped in for lunch. I was at that same location when the WC games were on and this crowd represents a good cross section of the population at large and our performance did not capture their attention despite the initial good intentions and emotional attachment to Canada. I heard and observed some of the reactions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CanadasBest Posted July 4, 2005 Share Posted July 4, 2005 quote:Originally posted by MikeD Defence - the Big D. I can't remember Canada ever being as thin at the back as we've been since DeVos retired from international football. The good news is that we've got three years to find our new DeVos before the next round of WCQ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soccer_Josh Posted July 5, 2005 Author Share Posted July 5, 2005 Who here really thinks we can beat the USA. The loss is expected and Frank probably knows that. Sure it may turn out to be a blowout but thats only becuase the USA has a fantastic team, I know I am expecting the worse against the USA...that just gives me more reason to think Canada is gunne thump Costa Rica and Cuba. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearcatSA Posted July 5, 2005 Share Posted July 5, 2005 The centre back situation is disturbing because traditionally we have had solid performers there, even pre 2000 Gold Cup triumph. On the match thread someone complained about the defence's lack of speed, then another contributor said that you can compensate your lack of pace with brains. I didn't get to see the last friendly but I have been concerned about the recent central defence candidates' collective lack of pace (with the exception of Klukowski) and I believe it to be a serious problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youllneverwalkalone Posted July 5, 2005 Share Posted July 5, 2005 Based on the performance against Honduras, McKenna and Gervais should be okay. A lot of the opposing pressure came down the right side, with Braz and Peters. I doubt those two will start on Thursday. When Gervais was in trouble it was all his own doing from pressing too far forward (unless that was the world worst offside trap!) I wish one of the many Impact supporters on this board would stand up for the guy because I don't think he's that bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearcatSA Posted July 5, 2005 Share Posted July 5, 2005 Gervais and McKenna started in the final victory in Guatemala at the end of the WCQ, and they started together against N.I. until Gervais was sent off, so Yallop must like what he sees. I'm not down on Gervais. In fact, awhile back on another thread (specifically about our centre back situation) I suggested we have Sutton and Gervais as two/thirds of the central defence triad (keeper, two centre backs) because of their familiarity with each other as regulars on the Impact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gordon Posted July 5, 2005 Share Posted July 5, 2005 I agree that the centre of the defence is currently an issue. But I think the solution is reasonably close at hand: Klukowski is part of that. So is Nsaliwa if Yallop can mend those fences. Reda can be the big centre half we occasionaly need and Edgar really impressed me at the U-20s and I think he is not too far away. Mckenna is a fifth who ca do the job. Gervais and Pizzolitto are game and give it their all, but I think there is a significant drop off over the three mentioned above who have actually played for the Nats in the position (excluded Nsaliwa who I believe, nay, know, to be better on observation in other positions and Edgar as they have never dressed for the National team as a centre back). I think our defence will return to being a strength in the next two years, even if hutchinson and stateri get their burn in the midfield. Simpson will continue to progress and Ledgerwood is another of the U-20s who has "can't miss" stamped upon him. Goaltending concerns me a bit, but I think attacking mid is where we are most lacking. As usual. Hutchinson may be the answer, or the younger DeGuzman, or maybe DeRosario given what he has been doing at San Jose. But it remains to be seen if any of them can step it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
youllneverwalkalone Posted July 5, 2005 Share Posted July 5, 2005 Klukowski might have been our best player against Portugal. He'd obviously replace Gervais were he available. I'd say it's a bit of a toss-up between Reda and McKenna, but we all know who Yallop favours. I also wonder whether Edgar has ever played at the back? Sounds like he's playing in the middle at Newcastle as well. Speaking of RBs (as I was), what's up with Kappos? I guess he's looking for a new club, but his experience might have been useful in this tournament. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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