The 2016 Rio Olympics thread: August 3rd to 19th

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

Canada vs Australia: Wednesday August 3rd, 3pm local, 2pm Eastern 11am Pacific

Canada vs Zimbabwe: Saturday August 6th, 3pm local, 2pm Eastern 11am Pacific

Canada vs Germany: Tuesday August 9th 4pm local, 3pm Eastern, noon Pacific

http://www.canadasoccer.com/canada-s-rio-2016-map-features-australia-zimbabwe-germany-p159349-preview-1

The schedule: http://resources.fifa.com/mm/document/tournament/competition/02/73/19/20/olympicgames_rio_matchschedulemix_fifa_14042016_neutral.pdf

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Football_at_the_2016_Summer_Olympics_–_Women's_tournament

The Field:

Canada
USA
Brazil
Colombia
China
Australia
New Zealand
South Africa
Zimbabwe
France
Germany
Sweden

The squad:

Herdman can only pick 18 players.

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

The draw is in two weeks; what would your ideal group be?

[Blackdude]

17 minutes ago, Olympique_de_Marseille said:

The draw is in two weeks; what would your ideal group be?

Do we know how the pots work? Guessing US, Brazil and Germany would be seeded in their respective groups and have similar pots to those we had the past two Olympics.

So I'd say Brazil, Sweden, Zimbabwe's the easiest group to win. 
But Germany, Zimbabwe, New Zealand would be the easiest group to finish in the top two. (Thinking we can't be in the US' group hence Germany)
Worst group would be Australia, Germany, Colombia. 

My predictions are based on the following four pots: 

1)  France, Germany, Sweden
2) Colombia, South Africa, Zimbabwe
3) Australia, China, New Zealand
4) Brazil, Canada, USA  

And that Brazil, US, Germany will be in 3 different groups. Brazil and Colombia will be in different groups.

[tc-in-bc]

[Blackdude]

So, we know Germany and Australia will be in the same group.

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

1 hour ago, Blackdude said:

So, we know Germany and Australia will be in the same group.

And we have a 50% chance of being in that group because China PR can't be.

http://www.fifa.com/mensolympic/news/y=2016/m=4/news=olympic-draw-what-you-need-to-know-2780213.html

 

[tc-in-bc]

[ 1 ] It looks like there are 9 different scenarios:

- Brazil, France, Canada, and pick  1 of 3  Pot Four minnows.  ( Colombia,South Africa, Zimbabwe)

                                              OR

-Brazil, Sweden , Canada, and pick 1 of 3  Pot Four minnows.        

                                              OR

-Germany, Australia, Canada, and pick  1 of 3  Pot Four minnows.

[ 2 ]  All of these recent and future matches  with Brazil could come in handy.

[Blackdude]

19 minutes ago, tc-in-bc said:

[ 1 ] It looks like there are 9 different scenarios:

- Brazil, France, Canada, and pick  1 of 3  Pot Four minnows.  ( Colombia,South Africa, Zimbabwe)

                                              OR

-Brazil, Sweden , Canada, and pick 1 of 3  Pot Four minnows.        

                                              OR

-Germany, Australia, Canada, and pick  1 of 3  Pot Four minnows.

[ 2 ]  All of these recent and future matches  with Brazil could come in handy.

Actually, that's 7 because Colombia can't be with Brazil.

[tc-in-bc]

It's true. Seven scenarios it is then -- overlooked the Key Rule for CONMEBOL. So these are the possibilities:

1. Brazil, France, Canada, South Africa

2. Brazil, France , Canada , Zimbabwe

3  Brazil, Sweden,  Canada, South Africa

4. Brazil, Sweden, Canada, Zimbabwe

5. Germany, Australia, Canada, Colombia

6. Germany, Australia, Canada, South Africa

7. Germany, Australia, Canada, Zimbabwe

[Blackdude]

I haven't done the math, but 5 is twice as likely as each of the other scenarios. All the other groups have the same odds of happening, So it's something like 25% to be with Germany, Australia and Colombia and 12.5% for the others. 

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

Draw is tomorrow at 9am Eastern.

On 4/8/2016 at 6:51 PM, tc-in-bc said:

It's true. Seven scenarios it is then -- overlooked the Key Rule for CONMEBOL. So these are the possibilities:

1. Brazil, France, Canada, South Africa

2. Brazil, France , Canada , Zimbabwe

3  Brazil, Sweden,  Canada, South Africa

4. Brazil, Sweden, Canada, Zimbabwe

5. Germany, Australia, Canada, Colombia

6. Germany, Australia, Canada, South Africa

7. Germany, Australia, Canada, Zimbabwe

Scenario 5, which is more likely than the others, may be the toughest draw for us.

I think that scenario 4 would be ideal.

How do you scout or prepare for Zimbabwe? Does it even matter?

[tc-in-bc]

[ 1 ] Brazil hosted and  won the Torneio Internacional de Futebol Feminino  six out of seven times ( going back to 2009 ). Perhaps Brazil are  better at home and hosting the Olympics may be an advantage for them?

[ 2 ] Not quite as impressed with Colombia as I used to be --  even though they beat France in the 2015 WWC. Lady Andrade hasn't done much in the NWSL and Yoreli Rincon is basically on the bench for Avalsnes IL in Norway.

[ 3 ] Zimbabwe qualified for the 2016 Rio Olympics by virtue of a  single away goal after a  2 -2 aggregate draw with Cameroon. And while Cameroon made it to the knockout stages of the 2015 WWC, they were missing some key players for the 2015 CAF Olympic qualifiers : Gaelle Enganamouit  ( the Damallsvenskan top goal scorer for 2015 and the CAF 2015  Female player of the year )  Gabrielle Onguene and Claudine Meffometou. Stated differently, Zimbabwe are about as good as diminished Cameroon side.

[ 4 ] Found a  current line-up for Zimbabwe WNT (April 2016) :

Goalkeepers: Chido Dzingirai (Flame Lily), Lindiwe Magwede (Cyclone Stars)

Defenders: Nobuhle Majika (Inline Academy), Sheila Makoto (Blue Swallows), Eunice Chibanda (Black Rhinos), Lynett Mutokuto (Black Rhinos), Ruvimbo Mutyavaviri (Mufakose), Patience Mujuru (Black Rhinos), Nobukhosi Ncube (New Orleans)

Midfielders: Emmaculate Msipa (Black Rhinos), Marjory Nyaumwe (Flame Lily) Rufaro Machingura (Black Rhinos), Talent Mandaza (Black Rhinos), Daisy Kaitano (Black Rhinos)

Strikers: Felistas Muzongondi (Mwenezana), Erina Jeke (Flame Lily), Kudakwashe Basopo (Black Rhinos), Samkelisiwe Zulu (Flame Lily)

-What is interesting here is that midfielder Rufaro Machingura had an incident with a league referee in 2014 :

 

[tc-in-bc]

Results of today's draw:

 

FFC Frankfurt team mates -- Group F opponents: ( Emily Van Egmond of Australia, Sophie Schmidt of Canada, and Saskia Bartusiak of Germany )

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

Match schedule:

EDIT 2: Updated match schedule http://resources.fifa.com/mm/document/tournament/competition/02/73/19/20/olympicgames_rio_matchschedulemix_fifa_14042016_neutral.pdf

Are we F1?

If so, pretty ideal because we are in São Paulo for the first two games; average high of no more than 24°C (not too bad for playing in the afternoon!) Close to Rio - but not caught up in the madness of the rest of the games; shorter travel time. No need to play any games in Manaus.

Herdman really didn't want to play in Rio or Manaus. http://www.theprovince.com/sports/canadian+coach+john+herdman+expects+groups+death+emerge+from+draw/11846710/story.html

 

If we are F1 than we play Zimbabwe 2nd, perhaps we can rotate players and rest some on that day.

 

EDIT: http://canadasoccer.com/?t=project&sid=1137 Canada Soccer confirms we are F1.

[Tuscan]

We are F1. We play the Aussie's on the 3rd, Zimbabwe on the 6th, and Germany (look out!) on the 9th. We might think we get to rest players for the game vs. Zimbabwe but we might need to put a bunch past them to make sure we either finish as an advancing 3rd place team or that we finish ahead of the Aussies, depending on the result of that first match.

Speaking of that first match, the game vs. Australia to open our tournament is THE clutch game. If we get a result we end up not on the worst path ever. If we don't get a result, we're basically done once we hit the quarters IF we manage to be one of the advancing 3rd place teams. That last game vs. Germany needs to be damage control. I say we emulate Atletico Madrid and just sit back and try to absorb the pressure then break out with quick players like Deanne Rose and Janine Beckie.

[The Ref]

Would like for Herdman to be more positive instead of already finding excuses.

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

South Africa beat Zimbabwe 1-0 in a friendly on May 15th. http://www.safa.net/safa-news/706-banyana-banyana-edge-zim-in-friendly-encounter

Australia will play two friendlies vs New Zeland in early June in Ballarat (105km from Melbourne) and in Melbourne.

[tc-in-bc]

[ 1 ] Sabrina D' Angelo's stats in the NWSL are a mixed bag : tied for third in saves with 22; yet worst in the league in goals against with 8 in 6 matches. That said, Sabrina D'Angelo is probably further ahead ( experience/development) of any other young keeper that Canada has and it's a loss for Canada if she can't go to the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics because of an injury.

[ 2 ] Was not impressed with Kailen Sheridan in the 2014 U20 WWC in Canada:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNApvVcG_r4

- a seeing-eye goal by German U20 striker Pauline Bremer,  straight through Sheridan, McNicoll, Fleming, and Buchanan. ( sidenote: Bremer played  a good game, In Olympique Lyon's UEFA Women's Champions League title win today -- assisting on the first goal).

[ 3 ] Who could replace D'Angelo?  I don't know,  maybe Erin McNulty ? Playing pro in the Toppserien, Norway's top flight women's league.

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

1 hour ago, tc-in-bc said:

[ 1 ] Sabrina D' Angelo's stats in the NWSL are a mixed bag : tied for third in saves with 22; yet worst in the league in goals against with 8 in 6 matches. That said, Sabrina D'Angelo is probably further ahead ( experience/development) of any other young keeper that Canada has and it's a loss for Canada if she can't go to the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics because of an injury.

[ 3 ] Who could replace D'Angelo?  I don't know,  maybe Erin McNulty ? Playing pro on the Toppserien, Norway's top flight women's league.

This is shitty. LeBlanc needs to un-retire!

[tc-in-bc]

If Karina LeBlanc is viable ( international match fit or can quickly become international match fit) then I think Herdman would do it -- convince LeBlanc to unretire.  To me, John Herdman is a detail-oriented manager who doesn't leave many stones unturned. But we still haven't heard anything official from the CSA about Sabrina D'Angelo's injury.

[Trillium]

On 3/8/2016 at 3:23 PM, Olympique_de_Marseille said:

Canada vs Australia: Wednesday August 3rd, 3pm local, 2pm Eastern 11am Pacific

Canada vs Zimbabwe: Saturday August 6th, 3pm local, 2pm Eastern 11am Pacific

Canada vs Germany: Tuesday August 9th 4pm local, 3pm Eastern, noon Pacific

 

Do we need a bunch of letters to CBC to get full broadcast of the games, with no breakaways ?

[Blackdude]

14 hours ago, Trillium said:

Do we need a bunch of letters to CBC to get full broadcast of the games, with no breakaways ?

I doubt it. Sportsnet or TSN will carry the games in full.

[rob.notenboom]

I've been told that the expectation is that the soccer games will be broadcast in full. However I would not go so far as to say that is 100% guaranteed. Encouraging nonetheless. 

[red card]

canada matches were all carried in full in london on tsn. CTV joined in when it became compelling such as bronze medal & semi matches. if not on tv, cbc will have a live stream of basically all football matches.

[squizz1402635577]

On 2016-05-27 at 6:39 AM, tc-in-bc said:

If Karina LeBlanc is viable ( international match fit or can quickly become international match fit) then I think Herdman would do it -- convince LeBlanc to unretire.  To me, John Herdman is a detail-oriented manager who doesn't leave many stones unturned. But we still haven't heard anything official from the CSA about Sabrina D'Angelo's injury.

I asked Herdman about it this week; he's not going to do it. He seemed optimistic about the prospect of D'Angelo being fit for the Olympics but if she isn't, he's going to look to the likes of Erin McNulty and Justine Bernier for depth, rather than trying to coax Karina to come back.