CANADA vs Martinique - July 7th - 2:30pm PST (R) Game Thread

[ktf]

Aside from not having much, if any strategy, the players themselves are disappointing. We have been dominated so far.

Borjan... I was happy he was starting, but wow has he been bad!

Henry/Edgar... they have been okay, Borjan is really not helping them out.

De Jong... I thought he has shown the flashes of quality that make you wonder why he was so under utilized by Hart.

Ledgerwood... Just continues to be painfully mediocre

Piette... He is young and has a future, but come on! He is not nearly ready Pacheco please!

De Guzman... Meh

Johnson... He just looks sick, but he has still been okay.

Ricketts... speed is useful, touch is not

Teibert... Thankfully he is okay, a bright spot

Haber... Has been lively.

I would like to see pacheco... soon!

[Keegan]

Worst half I've seen from Canada at any level. If this was Honduras it would be 6-0.

[red card]

classic Canadian performance - listless with no skill or cutting edge and a bumbling goalkeeper.

[jonovision]

If this team is supposed to be about "the future" why are we playing a brand of football that's stuck in the past?

Two words: Colin Miller

[jpg75]

First, Colin Miller is obviously a terrible coach and way out of his depth at this level. Second, Martinique are not as bad as everyone on here thinks. They might not be world beaters, but they are one of the better Caribbean nations not named Jamaica.

[ken]

I like Piette, but he ie a menace out there right now, a card waiting to happen, possibly a penalty. Johnson is unwell and has a card, maybe he should be subbed, Henry has been a worry in defense, but who is on the bench for him? Tiebert and DeJong have taken knocks. Pull Piette, drop Johnson to his spot, put on Jackson. Later Ricketts gives way to REB or Osario and keep one sub open for injury or knocks.

[jonovision]

Worst half I've seen from Canada at any level. If this was Honduras it would be 6-0.

Are you serious? Canada was much worse in all of its 2013 friendlies.

[baulderdash77]

It's pretty surprising all things considered that Martinique doesn't have a red card already. I don't know what Haber has to do to get a call. Honestly we should have had 2 or 3 goal kicks.

On the other hand we are playing terrible against a minnow. I can't stand the hoofball approach we have. It makes no sense to give possession away to these guys. Just work it up the field with some better passing. We're lucky to be tied at half but we could very easily demolish this team 4-0 in reality.

[jonovision]

Can we all agree Piette should sit down for the rest of the tournament? Or go for a jog somewhere else and shed some pounds?

[CanadaSantos]

Disgraceful first half, blame goes out to the players and manager. No confidence in our gk's i seriously would prefer Crepeau or Roberts there. All the hype for Piette but he's not ready, and we're just forcing him right now. Take him off and put on Osorio. Stop with the bs long balls as well, we passed the ball around better against teams like Japan but against Martinique we can't do it? Sadly i know wats gonna happen, he's gonna sub in Bekker who will provide nothing.

[Canuck in Boston]

- Teibert looks like the best player on the pitch.

Agreed.

[jpg75]

worst half i've seen from canada at any level. If this was denmark b it would be 6-0.

fyp.

[CanadasBest]

I'm actually not all that discouraged by the first half. Some thoughts:

- Teibert looks like the best player on the pitch.

- WTF Borjan? Catch the damn ball or punch it out. No flapping.

- If we are scored against, it will be Piette's fault. Every single Martinique chance, without exception, has come as the result of Piette being beaten, too slow, or giving away the ball. Very fortunate not to concede the penalty.

- Piette could easily lose 25 pounds and remain an athlete.

- Ricketts actually looks useful. Helps that he is lined up against the Piette of Martinique, a man of Gerba-esque girth.

- Did Haber sleep with this ref's wife? There is no other explanation.

If you were expecting Canada to walk all over Martinique, you either don't know much about the Caribbean side, or you are forgetting that this Canada lineup includes guys like Haber, Ricketts, Henry, and Piette who belong nowhere near a first-choice squad.

Also, despite being French, Martinique are the same sort of whiny bitches as the rest of CONCACAF

I did expect this to be a tough match, but I did not expect us to look completely outclassed. That first half was not only dissapointing, it was embarassing.

[Redcoatsforever]

That was pitiful. Our strategy is apparently to kick it at the defending players instead of passing while Martinique's strategy consists of getting position around the edge of the box and promptly falling into it.

[Cheeta]

Youch.

That being said, its nil-nil, Tiebert & Haber are doing their part and if we get a little more support up the gut on the attack I think you'll see more profit from those wide plays.

Its there. Settle down. Keep the legs and balls moving and punch when you can punch for fu'ks sake.

P.S. Oh, Borjan. RELAX!!!

[Bertuzzi44]

At very least Piette has to come out

[madmonte]

1st half

Borjan: Yikes.

De Jong: Finally we have the right player starting in that position

Henry: Needs to learn to control himself. Wow can he be reckless.

Edgar: Seems fine in there

Ledgerwood: Is normal Ledgerwood. Doesn't look out of place playing at this level. I don't think that's a good thing.

Piette: Just having a bad game.

JDG: I've never seen him hoofball it THIS much.

Teibert: He's incredible. Future starter for years.

Johnson: Needs to come off the pitch and rest...let someone that isn't sick go out there. Don't Kevin McKenna us.

Ricketts: Okay, if this was track and field, I'd admit he was quality. Too bad it's soccer

Haber: Positioning himself well, getting in the right spots. Could be worse.

[baulderdash77]

I wonder what Floro is thinking right now? "What was I thinking" maybe? Maybe he's thinking "This strategy must be why Canada never makes the World Cup"

[nolbertos]

I think Grizzly's post about Canada going to suffer in the Gold Cup in going to be a reality. If Martinique weren't poor finishers, they'd be easily up 3 to 4 goals. I doubt Canada can demolish anybody, based on what we've seen all of 2013 and the first half. The way Tiebert is playing, I'm happy the Caps waited along time to develop him and making him play in reserves to improve and its proof in the Nats, he's close to the best player on the field now. I hope TFC and the Impact adopt more of the Whitecaps development strategies, just on this game alone, I see Tiebert wayyyy better than most on the field. I really hope now Canada has a San Pedro Sula moment in the Gold Cup. Obviously Canadian Soccer needs clean house from top to bottom and hope Floro at least realizes what needs to be done to get positive results.

[hamiltonfan]

Just got in..looks as if its half time? notice a bunch of links on page 1, any general consensus on the best?

[lazlo_80]

The Good: Teibert

The Bad: Everything else

[Keegan]

Are you serious? Canada was much worse in all of its 2013 friendlies.

Yes.

Not a chance, if this was Costa Rica in May it would be 5-0... Martinique has missed some great chances. Those were friendlies also, where you can excuse some BS. Not a tournament opener with a new head coach in the stands against MARTINIQUE.

This is just so predictable, I'm watching with two friends and we're calling every play we're gonna make before it happens. It's pathetic and so Canadian. Pass the ball back and forth along the back line, realize that:

a) either the full backs need to make runs to make something happen

or

the wingers need to track back to receive the ball

We have no outlet on the wings and we are forcing long balls up the middle, with a MASSIVE gap between our lines. All their central defenders need to do is head the ball straight back where it came from and there isn't a Canadian within 10 yards to challenge. Martinique doesn't even need to be good to beat us with the way we're organized. This is ridiculous.

[Cheeta]

...

We have no outlet on the wings and we are forcing long balls up the middle, with a MASSIVE gap between our lines. Martinique doesn't even need to be good to beat us with the way we're organized. This is ridiculous.

Good. I'm not the only one seeing that.

[Keegan]

I wonder what Floro is thinking right now? "What was I thinking" maybe? Maybe he's thinking "This strategy must be why Canada never makes the World Cup"

He's thinking the latter. Because he realizes that any semi-experienced coach could fix the problems Canada is having. I'm not an expert and I'm not an experienced coach but even I can see that Canada's shape is horrible and there is literally no hope for this match unless something is done at half time. We're being out managed here BADLY.

[hamiltonfan]

English Stream?

Keegan - grain of salt in the grand scheme of things. This team/tournament is a poor indicator of future performance, change is coming fellow Canadian.