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Canada vs Denmark - January 26, 2013 - PRE-match


forster01

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I bought my ticket this afternoon, and when I did I counted. 31 tickets have been sold in the Canadian supporters sections, 109 and 110.

To be fair, I have definitely been to CanMNT matches with fewer Canada supporters than that.

EDIT: Sales in the Denmark sections are probably something like 103, depending on which seats are sold and which ones are just closed off. It may be as high as 270.

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I bought my ticket this afternoon, and when I did I counted. 31 tickets have been sold in the Canadian supporters sections, 109 and 110.

To be fair, I have definitely been to CanMNT matches with fewer Canada supporters than that.

EDIT: Sales in the Denmark sections are probably something like 103, depending on which seats are sold and which ones are just closed off. It may be as high as 270.

Well done for going Bob, I wonder who the other 30 are? Is anyone eles going? Or probs just locals in area.

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Canadian men's soccer team ready for Denmark test

Former MLS MVP Dwayne De Rosario will start up front

The Canadian Press Jan 25, 2013

A green Canadian soccer team gets to gauge its talent against an equally young Denmark side Saturday in a friendly in Tucson.

The game is the first for the Canadian men's program since a humiliating 8-1 loss last October that knocked Canada out of World Cup qualifying. Only three starters from that game — goalkeeper Lars Hirschfeld, winger Nik Ledgerwood and striker Tosaint Ricketts are expected to be in the starting 11 Saturday as the Canadian Soccer Association opted for young, largely developmental squad at its Arizona camp.

The Danes have done the same, since the game does not fall on a FIFA international date — meaning top players are hard to pry away from their clubs.

Canada is ranked 64th in the world compared to No. 23 for Denmark, but those numbers mean little given the makeup of the squads.

Still interim coach Colin Miller knows the size of the challenge that awaits his young team and has been managing expectations all week.

"Absolutely massive. An enormous task given the group that we have," he said of facing Denmark. "Even if we had our full team it would still be an enormous task."

U.S. awaits

After the game, the Canadians leave Sunday for Houston and a friendly Tuesday against a largely domestic U.S. side. The Danes meet Mexico on Wednesday in Phoenix.

Miller says the Canadian camp has already been a success, given that it has welcomed new players into the national team fold while adding to the depth of the program.

"I've taken the pressure off the guys. A result [saturday] and Tuesday is secondary," said Miller, whose steady hand has been in evidence all week. "Let's see if we can get something that we can really get our teeth into and build for the future.

"Out last result was, unfortunately, an 8-1 defeat. If we can try to get a positive performance and hopefully a good result [saturday], that sort of pushes that to the background and now we continue to look forward."

Of course, another shellacking would not help the program's image.

"It can happen at any level of football," said Miller, who recalls a 6-0 Scottish Cup loss to Glasgow Rangers while he was managing Hamilton Academical in Scotland.

Young starting core

Miller has not announced his lineup but his likely starting 11 Saturday will feature Hirschfeld in goal behind a backline of Ashtone Morgan, Dejan Jakovic, Nana Attakora and Doneil Henry. Ledgerwood and Russell Teibert will be on the wings with Terry Dunfield and Kyle Bekker in central midfield. Former MLS MVP Dwayne De Rosario and Ricketts will play up front.

Dunfield, whose no-holds-barred approach to the game exemplifies Miller's work ethic, is likely to lead the team out at the 11,000-seat Kino Veterans Memorial Stadium.

"The players, I'm very happy with the work they've done," Miller said after practice Friday before the team headed by bus to Tucson. "They go across the white line [saturday] and we'll see where the cards fall.

"The group is in a very good space at the moment and that's I think all the [Canadian Soccer] Association wanted from me."

The CSA is currently searching for a permanent replacement for Stephen Hart, who stepped down after the Honduras beating.

Miller has spent the week trying to establish a defensive framework for a 22-man squad that features 11 players born in the '90s.

"I haven't spoke about Denmark all week," he said. "Because if the guys aren't aware of the qualities they (the Danes) will bring [saturday], then there's something seriously wrong.

"We've focused solely on what our jobs are."

Miller has preached discipline to his team, keeping the ball in front of them and making the easy pass over the complicated. At times, he has had to rein in his young charges who have tended to lose shape in their enthusiasm.

Canada is missing the likes of Kevin McKenna, Atiba Hutchinson, Julian de Guzman, Patrice Bernier, Will Johnson, Ante Jazic, Andre Hainault, Iain Hume, Simeon Jackson, David Edgar and Oliver Occean.

Denmark is without star striker Nicklas Bendtner (the Arsenal player on loan to Juventus is injured) and Liverpool defender Daniel Agger, among a host of others.

Michael Silberbauer, Lars Jacobsen and Dennis Rommedahl are the only starters from Denmark's last World Cup qualifying game, a 3-1 loss to 10-man Italy last October, who are in the touring squad. Six others — Jores Okore, Kasper Lorentzen, Jesper Hansen, Casper Sloth, Emil Larsen and Steffen Rasmussen — were on the bench that day.

Rommedahl's resume includes stops at Ajax, Charlton Athletic, PSV Eindhoven, Olympiakos and now Brondby IF. The 34-year-old winger is a former Danish Footballer of the Year.

Twenty-four of Denmark's 32-man touring squad were born in the 1990s led by forward Andreas Cornelius, who doesn't turn 20 until mid-March. He has been turning heads at FC Copenhagen where he has 16 goals in 20 appearances this season.

The Danes (0-1-2) currently stand fifth in a tough World Cup qualifying group that also features Italy, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Armenia and Malta.

They resume World Cup qualifying play in March against the Czechs and Bulgaria.

Canadian fullback Andres Fresenga and forward Frank Jonke have both been hampered by injuries in the leadup to the Denmark game.

Both are expected to be included on the bench to get a taste of the action. Miller is allowed six substitutions and is likely to use all of them, giving several players their first cap.

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Denmark is fielding their unofficial league NT :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denmark_League_XI_national_football_team

The starting lineup (4-3-3) is going to be :

Steffen Rasmussen (AGF Aarhus)

Lars Jacobsen (FC København)

Jores Okore (FC Nordsjælland)

Kris Stadsgaard (FC København)

Mikkel Kirkeskov (AGF Aarhus)

Michael Silberbauer (OB Odense)

Casper Sloth (AGF Aarhus)

Kasper Lorentzen (FC Nordsjælland)

Dennis Rommedahl (Brøndby)

Andreas Cornelius (FC København)

Nicolai Jørgensen (FC København)

.

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De Rosario relishing leadership role with young Canada side

By Gavin Day

For De Rosario, there was no question as to his availability for camp given the option. He had to watch on from his home near Washington, D.C., as Canada’s World Cup aspirations came to a crashing end. In a perfect world, De Rosario says he’ll want to be with the team in its next qualifying campaign. While that may change given the nature of the game and time itself, for now he’s just happy imparting some of the wisdom he’s gained about the international game over his career.

“I wanted to get back. I kind of felt I left the last World Cup qualifier definitely unaccomplished for myself,” he said. “I’m happy be with the national team with some new young faces and see what the future has for our national program, and how I can help them and help aid to develop these guys with my experience and my passion.”

Full article here

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Dunfield named as captain :cool:

That's such a slap to DeRo imo. I mean the guy has 10 caps and has been injuring guys in training? Huh. DeRo has played on this team since 98, won a Gold Cup, all time leading scorer, quite possibly will be our all time leading cap holder too.

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That's such a slap to DeRo imo. I mean the guy has 10 caps and has been injuring guys in training? Huh. DeRo has played on this team since 98, won a Gold Cup, all time leading scorer, quite possibly will be our all time leading cap holder too.

Strange one that. Fresenga almost certainly will miss this match because of Dunfield's recklessness, perhaps Jonke too. I thought Miller was stopping practise to tell the lads this wasn't what he wanted to see in a scrimmage; maybe he was saying, "Yes, more anklebreaking tackles on our own players, guys."

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When DeRo captains a team, the team loses. Maybe Dunfield will bring something different.

Looks like rain in Tucson today, some-****ing-how in the middle of the desert. Serious cloud cover and a good possibility of thunderstorms, though hopefully not until after our match is done. Could be interesting.

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So then is today's game even an official friendly, will the caps count to the Canadian players alltime total? I am curious what is the point of an unofficial national team, friendlies do not cap tie players anyways, so does not it matter if you call in your top side, a squad made up of domestic league types or youngsters?

Denmark is fielding their unofficial league NT :

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denmark_League_XI_national_football_team

The starting lineup (4-3-3) is going to be :

Steffen Rasmussen (AGF Aarhus)

Lars Jacobsen (FC København)

Jores Okore (FC Nordsjælland)

Kris Stadsgaard (FC København)

Mikkel Kirkeskov (AGF Aarhus)

Michael Silberbauer (OB Odense)

Casper Sloth (AGF Aarhus)

Kasper Lorentzen (FC Nordsjælland)

Dennis Rommedahl (Brøndby)

Andreas Cornelius (FC København)

Nicolai Jørgensen (FC København)

.

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Strange one that. Fresenga almost certainly will miss this match because of Dunfield's recklessness, perhaps Jonke too. I thought Miller was stopping practise to tell the lads this wasn't what he wanted to see in a scrimmage; maybe he was saying, "Yes, more anklebreaking tackles on our own players, guys."

If that little **** doesn't know how to practice WITHOUT injuring teammates then he has no place on the team. What a joke. Yea we really need more young prospects injured by old sloppy tackling players. FFFFFUUUUUUCCCCKKKKKMMMMMEEEEEE.

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