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2019 Algarve Cup


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I was happy to see some tinkering with the line-up vs Scotland.  A couple thoughts.  1) I'm impressed to see Matheson still has a lot of speed despite her knee injuries.  When you see her sprint, it highlights something that is missing up front. 2) Not sure I understand why Leon doesn't get a shot as a starter.  I get she provides spark off the bench and maybe they don't think she can do that work rate for more than 20 minutes.  However, both elements are sorely needed up front. They're just better when she's out there.  3) I'm a bit perplexed why there aren't some actual FB being developed.  There should be someone more appropriate than Schmidt to try there.  I do think they need to utilize Lawrence at MF but can't afford it because the D isn't deep enough.

I watched the US in She Believes Cup today.  They're not the same team which makes for a more open WWC.  But there are so many teams that can score more readily than Canada.  I feel the CWT roster has more offensive potential than the results and performances show.  KHM better start tinkering and trying to figure out how to maximize his players.  Too many good teams and struggling to score against teams ranked in the teens doesn't cut it.

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13 hours ago, nstarsfan said:

I was happy to see some tinkering with the line-up vs Scotland.  A couple thoughts.  1) I'm impressed to see Matheson still has a lot of speed despite her knee injuries.  When you see her sprint, it highlights something that is missing up front. 2) Not sure I understand why Leon doesn't get a shot as a starter.  I get she provides spark off the bench and maybe they don't think she can do that work rate for more than 20 minutes.  However, both elements are sorely needed up front. They're just better when she's out there.  3) I'm a bit perplexed why there aren't some actual FB being developed.  There should be someone more appropriate than Schmidt to try there.  I do think they need to utilize Lawrence at MF but can't afford it because the D isn't deep enough.

I watched the US in She Believes Cup today.  They're not the same team which makes for a more open WWC.  But there are so many teams that can score more readily than Canada.  I feel the CWT roster has more offensive potential than the results and performances show.  KHM better start tinkering and trying to figure out how to maximize his players.  Too many good teams and struggling to score against teams ranked in the teens doesn't cut it.

Leon has really worked on the ability to shoot from distance and will actually pull the trigger (although that didn’t show in the Scotland game) so I also think she could be an offensive weapon. Beckie will also shoot from distance but I don’t get the sense that most of the rest of the forward options will even look for that shot. 

And honestly, I know Beckie performs well wherever she is put, but I think her skills in front of goal are wasted on the wing. She puts in a great cross, but she’s also a natural finisher. Every time I see her line up as a winger or wingback I’m disappointed. 

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Gabby Carle was on the team that won the NCAA title this year, where she played an important role as an attacking right back.  I don't know why she's not on this team, but maybe she didn't want to take a break from school.  Anyway, she could be an option for the future if we need that position filled.

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1 hour ago, rkomar said:

Gabby Carle was on the team that won the NCAA title this year, where she played an important role as an attacking right back.  I don't know why she's not on this team, but maybe she didn't want to take a break from school.  Anyway, she could be an option for the future if we need that position filled.

She is there, she played in both of the first two games (in the central midfield, however).

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30 minutes ago, carolynduthie said:

She is there, she played in both of the first two games (in the central midfield, however).

Ah!  I have only watched the second half of the game with Iceland, and didn't notice her.  I just assumed she wasn't there when Beckie was playing in her spot.  It's good to hear that she is still in the works.  Thanks!

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Canada still in hunt for first place to put Canada in final

Switzerland must beat Portugal.   Netherlands must beat Poland and Scotland must tie or beat Iceland or if Iceland does no win by any score greater than 1-0 today. If Iceland wins 1-0 along with Switzerland and the Netherlands fair play is the first tie breaker  then highest FIFA ranking which means Canada would win top spot.

 

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Ewa Pajor had her breakout a few years ago as a youth player.

Most teams are being cagey for France. This is Poland's World Cup. A good tournament for them but I think if everyone loaded for bear we'd see a different outcome.

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Wow what a bad attitude from Beckie. The camera caught her big time rolling her eyes and shaking her head after the Coach was giving instructions. I hope the rest of the team doesn't have this attitude toward the coaching staff or it will be a quick exit from the World Cup. Not great showing up your coach with the cameras catching it all. Personally I would bench her for at least a game. Everyone has to buy in as a team.

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36 minutes ago, sting said:

Wow what a bad attitude from Beckie. The camera caught her big time rolling her eyes and shaking her head after the Coach was giving instructions. I hope the rest of the team doesn't have this attitude toward the coaching staff or it will be a quick exit from the World Cup. Not great showing up your coach with the cameras catching it all. Personally I would bench her for at least a game. Everyone has to buy in as a team.

Not sure she was even doing that to the coach. I saw her do that multiple times during the game because her teammates aren’t supporting her while she is throwing in the ball; there is no one to throw to.

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1 hour ago, BenFisk'sBiggestFan said:

Not sure she was even doing that to the coach. I saw her do that multiple times during the game because her teammates aren’t supporting her while she is throwing in the ball; there is no one to throw to.

It was. It was during a throw in. He had his hands on her shoulder and was talking directly into her. Because he was behind her, he didn't see her roll her eyes and shake her head as he was talking to her. But I'm sure he will see the tape of it. She is a great player but to win a World Cup everyone has to be on the same page.

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Big Black Has No Attack

270 minutes and 0 , zip, nothing from the run of play and but for a PK vs Scotland Canada's all black will need to re adjust if they want to do damage in the upcoming World Cup.

Relying  mostly on Prince and Sinclair on top with  cameos from Leo, Rose  Huitiima along with Lawrence and Beckie out wide  proved to be nothing but frustration in finding the back of the net.

Canada did however dominate all three opponents in terms of possession in the final third. Defensively they were much superior not allowing too much penetration.

They did manage to win 3rd with Fleming booting in the winner in the shootout. Sinclair was relieved I bet as she had Canada's only miss.

 

 

 

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I thought the lack of goals on our part was down to the forwards not being on the same page.  The attacking rhythm was all out of whack, with forwards and passers being 180 degrees out of phase at the defender's back line.  I think that's something that can be improved before the World Cup with time together.  So, I'm not ready to despair at this point.

Sweden was a good test, and I think it may have been a blessing that we ended up playing them.  The Swedes ran and pressed hard for periods, and we were able to withstand it without giving up many quality chances.  I hope that that ends up being more valuable than winning gold against a weaker opponent.

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A couple of thoughts.  I don't really understand the lineups KHM is putting out there.  IMO, not the best 11 but unlike the US he is mixing it up and getting more people some game time so perhaps he's taking a long view.  I'd like to see more Matheson and Leon who add speed with smarts vs players like Prince.  The team needs to play at a faster pace.  You could see Sweden picking off passes because they knew they'd be trying all this methodical build-up passing.

It's clear he will have Beckie starting and thus I think she will make or break this team.  In this tournament, she had tons of shots (good that she's in position).  If she finds a finishing touch, we'll score enough to win games.  If she keeps missing then she's a weakness.

It seems KHM philosophy is to try to win more via defense.  The offense has declined since he took over and the personnel is the same.  It's a traditional thought but very high risk. 

Kudos to Labbe for a great performance.

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Based on the 3 results, they're good till the final third. The last pass, dribble or shot just isn't of good quality. If this is the form we see in the WC, it means no semis. 

KHM doesn't seem to have figured out his starting 11 yet. When he plays Sinclair, Matheson, Schmidt & Scott together, the team is too stale and slow. We saw today Sinclair losing a step or two in her first missed chance where she couldn't get to a beauty pass from Lawrence. The other 3 can't shoot straight. But playing Schmidt on the backline does free up Lawrence to be in the midfield. With Sinclair a lock and Scott likely (unless KHM is willing to play Quinn), Matheson can only be a sub. Then more dynamic players like Leon, Huitema & even Hellstrom also need to see the pitch.

Herdman would be constantly yelling which I think helped the team from falling into too many lulls and he liked to use a lot speedy wing play. KHM wanted to take the team's offense to the next level and be more varied in attack. There was going to be growing pains but 3 months out from the big show, it is worrisome that it hasn't panned out.

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I think the defense is as much a question mark as the final third.  In the final third, we're at least seeing shots.  On D, this group isn't fast enough and has no depth.  The US D is having problems because their D isn't fast enough.  We may not get hurt by it playing weaker teams but the top teams will exploit it.  Schmidt is not fast so I'm not sure why they're trying to convert her to D.  Only Lawrence is fast but they really need her playing up.

It's been a long time since I've felt Schmidt should start.   It seems there are others ready to take her place that can at least match her ability.  I don't understand the loyalty there.  Matheson, on the other hand, I still see value from.  She brings speed and smarts.  I see her getting to the right places and making passes to set things up.  I'd agree their typical lineup doesn't really work.

One thing the Thorns did in 2017 that worked for them was to play Sinclair as a midfielder.  She didn't prefer it but was really good.  Last year their mix changed and she was able to be effective playing F.  This group feels like the Thorns 2017 version.  She's not fast enough to make things happen by herself at forward. 

I also don't understand why Quinn hasn't been getting more time.  She'd seem to be the heir apparent to Scott's role and if she can bring a little more dynamic play then she needs to be developed for it. 

KMH has a lot of thinking to do to figure out how to maximize his players.  I'm not sure he's correctly identified the core who need to start though.

It's sad to me to think back to 2015.  Buchanan was so impressive.  She seemed so promising and there has been no next step.  2016-7 saw Lawrence develop into a monster, Fleming blossom and Beckie show us promise.  You could see the team really being a player in 2019.  Under KMH, Lawrence seems held back, Fleming's impact is limited because of the pieces around her and Beckie can't hit the broad side of a barn. 

I hope they add more friendlies because this team needs more games for him to figure this out. I'm afraid it's too late.

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Some comments from US posters who watched Canada vs Sweden (who is in US group). No home bias here.

Canada deserved to win in regulation. This bunch of turnips are no threat to the USWNT. The Swedes must improve by leaps and bounds to get anywhere in WC-19.

In the past 6 games, Canada has scored only 1 non-PK goal. That should be a major concern for their coach.

They don't look very good at all in attack. That 36-year-old Sinclair is still their biggest threat is telling--it would be like the U.S. still having to rely on Lloyd to play 90 minutes and score goals. Not good.

Canada is going with a 3-back system involving MF Sophie Schmidt. Seems desperate, but even with everybody forward, they've only scored 1 non-PK goal in 6 matches.

Neither of those 2 teams are anything to write home about but Sweden at least has the possibility to improve. In spite of playing much better than Sweden in all areas of the pitch, Canada achieved nothing.

You are too kind to these turnips. They played abysmally badly in the first half and only picked up their game after some substitutions. Oh Canada not scoring on Sweden condemn them too.

Lindahl is good though and has kept them in the game. Probably makes good chocolate as well. Canada not impressive, Beckie the best field player, Labbe' not really tested.

Sweden played garbage. Sadly badly. They picked up their game after the substitutions but Canada should have won in regulation.

Canada were a bit, but not much, better. They looked slightly more convincing but neither team, unless they improve a lot, are a threat to the top teams.

Canada: when you list the names you think they should win it all, but you know they won’t. Why can’t Canada get over the hump? Is it mentality or coaching? Chapman, Lawrence, Buchanan, Prince, Sinc, Carle, Schmidt, Huitema, Fleming, Quinn, and on and on. When you list the names, they are darn scary talented. So why don’t they dominate?

I think you are overrating many of those players. Sinclair was scary good and Fleming looks like she soon may be as well. There are some good players among the rest, but no world beaters.

Disagree about Canada. Lawrence, Buchanan, Sinc and Fleming are world class. The rest are solid pros but I don't think are good enough to even make the US B team. Their back line keeps them competitive. It's the lack of coordinated firepower that prevents them from winning big tournaments. Sinc can't carry the offensive load by herself.

I think Canada was hurt by Herdman leaving. A lot of that was the mentality he brought to the team, not just the x's and o's. And now Sinclair is getting long in the tooth. I think they have a A LOT of younger players in the roster (i.e. <22-23 yrs old). They're not as deep as the US player pool.

 

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I've been trying to find some positives out of this tournament for the last few days, but what it comes down to is that one goal in three games is unacceptable regardless of who the opponents are.  They can maintain the majority of the possession, but they have no ability to cut through the opponents defense.  The work in the final third is a major problem.

For the last 10+ years, the strategy of the CanWNT has been to get the ball onto the foot of Sinclair (and rightfully so), but she is no longer the player that she was.  She can no longer be the focus of the offense. Beckie and Huitema should be playing up top, Lawrence should be playing outside wing, drop Sinclair into a AM position so that she can recieve and distribute the ball playing alongside Fleming. Grosso needs more playing time at DM (her control and passing is better than Scott), and Leon should be playing way more than she is...probably opposite field from Lawrence.

It is so hard to watch. Moeller needs to try something different. I want these ladies to succeed, but right now there is no progress being made. 

If it sounds like I hold the Women's team to a higher standard than the Men's program, it's because I do! If things don't change, they will fall further and further behind countries that are starting to seriously develop their women's programs.

I am sorry if this sounds like a rant (and it is/does), but right now there is so much wrong with this program and I hope that it can be fixed before we are buried in mediocrity.

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What opponents are lined up pre-World Cup?  Is it just England?  Sorry but I find the Canada Soccer website atrocious for finding schedules. They need more games.  USWNT has 5 more pre-WWC.

I think the best thing they could do is play the top tier teams more.  They build up too slow and need to play faster.  You get away with it against weaker opponents.  If they played teams that are peers/above them, it would become obvious some people don't have the smarts to play at that pace.  It's just not the right mix KMH is using and I'm concerned about his failure at developing.  No one is being developed to join the D corp.  It's okay but not strong enough to allow you to win 1-0 against top teams.  Frankly, they'll let in 3 against the top four teams because the D is slow.

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