Luxembourg-Canada post game Thread

[Grizzly]

One of the worst matches I have ever seen Canada play despite the win!

One of the few times I have also heard a bit of criticism from Dobson and Forrest in CMNT match. My favourite was Frank will have to light a flame under these guys for the second half but we all saw they played just as bad in second half as in the first.

[Grizzly]

I don;t understand the criticism of Jazic as he was one of the few guys who seemed to be interested in winning the game. He won the ball several times and was one of the few capable of passing to a teammate. He made some good combinations with Brennan and most of the attack came down the left both with Jazic and Simpson. If Jazic has a fault it is that he passes back to where he expects his teammates to be but with our poor positional play often noone is there. This can work very well with a club or well trained national side but with us is very dangerous.

[Grizzly]

I am at an internet cafe so have to be fast. I thought Jazic was one of our best players. Hume played well. DeRo despite his MLS impprovement was terrible. McKenna has to be a striker. The few time the Luxes had any offensive possession he was terrible. Poz was decent but not outstanding. Sulentic was very disappointing, at the moment only depth. Hume was the only other starter other than Jazic who seemed to want to win this game. However, his corners were poorer than usual, probably because he is not taking them with Leicester. Imhof was a good destroyer as usual but against a team who offered little to destroy. He seems unable to contribute very much positive to the play. Hutch was lost as a defender with no defending to do. Stama had little work but at least saved the few shots he had. The other players were pretty poor although at least Peters and Johnson showed some effort when they came on. Ademulo did not make an impressive debut although to be fair he had little service.

Many including myself have said there has been some improvement under Yallop against Portugal and Spain. What we saw today was terrible, one of the low points of Canadian soccer. Luxembourg was not much if at all better than Belize. They were tactically more aware and more disciplined but were athletically inferior. They passed a bit better than Belize but individually had no one that could carry the ball or shoot as well as several Belizean players. The Belizean keeper was the most talented player on the Belize and Luxembourg teams combined.

Why did we play the same tactics against a team like Luxembourg as against Spain? Anycoach knows that such a team will play 10 men back. They clog up the attacking area so you can;t penetrate with passing. You need to constantly attack with standards, i.e. tall men up front to push in crosses. We really saw the tactical inexperience of Yallop today. Don't forget we could go to the hex against teams like Panama that will play counter soccer against us and where goal differential will count. I don't think Frank has any idea what is required in WCQ. We have to convincingly beat the teams we should beat in WCQ to have any chance. He said it wasn't crucial to win now against Luxembourg and we played like it was not crucial. Even after the horrible first half performance we did not improve or play with more desire in the second half. We had a team that should have demolished Luxembourg yet we come out with a lucky win with a convert on one of our few chances. The Lux keeper is used to constant pressure and today was almost bored and lucky for us did not play the Hume rush very well. Even if we lose at least let us lose with a little passion.

Obviously you can not fire a coach after a win but I think Frank really has to be on the hot seat now. We need some friendlies against teams at our level. Teams like Finland, the Baltic countries and Belarus as well as a few central American countries. If we can not win a fair number of games like this under Frank he should be gone as soon as possible. He seems incapable of changing his tactics to suit the opposition or suit our strengths. If our current weakest possition is defender why do we always play 4 at the back? Especially when we have quite a few good defensive mids. Why convert midfielders and strikers to defenders instead of right or left backs?

[Cheeta]

Right. Results at this point aren't what we're playing for. So good. Everybodys off the hook there. Lads took Frankie at his word.

We're just here to see what this and that fellow can do. Now how fair of a look you can give a guy with a lunch-break kick about like that I have no idea. But I'm sure management learned something usefull yesterday.

[Guest Dave]

Fire Pipe now!

(sorry, couldn't resist).

[argh1]

I think Gerry and Craig expected more. The quote of if we win 1-0 doesn't matter it's the performance that matters.

Well we one 1-0 and I'm not enough of an expert to tell whether Luxembourg's team played us well or we didn't play well. Either way I'm with Gerry and Craig I expected more.

[Desigol]

Kevin McKenna is Canada's Gary Doherty.

[Gian-Luca]

I posted Luxembourg's recent terrible results in another thread, but although they always lose they usually don't get blown out San Marino-style. I don't understand why Gerry & Craig would expect this particular Canadian squad (which they kept going on about as being youthful and experimental) to be able to run up the score to 6 or 7 goals. That made no sense to me.

It was too bad that we didn't hear more from Paul Romanuk (even if I did shudder to hear him say "Team Canada", who was at the game and actually sounds like he knows a lot more about what he's talking about than Gerry Dobson. Can Paul be the new host please?

By the way, I disagree completely with Grizzly that this Canadian win in a match we dominated from the get-go qualifies as one of the "low points" in Canadian soccer history - a trifle over-dramatic there perhaps? Also completely disagree that DeRo was "terrible" - not sure where you got that from. He was one of the few players out there trying to make things happen offensively. Luxembourg were also about 100 times more organized at the back than Belize and by that criteria alone were far superior than them. And both countries were probably not that much worse than Bahrain, it has to be said.

[Massive Attack]

It's important to note that Hume has scored his first goal for the full Men's NT. I've only seen one mention of this on the board, burried in the match thread.

[youllneverwalkalone]

I questioned what could be gained by playing this opposition from the outset. A match is better than nothing, but I wish we could have seen the youth players who are competing well in Europe. For example, wouldn't it help Begovic's development to keep a clean sheet after being shelled in his limted Juplier matches? Ledgerwood, De Jong, Gyaki, & co could have won this match with a little help from Hutch and Hume. If DeRo wanted to use this match to showcase his talents to European scouts, he should have netted at least a couple -assuming there was even one scout there to begin with. Otherwise, he'd be much better off to join Hainault on a Championship trial with a club like Derby or trying one of the bigger clubs in the Spanish segunda.

[Gian-Luca]

Well I think the match was useful for giving some more experience to the younger players and looking at some new players. Some of which will no doubt be in consideration for future matches, others probably won't be. Outside of the FIFA points we gain from a road victory, that's about it.

[shaku_bert]

I would also say that DeRo was not as bad as Grizzly noted. And I tend to be completely frustrated with Dwayne. I thought he was OK.

I think I was really hoping to see Canada win big but deep inside I knew we'd scrape by with a l-0 win based on the squad Frank selected. And this is starting to bug me. It seems we never have our full or best squad. Frank is always giving someone a look or rewarding some hard-working try-er with a cap or trying someone at a new position. Aside from the occassional b-side runout, you don't see so many changes at bigger soccer nations. Even against a side like Luxembourg, if you chuck a bunch guys who barely know each other and play them out of position, you're not likely going to get a very fluent passing game. I know Frank faces more challenges because of lack of player pool depth and guys refusing to play but I just can't grasp why we don't see an a-squad more often.

Then again, I might just be an imbecile and all the players I like are crap and we need to run guys like Sulentic out all the time (don't mean to pick on him personally, but he doesn't make my a-team).

[El Hombre]

I also thought DeRo played well. Was impressed with him this time out and I'm even considering him for my personal starting 11. Not sure what it was that made Grizzly think he had a bad game.

As for the game itself, I don't much care about the scoreline. Whether it was 1-0 or 4-0, if we played the same I'd still be disappointed. What got me was that our passing wasn't that much better than theirs and theirs was atrocious. Whether it was giving it directly to them, passing it into touch, hoof-and-hoping, or passing too lightly, it was just too tough to watch and very disheartening.

Although, I must say that for the first time in a long while Peters impressed me when he came on, particularly his ability to get open and fire a cross in. Of course, we didn't have any men in the box which got me down even more.

The scoreline doesn't bother me. It was the amateurish display out there that did.

[Gian-Luca]

quote:Originally posted by Sigma

I won't bother discussing the game since we all know the result...

Actually I wouldn't mind if you did, because at least those of you in the crowd got to see the whole match. The camera work was so bad on the broadcast that nobody watching on tv can truthfully say the same thing!

[jonovision]

quote:Originally posted by Gian-Luca

Actually I wouldn't mind if you did, because at least those of you in the crowd got to see the whole match. The camera work was so bad on the broadcast that nobody watching on tv can truthfully say the same thing!

I love how they had to switch camera angles just to show the player taking corner kicks on the one side. The Lux anthem video-remix was pretty neat as well.

[Gian-Luca]

quote:Originally posted by jonovision

[i love how they had to switch camera angles just to show the player taking corner kicks on the one side. The Lux anthem video-remix was pretty neat as well.

Yeah, for a moment during the anthems I thought we were stuck with (what is known in the time travel trade as) a Chronicy Hysterisis .

[Daniel]

It was bad and no one looked good. Some didn't look awful. We were freezing our balls off and watching Canada play in Luxembourg to a 0-0 draw (for most of the game). It was ghetto. Exact attendance was 811. They served hot wine.

The player that struck me the most was Simpson, who I usually really like. He's lost so much confidence and that touch to just blow past player (which he did in the GC and I believe in Spain). He just lost the ball every time.

Some players really don't belong on the team, Sulentic being the most obvious one. The pitch was very wet and Ademolu didn't get to show off his speed because the ball would skid every time.

[Saviola7]

Ok, ok, so I got right to it and posted the photos right here

http://saviola7.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album01

Looking at the photos, I see that I'm not a professional photographer ... that and my shivering probably added to the bluryness. In the group shot, I have no idea what I'm looking at either.

So I got vain and watched the first half of the match to see if you can see us. You can make out the canadian flags to the right of M-Block banner, but you never really see us ... if only we hadn't moved! You can distinctly hear us singing "Allez les Rouges" at the 40th minute of the .avi file, or 35 minutes into the match.

[Grizzly]

quote:Originally posted by Gian-Luca

By the way, I disagree completely with Grizzly that this Canadian win in a match we dominated from the get-go qualifies as one of the "low points" in Canadian soccer history - a trifle over-dramatic there perhaps? Also completely disagree that DeRo was "terrible" - not sure where you got that from. He was one of the few players out there trying to make things happen offensively. Luxembourg were also about 100 times more organized at the back than Belize and by that criteria alone were far superior than them. And both countries were probably not that much worse than Bahrain, it has to be said.

I think it is a low point to play a country as poor as Luxembourg and not even get one shot on net in the first half. We only had about three chances in the whole game one of which we scored on. The value of playing such a team is we may play similar teams in WCQ in a qualification group (as long as Warner is not picking the groups again) and goal differential or a surprise result can mean the difference between qualification and elimination. Luxembourg was more organized at the back than Belize but Belize did manage to get a few decent shots on goal unlike Luxembourg.

My problem with DeRo is that he is ineffective despite his effort and this was no different last night than any previous game. We need someone in his position who can build and organize an attack and pass effectively to the strikers. Sure he usually manages the odd spectacular play now and again but I would really like to see someone else tried in this position. It is rare that the strikers have any service when he plays behind them. What frustrated me last night was how several players, in particular DeRo, Imhof and Sulentic often passed the ball to a player who was surrounded by three opponents even though they were not themselves under any pressure. What I liked about Jazic's game was that he was the only one who was making precision passes to an open player even though half the time after the pass the receiving player would kick it into touch or lose it unnecessarily. Simpson still impresses me with his speed and technical ability but loses the ball to easily.

As far as Yallop goes: How long are we going to give him before we demand results? He is no longer a new coach. Under him we have failed to qualify for WCQ and have never even pulled off a mild upset and have lost many games that we should not have lost. The highlights of over two years of his tenure are a few losses to superior teams that we played decently in. This is far from enough. I have lost all confidence in his abilities. His hiring was an experiment that I was in favour of at the time but in my opinion it has failed and it is time to move on. He has done a decent job in developing depth and getting players in Europe. Maybe he would be a good youth or B-team coach but he is not national team coach material. We also need a coach who can inspire and fire up our players and demand that they perform. I quite honestly would prefer Pat Quinn as coach than Yallop. He might not know much about soccer tactics but you can be sure that after watching the team play the first half against Luxembourg he would have made sure they came out with a different attitude for the 2nd half. Australia has shown what hiring a competent coach can do for their team and we need to hire a competent coach with international experience ourselves.

[Cheeta]

Thought you fellows at the match did wonderful. Highlight of an otherwise very forgetfull evening. Good on all of you.

Still playing at the 6/49 so maybe we'll see your bunch in Austria.

As to the match, I remember thinking that it must be getting slick out when Sulentic's free kick went to pot in the 1st half there, but it was hard to tell. One minute the pitch looks like it's playing realy slow, the next the ball's just running. Very odd. (Admitedly the camera work was crap but I can usualy read the spin).

On the tele' it looked like no one was on the same page at all. Best movements seemed to occure when the lads started working some triangles ('specialy down the left touchline) but those looked as though they occured more spontaniously than out of tactic. Don't know.

Jazic looked good to me. JB too. Least we got an honest days work out of them. DDR did okay I thought. Right in his element in that helter skelter match, but as usualy he was certainly game. Hutch looked like he was chomping at the bit there, but muzzled by responsabilities. Might have seen a different man maybe, had we led earlier. That's one Hell of footballer in the making out there.

Would like to see Ademolu again I think. Lad may have some wheels me thinks but he's a crap target otherwise. Needed an Occean or Friend or McKenna up there yesterday although from the limited numbers of crosses worth a damn yesterday I'll give Lux. a nod of the hat. They seemed to have a bit of smarts there.

Big Kev was on the end of more than a couple of hard fouls. Wonder why he was singled out? And I think he did just fine except for that one realy, realy scary pass in the 1st half there. Ouch.

Sulentic had a hard game. One of those days I guess. See you next year lad. Might want to work on that ball control thingy. Imhof too. Oh boy. I ain't a basher but this was Lux for Christ's sake.

P.S. Though Lux.'s keeper a sharp fellow. Can only wish for the sort of understanding he seemed to share with his defenders. Aggressive man as well. Handy for making up a certain lack of quality.

P.S.S. Anyone know what was up with grafitti on the front of Lux.'s shirts there? Something to do with the fund raising of the match?

P.S.S.S. Are we done with all the pricking about yet? Can we get onto taking international footie a little more seriously again, Frank?

[Gian-Luca]

quote:Originally posted by Grizzly

I think it is a low point to play a country as poor as Luxembourg and not even get one shot on net in the first half.

So you're essentially basing the tag of low point in Canadian soccer history on first half shots-on-goal statistics?

Was it a great first half (or even 2nd half) display? Of course not. But there are far too many low-points & poorer performances with alleged "A" squads in matches that meant something which we actually lose to qualify this shut-out, scoring-chance-shut-out victory as ranking alongside them. When I think of low points in Canadian soccer history I think of the loss to Guatemala in 1988 that we should have won easily which eliminated us from what would have been a very achievable 1990 WCQ qualification (especially with Mexico disqualified), the 4-0 embarassing loss to T&T in 2000 that eliminated us from WCQ, and the 2-0 loss to Guatemala last year with the worst performance I have ever seen by a Canadian team at home in a qualifier, not to mention the women losing 2-1 to Mexico in Olympic qualifying. A disappointing first half display in a victory on the road with an experimental & largely inexperience line-up (even the familiar players hadn't played together in over two months) isn't even in the same universe as those other disappointments by comparison. If this victory (with a lot of new faces & many veterans missing) over Luxembourg is one of the lowest points in our history, where do you put the loss to Malta (with a veteran line-up including Radzinski)? Lower than the lowest?

And BTW, Belize only had a couple of scoring chances against Canada in their 2nd game against us, they like Lux had none in their first.

[nolando]

God, was that really Hume's first full MNT goal? I have seen him have a few dozen chances in person...let alone all of the games I have missed (including this one)...God, why can't Dero do anything for the MNT??...and I'm a fan!! I mean I am not usually a basher but this is no longer a kid, this is no longer an overachieving a-leaguer, this is no longer a guy with potential- he is quite honestly a wasted talent and he himself has done all of the wasting. In stronger sides he would be dropped as an all-and-out non-performer. For us to be a real side we surely need offensively minded (and brilliantly gifted) mids like Hume and Dero knocking in at least a goal over every 3 or 4 games between the two of them...no, not enough...but having spewed all of this, I can honstely say that Life after Yallop is NOT something I am ready for quite yet. If we tank in the next Gold Cup, I think he will fall on the sword before he needs to be fired. The MLS is an open door for this guy- I think he could walk into England- wouldn't he be at least a candidate at places like Millwall?? They'll be in the Nationwide in another year or two anyways...

[Dutch guy]

Hi guys, I came with saviola7 to the Luxemburg-Canada match. The football (please, don't say soccer...!) wasn't good at all but I still had a good time with the Canadian fans. They came all the way from Paris and Leicester to see a bunch of players from European first, second and even third (FC Boden!) divisions trying to score goals.

To be honest, there was no player in the squad who made the difference and it was thanks to the Luxemburg goalie that Iain Hume could score a fine goal. I don't think you should blame the manager about the poor performance. If you don't have good players, it's hard to play a good match, right?

Hopefully for the Canadian football, De Guzman will decide to play for Canada, 'cause here in Holland he's named as one of the big talents who will probably make the difference in matches like last wednesday.

Well, Daniel, tg-13 and Sigma: Thanks for introducing me into Canadian football. Had a good time with you guys and maybe we see each other in Austria!

There's only one Jimmy Brennan...!

By the way: sorry about my english...

[Kurosawa1555362267]

Not a nice game, but the result is allright. Like Patrice Bernier said in the CP article before the match it's always good to win.

But the whole midfield looked lost in the first half, except maybe Brennan. I've never seen so many passes from midfielders to defender in my life. At a certain point you have to move the ball forward if you want to score!!!

I also did'nt like Canada's reaction after the goal. They stopped trying to construct anything and instead they sent long balls for no one up front.

All in all no one really impressed me. On the other side Imhof and Sulentic were pretty horrible in my book, I also have seen Pozniak play much better.

[Manuel]

Daniel, did you get a chance to talk to Frank Yallop? What happened to all the questions you were going to ask hiM