Canada vs Honduras - In game thread

[rightback]

36 minutes ago, 1996 said:

It's over once again, it's incredible that 1986 was the last time and only time we qualified I was 22 back then I'm 52 now , man that is a long time. It's too bad we were put in a group with Mexico because that's 6 points lost automatically before a ball is kicked, any other country but Mexico and Canada has a better chance of making the Hex, but with Mexico in your group it just makes things so much harder. It get's tougher to take each qualifying cycle we fail to qualifying especially as one gets older and time slowly runs out to see your country make it, it sucks , weekend starts on a bummer , pretty depressing shit, why could I not be like your average Canadian and not give two shits about soccer and the national team and be happy with my hockey and Jays , but I have to be part of the minority in this country who eats sleeps this crazy game and follows the national soccer team and then every four years feel this devestation once again that there will be no Canada at the only tournament that matters to you?.

I'm just a bit older than you and back in 1986 I figured I'd get to enjoy us being in the World Cup finals every 2nd cycle or every 3rd at worse based on:

1. We were about the same level as the US as 2nd best in CONCACAF behind Mexico.

.2 Soccer had recently become the #1 participation sport for kids in Canada

3. The World Cup was expanding and 3-4 teams from CONCACAF would be going to the finals each cycle.

4. We have a large base population for CONCACAF.

5. We're rich.

Depressing.

[rightback]

34 minutes ago, Bertuzzi44 said:

Mexico didn't call their best squad for this round of games. They know they are through. They have 4 players with ZERO caps and another with ONE. If they beat Honduras by 2 goals I'd be happy. Probably isn't enough though.

The Mexican coach (and the team) are under a lot of pressure for results given the drubbing Chile gave them in the Copa America this summer. I'd be quite surprised if they don't beat them by at least 2 goals.

[Free kick]

1 hour ago, 1996 said:

It's over once again, it's incredible that 1986 was the last time and only time we qualified I was 22 back then I'm 52 now , man that is a long time. It's too bad we were put in a group with Mexico because that's 6 points lost automatically before a ball is kicked, any other country but Mexico and Canada has a better chance of making the Hex, but with Mexico in your group it just makes things so much harder.  to you?.

Since the last time we reached the hex in 96, we have been grouped in the semi final round in what would be descibed as easy group, medium group, group of death, very easy group (ie.: the last cycle). and this years group which i would describe as moderately hard.  

 We had a good shot when we were actually in the group of death with Costa rica, Honduras and Jamaica.  Thats because every teams in the group was stealing points from one another. So we found ourselves late in stage with home match against CRC in Burnaby and still alive.  But we lost.  

I've concluded a while back that its not really about the groups we find ourselves in. 

[ray]

No way Canada was getting out of Honduras with even a point.  Despite playing fairly well in the conditions, the Hondurans could easily have been up 2 if not for being wasteful and Borjan's heroics.  When Honduras went up a goal they definitely took their foot off the gas, otherwise they would have continued to push us until they broke through.  Only a matter of time.

I'm not sure how this gets better but playing more friendlies in Central America would be good.  Making the Hex would have meant 3 or 4 more matches worth of experience in those adverse conditions.

[aloyol]

1 hour ago, AvroArrow said:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but did we not kick the ball out due to injury?  Honduras then threw the ball to back to themselves and kept attacking instead of throwing it back.  This lead to the series of corners that ended with their first goal.

Yes, this is what happened. We were very naive on that play and it led to the goal.

[lamptern]

3 hours ago, aloyol said:

Yes, this is what happened. We were very naive on that play and it led to the goal.

+1

The only mistake Borjan has made in this game is that he did not kick away the ball when the injury happened in our own box.

Wait for them to throw the ball back? At that moment,  we really can not count on Honduass' sportsmanship.