Canada vs New Zealand - March 24, 2018 - Friendly - IN- & POST-match thread [R]

[apbsmith]

14 minutes ago, Zem said:

Including interim coaches, yes:

1. Stephen Hart

2. Tony Fonseca

3. Colin Miller

4. Benito Floro

5. Michael Findlay

6. Octavio Zambrano

7. John Herdman

I realize some our interns's but man that's crazy from 17-23.

At least we will have some stability from here through to the next cycle, provided certain performance standards are met.  Agree or disagree with him as the boss, establishing a STABILITY and IDENTITY in itself will be a good thing for us.

[Guest]

13 minutes ago, apbsmith said:

I realize some our interns's but man that's crazy from 17-23.

At least we will have some stability from here through to the next cycle, provided certain performance standards are met.  Agree or disagree with him as the boss, establishing a STABILITY and IDENTITY in itself will be a good thing for us.

Every top manager had to start somewhere.

Are we due a bit of luck on the managerial front? I'm gonna say yes!

[Snowcrash]

5 hours ago, Hawkguy said:

I love Piette so much lol

Piette has future captain written all over him. 

[adrenaline11]

 

That's right, CONCACAF, we've traded all of our defenders for attackers now.

[toontownman]

22 minutes ago, adrenaline11 said:

That's right, CONCACAF, we've traded all of our defenders for attackers now.

CB's and Goalies really are our weakspot now. There is potential in what we have if players like Henry stay fit and cut out the errors. We don't seem to have alot underneath though in comparison to the attacking players emerging. 

We have average keepers but the difference a true quality keeper can bring to the backline and the team is immeasurable.

It is a shame Carducci, Crepeau and Roberts didn't reach their touted potential, yet.

[soccer.shocker]

I have high hopes for Didic and Cornelius at the back in time. Was hoping to see Cornelius get a look today. Also hoping Cordova and Godinho continue along their current trajectories. Wouldn’t be surprised if that was our back line come 2021 and hopefully the push for Qatar. Adekugbe and Petrasso should be challenged. James needs a big soccer IQ upgrade. Hopefully JH picked up on that and can help. Henry  is still a question mark in my mind and the likes of Jakovic, Edgar, Straith, De Jong will be role players if still able to compete at that level then. 

[Club Linesman]

Results on MLS give us domination in terms of stats. 66% possession and we out shot them 13  - 4. Didn’t seem quite that dominant during the game but overall we were the better team.  Now we need to dominate a few islands since it appears that this team won’t be playing for the next 5 months!  Really hope the CSA gets their act together and get’s the Siz some games.  Preferably in front of more than a few dozen Spaniards who couldn’t care less.  Hard to convince duals when you don’t play!

[Guest]

16 minutes ago, Club Linesman said:

Results on MLS give us domination in terms of stats. 66% possession and we out shot them 13  - 4. Didn’t seem quite that dominant during the game but overall we were the better team.  Now we need to dominate a few islands since it appears that this team won’t be playing for the next 5 months!  Really hope the CSA gets their act together and get’s the Siz some games.  Preferably in front of more than a few dozen Spaniards who couldn’t care less.  Hard to convince duals when you don’t play!

I definitely thought we were the better team and totally owned the 2nd half. If anything, I thought the 1-0 scoreline flattered NZ and that 2-0 would have been more reflective.

[toontownman]

8 minutes ago, dsqpr said:

I definitely thought we were the better team and totally owned the 2nd half. If anything, I thought the 1-0 scoreline flattered NZ and that 2-0 would have been more reflective.

They could have easily been 2-0 up and possibly game over for us in the first 10-15 mins. They offered little and we were the better team after for the most part. We controlled the game for long periods. Largely due to hard work from Mark Anthony Kaye and Piette viewing the middle. 

Stats aren't really a skewed reflection of the game. If anything the camera angles probably were!

[1996]

6 hours ago, yothat said:

why is larin still being called up ..

Because he was a top scorer in the MLS a league better than the majority of a lot of our players are playing at now!

[gator]

30 minutes ago, toontownman said:

They could have easily been 2-0 up and possibly game over for us in the first 10-15 mins. They offered little and we were the better team after for the most part. We controlled the game for long periods. Largely due to hard work from Mark Anthony Kaye and Piette viewing the middle. 

Stats aren't really a skewed reflection of the game. If anything the camera angles probably were!

Yes, I'm not sure there was a way back in those conditions if we had lost a couple of early goals, it might have been interesting to see how this youngish group coped with a bit of adversity and how the new coach would have reacted! As you say our guys lying deep in front of the back 4 started to wrestle control of the match and there really wasn't much turning back! I liked the way Herdman was able to use his subs without weakening the team, I wonder if he would have stuck to his original plan for substitutions had we been chasing the game?

[toontownman]

16 minutes ago, gator said:

I wonder if he would have stuck to his original plan for substitutions had we been chasing the game?

It's a good question, likewise if we had finished a couple more and been 3-0 up. I think Wotherspoon, Tesho and Edwards were coming on regardless. Godinho was forced but looked great. Edgar was also likely to get some minutes. 

[Moldy9]

2 hours ago, toontownman said:

Awesome to see Benito there who obviously holds no grudges. The final piece of Herdmans coaching team. (Definitely joking with the last sentence)

Caption:

*Benito laughing*......."but seriously John, way too attacking."

Haha yeah no kidding. 

Benito “0-0 is better than 1-0”

[Moldy9]

2 hours ago, adrenaline11 said:

 

That's right, CONCACAF, we've traded all of our defenders for attackers now.

You forgot Larin

[Moldy9]

Peru and Croatia played in a friendly as well, at a neutral site in Miami at the Hard Rock Arena. They had a little more spectators and pomp then Pinatar Arena. Maybe next Canada game there eh? Lol

 

[Keegan]

I see a lot of love for Millar, Piette and MAK but I think they all had their moments.  

MAK makes some nice reads out there but then would follow it up with woeful technique.. same with Piette who was beat very badly a few times in front of our box in that first few minutes and his error led to their shot off the post.  Maybe it had to do with the wind.. 

Speaking of crazy weather, doesn't it seem we often have something crazy happen at our friendlies that makes them less than ideal?  i.e. Straith in goal vs. Bermuda, the Estonia snow match in 08 and now this windy game that seemed unplayable at times.

Osorio was fantastic - never had the final ball or shot but was dangerous throughout.  

Millar looks great.. I wonder how good his left is though?  Seemed to avoid it out there.  

Godinho I'll have to watch again but he really stood out early on in the 2nd half outmuscling their winger and playing himself out of trouble.. that was class.  Looks to be the most "natural" right back in our pool at the moment.  

[Joe MacCarthy]

All Whites fall to Canada as Fritz Schmid era begins on losing note
PHILLIP ROLLO Stuff March 25 2018

Had Chris Wood, Winston Reid, Ryan Thomas, Stefan Marinovic and, well the list goes on, been available, the All Whites might have kicked off their new era under coach Fritz Schmid with a win.

However, due to various injuries and club commitments, it was an inexperienced and new-look squad that took the field against Canada at an empty Pinatar Arena on Saturday (Sunday NZT), and they failed to take their chances and ended up losing 1-0.

But for the opening 45 minutes, things were looking promising with New Zealand coming agonisingly close to scoring on three separate occasions, Michael McGlinchey hitting the post twice within a 40 second period before Jeremy Brockie had a goal disallowed for offside.

Those missed opportunities came back to bite them as Canada eventually made the game-winning breakthrough when captain Dejan Jakovic sent a long ball through to Tosaint Ricketts, and the Toronto FC forward used his speed to get in behind Sam Brotherton before hitting a half volley past goalkeeper Max Crocombe in the 54th minute.

Those missed opportunities came back to bite them as Canada eventually made the game-winning breakthrough when captain Dejan Jakovic sent a long ball through to Tosaint Ricketts, and the Toronto FC forward used his speed to get in behind Sam Brotherton before hitting a half volley past goalkeeper Max Crocombe in the 54th minute.

"We have to admit that it's a defeat that hurts," said Schmid, after his first match in charge.

"We should have at least been up by one goal in the first half. We hit two posts, we had a goal not allowed due to offside, which I can't criticise.

"But considering we had a very young team on the pitch and we are facing an experienced squad I must say, although it hurts and maybe the players will be disappointed, there were lots of positives in this game and they realised how much we can really achieve."

Although Schmid was disappointed to lose his first game as All Whites coach, the score was irrelevant in the grand scheme of things as he was missing 10 frontline players. Instead he used the 90 minute hit-out, and the few training sessions earlier in the week, to assess a wider group, many of whom were simply fighting for future selection.

Four players made their debut in the game; Crocombe and Adam Mitchell, who were included in the starting 11, and Andre de Jong and Sarpreet Singh, who were released off the bench.

It was a short-lived debut for Mitchell, who lined up outside captain Michael Boxall at right-back in a 4-2-3-1 formation. He pulled his hamstring in the 12th minute of the match when chasing a Canadian attacker down the flank and ended up being replaced by Dane Ingham.

That was really a blow for the player who would have deserved a full game because he had a good start. He was in control and we knew he was a promising youngster and he was getting into the game," Schmid said.

"He will have an x-ray and we will wait for the medical checks but I'd expect it to be a hamstring injury, which is of course bad for him. And it was a challenge for us because we had to change immediately in the game."

ISPS Handa Premiership players Tim Payne and Cameron Howieson were also included in the starting 11, after impressing the coach in training, as were Marco Rojas, Clayton Lewis and Tom Doyle.

Payne, who last featured for the national team in 2015, justified his selection with a strong performance and the Eastern Suburbs midfielder will be hard to leave out in future tours - even if he is without a professional contract.

"They deserve a lot of credit," said of Schmid of amateurs Payne and Howieson. "At the end of the day that's what we want to achieve, to have the New Zealand players get an opportunity to prove they are up to it. They both took their chance."

Ryan Thomas was not risked, after the midfielder arrived in camp with a slight groin injury.

Canada 1 (Tosaint Ricketts 54') New Zealand 0 HT: 0-0

[Hawkguy]

3 hours ago, Snowcrash said:

Piette has future captain written all over him. 

I agree. A heart and soul player. And he's a ball winner. You want to play for him because you know he's giving 200%.

6 hours ago, dsqpr said:

Oh dear, now I'm going to have to say it in plain English: Yes, facts can still be whining.

In any case, your post contained OPINIONS, not facts.

I'm confident enough to say facts. 

7 hours ago, Shortdutchcanuck said:

I have no problem with you.  Larin deserves criticism and I probably agree with a lot of your other comments.  Yours was just the one that 'hurt my butt' after reading a bunch of others.  Meant my response as a general one to a number of over the top Larin-sucks posts.  Not asking everyone to become Mr. Positivity and think Larin is the best ever.  There's a lot of middle ground between 'he sucks' and 'he's awesome'.

I didn't really think I bashed him too hard. I made two jokes. One about him hating Canada (clearly he doesn't, he's got a ton of caps and friendlies). And the other about Liam doing more than him.. which was just talking about how great Liam was tonight. 

Larin is a good player who hasn't figured it out yet in international play. He's not going to have the same quality of club players surrounding him at the international level, so he needs to be a guy who goes above and beyond, especially when the opponent is not great. 

[Obinna]

It's funny to hear them describe us as ab experienced side, when we gave debuts to 3 players to their 4. Not much of a difference in thay department.

Young squad sure, but we also had an 18 year old on the field to start the match. I'm going to go back now before the whitecaps match starts and have a quick look at their roster, to see how much less experienced it was than ours.

Also, they were missing a ton of players, but so were we. Not that i'd expect them to mention that - they are focused on themselves of course.

[toontownman]

31 minutes ago, Keegan said:

 

MAK makes some nice reads out there but then would follow it up with woeful technique.

 

Fair enough, could be right about the wind but he is also still young and raw. What I like the best about him is his athleticism. He has a great stamina seems to get a foot in and nick the ball away. Reminded me a bit of hutch today but also Mo Diame. Be interesting to see how he develops this season.

[Big_M]

Millar good speed weak decision making..let him play pro games before calling him to competitive games

Lots of difficulty building in second half with medium press of New Zealand..must work on that

Quality of Wotherspoon seen right away..good decisions and quality on the ball

[Obinna]

Total caps:

NZ: 281

CAN: 347

(Didn't take out a calculator just scanned the wiki page quickly)

So yeah we were in fact the more experienced side, though not by a great margin.

[El Hombre]

8 hours ago, Hawkguy said:

I've just stated facts.

 

Its no secret he looks mediocre for us when we play teams of similar or better quality.

It's no secret (like many forwards) that his effort level after a turnover is low.

Maybe he's a guy who needs all the right pieces in place to be great.

Or maybe he just needs to play on an empty pitch in international play and he may hit the net.

 

9 hours ago, Hawkguy said:

Are you implying Larin ever looks good versus similar or better competition?

Larin is a good player. But he needs help.

Larin's effort level leaves something to be desired for me. 

 

9 hours ago, Hawkguy said:

Millar has already done more than Larin. Why does Larin hate Canada lol

 

9 hours ago, Hawkguy said:

James is so bad

 

9 hours ago, Hawkguy said:

Maybe Millar can be what gets Larin going lol

 

9 hours ago, Hawkguy said:

Millar is great

 

"Facts"

[Free kick]

11 hours ago, Dominic94 said:

Liam Millar might actually be the best Canadian prospect.... no direspect to Davies but wow this kid is good, if only Tabla would commit...

I liked what I saw of Miller.  But after one game only?   Again, i will repeat, he showed some interesting things and there is reason to be encourged. 

[Obinna]

2 minutes ago, Free kick said:

I liked what is saw Miller.  But after one game only?   Again, i will repeat, he showed some interesting things and there is reason to be encourged. 

Yeah I do agree. Millar was fantastic today but I still wouldn't ssy he is a Davies level prospect. Perhaps just a shade underneath though. Still early days though.