Keegan Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 Is obviously defensive midfielder. I think that if Jamaica tries to put a lot of people forward we should play with our two world class defensive midfielders: De Guzman and Imhof. We already know Jamaica has a very weak defense, if we can stop their attacks in the midfield then let Hutchinson, Friend, Radzinski and De Rosario take over I am sure we can dominate. De Guzman is one of the best defensive midfielders in the world. Marking players like Ronaldinho... he could shut down all 3 Jam rock forwards if they decided that is the way they wanted to go plus add in Imhof and Jamaica would be defenseless. All it would take is one moment of De Rosario brilliance and Jamaica is done. What do you guys think? Too risky to start Imhof after he missed out on the SVG series? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 Here is what I posted after the St. Vincent match, and what I've been saying since the Gold Cup: The 4-2-3-1 really showcases the skills of Hutchinson, and DeRosario. Hutch really displayed a good defensive game against SVG and was one of Canada's better players on the defensive end of the ball, but didn't provided too much going forward. DeRo looked more confident then ever in this free-flowing forward role, he was the obvious MotM and we need to keep him happy and playing in a role where he is effective. Gerba also took advantage of his sole striker role in both games scoring four. But in Montreal DeGuzman was a waste of space! Not bashing Jules at all as he is usually head and shoulders the best player on the pitch for Canada. He was not getting forward at all and defensively he seemed to be consistently giving the SVG players too much space. He wasn't making any mistakes or being a hindrance, he just looked out of place and more ineffective than I have ever seen him in a Canadian kit. We cannot allow our midfield gem to be used like this. I know the formation has taken a lot of heat when Mitchell has used it, but DeGuzman is much more effective in a 4-1-4-1. I know we can't adjust the entire set-up of our team just to tailor our team to one player, but I think the 4-1-4-1 really can be used to suit everyone's strength. DeGuzman looked brilliant in the central midfield position in a 4-1-4-1 against Costa Rica at BMO. He also had an MVP performance Gold Cup playing in that formation. It allows Jules to get forward and be the creator of Canada's attack. He can use his incredible passing range and that bullet of a shot he has. It also allows him to be more aggressive in his defending with a central defensive midfielder behind him. This is where Jules will get his chance to shine. Hutchinson has also proven he can be valuable going forward, but I am starting to think his defensive skill more than outweighs his presence up front. He has speed and a good enough passing range that he can be that link between the back four and the midfielders/forward(s). If he were to take the Defensive midfield position I think Nsaliwa is a good fit for the other central midfield role. He showed against Brazil that he is one of the most creative players we have, and we know he has pace. I think Nsaliwa and DeGuzman could form a very good midfield partnership. The biggest issue with him is obviously the passport problems. In the 4-1-4-1 there is one lone striker (Friend with Gerba on the bench), but he is always supported by the two wide players who are really more like attacking midfielders or supporting forwards. The players fit to play in these roles are Radzinski, Hume, Issey and of course DeRo. These positions are free attacking roles, with the wide-backs getting up to support the midfield more consistently. The players in these "free attacking" postions would also be encouraged to switch often to confuse defenders as was done with against SVG with Issey, Radz, and DeRo. Something that didn't happen too often in Montreal, and we know Stalteri has a presence going forward. So starting XI would look something like this in a 4-1-4-1 ------------------Onstad--------------- -Stalteri----Serioux----Hastings---Klukowski- -----------------Hutchinson------------- ---------DeGuzman-------Nsaliwa-------- -DeRosario---------------------Radzinski- -----------------Friend---------------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 Here is what I posted after the St. Vincent match, and what I've been saying since the Gold Cup: The 4-2-3-1 really showcases the skills of Hutchinson, and DeRosario. Hutch really displayed a good defensive game against SVG and was one of Canada's better players on the defensive end of the ball, but didn't provided too much going forward. DeRo looked more confident then ever in this free-flowing forward role, he was the obvious MotM and we need to keep him happy and playing in a role where he is effective. Gerba also took advantage of his sole striker role in both games scoring four. But in Montreal DeGuzman was a waste of space! Not bashing Jules at all as he is usually head and shoulders the best player on the pitch for Canada. He was not getting forward at all and defensively he seemed to be consistently giving the SVG players too much space. He wasn't making any mistakes or being a hindrance, he just looked out of place and more ineffective than I have ever seen him in a Canadian kit. We cannot allow our midfield gem to be used like this. I know the formation has taken a lot of heat when Mitchell has used it, but DeGuzman is much more effective in a 4-1-4-1. I know we can't adjust the entire set-up of our team just to tailor our team to one player, but I think the 4-1-4-1 really can be used to suit everyone's strength. DeGuzman looked brilliant in the central midfield position in a 4-1-4-1 against Costa Rica at BMO. He also had an MVP performance Gold Cup playing in that formation. It allows Jules to get forward and be the creator of Canada's attack. He can use his incredible passing range and that bullet of a shot he has. It also allows him to be more aggressive in his defending with a central defensive midfielder behind him. This is where Jules will get his chance to shine. Hutchinson has also proven he can be valuable going forward, but I am starting to think his defensive skill more than outweighs his presence up front. He has speed and a good enough passing range that he can be that link between the back four and the midfielders/forward(s). If he were to take the Defensive midfield position I think Nsaliwa is a good fit for the other central midfield role. He showed against Brazil that he is one of the most creative players we have, and we know he has pace. I think Nsaliwa and DeGuzman could form a very good midfield partnership. The biggest issue with him is obviously the passport problems. In the 4-1-4-1 there is one lone striker (Friend with Gerba on the bench), but he is always supported by the two wide players who are really more like attacking midfielders or supporting forwards. The players fit to play in these roles are Radzinski, Hume, Issey and of course DeRo. These positions are free attacking roles, with the wide-backs getting up to support the midfield more consistently. The players in these "free attacking" postions would also be encouraged to switch often to confuse defenders as was done with against SVG with Issey, Radz, and DeRo. Something that didn't happen too often in Montreal, and we know Stalteri has a presence going forward. So starting XI would look something like this in a 4-1-4-1 ------------------Onstad--------------- -Stalteri----Serioux----Hastings---Klukowski- -----------------Hutchinson------------- ---------DeGuzman-------Nsaliwa-------- -DeRosario---------------------Radzinski- -----------------Friend---------------- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keegan Posted July 12, 2008 Author Share Posted July 12, 2008 If Nsaliwa is available ooo boy we could play DeRo and Hutch on the wings with Friend up front. Play Imhof and Nsaliwa in DM and Jules in AM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmcmurph Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 JDG was just coming off an injury when he played against St. V&G so I wouldn't worry too much. With some rest and rehab I predict we will see the dynamic JDG we all love to watch. I agree with your assessment that we'll shut down the Jamaican attack. 2-0 Canada in both games against Jamaica is my prediction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ag futbol Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 quote:Originally posted by leafdolfan ------------------Onstad--------------- -Stalteri----Serioux----Hastings---Klukowski- -----------------Hutchinson------------- ---------DeGuzman-------Nsaliwa-------- -DeRosario---------------------Radzinski- -----------------Friend---------------- Switch Hutchinson and Nsaliwa and i think you`re good. I`d consider him more of a box to box guy as opposed to a holder or all our destroyer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sam Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 quote:Originally posted by ag futbol Switch Hutchinson and Nsaliwa and i think you`re good. I`d consider him more of a box to box guy as opposed to a holder or all our destroyer. I really think Nsaliwa is very creative going forward from what I've seen of him in Greece and against Brazil (I'll admit I haven't seen much, people who have seen more of him can comment more on this), and the DM in this formation covers for the wide fullbacks making forward runs a lot, which wouldn't allow Nsaliwa to get forward very often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ag futbol Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 I agree Nasilwa is a good creative force. I don`t think he`d go to waste playing in front of the back four at all as long as he wasn`t playing too deep. He should be able to combine nicely with the other guys around him. DM is his natural position, I think it would be a good call to play a nutural in the spot, as we have so many. Side note: Where has Imhof been lately? I haven`t heard much out of him in the last little while (I assume he`s still part of our plans). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keegan Posted July 12, 2008 Author Share Posted July 12, 2008 quote:Originally posted by ag futbol I agree Nasilwa is a good creative force. I don`t think he`d go to waste playing in front of the back four at all as long as he wasn`t playing too deep. He should be able to combine nicely with the other guys around him. DM is his natural position, I think it would be a good call to play a nutural in the spot, as we have so many. Side note: Where has Imhof been lately? I haven`t heard much out of him in the last little while (I assume he`s still part of our plans). Nsaliwa is definitely best used as a defensive midfielder because a defensive mid also needs to pass out of the back. Hutchinson is a more attacking player than Nsaliwa, he even played striker for FCK. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpg75 Posted July 12, 2008 Share Posted July 12, 2008 quote:Originally posted by ag futbol Side note: Where has Imhof been lately? I haven`t heard much out of him in the last little while (I assume he`s still part of our plans). He was injured late in the Bundesliga season. I think it was a concussion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrennanFan Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 The thing about de Guz, Hutch and Tam is that they are all great defensively and each one knows how to put the ball in the net as well. It really is a toss up on who should be given the defensive responsibilities. Out of all of them, I think Hutch has the best nose for goal, and as he is not the toughest guy in the world, I think one of the other two should be our holding mid. I won't even bring up Imhof or Bernier who are very good in their own right as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearcatSA Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 quote:Originally posted by BrennanFan The thing about de Guz, Hutch and Tam is that they are all great defensively and each one knows how to put the ball in the net as well. It really is a toss up on who should be given the defensive responsibilities. Out of all of them, I think Hutch has the best nose for goal, and as he is not the toughest guy in the world, I think one of the other two should be our holding mid. I won't even bring up Imhof or Bernier who are very good in their own right as well. I echo all of your sentiments. I think Hutch's biggest drawback is that he's not particularly strong in the gritty part of the defensive game: on too many occasions I've seen him get pushed around in a 50-50 challenge, lose the ball and go to ground, then look for a foul which doesn't get called. Where he's really good defensively is in anticipating the play and making an interception or providing defensive support for a member of our back four who is marking an opponent. In all honesty, and speaking strictly from a defensive standpoint, I wouldn't mind seeing him inserted into the right side of midfield, where Radzinski and Issey are currently sharing the spot. Hutch has considerable club experience playing the flank of midfield (albeit the left side) in a 4-4-2 but nonetheless that would help alleviate my concerns regarding overlapping attacks down the right side of our defense. I'd play Nsaliwa or Imhoff in the more defensively oriented role in front of the back four and give DeGuzman the green light to decide when to jump into to support DeRosario and Friend in the attack or to pull back into a double holding mid role with Nsaliwa/Imhoff to provide our back line more support, depending on the course of play. Issey or Radz will play on the left with the in form Klukowski behind them. Having said all this, I think the starting players and positions we saw vs Brazil, if all are healthy, will be the ones that start on Aug 20 at BMO. I can't see any surprises, at least in the offensive six positions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Jeffery S. Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 Considering Julian's talent and conditioning, you can't put him in defensive mid. For Depor it is one thing, for us it is different. Better to free him up and give him freedom to follow the play, and to do that you have to have a stay home defensive mid (Serioux, if not in the back line, shows he can defend damn well, or Imhof could be there), and Julian plays with liberty on the right side of the midfield, where he is comfortable. Let him push up the right if he has the space, since we are probably not going to play with a right wing, and only two up front. He follows the play into the top of the box when possible, looking for a shot. Julian is not an offensive firepower, but you need him to be in the most relevant part of the pitch, and that is in the middle and following the play either side and forward, with no defensive obligaitons at the back to impede his contribution going forwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tuscan Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 Where has JDG been played primarily in previous caps for us? I believe that he should be put in a defensive midfield position, as he definitely has been face to face with much more difficult situations in the Spanish Primiera than anything Jamaica could throw at him. Also, from what I have seen, albeit far less than I wish I could have seen, he seems to have the nack for being able to carry the ball up the center of the pitch in order to take that rocket of a shot from the top of the box. Fak do we have a good side... Man I hate the censor on this board... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obinna Posted July 13, 2008 Share Posted July 13, 2008 What are the chances of Tam resolving his passport issues before August 20th? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Javier Posted July 14, 2008 Share Posted July 14, 2008 i think imhoff will be vital for the games vs jamaica and honduras to keep possesion and to let de guzman play in a free role in midfield as it was said before, jamaica is very , very poor at the back, ian hume should be on the team ... my team vs jamaica hirschfeld stalteri serioux kuklowski brennan imhoff hutchinso de guzman de rosario hume friend this team i think it is your stronger team, maybe edgar for brennan in the future regards from argentina the land of tricky players Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keegan Posted July 14, 2008 Author Share Posted July 14, 2008 We have too many world class holding midfielders to not play one. I don't think we can play Nsaliwa or Imhof due to lack of playing time with the other players. The only option is De Guzman and he is the BEST option also Jamaica might not make it through the midfield all game. I don't think we need De Guzman going forward, obviously he is one of our best attacking players but is one of the best defensive midfielders in the game also. If he can stop Jamaicas attack then we will win because I am sure De Rosario, Friend, Radzinski etc. will break down the Jamaican defense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keegan Posted July 14, 2008 Author Share Posted July 14, 2008 quote:Originally posted by Javier i think imhoff will be vital for the games vs jamaica and honduras to keep possesion and to let de guzman play in a free role in midfield as it was said before, jamaica is very , very poor at the back, ian hume should be on the team ... my team vs jamaica hirschfeld stalteri serioux kuklowski brennan imhoff hutchinso de guzman de rosario hume friend this team i think it is your stronger team, maybe edgar for brennan in the future regards from argentina the land of tricky players Not a bad team Javier. I like your choices except I wonder about Klukowski in the middle, I don't know if he can handle it and he has been awesome at left back. I know you love Hume but Issey or Radzinski are probably better than Hume vs a team like Jamaica. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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