Jump to content

GC - July 3 - Canada vs Jamaica (R)


loyola

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 210
  • Created
  • Last Reply

A bit of a sleepy affair there for a while. Both teams seemed a little sluggish and disinterested for parts of the game. I thought we had great control in the first half but Jamaica really weren't pressuring us much. Forrest said we needed quicker, sharper passes and I agree.

Sutton scares me almost everytime I see him. He had a great save and seems a capable shot-stopper but is a horrible distributer; long balls to nowhere, scuffed kicks, a wayward throw. Jakovic is in mid-season form and it showed. He had a little more pep in his step than the rest of the backline. Klukowski was solid as usual and Stalteri looked a savvy vet. Mckenna is a little slow but did his job and was the only one who looked confident dealing with set pieces I thought.

Our defence was pretty good but I was dissapointed with our midfield. Deguzman was definately not in top shape and looked sloppy out there. Bernier I thought brought the ball out of the air really well with some good touches but didn't contribute much other than that. I have seen some great play from Hutch with Kobenhaven but rarely with Canada. He always seems to end up being merely satisfactory but at least he is consistently so.

Up top we seemed to have lots of energy with Johnson (mid-season fit) and De Jong but not much flair or creativity. We could have used DDR roaming around up there. Simpson and especially Jackson brought a little more danger when brought on. Jackson looks quick, with quick feet and a little pace. I really do like Johnson's work rate however and may be better in Bernier's role.

Now my two cents on Gerba. I have always felt that Gerba is a pretty average player. He is lazy in bringing balls out of the air, doesn't have a great first touch, doesn't make particularily good runs, but has maybe THE one skill a striker really needs and that is finishing. I find that he is only as good as the service is to him. Although it only seems to take one good ball for Ali to put it in the net which is something Canada, and TFC for that matter, has desperately needed in the past.

All in all I think the game could have gone either way. We don't look as good as we did last Gold Cup but we got our 3 points. It is so nice to see Canada get the result from these balanced games for a change. No phantom call or horrible back pass screwed us on this day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just wanted to say that all of you guys down in the States attending these games are officially my heroes. I read the result this morning (here in Spain) before getting to work and I couldn't have been happier, and from what I'm reading here we actually played well??. Regardless, the fact that there are Voyageurs making noise in the stands makes me feel incredibly patriotic and makes me forget about last Fall. GO CANADA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just seen the score and reports online this morning. I was thinking before hand this game might end up a draw but I'll take a 3 point win anytime over a draw. My Saturday is going to be great now. Bring on El Salvador.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

From the Reaggae Boyz Forum...

quote:I have watched this game twice, and I must say that we were outcoached. Hart recognized that while JJ is dangerous going forward he is lazy at tracking back -- this has often cost him in benchings at Wednesday. What Hart did was to bring on Josh Simpson for Marcel de Jong at the half so that he could pin Damion back. Simpson is excellent going forward, and he immediately started to trouble our defenders. JJ did some obligatory tracking, but Morrison had to sweep right and left to close up gaps, which left Rudi to fight off Hutchinson and De Guzman by himself; this is one of the reasons why he tired so quickly.

Hart is an experienced manager, which Tappa is not, and he slapped Tappa here. Also, he brought on Jackson when he noticed that Phillips was starting to push up, and Jackson's speed forced Bibi and Claude to try to seal up the spaces. Tappa's insertion of Bigga was fundametally wrongheaded. Campbell-Ryce could have been brought on to the left side to pin Jackson back. Tappa made changes of personnel, but not tactical shifts. He was schooled by the Trini.

I have to say that I agree with that breakdown... and I also have to say how incredibly nice it is to have a Canadian coach (even if the Jamaicans consider him Trinidadian) use tactics and an understanding of the opposition to put us in a position to win even when we have an off night.

Imagine that... a Canadian coach actually out-coaching someone...

I also have to say this bodes well for us. To win without looking the overwhelming favorites, and not a win by sheer fluke, along with the fact that we often start slow because it takes a little while to re-introduce our players to each other... well cause for some patented Voyageurs optimism I think. [:o)]

Link to comment
Share on other sites

quote:Originally posted by BrennanFan

Klukowski is a Magician. One of the best crossers / long range passers of the ball Canada has EVER seen. Smart, quick, and defensively sound. MOTM for me.

Agree that hes one of our more solid players. Always confident on the ball, definitly had a solid match last night

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey guys....reporting from the BB in hollywood. Fun match...we befriended the El salvos (to avoid death) and one of the great moments was having them do the wave with us......12 cdns got the whole stadium going. Also "Can-a-da" sounds like "Sal-va-dor" so we got them chanting that as well. Stadium security was anally retentive.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

quote:Originally posted by red card

Klukowski's cross yesterday was eerily similar to the cross he made against Brazil match in a pre 07 Gold Cup warm up match - at that time Friend headed it in.

That was actually a pre WCQ match last year and thats what I thought right away when I saw it too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

quote:Originally posted by Toronto MB

Also guys, for anybody who missed the info, there is video footage of de Guzman, Stalteri, Jackson, Johnson, Jakovic, Sutton, Hart and Gerba available at www.youtube.com/thevoyageurs

Great result for Canada! Long live Stephen Hart!

Great stuff Max, that's some of the best Canadian soccer coverage I've seen to date!

For anyone wanting to know a bit more about Stephen Hart, I would highly recommend listening closely to the Will Johnson interview. Unlike DeGuzman, Johnson wasn't involved in qualifying and I think that allows him to make a fairly impartial assessment of the gaffer that I for one find very interesting.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

quote:Originally posted by DjinnX

A bit of a sleepy affair there for a while. Both teams seemed a little sluggish and disinterested for parts of the game. I thought we had great control in the first half but Jamaica really weren't pressuring us much. Forrest said we needed quicker, sharper passes and I agree.

Sutton scares me almost everytime I see him. He had a great save and seems a capable shot-stopper but is a horrible distributer; long balls to nowhere, scuffed kicks, a wayward throw. Jakovic is in mid-season form and it showed. He had a little more pep in his step than the rest of the backline. Klukowski was solid as usual and Stalteri looked a savvy vet. Mckenna is a little slow but did his job and was the only one who looked confident dealing with set pieces I thought.

Our defence was pretty good but I was dissapointed with our midfield. Deguzman was definately not in top shape and looked sloppy out there. Bernier I thought brought the ball out of the air really well with some good touches but didn't contribute much other than that. I have seen some great play from Hutch with Kobenhaven but rarely with Canada. He always seems to end up being merely satisfactory but at least he is consistently so.

Up top we seemed to have lots of energy with Johnson (mid-season fit) and De Jong but not much flair or creativity. We could have used DDR roaming around up there. Simpson and especially Jackson brought a little more danger when brought on. Jackson looks quick, with quick feet and a little pace. I really do like Johnson's work rate however and may be better in Bernier's role.

Now my two cents on Gerba. I have always felt that Gerba is a pretty average player. He is lazy in bringing balls out of the air, doesn't have a great first touch, doesn't make particularily good runs, but has maybe THE one skill a striker really needs and that is finishing. I find that he is only as good as the service is to him. Although it only seems to take one good ball for Ali to put it in the net which is something Canada, and TFC for that matter, has desperately needed in the past.

All in all I think the game could have gone either way. We don't look as good as we did last Gold Cup but we got our 3 points. It is so nice to see Canada get the result from these balanced games for a change. No phantom call or horrible back pass screwed us on this day.

This is pretty much how I saw the match. I'd like Simpson on for DeJong and Jackson on for Bernier to play more of a 4-4-2. I think Ali and Simeon showed some really chemistry.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If we don't play an exact 4-4-2, then at least we should consider getting Jackson in behind Gerba in a 4-4-1-1. I suppose, in the end, it more or less works out as a 4-4-2 anyways.

thought the lads looked okay, with one or two standing out. once Hutch and DeGuzman find their sea-legs, our midfield will be stronger and we should have an easier time controlling the game. Passing was okay in spurts, but otherwise not sharp. I assume all of this has to do with the fact our guys are simply getting used to each other, and as Johnson said in his post game interview, a number of the guys have not played for a while, especially the Euro guys.

I like the look of Jackson. Loved Johnson's workrate. Still not sure about Jakovic, but there is certainly something there, and he is damned young still.

Biggest disappointment: ball control and passing. Our guys, for the most part, have such poor first touches. Got to be better. If the Jamaicans knew how to shoot, we'd have been in deep do-do.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...