Canada vs Venezuela (May 29th)

[canucklefan]

I think that Canada shouldn't play anymore with one striker. When Friend's up alone, he doesn't represent any danger to the opponent's defense but playing with a second striker, things could change. Also I think DeRo might be more useful playing as a second striker or just below the striker.

[deschamp86]

We should have switched to two strikers long ago. We always have good build up in the midfield but it never leads to anything because our lone striker is always crowded by the oppositions defence.

[Juby]

Yeah, Marcus Haber is really good, why doesn't he get a call up? And Sandro Grande scored against Spain? I'd like to see that clip (checked youtube, no clip)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNSCPHbNrrM

its around 4:38

In retrospect, as cool as it was, combining like 6 songs just maximized the odds of a copyright infringement.

[matthew]

I thought that was very much a b.s. call though. When it happened live I was laughing at the pathetic attempt to draw a foul by the Venezuelan, and then shocked and cursing that the otherwise decent Ref had fallen for it.

I thought he got in a good position and the Venezuelan basically ran into his leg and went down, but you know the attacker is going to get that call 9 times out of 10 in CONCACAF. Right or wrong, it's the reality of our region.

cheers,

matthew

[Free kick]

i like what i am seeing considering this isnt our A team -- im very encouraged for 2014

Thats too premature.... This was just one game. There were some things to like but a lot things not to like. Also, as someone else mentioned these matches serve to look at players .

[Ivan]

I thought Loubardias did a good job for someone calling his (first?) soccer game. I actually liked Dunfield as well. Certainly not for his skills, but he could be used as that "destroyer" type in front of the back four. He worked and tackled hard all night. Not afraid to get stuck in. We need one or two guys like that on the pitch.

[BearcatSA]

^Agreed. I think we need that kind of player in our midfield mix, with responsibility to help road block Latin American counterattacks before they take flight. Easier said than done, of course, but those kind of guys are more valuable than most people give credit for: that's why guys like Deschamps and Makele were underrated keys to France's success, and that's also why Capello's continually monitoring Gareth Barry's recovery so closely.

I've been defending the technically-challenged Sanyang a lot lately for TFC because he has had done an effective job of breaking up plays in front of the back four through tackles or pass interceptions.

[jpg75]

Dunfield strikes me as a red card waiting to happen whenever we have a Central American reffing our game...that late/mis-timed tackle near the touchline late in the first half is the kind that could get us in big trouble...

[canucklefan]

Dunfield strikes me as a red card waiting to happen whenever we have a Central American reffing our game...that late/mis-timed tackle near the touchline late in the first half is the kind that could get us in big trouble...

I don't think that Dunfield will be a regular for the next WCQ tournament, I don't think there's a reason to worry.

[Ivan]

Dunfield strikes me as a red card waiting to happen whenever we have a Central American reffing our game...that late/mis-timed tackle near the touchline late in the first half is the kind that could get us in big trouble...

That's correct. And the Central Americans/Caribbeans need to think that as well. Make them think twice before they go in for a 50/50 ball or run at our defenders. Bradley does that well for the US, as did Mastroeni before him.

[BearcatSA]

That's correct. And the Central Americans/Caribbeans need to think that as well. Make them think twice before they go in for a 50/50 ball or run at our defenders. Bradley does that well for the US, as did Mastroeni before him.

Bradley the Elder's tactical modus operandi has been to use two aggressive mids in putting pressure on the opposition midfield: look back to the GC 07 semi for the results as an example. He'll have his son and Ricardo Clark executing this pressure game plan in South Africa.

Of course you need to show common sense in how you challenge anywhere in the world you play, not just in Central America. It's about anticipating the situation, being positioned accordingly, and being quick and effective in the challenge. Case in point: though he's not the answer to the situation in question for a variety of reasons, Bernier however did impress me on two separate plays vs Honduras in the GC quarterfinal last year, where he challenged and won the ball off Costly after we turned it over deep in their half with many of our players pushed up. He read the play and nullified two potential counterattacks in the process. That's the kind of plays we're looking for on a more consistent basis.

[superbrad]

Hey guys - I haven't posted in a while. I was so dissapointed at the way we played against the Argies - only to be so completly impressed by the performance against Venezuela.

My man of the match goes to Stephen Hart. Why?

1. For believing Canada can play a possession first type of game.

2. For subbing in and giving a chance to many a young player - obviously with 2014 in mind.

3. For finally making me think we might have a coach who will play these players to win - instead of playing for a tie.

That was a very entertaining game - and my kids have made me replay the goal celebration of Dick Howard numerous times. Priceless.

[Tuscan]

Wow was I impressed with Sidra's contribution to the game. I have never seen a Canadian sub come into a game and change the dynamic as much as he did. I loved his fearless runs with the ball, the confidence it showed in our jersey that we aren't afraid to make runs towards defenders. Normally we'd get ourselves cornered after a player went so far and then stopped due to a lack of confidence carrying the ball against opposition defenders, but Sidra went out and tore up the left side of the pitch. It was exciting football to say the least.

Great story for you guys regarding our experience here in Saskatoon. So, after searching frantically for a place to watch the match, seeing as how it was both an NHL playoff night AND a UFC fight night, we finally found Specklebellies on Central Ave would accommodate us with a single tv, which was perfectly fine and all we needed. That accommodation was the one and only thing they did for us, however. So I asked before choosing the place, "can we be guaranteed audio for the match?" to which they replied "yeah that won't be a problem." Wrong. Kick-off is seconds away, and after having asked the waitress repeatedly regarding having some audio put on, I finally went up to one of the bartenders to find out why we still had no sound. His reply is classic: "Umm we're not going to do that, because no one here likes soccer... at all! So no." And so I stood there wide-eyed for a second, and finally he says "Are you ok with that?", and rather than call him a ****ing ******* in front of other patrons and the other two meatbag bartenders (who could easily turn me into minute-steak), I just said "yeah I guess so..." turned around and walked back to the table, told Jordan and Steve, took a sip of my pint, and sat back to cheer us on.

That wasn't the end of it, though. We missed the tying goal as the same bartender flipped our tv to the UFC fight, before it started, with about 3 minutes left in regulation. Never been treated like such **** before at a drinking hole, but all I can say is that if you come to Saskatoon, stay away from Specklebellies unless you want to deal with chotchy ****bag bartenders.

[Grizzly]

He should be below Haber, to give an example. At the same level as USSF Div 2. Good goal though, short guy at the far post, but not enough to change my position: hell, not long ago I saw Grande score a beauty vs. Spain, and that never gave him merits to start or even close to it for us. And the list is long.

Haber looked very promising at the end of last season. However, this year you hardly notice him on the pitch, he looks terrible and isn't scoring. McCallum has a pretty good strike rate in League 2 of a goal every 3 games. Add that to his goal in this game and he has moved above Haber on my list at least until Haber starts showing something again at whatever level he is playing at.

[Grizzly]

I know we are all impressed with how Pacheco played, but I can't believe this guy is even playing for us. I know this may not be the appropriate thread to open this discussion, but why FIFA allows this kind of nation jumping, it is completely ridiculous. We shouldn't be applauding ourselves for finding this guy... we should be spending our efforts lobbying FIFA to make sure the next Hgreaves or De Guzman isn't able to jump ship.

As long as the rules are what they are, we should be applauding ourselves for finding this guy. We are not doing anything different than other teams in doing this. If anything, as Canadian club soccer gets better and we can attract better players we should be doing more of this. In the upcoming World Cup you could probably pretty much field a 2nd Brazil team of Brazilian players playing for countries other than Brazil. If you think Canada is going to change the rules by lobbying FIFA you are dreaming. I disagree with these rules as much as anyone but as long as these are the rules of international soccer then we have to play by them to the best of our advantage. Why should we be at more of a disadvantage than we already are?

[Grizzly]

Like others I was really impressed by Sidra which is good because I am also a Cottbus fan. Based on that performance I expect him to break in to their first team next year like Straith did this year. That run before the foul that led to the goal was very impressive. Two guys try to shut him down and he chips the ball past them and then runs on to it leaving them 10 metres behind and forcing another defender to foul him. On the other hand before we get too excited it was also Sidra who lost his man a minute later which led to the Venezuelan chance on which they should have scored for the victory. Nevertheless, I think Sidra at least earned a place for our next matches as the guy who should be put on in the last 20 minutes if we are trailing by a goal. It has been a while since we had someone with that much energy and pace to put on when the other team is tired.

Straith looked very solid at CB unlike his partner Hastings but I would like to see him tried at RB next game. I have watched him at RB quite a few times with Cottbus and I think at CB we lose a lot of his skill. He is very effective as a short passer and building up play but can also get forward effectively and put in nice crosses. Additionally he is in my opinion already our most skilled player at throw ins but doesn't take them when he is CB. He doesn't have the long throw ins of Serioux but he is excellent at short possession oriented throw ins where the player is delivered the ball perfectly and can retain possession. Throw ins were a real weakness for us Saturday. So as long as we can adequately replace him at CB, I would like to see him on the outside.

Pacheco was impressive also but as someone else mentioned, his last action often let him down, ie. he would win the ball nicely and move it up with a few nice moves but then make an inaccurate final pass. Hopefully he gets a bit more playing time with Nacional next year and improves this aspect of his game.

Klukowski was dreadful and this was the second bad game in a row for him. Hopefully he is just tired after a long season in Europe. I have been a Stalteri fan for a while and have often defended him but he was also poor and it is really time for him to retire from the national team. Ledgerwood was also mediocre and one sees why he hasn't gone very far in Germany with his pro career. At the moment he is at best a depth player for us. Jackson was active but really needs to finish better. Issey had a strong game while most of the other players neither impressed nor were poor which given most of their young ages is probably not a bad thing.

[Bertuzzi44]

Can someone upload the game, if possible?

This

[beachesl]

Great story for you guys regarding our experience here in Saskatoon. So, after searching frantically for a place to watch the match, seeing as how it was both an NHL playoff night AND a UFC fight night, we finally found Specklebellies on Central Ave would accommodate us with a single tv, which was perfectly fine and all we needed. That accommodation was the one and only thing they did for us, however. So I asked before choosing the place, "can we be guaranteed audio for the match?" to which they replied "yeah that won't be a problem." Wrong. Kick-off is seconds away, and after having asked the waitress repeatedly regarding having some audio put on, I finally went up to one of the bartenders to find out why we still had no sound. His reply is classic: "Umm we're not going to do that, because no one here likes soccer... at all! So no." And so I stood there wide-eyed for a second, and finally he says "Are you ok with that?", and rather than call him a ****ing ******* in front of other patrons and the other two meatbag bartenders (who could easily turn me into minute-steak), I just said "yeah I guess so..." turned around and walked back to the table, told Jordan and Steve, took a sip of my pint, and sat back to cheer us on.

That wasn't the end of it, though. We missed the tying goal as the same bartender flipped our tv to the UFC fight, before it started, with about 3 minutes left in regulation. Never been treated like such **** before at a drinking hole, but all I can say is that if you come to Saskatoon, stay away from Specklebellies unless you want to deal with chotchy ****bag bartenders.

Feel for ya, same thing happened dozens of times in Canada over the years, and during the World Cup in Oregon when I was camping there in 1994.

Same thing here when I tried to watch Canada-Russia Olympic hockey in an otherwise quiet bar while there were no futbol matches on. Fortunately went to a Canadian party at a friends with a bigscreen plasma to watch the gold medal match. Moral: Unless you are sure of the bar, best to arrange a home party.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

Hey guys - I haven't posted in a while. I was so dissapointed at the way we played against the Argies - only to be so completly impressed by the performance against Venezuela.

People should maybe bear in mind that Venezuela is the only South American country where baseball rather than soccer is the main sport. 1-1 was a good result but maybe not as spectacular and unexpected as some people maybe think.

[gator]

I thought Venezuala were very good opposition for us, they had some real decent players in the side and the crowd were into it! It gave us a good chance to look at some younger players and see what they can do! It seems everyone on this board was impressed with Straith and Sidra as well as Pacheco and that looks good for the future! This is exactly what we need, young players coming up and pushing for spots in our Senior team! Oh and BTW Dick Howards goalllllllllll call as a colour commentator 10 seconds after the goal was scored was down right weird!

[Gomes]

Here is what Pacheco said in his interview: His Parents are from the Acores.

"My parents decided to live in Canada a while back, including my oldest sister being born in Canada. My mom, having three small babies, and living there for a while, went and got us all our Canadian passports. I have my Canadian passports since I was 5 years old. And with that second nationality, even with how little I've played, there exists other opportunities." Then the announcer questions if the Argentina and Venezuela games could open some doors for next season. "I'm not closing any doors, but I'd like to continue playing at the same level as National, but time will tell. After the games with Canada I will analyze any proposals I may get." Pacheco is free as he has just rescinded the remaining 3 years on his contract with National, for not playing regularly, but still, all was not so bad. "I went to one of the better teams in the Portuguese League, a very competitive team, and I also competed in a European competition, I just thought I would play more regularly."

[Gian-Luca]

Here is what Pacheco said in his interview: His Parents are from the Acores.

"My parents decided to live in Canada a while back, including my oldest sister being born in Canada. My mom, having three small babies, and living there for a while, went and got us all our Canadian passports. I have my Canadian passports since I was 5 years old. And with that second nationality, even with how little I've played, there exists other opportunities." Then the announcer questions if the Argentina and Venezuela games could open some doors for next season. "I'm not closing any doors, but I'd like to continue playing at the same level as National, but time will tell. After the games with Canada I will analyze any proposals I may get." Pacheco is free as he has just rescinded the remaining 3 years on his contract with National, for not playing regularly, but still, all was not so bad. "I went to one of the better teams in the Portuguese League, a very competitive team, and I also competed in a European competition, I just thought I would play more regularly."

Thanks for the translation & welcome to the board!

[Guest Ed]

People should maybe bear in mind that Venezuela is the only South American country where baseball rather than soccer is the main sport. 1-1 was a good result but maybe not as spectacular and unexpected as some people maybe think.

Thanks for that. It takes a real tool to point out that Venezuela is not Brazil.

[youllneverwalkalone]

Pacheco was impressive also but as someone else mentioned, his last action often let him down, ie. he would win the ball nicely and move it up with a few nice moves but then make an inaccurate final pass. Hopefully he gets a bit more playing time with Nacional next year and improves this aspect of his game.

This is the ultimate proof that he's Canadian!

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

Thanks for that. It takes a real tool to point out that Venezuela is not Brazil.

That wasn't even what I posted. I pointed out that baseball rather than soccer is the top sport in Venezuela because I saw a blog entry on the front page that talked in terms of "a South American opponent", which appeared to imply that Venezuela can be viewed as being similar to the rest of that continent in soccer terms.

http://www.cansoc.org/entry.php?15-Can-t-Beat-the-Canadian-Kids

That was surreal.

Imagine if you will Canada trailing by a goal in 2nd half injury time against a South American opponent on their home turf, not having scored in nearly a year, and who do we have out there to end the drought and get an equalizer? ...

Venezeula is very much the black sheep of the Comnebol family in that regard so people should not get carried away about this 1-1 result. Good result but not a spectacular one.