U17 World Cup - Canada vs. Uruguay June 19th

[Free kick]

In fairness that Colombian team was very, very good. .

And our side was not. For that tournament anyways. And that's putting it politely. I maintain to this day, that even our 2007 team was better. Granted, that was the tourny that preceded the event we were to host, so we brought young players to be groomed for 2007. There was a couple of players from that squad (Hainealt, Johnson) who went on to good careers but there were no stars from the offensive side of the game that emerged from that squad. unlike 2001 and 2003. that was a telling moment from me in how I began to view the the development of our talent in European clubs.

[ThiKu]

Disappointing result. 2-2 might have been fair. Even down 2-0 Canada could claim to have had the far superior scoring opps (Gasparotto!). The goals against 1 and 2 were of our own undoing. I didn't see #3. Canada played with these guys. They played man-up and did fine. Uruguay was the better team technically and athletically. But Canada was organized, had good spirit and penetrated the back 4 of Uruguay often. It was a good performance that should have resulted in some goals. Jalali will be a D2 at best, not good enough up front. Same with Piette, who did OK. Gasparotto to AC Milan shocks me. I thought he was brutal. Alderson really played quite poorly. Losing possession without reason, reacting not thinking....or so the Uruguay CM made him look that way.

Alemann was poor and inefficient. Expected more. Very excited about the potential of Essa....excellent player. Crepeaux is fantastic and truly hope he does fine and recovers.

Fact is, only 2 of these guys are going to be CMNT ... 3 at the tops. This is the typical amount for any u17 world cup team from any nation - and even 3 can be pushing it. I have my money on Alderson and Alemann, but after that.....Crepeaux? Only if he gets taller. Stanese? Maybe if he catches on with Whitecaps eventually or better. Piette? If he keeps going in France at the 2nd tier he is capable of being in our CMNT....Gasparotto is likely another Uccello. If he gets signed for AC Milan ... well, let's say he isn't exactly Pato. (Nothing against Little Bird!...)

[Soccerpro]

I can't remember a Canadian men's youth team playing so well in a competitive game against an established soccer nation. Possession was 50-50, which speaks volumes about the way we're trying to play. Who knows what could have happened if Luca Gasparotto hadn't made that strange decision. The most glaring absence in our play at every single level in the mens program is that lack of killer instict when the opportunity arises.

[Ivanovski94]

I don't understand the problem with Crepeau's height. At 185 cm thats 6 foot 1 and thats good for a keeper for the pro level. I don't know why everyone wants a giant keeper in net.Best height for keepers is roughly 6ft2 or 6ft3 and Max is only 17(in november) and still growing. Casillas is only 181 cm thats 5 foot 11 and no one complains about his height

[Eric]

^ It's a typical Canadian comment, only looking for tall, fast, strong players......I think most people have their sports mixed up, soccer is a skills sport first not a butchers sport at all.

[ditty]

I can't remember a Canadian men's youth team playing so well in a competitive game against an established soccer nation. Possession was 50-50, which speaks volumes about the way we're trying to play. Who knows what could have happened if Luca Gasparotto hadn't made that strange decision. The most glaring absence in our play at every single level in the mens program is that lack of killer instict when the opportunity arises.

I also find this group of players encouraging. I thought our strength in the game was actually the technical side; we were not only able to keep the ball but to go forward with it, find spaces and create combinations in the attacking third. Individually, I felt our top players stood out as much as theirs. This is the most important thing to me at this level. It was a very open, free flowing game and Uruguay won it because they were more organized, especially after getting the first goal. Aleman was definitely keyed on by the Uruguayans. Essa and Petrasso are bright players going forward. Crepeau looks very, very capable and confident.

Clearly, Uruguay looked more tactically astute and comfortable at this level. The encouraging thing for me is that, to my knowledge, this is the first NT that is really a product of pro academies (Whitecaps, TFC, Impact). That's promising. In the past, we would have had some unattached players and bunch playing at U-18 in their local district.

Let's hope that the continued development of the pro academies will make the shortcomings of the provincial associations and the CSA less critical.

[ditty]

I don't understand the problem with Crepeau's height. At 185 cm thats 6 foot 1 and thats good for a keeper for the pro level. I don't know why everyone wants a giant keeper in net.Best height for keepers is roughly 6ft2 or 6ft3 and Max is only 17(in november) and still growing. Casillas is only 181 cm thats 5 foot 11 and no one complains about his height

His size was the first thing that caught my eye. Not only is he already tall, but he's pretty filled out for his age.

[McGuire]

I noticed the same thing as well, also his composure, Seems to have it together upstairs. Certainly one for the future.

[Keegan]

I noticed the same thing as well, also his composure, Seems to have it together upstairs. Certainly one for the future.

Suddenly a keeper position that was one of our weakest is probably our brightest position for the future, Crepeau will be in tough for his CMNT future.

Have to agree with most comments here, finishing, Alderson and Aleman not being our stars, mental mistake, good performance overall... I want to say Essa was a nice surprise especially since he wasn't even in Jamaica, I saw highlights of him in a Whitecaps Res match and he impressed me so I was happy to see he was called.

[Bertuzzi44]

http://www.fifa.com/u17worldcup/matches/round=255973/match=300151865/summary.html

Canada called "impressive"

[ray]

Very sorry to hear about Crepeau's injury. He was definitely our best player and we will feel his loss.

I felt Canada did very well to prevent Uruguay from getting many chances apart from the initial few minutes. Then they just hand Uruguay a goal off a corner in which the South Americans were vastly outnumbered in box. Unacceptable.

What was worse was Canada's attackers giving away possession needlessly over and over. The players weren't on the same page or even in the same book. It looks like they could use another month of playing together but they only have a couple of days for Fleming to iron things out.

It's a pity. Canada's team has some skill, could win the ball and did not giving away much to a superior side. But lack of composure with the ball cost us a better result.

[gator]

I've never seen so many positive posts after a 3 nil loss! Yes we did play some decent football at times and with a break here or there maybe we get a result but the bottom line is we still can't score and thanks to 2 late goals we probably have no chance of advancing in a tie breaker situation!

[Gian-Luca]

Very unfortunate about that injury to Crepeau - especially given that it happened on a play that was already offside. That same Uruguayan player had already left his leg in their once against him in a cheap play making me wonder if he could not have gotten out of the way again here.

Some immaturity on our squad is what cost us - otherwise not much to choose from, and the 3-0 scoreline hugely flatters Uruguay, but unfortunatley is likely going to prevent our advancement unless we can pull off some kind of upset against England.

[Free kick]

but unfortunatley is likely going to prevent our advancement unless we can pull off some kind of upset against England.

Its hurts the critical goal diff for sure even a 2-0 loss would have been fine. But it is possible to advance with three points and even a negative goal diff. In 2003 at the U20, Canada had three points and a minus 2. Four of six third place teams advance and so far there have been no drws in the tournament. Few draws mean fewer third place teams with four points and more thrid place teams with three, which brings goal diff into play. Either way, Canada has to win one of the two remaining games and keep the other game close.

[jpg75]

Really? I thought that they were two of our best players. Along with Crepeau. I am not saying that they didn't make some mistakes but they showed the kind of things that we need in the program. Namely, a confidence to come forward and show some good touches. Aleman drew a key foul at the edge of the box.

We must have been watching different games then because half of Aleman's passes were off the mark and his nifty moves were getting him stripped by defenders who must see that **** in practice every day. Alderson must have been dispossessed a handful of times that led to Uruguayan counterattacks and offered little going forward.

[Ivan]

^ I agree about Aleman & Alderson. Aleman looked like he was playing to get noticed and Alderson gave the ball away too many times for a player of his pedigree. I was also disappointed with Petrasso, missed chances - caught in possession, but is he even 16 yet?

Impressed with Crepeau (hope he is okay), Seymour, Stanese and pleasantly surprised by Essa.

After the Panama game, TFC on the weekend and the two late goals in this one, my **** are getting real sore from repeated kicks to the ***.

[Eric]

The encouraging thing for me is that, to my knowledge, this is the first NT that is really a product of pro academies (Whitecaps, TFC, Impact). That's promising. In the past, we would have had some unattached players and bunch playing at U-18 in their local district.

You can't be any more wrong, none of these players were develop by any of these three clubs. They were just picked up a year or two ago and make believe that they develop them. All players who play for TFC Academy were with the provincial program and were develop by some good coaches in youth clubs for more than a decade and that's why none of the good ones wanted to sign with TFC before this world cup. TFC has Brennan and Dichio coaching them, c'mon let's be fair to the real coaches who develop them.

In regards to the performance IMO this was the best performance by a Canadian national team since the first GC Hart coached when we made the semis, there is talent in this team but they are too naive and their inability to keep full concentration during the whole game let them down.

I can't really blame the players because they play in a environment where there are no repercussions for losing, so to them it's all the same, although they would like to win, they have no concept on how to go about it and what it takes to win a game. Obviously the head coaches are guilty of this, but then again in Canada there's no repercussions for losing coaches either so everything will be the same for years to come.

The goalkeeper Crepeau was our best player in this game, but some people here talk about our fantastic and positive performance! any time I've seen a team where their GK was the best player on the field, that itself tell you the team's performance was very poor. I recorded the game and watched it again last night, it look at times like Uruguay was toying with our players and they were in a practice session. I read a couple of articles where the URU team was criticized by reporters for not taking the game seriously and being selfish on the attacking third (they all wanted to score their goal against a weaker team) and that includes their coach's comments.

Let's be realistic here, I think we have some talent in our team but nobody is helping these kids to become international players in our country, simply because nobody here has the knowhow and the environment doesn't help either. Our players frizzed in front of the net, they are very predictable when trying to dribble (notice how the URU players where waiting for them and predicted where they where going next) and when our players where able to put some combinations together, they never knew when to finished it. I think they will perform better against England because their style of play is much more similar, so we have a much better chance of at least going for a draw IMO.

[RS]

You can't be any more wrong, none of these players were develop by any of these three clubs. They were just picked up a year or two ago and make believe that they develop them. All players who play for TFC Academy were with the provincial program and were develop by some good coaches in youth clubs for more than a decade. TFC has Brennan and Dichio coaching them, c'mon let's be fair to the real coaches who develop them.

So it's your opinion that the pro academies had zero influence on these players over the past two or three years?

How well have the provincial programs done in developing players in the past? Is it well enough to state that their involvement in TFC Academy (since you seem to only be talking about them) is just some happy coincidence?

Obviously, as time goes on more players will be more developed by the academies (as the academies reach down in age groups), but to simply disregard the current crop's involvement is a bit cavalier and disrespectful, IMO. The biggest problem in this country has always been lack of options for those in their mid-to-late teens to continue their development, and while this is still a problem, the advent of the three pro academies (plus a bunch of other private ones) is at least a step in the right direction.

[Eric]

^ I've never mentioned development by the provincial program! did I? they don't develop any players either, what I said is "were develop by some good coaches in youth clubs for more than a decade" and yes I will simply disregard the current crop's involvement with the "academies" as a simple taking advantage of their names and ability to get to the media and promote their lie through out the country. All they've done so far is poached players that were develop somewhere else (using the provincial program) and clamming they were the ones developing these kids, the reality is they don't have and they never had capable and experience coaches able to develop any of the players who will eventually make it into the "real pro" soccer world, not the MLS "pro soccer world".

[jpg75]

Obviously, as time goes on more players will be more developed by the academies (as the academies reach down in age groups), but to simply disregard the current crop's involvement is a bit cavalier and disrespectful, IMO. The biggest problem in this country has always been lack of options for those in their mid-to-late teens to continue their development, and while this is still a problem, the advent of the three pro academies (plus a bunch of other private ones) is at least a step in the right direction.

I don't think anyone would claim otherwise Rudi, but the fact is this current crop of U17's hasn't spent nearly enough time in their respective pro Academies to deserve giving them much credit for their development. One run down the roster and nearly 3/4's of the players have been with their club for less than a year.

Half the Whitecaps reps (Alderson, Polakiewicz) are half a season into their tenure with the club.

Some of the players who had the chance either avoided (Alderson, Polakiewicz, Halis, Gasparotto and Cain) or opted out (Seymour) of TFC Academy. Players would rather play for Carmine Isaaco then TFCA to the point that the only player leaving SC Toronto for TFCA is Omari Morris and possibly Quillan Roberts (could have sworn he was in net for SCT against MIA last month). I hate to say it, but alot of players don't respect the direction TFCA is going.

[RS]

^ I've never mentioned development by the provincial program! did I? they don't develop any players either, what I said is "were develop by some good coaches in youth clubs for more than a decade" and yes I will simply disregard the current crop's involvement with the "academies" as a simple taking advantage of their names and ability to get to the media and promote their lie through out the country. All they've done so far is poached players that were develop somewhere else (using the provincial program) and clamming they were the ones developing these kids, the reality is they don't have and they never had capable and experience coaches able to develop any of the players who will eventually make it into the "real pro" soccer world, not the MLS "pro soccer world".

Whathever, man. You seem far too bitter and this issue seems a bit too personal (to you) for me to have a rational debate with you on it. Especially in regards to TFC Academy, which you brought up by name (I was talking about all of them as a whole). Childish shots at "real pro" vs. "MLS pro" soccer worlds just illustrate my point. Apparently the entire American program is full of non-real pros, considering the bulk of them got their start in MLS.

As for the actual side-discussion, I don't believe that the MLS academies are the be all and end all to getting Canada on the right track, but I can see that they are a crucial step in the right direction. The prvincial programs have proven their lot over the past 25 years, so it's time to go in a different direction.

[RS]

I don't think anyone would claim otherwise Rudi, but the fact is this current crop of U17's hasn't spent nearly enough time in their respective pro Academies to deserve giving them much credit for their development. One run down the roster and nearly 3/4's of the players have been with their club for less than a year.

Half the Whitecaps reps (Alderson, Polakiewicz) are half a season into their tenure with the club.

Some of the players who had the chance either avoided (Alderson, Polakiewicz, Halis, Gasparotto and Cain) or opted out (Seymour) of TFC Academy. Players would rather play for Carmine Isaaco then TFCA to the point that the only player leaving SC Toronto for TFCA is Omari Morris and possibly Quillan Roberts (could have sworn he was in net for SCT against MIA last month). I hate to say it, but alot of players don't respect the direction TFCA is going.

And that's fine. The more pro choices, the better. that was my overall point.

[youllneverwalkalone]

I just watched the match last night and don't have time to read the thread, so I'll keep my comments brief: in 2005 in Holland, we were school by a Colombian side that didn't let us touch the ball for 90 minutes; same thing in Toronto against Chile in '07; even though we lost 3-0 yesterday, I saw these kids were going toe-to-toe with a top South American side. It was amazing to watch, and I was just happy to see them compete -irrespective of the obvious fact that the Uruguayans were more clinical and technically gifted.

We need to see how these players progress to the U20 level, and then see if the crop of U17 behind them have improved before making any judgments, but I share the opinion that the three MLS clubs have, and will continue to, elevate us back to a competitive international level.

[ThiKu]

^ It's a typical Canadian comment, only looking for tall, fast, strong players......I think most people have their sports mixed up, soccer is a skills sport first not a butchers sport at all.

Don't be a prick and assume what I was suggesting Eric (I encourage you to come out and watch my 11 year olds train - they are all tiny and knock the ball around the whole pitch!). Max is 6ft1, yes, and unless he becomes Valdes that isn't tall enough for a long-term dominant career at a high level. Ivanovski is correct 6-2, 6-3+ is required. BUT, at 17, yes, he is not done growing....big hopes for the lad.

[ThiKu]

I just watched the match last night and don't have time to read the thread, so I'll keep my comments brief: in 2005 in Holland, we were school by a Colombian side that didn't let us touch the ball for 90 minutes; same thing in Toronto against Chile in '07; even though we lost 3-0 yesterday, I saw these kids were going toe-to-toe with a top South American side. It was amazing to watch, and I was just happy to see them compete -irrespective of the obvious fact that the Uruguayans were more clinical and technically gifted.

We need to see how these players progress to the U20 level, and then see if the crop of U17 behind them have improved before making any judgments, but I share the opinion that the three MLS clubs have, and will continue to, elevate us back to a competitive international level.

Absolutely correct assessment YNWA!

The youth coaches for these lads on WFC, TFC, and Impact have had huge influence on these lads over the last 2 yearsish, to be sure. This doesn't take away from the good work the coaches they had prior. BUT, just being in the pro environment has made a huge difference you can be certain.