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

Olympique_de_Marseille

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rkomar Experienced

rkomar

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No, I don't think they're better than Matheson or Scott, and some of them are not better than other players from our "golden generation".  I'm surprised by the success of Canada and Brazil in this tournament over higher ranked teams.  But the games are closely packed together, and there isn't much time to recover between them.  These two teams have a lot of young players on them, and maybe that is proving to be important in the compressed schedule.  The older vets don't have time to be their best in later games.  So, being a team in transition could be an advantage in this tournament.  Any other opinions on this?

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The Ref Community Regular

The Ref

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We have great young players in our new generation.  What they have accomplished so far is superb, specially winning against higher ranked opposition.  And I venture to say they are not finished yet.

But I would like to remember some of our great players of past glories and I apologize at the same time for names that escape me.  Perhaps other Voyageurs can add those I forgot.  In any particular order:

Charmaine Hooper, Silvana Burtini, Kara Lang, Andrea Neil, Christine Latham, Sharolta Nonen, Candace Chapman, Nicci Wright, Helen Stoumbos, Taryn Swiatek, Gerry Donnelly.

 

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SuperCanuck Newbie

SuperCanuck

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On August 12, 2016 at 3:18 PM, dyslexic nam said:

But the accent made him a shoe-in.

 

EDIT: apologies if that displays insensitivity to people with accents.

I have a western Canadian accent, and I find that highly offensive.  Also, I find any comment with the word shoe in it offensive, as I often wear shoes.

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Joe MacCarthy Grand Master

Joe MacCarthy

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38 minutes ago, dsqpr said:

Matheson and Scott are both definitely in my first eleven. But then so are Beckie, Fleming, Lawrence, and Buchanan. I think we are doing well because of a great combination of youth and experience, but there is no denying that the youngsters have kicked us up a notch.

I've never been an "age" guy, if the best player is 42 years old they deserve to play, you have to earn your spot not just be gifted it because of some projected "future"  You used to see that in Canadian figure skating until they figured out it just didn't work (gifting positions), you've got to play the best you've got and right now those kids are it.  And the more I see of them the less I am impressed with some of the "old guard"  For many of them I'd say this is their last hurrah but their experience now is invaluable.

I've never claimed to be a genius in regards to scholarship of soccer but even I can tell Fleming is the most composed and damn near most instinctive player we've ever had (save Sinclair)

Anyone know why Leon didn't make the team, I see her having a place down the road.  Maybe they wanted the experience of Tanc for this tournament, who by the way, looks to be in the best shape she's been in for a while.

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Joe MacCarthy Grand Master

Joe MacCarthy

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I thought there had been an issue regarding her from before, this confirms it.  Attitude adjustment apparently successful.

Janine Beckie: From U.S. cut to emerging Canadian soccer star
Offensive threat propels medal-hungry Canada at Rio Olympics
Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press Aug 14

When John Herdman took over the Canadian women's soccer program in 2011, he tasked assistant coach Andrew Olivieri with scouring U.S. schools for under-23 players with Canadian ties.

Olivieri unearthed Janine Beckie, a Colorado-born forward whose parents hailed from Saskatchewan. Beckie had just been released by the U.S. under-20 program, allowing the Canadian Soccer Association to make their pitch.

"When I got a chance to see some of her physical metrics, her speed scores were just out of the park," Herdman recalled. "Then you look at her technique. Then you dig a little deeper to see she's got it in the family. Her brother [Drew] was playing in MLS at the time ... So we got her capped as soon as we could because she felt she might have something."

Since making her senior debut in November 2014, Beckie has paid back that Canadian faith with 12 goals in 23 appearances and become one of Herdman's most potent offensive threats.

Beckie has nine goals in 14 games this year, including three strikes in three outings at the Olympics where she set a Games record for fastest goal just 20 seconds into Canada's opening contest against Australia. The 21-year-old — she turns 22 on Aug. 20 — has also played provider, setting up Sophie Schmidt in Canada's 1-0 quarter-final win over France on Friday in Sao Paulo.

On Tuesday, she will look to help lead 10th-ranked Canada past No. 2 Germany and into the gold-medal game.

A good finisher, Beckie has impressed with her ability to corral the ball and then make it do what she wants. Against Zimbabwe, she acrobatically redirected a Josee Belanger cross in for a goal. In the France game, she hauled in a Shelina Zadorsky pass before delivering an accurate chip to Schmidt at the far post.

Right move

The road to Rio was not been without its bumps, however.

"With Janine, it's been a journey in the team. It's been a two-year process," said Herdman, who did not select Beckie for last summer's World Cup.

Beckie says missing out on the World Cup was hard, but it was the right decision.

"I look back now and I'm incredibly thankful for John making that decision to not put me on that roster," she said. "Because looking back at it now, I wasn't ready to play in a World Cup. Technically, emotionally, physically, I just wasn't there. And so I've come a really long way in a year."

"It was definitely a hard decision for both of us," she added. "There were emotions back and forth and he was really great about it, made sure that I knew that I was someone that he was investing in for the long haul. He gave me that news in the best way possible and I'm very thankful for that."

Herdman points to last summer's Pan-American Games as a key moment for Beckie.

'Flourished' at Pan Am Games

"We made a big decision not to take her into the World Cup squad," said Herdman. "And that wasn't about trying to punish a player. We always knew she had the gifts. She just wasn't ready for that particular event at that time."

Canada sent a young team to the Pan-Ams and Herdman felt she would be more comfortable in that environment.

"I think she flourished there," he said. "In that moment, we realized 'Look she's got a real good crack at the Olympics. You can see that there's real potential here."'

"I think with her it's just about feeling comfortable in the culture," he added. "The more comfortable she feels, the more confident she feels on the pitch. And these girls do a great job at welcoming these young players in and keeping bright lines about how the culture should operate.

"So I think there's a lot more to come from her. I think what we've seen from Janine is just real clinical finishing. It's been outstanding. But there's a still bit more and she knows that."

That includes working off the ball and contributing to the defence, something Beckie did with enthusiasm against France.

"But what I love about her is she just go towards it every day," said Herdman. "She wants to get better. So I think right at the heart of that is there's a real drive in Janine to be the best player she can be. And she goes towards that every day, she looks for opportunities to get better and that's all you can ask for."

Beckie, whose father died in 2001 after suffering from melanoma, grew up in Colorado but her Canadian roots remain strong. Most of her relatives remain in Saskatchewan and she has visited them often.

These days home is Texas. She is a member of the NWSL's Houston Dash, having starred at Texas Tech where coach Tom Stone remains a mentor. A three-time all-American, she departed as the program's all-time leading scorer, with 57 goals.

She met her boyfriend — former Texas Tech punter Taylor Symmank — in the training room there. He hopes to make a future in the NFL, having already tried out for both the Minnesota Vikings and Philadelphia Eagles.

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tc-in-bc Newbie

tc-in-bc

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Re. Leon:

At  23 years old, I don't think Adriana Leon's  completely out of the picture,  but John Herdman gave her a three-year opportunity and her numbers for the CANWNT are quite modest: 38 games played and 5 goals scored.

Her 4-year  NWSL  stats are  worse, to date:     51 games played and 4 goals  scored.

41 GP   29 GS   2403 total mins    4 goals   4 assists     --  2013-2015   Boston Breakers/ Chicago Red Stars

10 GP   3 GS     342  total mins     0 goals   0 assists     --        2016                Western New York Flash.

I  would not be surprised if she is not in the NWSL next season and that  she has to play in another women's league abroad.  To me, Leon's path back to the national team requires her to put the ball in the net with more regularity.

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Joe MacCarthy Grand Master

Joe MacCarthy

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What happened to our throw ins?  We always used to throw a 50-50 ball and our opponents would 100% percent of the time get it, what happened there, we don't do that anymore?

Does it bother anyone else to see Beckie taking corners?  She is a natural poacher, shouldn't she be around the net?

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Sinc_Tanc_Olympic_Action Enthusiast

Sinc_Tanc_Olympic_Action

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15 hours ago, BearcatSA said:

The semi-final vs Germany is going to be a really tough match.  They'll be gunning for us big time.  Can't wait!

Any thoughts on this, guys?  Granted I haven't watched Germany play except the game against us, and some of us suspected that Germany was trying to tie the game instead of trying to win it.  To those who have watched Germany in other matches in this Olympics, how are they doing?  I've looked up the scores, but lots of times scores don't tell the whole story.

So any predictions?  Will we end up playing for bronze or for gold?

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Joe MacCarthy Grand Master

Joe MacCarthy

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12 minutes ago, Sinc_Tanc_Olympic_Action said:

I didn't think we won against France convincingly either.  France must be pissed (but at the same time they needed to put the ball in the back of the net).  I wonder if they're going to tell the media that we robbed them again.

I think it was a deserved win and not a steal

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Joe MacCarthy Grand Master

Joe MacCarthy

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14 minutes ago, Sinc_Tanc_Olympic_Action said:

So we're lucky if we get bronze again?

Unfortunately yes, we've had a good string of deserved luck so far but unless Germany isn't the same team of old, it will be a struggle to beat them again.  I wouldn't mind playing Sweden or Brazil though, both beatable by us, even Brazil at home.  We have history there with Labbe in 2010

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rkomar Experienced

rkomar

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Sweden got smoked by Brazil in the preliminary round.  It will be interesting to see how the rematch differs.  Unlike the Canada-Germany match, I don't think there was any reason for either Brazil or Sweden to not try to win the first match (because the loser was likely to face USA or France).  Maybe it makes sense for the Swedes to try the same "cowardly" tactics against Brazil that they used against USA.

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