The Importance of Alphonso Davies

[RS]

9 hours ago, Blackjack15 said:

Another loss for Vancouver tonight vs FC Dallas at Home 

5 Games left in the whitecaps schedule to the regular season, sitting 8th Place in the standings and 4pts behind on the playoff chase

Should they not qualify you wonder if the chances increase that Davies will be at the U-20 CONCACAF Championship in November 

I can’t find a reason why he shouldn’t be there if Robbo and company have nothing to play for after their Oct 28th match against Portland 

He isn’t expected to join Bayern until January and of course why would Herdman call him up to the Senior side knowing how important this tournament is 

Maybe because the Nations League is even more important.

[Stryker911]

I would rather have him, David, Millar, and Busti at U20 tournament rather than a game against St. Kitts. St. Kitts should be a guaranteed win regardless and doin well at U20 will do alot more for our program as a whole.

Unfortunately, ZBG missed the cutoff by only 2 days.

[Keegan]

1 hour ago, Stryker911 said:

I would rather have him, David, Millar, and Busti at U20 tournament rather than a game against St. Kitts. St. Kitts should be a guaranteed win regardless and doin well at U20 will do alot more for our program as a whole.

Unfortunately, ZBG missed the cutoff by only 2 days.

Agree.  Also it’s probably better for those players development to go to a qualifying tournament where they will play multiple high pressure matches with the aim of going to the World Cup.  I suspect though that the CSA would prefer we miss youth tournaments since they are already crying poor.. how could they afford all the added expenses that will come with a qualifying team.  God forbid we had two youth teams qualify (luckily I don’t think that has ever happened). 

Also if we call these guys it can open up spots for guys like Telfer, Levis, Elva etc. To get called and capped.

[RS]

4 hours ago, Keegan said:

I suspect though that the CSA would prefer we miss youth tournaments since they are already crying poor.. how could they afford all the added expenses that will come with a qualifying team.  God forbid we had two youth teams qualify (luckily I don’t think that has ever happened). 

Holy shit dude, you really love to hammer this fallacy into the ground. The CSA isn't crying poor, especially since they spent upwards of $400K on Toulon earlier this year.

Merely giving an answer to a question isn't crying poor.

Anyway, it seems like a lot of people here have already forgotten that Canada scored 8 goals in the first CNL qualifier and still only sit in fourth after matchday 1. Davies is already one of Canada's best at the senior level, and Herdman should absolutely have him there as they try to hammer each and every opponent by as many goals as possible to ensure League A qualification (as well as Gold Cup qualification, but that's an easier route).

[Keegan]

1 minute ago, RS said:

Holy shit dude, you really love to hammer this fallacy into the ground. The CSA isn't crying poor, especially since they spent upwards of $400K on Toulon earlier this year.

They don’t have the money for friendlies for the senior squad and aside from a few of them playing in Toulon there has been zero prep... so how are they going to pay for a month in Turkey for a whole squad? 

Just reaching a logical conclusion, dude. Of course they aren’t literally crying poor. 

[BrennanFan]

Id rather see all our teens in the U20 qualifying.  The next generation needs to start believing they are winners and Qualifying for things is how you do that.  If we are serious about 2026, we must prioritize this U20 tournament over everything. 

As for the Nations League, it won't be coming down to goal difference.  Since all of the teams who currently have 3 points play at least 1 other "3 point" team along the way, as long as we win all our games, we will finish top 6.  For example Cuba and Haiti play in the 4th matchday so someone is going to drop points there, same with El Salvador v. Jamaica, Guadeloup v Curacao, Guadeloup v Martinique.  We are the only team with a straightforward schedule where we are favourites in every game.  Our tough game is against French Guiana and its at home. 

The only mathematically possible scenario where we win all of our games and dont qualify requires all of the following teams to win all of their games: Curacao, Cuba, Belize, Jamaica. St. Lucia and Nicaragua.  That's a big ask for St. Lucia and Nicaragua, as they both have to play Haiti. 

If Haiti gets full points (as they should), only 5 teams (including us) can possibly reach 12 points, so we would certainly qualify then.  Assuming we don't drop points anywhere.  If we do, we are almost surely in League B.

Do we really need Alphonso Davies to beat St. Kitts away?  I think not.  And before anyone brings up our tie in 2011, it was the second last game and we had already qualified to the next round by then.  Totally different scenario.

[Kent]

7 minutes ago, BrennanFan said:

Id rather see all our teens in the U20 qualifying.  The next generation needs to start believing they are winners and Qualifying for things is how you do that.  If we are serious about 2026, we must prioritize this U20 tournament over everything. 

As for the Nations League, it won't be coming down to goal difference.  Since all of the teams who currently have 3 points play at least 1 other "3 point" team along the way, as long as we win all our games, we will finish top 6.  For example Cuba and Haiti play in the 4th matchday so someone is going to drop points there, same with El Salvador v. Jamaica, Guadeloup v Curacao, Guadeloup v Martinique.  We are the only team with a straightforward schedule where we are favourites in every game.  Our tough game is against French Guiana and its at home. 

The only mathematically possible scenario where we win all of our games and dont qualify requires all of the following teams to win all of their games: Curacao, Cuba, Belize, Jamaica. St. Lucia and Nicaragua.  That's a big ask for St. Lucia and Nicaragua, as they both have to play Haiti. 

If Haiti gets full points (as they should), only 5 teams (including us) can possibly reach 12 points, so we would certainly qualify then.  Assuming we don't drop points anywhere.  If we do, we are almost surely in League B.

Do we really need Alphonso Davies to beat St. Kitts away?  I think not.  And before anyone brings up our tie in 2011, it was the second last game and we had already qualified to the next round by then.  Totally different scenario.

I agree. I don’t want to take St. Kitts lightly, but I also don’t want us to under prioritize the U20s. With guys like Hoilett, Larin, Cavallini, and supporting guys like Jackson-Hamel, Ricketts, maybe Edwards, etc, I would hope we can score enough to win the game without Davies, David, and Millar.

[C2SKI]

9 minutes ago, BrennanFan said:

Id rather see all our teens in the U20 qualifying.  The next generation needs to start believing they are winners and Qualifying for things is how you do that.  If we are serious about 2026, we must prioritize this U20 tournament over everything. 

As for the Nations League, it won't be coming down to goal difference.  Since all of the teams who currently have 3 points play at least 1 other "3 point" team along the way, as long as we win all our games, we will finish top 6.  For example Cuba and Haiti play in the 4th matchday so someone is going to drop points there, same with El Salvador v. Jamaica, Guadeloup v Curacao, Guadeloup v Martinique.  We are the only team with a straightforward schedule where we are favourites in every game.  Our tough game is against French Guiana and its at home. 

The only mathematically possible scenario where we win all of our games and dont qualify requires all of the following teams to win all of their games: Curacao, Cuba, Belize, Jamaica. St. Lucia and Nicaragua.  That's a big ask for St. Lucia and Nicaragua, as they both have to play Haiti. 

If Haiti gets full points (as they should), only 5 teams (including us) can possibly reach 12 points, so we would certainly qualify then.  Assuming we don't drop points anywhere.  If we do, we are almost surely in League B.

Do we really need Alphonso Davies to beat St. Kitts away?  I think not.  And before anyone brings up our tie in 2011, it was the second last game and we had already qualified to the next round by then.  Totally different scenario.

You're much more confident than I am. How often in the past has this team not gotten the result they need against a weak opponent. Especially away.  I want our best team there, and Davies is part of that.

[BrennanFan]

10 minutes ago, C2SKI said:

You're much more confident than I am. How often in the past has this team not gotten the result they need against a weak opponent. Especially away.  I want our best team there, and Davies is part of that.

A major reason we have been backsliding and getting poor results at the Senior level is because we stopped qualifying for the U20s twelve years ago.  Also, with David and Millar, I wouldnt be surprised if their European clubs refuse to release them for the U20s, so its even more important we at least have Davies on that team.    

[C2SKI]

16 minutes ago, BrennanFan said:

A major reason we have been backsliding and getting poor results at the Senior level is because we stopped qualifying for the U20s twelve years ago.  Also, with David and Millar, I wouldnt be surprised if their European clubs refuse to release them for the U20s, so its even more important we at least have Davies on that team.    

I don't disagree, but surely the senior side takes precedence over youth tournaments.

[RS]

3 minutes ago, C2SKI said:

I don't disagree, but surely the senior side takes precedence over youth tournaments.

Always should.

[RS]

2 hours ago, Keegan said:

They don’t have the money for friendlies for the senior squad and aside from a few of them playing in Toulon there has been zero prep... so how are they going to pay for a month in Turkey for a whole squad? 

Just reaching a logical conclusion, dude. Of course they aren’t literally crying poor. 

FIFA pays for most of the expenses for teams that qualify for its tournaments. 

[Aird25]

Davies is our star. Let's get him as many goals, assists and caps as we can. Promote the kid. That's how the game will grow. 

[Keegan]

9 minutes ago, RS said:

FIFA pays for most of the expenses for teams that qualify for its tournaments. 

Most expenses is a stretch but even if so it’s still going to cost you a ton of money.. and I don’t think they distribute revenues like they do for the big World Cup, not that there would be much to go around anyway.

[Stryker911]

42 minutes ago, C2SKI said:

I don't disagree, but surely the senior side takes precedence over youth tournaments.

I'm saying we can do well at both.

[Stryker911]

Named #1 on too 22 under 22 by mlssoccer.

https://www.mlssoccer.com/series/22-under-22/2018

[Obinna]

39 minutes ago, Stryker911 said:

Named #1 on too 22 under 22 by mlssoccer.

https://www.mlssoccer.com/series/22-under-22/2018

I knew when I read the "RB say Adams should be No.1" article this morning that it'd be Davies. 

You'd never see a "Caps say Davies should be No.1" article, would you?

That's because everyone (except nyrb) knows Davies is best teenager in MLS, with all due respect to Adams.

Edited October 4, 2018 by Obinna

[shermanator]

Agreed, that Davies is better than Adams is a no brainer.

By the time Adams had made his second MLS appearance, Davies had won a Golden Boot in the Gold Cup, was already a regular MLS starter and MLS All-Star, and secured the most lucrative transfer in the history of the league to a genuine super club. Not only that, but his rags-to-riches story is now internationally known, and was featured in a major marketing campaign just a few months ago.

When even MLS boldly state that "He is the best prospect ever produced by an MLS academy, and the trail he’s blazed has been noted literally throughout the soccer world.", it should be fairly obvious. But you know, Adams is 19 and more consistent and will one day have a big transfer (to the parent of his current club) so he's a big deal too, right? Or at least, that's what the American MLS fanboys are claiming.

Edited October 4, 2018 by shermanator

[RS]

5 hours ago, shermanator said:

By the time Adams had made his second MLS appearance, Davies had won a Golden Boot in the Gold Cup, was already a regular MLS starter and MLS All-Star, and secured the most lucrative transfer in the history of the league to a genuine super club.

Huh? Adams was a starter for NYRB throughout 2017, before Davies was named an All-Star or got his Bayern transfer.

It's obvious that Davies is better than Adams, but there's no need for alternative facts to pump Davies up even more. ?

[BearcatSA]

5 hours ago, shermanator said:

By the time Adams had made his second MLS appearance, Davies had won a Golden Boot in the Gold Cup, was already a regular MLS starter and MLS All-Star, and secured the most lucrative transfer in the history of the league to a genuine super club. Not only that, but his rags-to-riches story is now internationally known, and was featured in a major marketing campaign just a few months ago.

Let's see how well he handles the weight of expectations.  Sometimes it's better for a young player to come in under the radar so to speak.

[dyslexic nam]

Yeah, I would prefer as little hype around Davies as possible at this point.  He got the dream transfer that he deserved.  Now it is up to him to take full advantage of that opportunity.   He still has lots of work to do to be at the level we all think he is capable of.

[Kent]

11 hours ago, RS said:

Huh? Adams was a starter for NYRB throughout 2017, before Davies was named an All-Star or got his Bayern transfer.

It's obvious that Davies is better than Adams, but there's no need for alternative facts to pump Davies up even more. ?

I don't know anything about Adams so I don't know if shermanator was correct or not, but I think what he meant was at their respective ages. So if I can just make up the numbers, if Adams got his second MLS appearance on his 17th birthday, his progress was behind Davies, who had already won a Gold Cup golden boot by his 17th birthday. Etc.

[RS]

9 minutes ago, Kent said:

I don't know anything about Adams so I don't know if shermanator was correct or not, but I think what he meant was at their respective ages. So if I can just make up the numbers, if Adams got his second MLS appearance on his 17th birthday, his progress was behind Davies, who had already won a Gold Cup golden boot by his 17th birthday. Etc.

That makes sense.

They're both very good players, playing different positions, with big futures ahead of them. My point is that we don't really need to tear down Adams to make Davies look good, because Alphonso us already so damn good as it is.

[shermanator]

12 hours ago, RS said:

Huh? Adams was a starter for NYRB throughout 2017, before Davies was named an All-Star or got his Bayern transfer.

It's obvious that Davies is better than Adams, but there's no need for alternative facts to pump Davies up even more. ?

Yes, I meant age. Although I'm sure the winky face means you knew that. 

[RS]

8 minutes ago, shermanator said:

Yes, I meant age. Although I'm sure the winky face means you knew that. 

Yeah, I wasn't taking it too seriously.