Sam Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Yes, I know that Canada was eliminated from the Gold Cup more than a month ago but I need my soapbox here I took Canada's elimination from the Gold Cup very badly, very, very badly. I had high expectations for the team and in Hart. I think I still have faith in Hart, and in the immediate aftermath of the draw with Panama I came on here and saw the knee-jerk fire Hart sentiment which frustrated me more. I still believe that firing Hart will do nothing. Anyways between European Club seasons and a World Cup last summer, followed up by a Gold Cup this summer I had not taken a real break from soccer in about full years. So after yet again becoming way too emotionally attached to a Canadian National Team I took a complete break from soccer after Canada's elimination. I can't remember the last time I went 3 weeks without watching any soccer, and 3 weeks without really coming on the Voyageurs Board. To be honest it was a nice break. When Copa and the Women's World Cup came up I started watching the beautiful game again and now I'm fully back into the swing of things. Anyways it was quite a nice break and I think helped put Canada's Gold Cup performance in a bit of perspective. Before I sound like I'm making excuses here, let me make it clear if we played like we did in the Gold Cup we will get nowhere close to Brazil. However looking at the tournament again it was not that bad. We had a good game against Ecuador, we beat Guadeloupe, we dominated a Panama B+/A- team for 75 minutes and we gave the United States a good half. In the end we only actually lost one of the four games we played and it was to the second best team in CONCACAF. The most concerning part of the Gold Cup was Canada's last 15 minutes against Panama. We looked absolutely terrible trying to defend a lead and that will cost us in World Cup Qualifying. We can't play every game from behind, a situation we seem to do better in (Ecuador, Venezuela, Greece). We need to learn how to continue that slower, possession style that serves us so well when we are in possession. Other than that I think we need to start re-evaluating how to get the best out of our best players. This team should be built around Josh Simpson and Atiba Hutchinson up front and Kevin McKenna at the back. For Simpson we need Klukowski to play on the left wing and open up space on that left wing, if he isn't doing this consistently Simpson won't get the one on one opportunities he needs. If this can't happen, move Simpson up front. We need to get more out of him than we did in the Gold Cup, he is a very good player, one Canada has been begging for and now that we finally have him we seem to be using him incorrectly. As for Atiba Hutchinson obviously it didn't help that he was injured during the Gold Cup, but in the two games he did play he was underused, especially against the States. Atiba is a very good technical player but is not a guy who is going to play in a number ten role. What Atiba can be is a dominating box to box midfielder. Let's not waste his defensive talent as well as his incredible ability to pick a pass in the final third. Put a Julian De Guzman and a Will Johnson in there to cover the midfield for him, don't shoe horn Hutchison into a restricted midfield role when he has the potential to do so much more. De Guzman and Johnson or whoever else is playing in that midfield should be responsible for making sure Atiba isn't burned defensively when he is too far forward and they should make sure we aren't short up front if Hutchinson or anyone else wins the ball in our defensive third. Finally with McKenna, play him with Jakovic. They make the best partnership, and I know that didn't materialize in the Gold Cup because Jakovic was injured, but we need to make sure that Jakovic - McKenna partnership continues to grow. Moving into World Cup Qualifying, we need to be a team with a different mentality than the team that showed up at the Gold Cup, but we as supporters also need to understand what this team is. A team that just may if we get a few lucky bounces come close to the World Cup. We are not a team that is ever going to beat Guadeloupe 5-0 and look like Barcelona doing it. We need to take 1-0 scrappy wins over Guadeloupe as a resounding success. I worry during the 2nd round of Qualifying against minnows some supporters are going to get frustrated with these unimpressive wins. At this point I could care less. The only expectations should be to win. Anyways this Gold Cup certainly did not make me optimistic for the World Cup, I compare how I feel about this team now as apposed to how I felt about the team before 2010 qualifying and I felt much, much more confident back then, but this is not a hopeless tournament. We do have a very slight chance, and firing Hart will not do anything to change that, especially not with qualifying so soon. This is not the time to rebuild. The time to rebuild was 2009 when Hart took over and he has rebuilt the team, so let's wait till this qualifying cycle is over before we make any final judgements. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearcatSA Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 Finally with McKenna, play him with Jakovic. They make the best partnership, and I know that didn't materialize in the Gold Cup because Jakovic was injured, but we need to make sure that Jakovic - McKenna partnership continues to grow. Trying to be as objective as possible, I think Jakovic-McKenna is the best partnership, but I also felt Hainault did a good job in his starts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThiKu Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 For long-term success it might be we need to partner Jako-Hain and put McKenna aside? That being said - I really enjoy watching McKenna play. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keegan Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 What about Hainault and McKenna as the CB pairing and put Jakovic in the holding midfielder spot? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TFC07 Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 I hope we don't have players playing out of their natural position. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearcatSA Posted July 17, 2011 Share Posted July 17, 2011 What about Hainault and McKenna as the CB pairing and put Jakovic in the holding midfielder spot? Unless he starts doing that regularly at club level, I think he should stay at CB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jpg75 Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Jakovic played in midfield as a Junior in College and as a striker at the youth level. His conversion to defence is recent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nolando Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 I think building a defense around McKenna may be about as successful as building an offense around Friend. Unless he is starting regularly, and even if he in theory should be our best defender by club stature alone, we need the most active and confident team through WCQ, not frustrated benchwarmers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearcatSA Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 I think building a defense around McKenna may be about as successful as building an offense around Friend. Unless he is starting regularly, and even if he in theory should be our best defender by club stature alone, we need the most active and confident team through WCQ, not frustrated benchwarmers. When you get beyond some of our regular starters, I would say a very significant majority of the "depth" candidates fit that category. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keegan Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 Jakovic played in midfield as a Junior in College and as a striker at the youth level. His conversion to defence is recent. This, also he looks very comfortable on the ball. If you are comfortable with the ball at your feet and mobile enough there's no reason a center back can't play in the stopper/holding mid position. Jakovic has both of those qualities, as well as experience in the position (although not at the pro level that I know of). For those reasons I think he's definitely an option there if we run into injury problems or the guys in midfield (JDG, Dunfield... looking at you) aren't getting the job done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearcatSA Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 ^Awhile back I suggested that he would be a good guy to have shielding in front of the back four because of his defensive capabilities (we gave up way too many free runs through midfield off counterattacks during the last WCQ but we have improved in our compactness since that time) and comfort on the ball. Certainly Hart has shown an interest in that kind of player (Edgar was experimented in that role in training as well as a sub in the Greece friendly). However, I've always believed that you get the best out of most guys when you select them for positions that they pay day in/day out at club level, regardless of the particular tactical situation that's deployed. So for me, he's a CB. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyrus Posted July 18, 2011 Share Posted July 18, 2011 One man that I believe is key for our team is Ali Gerba. Ali G doesn't really ever do anything as a footballer, except score goals. And the fact that we have so few people that can consistently put the ball in the net means that we can't ignore him. He's slow, he's lazy, he's fat, he's hurt all the time... Whatever. Make him a permananent super-sub then, but we NEED the big guy for qualifying. I have bad, bad feelings about qualifying. In a home and home against any minnow, I like our odds. But having to top a four team group? That gives us six games where we actually need some goals and results. The possibility of us dominating two games, drawing three, and screwing up on one, doing just bad enough... Where's that CONCACAF lucky cointoss that used to get us through in the old days now that we need it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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