Braz Sutton Gervais selected for Jamaica match !

[Derosario23]

I just got off the phone with Gabriel Gervais and he told me that Braz and Sutton have also been called and Radz was also called. Heard it from a fan of his. So I guess this squad will be similar to the one from Sept 4th I hope Dero and Serioux will be there and hopefully they will call up Kluk and Brenan.

[David C.]

Fair selections.

While Hart expressed wanting to look at a lot of players, our core roster is probably no more than 25 deep. Given the low number of games lately, an interim manager is likely better served on keeping our core together as much as possible, rather than experimenting with longshots.

I expect the squad to be half from the last game and half new additions. Inviting the Impact players again, given the location and timing of the game, makes sense to me.

[David C.]

Fair selections.

While Hart expressed wanting to look at a lot of players, our core roster is probably no more than 25 deep. Given the low number of games lately, an interim manager is likely better served on keeping our core together as much as possible, rather than experimenting with longshots.

I expect the squad to be half from the last game and half new additions. Inviting the Impact players again, given the location and timing of the game, makes sense to me.

[jonovision]

Will this be the last time that Braz and Sutton are playing in a friendly as "Impact" players?

[jonovision]

Will this be the last time that Braz and Sutton are playing in a friendly as "Impact" players?

[loyola]

I hope it is, that would be better for them and our MNT....

I agree with David C., fair selections so far. But I don't want a see Reda and Pozniak (even if Pozniak had a good game before his injury) call again I think we need to give a try to Nsaliwa and Hainault.

Atiba should be there too.

[Guest Ed]

So much for Ian Kennet's predictions. Lars will not be called now and Nsaliwa is highly unlikely. Looks like Hart is too timid to stray away from Yallop's playbook.

In response to the first post, the MLS is in its last 3 weeks. There's no way we'll see DeRo or Serioux as Houston is still in a dog fight for a playoff spot, let alone 2nd place in the West.

[David C.]

quote:Originally posted by loyola

...I think we need to give a try to Nsaliwa and Hainault.

Agreed on Haineault but I'm starting to give up on seeing Nsaliwa (ever) again.

[bettermirror]

ya it's a shame about nsaliwa. wish i knew why. hainault must be called! he's been fantastic in a very tough league. i personally am not a fan of braz though. i'd rather see a quicker more athletic player ... i prefer pozniak.

[Daniel]

Sutton can not be transferred before the next transfer window, and we have one more friendly before then. Braz can leave on a free transfer.

[David C.]

quote:Originally posted by bettermirror

i personally am not a fan of braz though.

I don't have a problem with Braz, per se. I just wouldn't mind seeing him positioned as a central defender, rather than as a wingback. I agree about the need for speed on the defensive flanks.

[Grizzly]

quote:Originally posted by David C.

I don't have a problem with Braz, per se. I just wouldn't mind seeing him positioned as a central defender, rather than as a wingback. I agree about the need for speed on the defensive flanks.

But we also need speed in central defence and Braz is not fast. I can't see playing Braz and McKenna together as this would be a very slow central defence not to mention that they both play on the same side. Nor do I think he is an upgrade over McKenna so at most he is a McKenna sub at central back. What worries me about Braz as a right back is that he is very physical and tends to pull the shirt of anyone who gets by him. This might be risky against our central American opponents with CONCACAF refs during WCQ. I think the obvious starting right back is Stalteri who has a lot of speed and we have several speedy guys who can play left back. The problem is in the centre.

[David C.]

quote:Originally posted by Grizzly

But we also need speed in central defence and Braz is not fast. ...so at most he is a McKenna sub at central back.

Sorry, I meant as a "back-up" central defender. Agreed.

Good point about the need for speed in central defense. Too bad we can't re-consider Holger's setup of a single central sweeper, playing behind two speedy defensive midfielders (which our roster is loaded with).

Although not popular with many here, I see Imhof (vision & steady) and/or Kuklowski (vision & ball-skills) as options for that speed(ier) central compliment to McKenna.

[The Beaver]

quote:Originally posted by Ed

So much for Ian Kennet's predictions. Lars will not be called now and Nsaliwa is highly unlikely. Looks like Hart is too timid to stray away from Yallop's playbook.

In response to the first post, the MLS is in its last 3 weeks. There's no way we'll see DeRo or Serioux as Houston is still in a dog fight for a playoff spot, let alone 2nd place in the West.

I don't know if Hart is too timid to stray from Yallop's playbook; we are getting increasing evidence to suggest that Lars and Nsaliwa simply do not want to play for Canada. Maybe they want to focus on their careers, or maybe they are not interested in international play, or maybe they feel spurned etc etc. I know that coaches and soccer associations should bear some of the blame for bad performances etc, but players are "free agents" and make their own decisions and mistakes, too. Do you know for sure that Lars and Nsaliwa have not been approached? Do you know why exactly? [These are not rhetorical questions, by the way. I'd love to know more if you've got the goods.]

[Daniel]

Both have refused to attend games and training camps in the past two years.

[Guest Ed]

Hart is a company man. Through and through. Christ, he wouldn't be coaching a national team otherwise.

I know that Nsaliwa politely declined Yallop's entreaties after WCQ. He felt he should concentrate on his career as he had not been included in Yallop's teams despite his eagerness to play for Canada in WCQ. On a side note, he was quite gracious in his appraisal of Yallop despite the fact that he was never even called by the CSA for our WCQ initial run of matches. I do not know if Hart has been in contact or not.

I have it from reliable sources that Lars is quite surprised he has not been called. He declined a couple of bull**** matches 2 years ago when he was getting established in Norway.

I'd like to see your 'increasing evidence'.

[Daniel]

Hart is an interim coach. It's his job to continue doing whatever the old coach was doing and get a stable group doing for the next one.

[loyola]

While I agree that an interim coach jobs is to make a certain transition, I don't see why he can't call some players who are good enough to play for us. Hirsch and Nsaliwa could easily be included in this squad without creating a diplomatic incident....

In the middle and up front I think Hart selection is OK and I have no complain with who he played there in his first game. But in defense and at the keeper position he could call some new faces. Of course calling 4 new defenders would be stupid but calling one or two would be OK with me. Nsaliwa must be called at some point in the near future. Same for Hirsch.

Also I see a contradiction with Hart comments that he wanted to see as many players as he could, so why doesn't he call them?

[Free kick]

Absent from this discussion is the question of who would have to sit out or be excluded in order to make room for these players. Yes I know that we are certainly not stacked with an abundance of riches at all the position realtive to many of the well known international sides. But our keepers have not allowed a goal in over a year. The last time a goal was conceded was against Spain in a 2-1 loss.

Our current keepers keep delivering clean sheets but in Lars last game we lost 4-1 to portugal and there were some weak goals as I recall. We have never allowed more than two goals since that time.

In regards to Nsaliwa's absence. If there has be a problem for canada in the last year and a half or so, its the same as usual; Goal scoring. And, I don't see how Nsaliwa's inclusion addresses this problem. The same question could be asked again. Who should sit or be exluded from the squad to make room for Nsaliwa.

[loyola]

Just like we used Onstad club form to justify him starting our WCQ in 2004 I think we should do the same with Hirsch and Kenny at the moment. One is starting with one of the best norwegian club at the moment the other has lost his #1 spot with an average club in Norway and they had to signed another keeper.

Yes our keepers have done a good job but we played 5 games in 13 months, I don't think we can conclude that much from those results. The same thing apply for our defense who looked suspect against Jamaica (but looked pretty good against Austria).

I say call Hirsch and Sutton and forget about Kenny. Call Nsaliwa instead of Gervais, Reda or Pozniak.

[Kurosawa1555362267]

We talk, we talk, but we still don't have a roster. I would be surprised to see one during the week end so I guess the earlier we could get one is next monday (oct 2nd) so that would mean one week before the game. But I remember reading somewhere that the players would meet and train in Florida before the match. Are they waiting for everyone to arrive in Florida before releasing a roster???

[Kurosawa1555362267]

We talk, we talk, but we still don't have a roster. I would be surprised to see one during the week end so I guess the earlier we could get one is next monday (oct 2nd) so that would mean one week before the game. But I remember reading somewhere that the players would meet and train in Florida before the match. Are they waiting for everyone to arrive in Florida before releasing a roster???

[loyola]

quote:Originally posted by Kurosawa

We talk, we talk, but we still don't have a roster. I would be surprised to see one during the week end so I guess the earlier we could get one is next monday (oct 2nd) so that would mean one week before the game. But I remember reading somewhere that the players would meet and train in Florida before the match. Are they waiting for everyone to arrive in Florida before releasing a roster???

For the MNT games, the CSA usually release the roster 7-10 days prior to the game. I would imagine that they are waiting the response from certain players or waiting to see if everyone is healthy after this weekend games?

[loyola]

quote:Originally posted by Kurosawa

We talk, we talk, but we still don't have a roster. I would be surprised to see one during the week end so I guess the earlier we could get one is next monday (oct 2nd) so that would mean one week before the game. But I remember reading somewhere that the players would meet and train in Florida before the match. Are they waiting for everyone to arrive in Florida before releasing a roster???

For the MNT games, the CSA usually release the roster 7-10 days prior to the game. I would imagine that they are waiting the response from certain players or waiting to see if everyone is healthy after this weekend games?

[Grizzly]

quote:Originally posted by Free kick

Absent from this discussion is the question of who would have to sit out or be excluded in order to make room for these players. Yes I know that we are certainly not stacked with an abundance of riches at all the position realtive to many of the well known international sides. But our keepers have not allowed a goal in over a year. The last time a goal was conceded was against Spain in a 2-1 loss.

Our current keepers keep delivering clean sheets but in Lars last game we lost 4-1 to portugal and there were some weak goals as I recall. We have never allowed more than two goals since that time.

In regards to Nsaliwa's absence. If there has be a problem for canada in the last year and a half or so, its the same as usual; Goal scoring. And, I don't see how Nsaliwa's inclusion addresses this problem. The same question could be asked again. Who should sit or be exluded from the squad to make room for Nsaliwa.

As far as the keepers go we may have not allowed a goal in a year but have also only played 4 games against Austria, USA B-team, Jamaica B-team and Luxembourg, ie. one mid level soccer team, two B teams and a soccer minnow. Not exactly high quality opposition. Our keepers did generally do well but our defence looked pretty shaky. The lack of scoring had a lot to do with our opposition, even Austria is not a very offensively gifted team.

As far as dropping players out, that is part of being an international player, sometimes getting selected and sometimes not. Noone is saying Lars and Nsaliwa should be gifted a starting position ala Watson and Onstad with Yallop. They should however be given a chance to show what they can do and judged on their performance. Noone should be upset about not being called for some friendly matches when there are others in competition for your spot because that is part of being a professional athlete.