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Panama vs Canada (in Panama City) - November 18th


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Location: Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City

Date: Tuesday November 18th 2014

Time: 8pm Local (8pm Eastern/5pm Pacific)

Broadcast: TBD (Sportsnet-something is likely?)

It is confirmed by the FEPAFUT on twitter:

https://twitter.com/fepafut/status/436645612071575552

and on their website calendar:

http://fepafut.com/calendario_selecciones.asp

...so unless Squizz says otherwise, I assume this one is a go!

(Seriously, stop crushing our dreams Squizz!)

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Aha we'll if this comes through it'll be just as good as the El Salvador friendly (if not better). CSA twitter today said they had a men's national team announcement to make tomorrow, I'm assuming this will be it!

Assume this is it as well. If it isn't, all the better! More games! This certainly makes up for the cancelled El Salvador game.

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Not to be a stick in the mud, but wouldn't it be better for our FIFA ranking if we were to play this at home so we have a better chance of winning?

I think it's more important that we get our young guys solid experience playing against CONCACAF competition in hostile environments ahead of the 2018 qualification campaign than it is that we worry about our ranking. All things considered, it would be better for the team to have to enter WCQ at the same round as last time and get some confidence against the minnows.

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This game is ONLY friendly and we're not going to see same off-field tactics like we did in the last WCQ game in Panama.

However, I am glad we got a friendly game to play. Lack of friendly this year isn't good at all, but given a good chunk of our better players and future players now playing in North America, it makes sense not to schedule a friendly right now when they're too busy with their teams fighting for a job or starting spot.

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I think it's more important that we get our young guys solid experience playing against CONCACAF competition in hostile environments ahead of the 2018 qualification campaign than it is that we worry about our ranking. All things considered, it would be better for the team to have to enter WCQ at the same round as last time and get some confidence against the minnows.

Hey i'm all for getting experience in hostile environments, but at some point we have to start getting wins and picking up ranking points because we risk falling out of the top 12 in CONCACAF and we'd be possibly playing in a group with T&T or Jamaica where it's winner take all and putting ourselves in that position is ridiculous.

Also, i don't buy into the philosophy of playing an added round of WCQ's against minnows. Adding risk to your chances of qualifying, no matter how small is ill advised. I would rather finish in the top 6, avoid the extra round AND have a group with 2 teams ranked 7-12 then being stuck with 2 1-6 teams. Of course, this is next to impossible for us to achieve this time around and i am only addressing what you have written above re: confidence building.

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Canada MNT to host Jamaica, visit Panama in 2014

Canada’s Men’s National team announced today two International Friendly matches that form the start of its 2014 international schedule. Canada MNT will host Jamaica on 9 September and play in Panama on 18 November.

“Canada Soccer is pleased to announce these Men’s International Friendly matches against two of CONCACAF Top 10 nations as we believe that in order to improve, our National Teams must compete against the best and more often,” said Victor Montagliani, President, Canada Soccer. “This will help our program build a stream of high caliber players, compete at the international level and ultimately become a leading soccer nation.”

Canada will host Jamaica on 9 September (kickoff 19:30 local) at BMO Field in Toronto, ON in what will be Head Coach Benito Floro’s first match on Canadian soil. Tickets for this home match, presented by BMO, will go on sale in late May. Further ticket information will be posted to canadasoccer.com as it becomes available.

The Canadians have a record of 7W-6D-3L against Jamaica, who is currently ranked 9th in CONCACAF. The two teams’ last met in a friendly in 2010.

In November, Canada MNT will travel to Panama for a 18 November match (kickoff 20:00 local) at Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City.

Canada’s only loss to Panama came in the last FIFA World Cup Qualifiers round in September 2012 against a Panama team they had defeated at home just a few days earlier. The teams’ last encounter at the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup concluded in a 0:0 draw.

Additional away dates will be added to Canada’s Men’s National Team 2014 calendar and will be announced as they are confirmed.

Source: http://www.canadasoccer.com/canada-mnt-to-host-jamaica-visit-panama-in-2014-p155987

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Hey i'm all for getting experience in hostile environments, but at some point we have to start getting wins and picking up ranking points because we risk falling out of the top 12 in CONCACAF and we'd be possibly playing in a group with T&T or Jamaica where it's winner take all and putting ourselves in that position is ridiculous.

Also, i don't buy into the philosophy of playing an added round of WCQ's against minnows. Adding risk to your chances of qualifying, no matter how small is ill advised. I would rather finish in the top 6, avoid the extra round AND have a group with 2 teams ranked 7-12 then being stuck with 2 1-6 teams. Of course, this is next to impossible for us to achieve this time around and i am only addressing what you have written above re: confidence building.

Agreed. But at this point, our chances of finishing top 6 seem slim, AT BEST. So, I guess the point is that, assuming the qualifying system is like last time (BIG assumption, I know), there is no real difference between finishing 7th or 12th.

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The thing is that it is much easier to call friendlies in September, because even during the summer, Canada won't be able to select its top players, because there is no FIFA date for teams not participating in the World Cup. Remember that team that played Venezuela 4 years ago?

Here was the line-up in case you forgot. 7 of those players got called during WCQ, 2 that I would consider starters. 3 were pretty much retired by the start of the WCQ cycle. And the last one had a funny name.

Wagenaar; Klukowski Hastings Straith Stalteri; Nakajima-Farran Pacheco Dunfield Ledgerwood Wassey; Jackson

Unless we get a lowly minnow to play against, I don't see why we would go to the slaugtherhouse and face a country that could hurt us badly.

Some clubs will cooperate, but how many will?

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