loyola Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 I think we could go with basically the same lineup against Guadeloupe, only Lars and Nik L. should be left out. Then you have to find a way to introduce Gerba if he's fit enough to play 60-70 min. Maybe just switch Gerba for Jackson or Gerba for Dunfield or Johnson and have Jackson on the wing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tarnado1555362291 Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 --------------------Borjan------------------------- --------------------------------------------------- Peters---McKenna------Hainault------Klukowski ---------------------------------------------------- -----------Johnson-------Hutchinson------------- -------------------De Rosario--------------------- ----------------------------------------------------- Jackson----------------------------------Simpson --------------------Gerba------------------------- This would be my preferred lineup. Alternatively if you want to keep DeRo as an option off the bench, I would slot Atiba in the attacking mid role and De Guzman in beside Johnson. This could also be switched to a point backwards midfield against Guadeloupe with Hutch and Dero in front of Johnson. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul-collins Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Do you even want to go down that road? 6-2 Philly Union? Pulled after half because he was awful out there? MAN THAT DEFENSIVE MIDFIELDER IS AWESOME. But there's more than just that. We could go on all season with all the **** play that JDG has had. Yeah, I know, I'm just pulling your chain. I just watched the KC game and thought "wow, what a difference between having someone who has an idea and can't execute, and someone who has no idea." I don't know what is up with JdG right now, but if he were in form he'd be an awesome addition to the squad. Big if, there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpg75 Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Wouldn't have a problem with the same as last night with Borjan in goal, Jackson wide right, Gerba up top and Johnson in the DM for Dunfield. Neither would I. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThiKu Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Neither would I. 4-2-3-1 again. Remove Dunfield, and put Johnson there. Put Gerba in for Dunfield, but place Jackson wide right. However, not too wide. Jackson needs to be in a support position for Gerba. Simpson also needs to be more central. De Ro as attacking mid leaving Atiba and Johnson to create. Atiba can push forward with Johnson always deep. Peters to start for Ledgerwood who isn't good enough. Peters could cover the wing when Jackson moves central. He has the technical ability and athleticism to play with the GDB's. 3-1 win for Canada. Especially if we play as we did in the last 20ish v. USA. Their GK plays 7th Div I think! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThiKu Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Oh and Borjan should start. Lars can't make that mistake. but Borjan should get this game regardless. I assume it was scheduled for him all along. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Bob Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 4-4-2 wingers Borjan Ledgerwood - McKenna - Hainault - Klukowski Johnson - Dunfield - Hutchinson - Simpson Jackson - Gerba Advantages: a) Thunder and lightning. Gerba obviously has to start. Jackson was very weak... until Gerba (and Friend) came on, whereupon the big guys could worry about being target men and Jackson could go get balls, be elusive, and find cracks. That is so self-evidently what he's best at that I, frankly, feel a little silly for advocating him as a lone striker in the past. Better balance in attack and defense. Johnson has been a hole offensively for Canada but is too valuable in transition and defense to take out, and has done very well keeping chances off the wing to a minimum. Simpson will have some work to do but I think he can manage it. c) Borjan. Disadvantages: a) Will we be able to win possession with a 4-4-2? Against Guadeloupe and Panama probably, but I can see us having a problem in the middle of the park against the likes of Mexico and the United States. Jackson should get in the habit of tracking back. Gerba's fitness level. I actually don't see a huge problem here: he's been getting long games with the Montreal Impact and hasn't completely exploded. He should be relatively well-rested after his cameo against the United States. I think the best strategy is to try and go up big against Guadeloupe and pull Gerba for Ricketts or Friend if we're clearly running away with the game, but leave him in if the result is still in balance. c) My ideal forward replacement if we actually need goals is Ricketts. I liked Friend's game yesterday but that was because we weren't relying on him for finishing: he was going in, trying to win balls, looking to his teammates to do the actual playmaking, and just causing havoc. It actually worked pretty well, but it's not something we can count on offensively. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Ed Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 I thought de Jong certainly didn't help on either of the goals against. Rather than crucify Ledgerwood, I would go with this lineup: -------------------- Borjan Ledgerwood ---- McKenna ---- Hainault ---- Klukowski ------------ Johnson ------------------ Hutchinson Jackson ------------------------------------------- Simpson ------------------------ deRo ----------------------------- ------------------------- Gerba ---------------------------- This is the lineup 'theAub' proposed, with the additional change of Kluka for de Jong. Or, could even go with Friend to start up top, with Gerba coming on if we are not ahead early 2nd half. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoshieScores Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 I haven't seen anyone mention Johnson but I thought he did a fantastic job of tracking back and breaking up plays in the final third. He took away couple of chances from Dempsey and he was all over the field last night. He didn't provide much going forward but defensively, he was the MVP. Formation wise, I would go with ^ Ed's formation here except, Ledgerwood out and Peters comes in. We had absolutely nothing going forward from the right wing and Peters has the speed to beat 1 v 1. Btw, I think I have the video where Simpson beat two defenders from the left, around 80th minute... that was SICK watching from the supporter section!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearcatSA Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 I thought de Jong certainly didn't help on either of the goals against. Rather than crucify Ledgerwood, I would go with this lineup: -------------------- Borjan Ledgerwood ---- McKenna ---- Hainault ---- Klukowski ------------ Johnson ------------------ Hutchinson Jackson ------------------------------------------- Simpson ------------------------ deRo ----------------------------- ------------------------- Gerba ---------------------------- This is the lineup 'theAub' proposed, with the additional change of Kluka for de Jong. Or, could even go with Friend to start up top, with Gerba coming on if we are not ahead early 2nd half. Hard to figure out what Klukowski's fitness is at, but I miss his overall presence on the left flank, especially with his play on the ball. Not sure if Peters is going to be any better than Ledgerwood. DeRosario conjured up a very close miss in the latter part of the first half but apart from that I saw the usual stuff in his open field play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
closetboostie Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 We have a core group of 4 midfield/attacking players that should form the foundation of our squad for the next 2 WCQ cycles - Simpson, Hutch, Johnson and Jackson. In this tournament Hart needs to keep these 4 guys on the field so they can develop chemistry and he needs to figure out how to deploy them positionally to get the most from them. If he figures out how to get them working well together, it sets us up nicely for the next 6 years. I see Hutch and Johnson's two-way play as the future of our central midfield. I know people will say that talent wise JDG/Dero>Johnson, and based purely on skill level that's probably true. However I think Johnson's workrate, two ability and youth will probably be more important for this team going forward. I see Dero/JDG as the alternate options for the third player in the midfield. Either JDG starts behind Hutch/Johnson in a holding role or Dero starts ahead of them in an attacking role. I think JDG in the holding role should be our first choice. Dero as AM should be saved for when we need a spark off the bench or starting in games vs lower seeded opponents where we know we will dominate possession. I agree with this. I favour playing Julian in matches where we will be under heavy pressure. If we are likely to have more of the ball then De Ro starts. Again we need that flexibility tactically with our personnel, and hopefully competition for playing time will get us elevated performances. If Dunfield plays as he did against Ecuador then he is right in the conversation in that holding spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
closetboostie Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Do you even watch TFC play? They actually do a little better when JDG isn't in the lineup. He hasn't been good since 2007. Didn't get to your other post so I'll just quote this one. 2 years ago Julian could do no wrong on this board and now it's gone totally the other direction. I think the truth lies somewhere in between. I think he has more to give still, and we at least need to find out if he can play a supporting role for Canada if only because we don't have the depth to discard him just yet. As for the bad apple rumors, definitely interesting to hear VIS' comment. Hopefully there has been a change in who the leaders are on the team but if JDG can still perform on the field, a strong leadership group should be able to get everyone to toe the line. While a cliquey divisive culture can ruin a team, you also can't have a team of 18 choir boys, that doesn't work either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scoots Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 I agree with this. I favour playing Julian in matches where we will be under heavy pressure. If we are likely to have more of the ball then De Ro starts. Again we need that flexibility tactically with our personnel, and hopefully competition for playing time will get us elevated performances. If Dunfield plays as he did against Ecuador then he is right in the conversation in that holding spot. I'm not sure about Dunfield. He's kinda like a Martin Nash 2.0, in that he doesn't look like he belongs athletically but he's normally a heady player who is poised and calm on the ball. Many are complaining about his play with the ball last night, but for me it was his play without the ball that was a worse problem, when we had possession he didn't seem to want the ball and he looked lost defensively. Bradley and Jones just completly outclassed him. Maybe against a lower level of competition he settles in and we see more of his savvy. I see him as a depth guy, ok for depth and in important cog against mid-level teams but doesn't belong on the field against the likes of the USA. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lennon Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 Borjan Peters-Hainault-McKenna-De Jong Johnson - Hutchinson Jackson - DeRo - Simpson Gerba Need to stop playing Johnson out wide. He's no winger. Put him back into the midfield to play the position/role he plays so well for RSL. Shift Jackson out wide. Not ideal, but better then playing him alone up top. Hart seems set on the 4-2-3-1/4-5-1/4-3-3 so any other formation isn't really worth discussing at this point. As a striker, naturally, Jackson should drift inside and provide some space for Peters to work in. This will make us a lot more dangerous on the right side of the pitch and should result in a less predictable attack and build up. I was always in the Friend camp in the Friend vs. Gerba debate, but with Friend not having played much for his club this season, and Gerba looking great as always for Canada .. I'd give the nod to Gerba for the Guadeloupe match. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearcatSA Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 I'm not sure about Dunfield. He's kinda like a Martin Nash 2.0, in that he doesn't look like he belongs athletically but he's normally a heady player who is poised and calm on the ball. Many are complaining about his play with the ball last night, but for me it was his play without the ball that was a worse problem, when we had possession he didn't seem to want the ball and he looked lost defensively. Bradley and Jones just completly outclassed him. Maybe against a lower level of competition he settles in and we see more of his savvy. I see him as a depth guy, ok for depth and in important cog against mid-level teams but doesn't belong on the field against the likes of the USA. My biggest issue with Dunfield's play is with his overall quickness and coping with the pace of the game on the defensive side of things. I think Johnson is the quicker defensive option and is heady positionally, so partnering him alongside Hutchinson is the best option for us right now. I have always liked DeGuzman's ball control and possession skills but I still have concerns about his ability to close down quick midfield opponents, not just in the last friendly but also in other MLS matches this year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wingback6 Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 I don't know what to think of the formations that prefer Friend to Gerba right now? How about, they're the best option?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Bob Posted June 8, 2011 Share Posted June 8, 2011 People see Rob Friend score at a rate worse than Ali Gerba, Simeon Jackson, Julian de Guzman, Paul Stalteri, Kevin McKenna, Andre Hainault, Terry Dunfield, and say "yes, that is that I want in a target man!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul-collins Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 To be fair, it's not "people" so much as "Wingback6" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stan10 Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 I can't grasp why anyone would want to start a striker that can't score, it makes no sense. Gerba should start if we want to have any hope of scoring some goals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keano Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 To be fair, it's not "people" so much as "Wingback6" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derofan Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 Quest is can gerba last the whole game? Lets face it eventually we have to see friend in the game whether at the begining or the mid to end part I wish Hume was with us then we wouldnt need to have this debate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keano Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 Quest is can gerba last the whole game? Lets face it eventually we have to see friend in the game whether at the begining or the mid to end part I wish Hume was with us then we wouldnt need to have this debate During Gerba's great run last season he routinely played (and scored) over 90 minutes. So he can do it... thing is he hasn't done so yet this season and to me looks a little fatter and slower. Good thing is, he doesn't usually need 90 to make it count Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Bob Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 Even if he can't, I'd rather bring in Tosaint Ricketts if we needed offense than Friend. If we're up by a couple, by all means bring in Friend and let him do what he did on Tuesday: just try to win the ball, hold it up, and generally be Emile Heskey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimmyJames Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 Gerba may be better utilized as a Super Sub....just sayin' Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keegan Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 Ledgerwood can't start next match, remember we need these games for prep as well and that performance definitely didn't earn him another look.. start Peters or Klukowski at right back. Gerba definitely needs to start, push Jackson to the right wing and put Johnson in Dunfield's spot. I think Dunfield is a favourite of Hart's. I thought he was very weak vs the States, he just isn't good enough for this level he's an average to good MLS player, Tuscan and I were talking about how he was always making the easy pass and didn't seem to want the ball at all... very nervous. Johnson needs to be the energy back there and he's definitely a big game player and competitor, not to mention he's 5 years younger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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