Canada v. Argentina: Aug 6, 2008 (R)

[N-A]

I am pleased with the win over Argentina having not seen the match live how well were Argentina playing compared to the WWC2007 ?. If they are improving it would be better for Canada if Sweden and China struggle with Argentina. Thats what I am hoping for anyways.

[terpfan68]

Well superbrad, the game stats said Argentina 51% Canada 49% for possession so that's pretty much even in my book, but if you want to think that 2% edge means "not ... nearly the possesion that Argentina did" go right ahead.

[CoachRich]

Good game. Look's like the team is using what worked vs Brazil but adapting. Lots of good delay & getting behind the ball on D. Good use of subs & hopefully no major injuries.

Caught part of the BRA & GER 0 - 0. Was a pretty fast pace game w/ some explosive runs. Game was pretty even w/ much of the match in the MF. Marta didn't stand out either.

NOR & USA 2 - 0

Hard to judge both teams after 1st game where everyone is fitting into in their group. Looks like teams are getting closer in play & I'm not sure we will see any blow outs. Make a mistake & any team will make you pay for it.

[red card]

I was disappointed that Canada couldn't put away another 1-2 chances they had and that the Argies goal came from a basic defensive mistake.

Rustad seems to have great leg and gets in good positions; but she appears not to be able to hit a side of a barn. Lang played probably her best match post knee surgery. Both goals were of good quality, which is good to see in the women's game as 10 years ago, many of the goals were largely due to goalkeeper incompetence.

Compared to 03, Argentina has improved as they're more organized and more physically fit. In 03, I saw them play against Canada on TV and in person vs Japan and they looked way overmatched. And thank god Argentina women so far don't appear to have the same attitude issues as their men or even the Brazilian women.

By the way, why no CSA crest on their kits - just COC & adidas logo only?

[Vic]

Although the score is quite a bit different, the stats are unbelievably almost a carbon copy of the Peace Queen game two months ago.

* all numbers are Canada first:

---game: Peace Queen (Jun) / Olympics (Aug)

--score: 5-0 / 2-1

--shots: 18-6 / 18-5

corners: 5-1 / 4-2

--fouls: 16-11 / 12-11

All that matters is the points though, and good to get full points and a free wake up call at the same time.

Because of the great draw, all three in this group will be in the 8/12 who make the quarters and then anything can happen, but as Rich said, Sweden made a very big mistake and and are now in a very dark place.

[superbrad]

quote:Originally posted by terpfan68

Well superbrad, the game stats said Argentina 51% Canada 49% for possession so that's pretty much even in my book, but if you want to think that 2% edge means "not ... nearly the possesion that Argentina did" go right ahead.

Argentina is ranked 27th, Canada 9th. Last time they played Canada won 5 - 0 (so they said on CBC). As far as I'm concerned, 51% in favour of Argentina is a failure on the Canadian girls to control the ball. They were flat and playing like that will not get them past China or Sweden. I don't think Argentina's game is that improved. What I saw that I didn't like was that rather than creating space by pushing the ball around, using the fullbacks, they continually pushed the long balls one direction (forward) resulting in a loss of possesion when they didn't win the ball.

That's a Canadian brand of ball the men used to play that never gave us results. The ladies are very skilled and I think the possesion should have been 60/40 for Canada.

[N-A]

quote:Originally posted by red card

By the way, why no CSA crest on their kits - just COC & adidas logo only?

I have noticed that it must be because its the Olympics and not a World Cup

from the pictures on the Fifa site the USA had no logo. Sweden had a different one same with Japan just the Japanese flag. New Zealand had an Olympic logo.

[piltdownman]

I thought they ladies played pretty well. I must admit I fell asleep sometime in the second half and when I woke up some cartoon cat was on tv.

[Free kick]

quote:Originally posted by Richard

Do you think she is describing the style the players genuinely like or is she just feeding everybody the coach's line as many here will suggest I'm sure?

Its what they know. Its what they like. its what they have been taught all their lives. Its what they will continue play. Its what the next coach will have to accomodate.

In time, they will:

1) Realize that its boring to play and watch

2) Realize that there are other ways to play the games

3) There are more effective ways to play

4) Realized that their style is costing them results.

[matthew]

So I was the only one who lost their feed about five mins into the second half?

Figures.

I thought we were decent from what I saw, but we're going to need to be much, much better from here on.

That being said I wonder if we won't fare better as a counter-attack team. I thought Zurrer played very well as did Franko in the back.

cheers,

matthew

[beachesl]

First of all, congratulations to ALL involved in the team and our woman's game for our win. I was proud to watch Canada play. Thanks. Every girl's coach in Canada deserves a pat on the back, this is also your victory for all your hard work.

I was able to watch our women on TV for the first time in many years, and was very disappointed in our team approach. Individually our players were miles ahead of the Argies, they should have had no difficulty at all. As the Argentine commentator said, the Canadian tactics were very unsophisticated. The commentators, who admittedly were not fans of the women's game, were continually laughing at the passes and formaitons of our players and saying "What the hell are they doing?". It was not a massive longball disaster like the matches in Costa Rica against Mexico or Costa Rica, but there are concerns. It looked like Argentineans trying to play ice hockey (which I have seen). There was no possession tactics of any kind, no strategic backpassing, no allowance for creative play. I have to second what Matthew said about maybe having a counter-attack game, that is better than just a the predictable one dimensional long-pass, which the Argentinian coach obviously planned for. It is no mistake that our goals both came from set pieces where our individual dominance was able to get through. Thank god the coach is retiring, we need a new direction to capitalize on the talent we have.

A background to how bad woman's soccer is in Argentina. The majority of Argentinan parents would refuse to let their daughter play soccer, the woman's game here is pariah. For some reason, it is widely considered disrespectful for women to play football, they should play other sports such as Field Hockey. There is a horrible misconception that all female football palyers are lesbians, even though the opposite is probably true. Only poor barrios, largely in Buenos Aires, have woman's soccer programs, largely because they do not have the equipment for the preferred female sports. Unlike the defending gold women's field hockey team, largely tall and blond middle class or rich girls, the footballers look like female versions of Maradona, which is fine, but it shows it is an underclasss sport here that even most of the underclass would not touch. The game is not covered at all ion the press, unlike dozens of other women's sports. That Argentina even qualified is a travesty, it is only because the other teams in South America, besides Brazil has even less support. Yet, because they and the coaching staff are still Argentinean, they have an instinctive touch of the game that Evan and his staff have almost managed to wipe out of our fine women players, who should have schooled them decisively.

I know that I and those like-minded start to sound like a broken record, and I apologize for this tone, but at least they listened to the boy who said the emperor has no clothes. I hope to see them play agin in a medal match (otherwise I won't see it on the channels here).

The point is, I hope we play better, and I hope that, after this tournament, we go in a different and better direction.

Go Big Red, I am proud of our ladies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Trillium]

quote:Originally posted by beachesl

First of all, congratulations to ALL involved in the team and our woman's game for our win. I was proud to watch Canada play. Thanks. Every girl's coach in Canada deserves a pat on the back, this is also your victory for all your hard work.

I was able to watch our women on TV for the first time in many years, and was very disappointed in our team approach. Individually our players were miles ahead of the Argies, they should have had no difficulty at all. As the Argentine commentator said, the Canadian tactics were very unsophisticated. The commentators, who admittedly were not fans of the women's game, were continually laughing at the passes and formaitons of our players and saying "What the hell are they doing?". It was not a massive longball disaster like the matches in Costa Rica against Mexico or Costa Rica, but there are concerns. It looked like Argentineans trying to play ice hockey (which I have seen). There was no possession tactics of any kind, no strategic backpassing, no allowance for creative play. I have to second what Matthew said about maybe having a counter-attack game, that is better than just a the predictable one dimensional long-pass, which the Argentinian coach obviously planned for. It is no mistake that our goals both came from set pieces where our individual dominance was able to get through. Thank god the coach is retiring, we need a new direction to capitalize on the talent we have.

A background to how bad woman's soccer is in Argentina. The majority of Argentinan parents would refuse to let their daughter play soccer, the woman's game here is pariah. For some reason, it is widely considered disrespectful for women to play football, they should play other sports such as Field Hockey. There is a horrible misconception that all female football palyers are lesbians, even though the opposite is probably true. Only poor barrios, largely in Buenos Aires, have woman's soccer programs, largely because they do not have the equipment for the preferred female sports. Unlike the defending gold women's field hockey team, largely tall and blond middle class or rich girls, the footballers look like female versions of Maradona, which is fine, but it shows it is an underclasss sport here that even most of the underclass would not touch. The game is not covered at all ion the press, unlike dozens of other women's sports. That Argentina even qualified is a travesty, it is only because the other teams in South America, besides Brazil has even less support. Yet, because they and the coaching staff are still Argentinean, they have an instinctive touch of the game that Evan and his staff have almost managed to wipe out of our fine women players, who should have schooled them decisively.

I know that I and those like-minded start to sound like a broken record, and I apologize for this tone, but at least they listened to the boy who said the emperor has no clothes. I hope to see them play agin in a medal match (otherwise I won't see it on the channels here).

The point is, I hope we play better, and I hope that, after this tournament, we go in a different and better direction.

Go Big Red, I am proud of our ladies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just a quick note to say i agree with you totally... on the points.. ( the support for the womens game in Argentina oddly mirrors what is the view in England, one wonders where that influence comes from ).

[Kevin McMillan]

Trivial question... but does anyone know when the IOC changed their rules concerning the uniforms?

I just noticed that the only logo or patch on the Canadian uniform was a small Canadian Olympic Association logo on an arm... IIRC in past years the national soccer feds logos were prominent on the teams jerseys.

Is this true for all sports? If so, I imagine Hockey Canada will be displeased come 2010.

[piltdownman]

I was wondering does the women's uniforms normally not have the three stripes?

[Cheeta]

quote:Originally posted by Kevin McMillan

Trivial question... but does anyone know when the IOC changed their rules concerning the uniforms?

I just noticed that the only logo or patch on the Canadian uniform was a small Canadian Olympic Association logo on an arm... IIRC in past years the national soccer feds logos were prominent on the teams jerseys.

Is this true for all sports? If so, I imagine Hockey Canada will be displeased come 2010.

Speaking of remember what was the to-do with the Adidas three stripes? Didn't Nike get an extra "swoosh" on their kits because the trademark Adidas three stripes would continue to be allowed on the sleeves of footie kits even though that Adidas "trademark" exceeded the allowable size limitations imposed on sponsors by FIFA?

[Kevin McMillan]

Maybe they just took the stripes away from Adidas... I don't think the Canadians had any on the uniforms

[Kevin McMillan]

Doesn't look like the Germans, Japanese, Chinese or Argentinians (well, other than the large usual ones down the front of course)

http://en.beijing2008.cn/photo/sports/football/

[Vic]

Noticed they don't need to be tucked in because most of them end high on the waist.

[piltdownman]

I was wondering about that very early this morning.

[Guest Jeffery S.]

quote:Originally posted by Vic

Noticed they don't need to be tucked in because most of them end high on the waist.

Did you also notice that there were two types of sleeves, or maybe some players pulled the sleeves up even higher, one player seemed to playing sleeveless. Nice fashion choice for an evening affair.

[N-A]

quote:Originally posted by Trillium

Just a quick note to say i agree with you totally... on the points.. ( the support for the womens game in Argentina oddly mirrors what is the view in England, one wonders where that influence comes from ).

In England the women's game is one of the fastest growing sports in the country and is becoming popular with the fans with many clubs now having ladies squads and mens team.

[N-A]

quote:Originally posted by Trillium

Just a quick note to say i agree with you totally... on the points.. ( the support for the womens game in Argentina oddly mirrors what is the view in England, one wonders where that influence comes from ).

In England the women's game is one of the fastest growing sports in the country and is becoming popular with the fans with many clubs now having ladies squads and mens team.

[Vic]

quote:Did you also notice that there were two types of sleeves, or maybe some players pulled the sleeves up even higher, one player seemed to playing sleeveless.

I noticed some had their sleeves up but never thought of two different types. Nothing to grab and a lot more comfortable in the heat. Sleeveless should be allowed for women (there should also be a FIFA women's football head/figurehead appointed so things like this get looked after before the next millenium). The Argentinians seemed to all be playing in oversized jerseys and not that I really care but I don't believe a single one had it tucked in. Norway has a shortened-length style like ours, while everyone else other than a few players on Sweden and Nigeria had them tucked in. I guess some teams mandate it (China, North Korea, USA, New Zealand, Japan) while others go with personal preference. Reminds me of the Gretzky half tuck.

slow day

[terpfan68]

Is "tucked in" a rule? I know in Winnipeg most youth refs mention it before games and will tell players to tuck in during breaks in play. I even recall a player several years ago who got a yellow card after persistant violation. He liked his jersey half in/half out like Gretkzy.

[Vic]

Nope, not a law of the game, but I think many leagues have their own rules as well... allowable advertising space, number scheme, etc. Not sure if/any have specific rules on in/out.