Gold Cup - June 23rd 2019 - Canada vs Cuba

[BearcatSA]

3 hours ago, BrennanFan said:

4 years ago we played Costa Rica, El Salvador and Jamaica in the group stage. Yes we have improved but let's keep some perspective. The Gold Cup's expansion to 16 has made our road to the knockouts much easier. 

I like where we are headed but we have not really proven anything yet. Will be interesting to see how we perform in the pressure of a knockout match against an experienced opponent.

True, but we really should make the semis and then it becomes more of a crap shoot.  I'll be very disappointed if we blow it in the QFs.  With the talent here, a well prepared and well coached side should make the final four here.  The expectations have been cranked up but I think they should be.  

[Grandbloke]

57 minutes ago, Big_M said:

Godinho was good offensively but weak defensively..got beaten multiple times in the defensive half..and this is against Cuba..shouldnt play at the back with the national team

Yes, I noticed he got beat a few times. In the quarter final match I think Herdman will start Brault-Guillard at RB if we go with 2 FBs.

[The Beaver 2.0]

If we beat Costa Rica, then I think we can start to make the argument that we've joined the second tier in CONCACAF. We've got to get consistent results to stay there, but I feel we might be knocking on the door.  Jamaica seems to be making the same move. Not sure where Panama is at the moment, and Honduras seems to be slipping a bit. But that would be the likely second tier, presuming we're there now: Costa Rica, Jamaica, Canada, Panama and Honduras. 

We've still much to prove and we've still a lot to improve, but as KJ said at the end of the telecast, we must not deny the fact that we did to Martinique and Cuba what we've never done, which is dice them up comfortably and score a bundle of goals. Costa Rica will be the real test. We need many more such tests, and more often.

[Unnamed Trialist]

4 hours ago, Mikmacdo said:

Compare him to other elite young wingers like felix, vinicious and hes way behind at this point. 

Vinicius JR cannot finish if his life depended on it. He may learn though. He makes serious errors regularly in the final third, and only played because the team was a nightmare by mid-season.

I think Davies is better. He combines better, when he wants, and actually does defend better.

Alphonso is not better than Mbappe or Dembele though, and today I thought he showed some bad habits from the old MLS days, he seems to regress instead of staying focused, which I don't like to see. 

[kacbru]

6 hours ago, SkuseisLoose said:

Here’s the screenshot of when he makes contact should’ve definitely been retaken.

And the keeper. I hate what they're calling in the women's world cup, but... 

[dyslexic nam]

Lol - yeah that looks like minor encroachment.

[Gian-Luca]

9 hours ago, SkuseisLoose said:

Here’s the screenshot of when he makes contact should’ve definitely been retaken.

I mean, that's got to be the worst encroachment I've ever seen for a PK that was missed but not re-taken.* It even looks like the ref is slightly leaning to his left to get a view of the strike being taken so as to avoid the Cuban player that's in his line of vision. And I hadn't even noticed the keeper being two feet off the line. Someone should email this picture to the Scotland Woman's team goalkeeper who was maybe a millimetre off her line when they made the decision to re-do that PK.

The officiating was otherwise fairly competent so you have to assume it was a sympathy non-call but really, the refs shouldn't be doing that, particularly in a tourney where goal differential can theoretically make a difference. In the end it was irrelevant here.

*I haven't seen it in a while but I seem to recall that a Chilean player was practically running beside Roberto Baggio on a PK in the 1998 World Cup in a 2-2 draw between Italy & Chile, but because Baggio scored anyway, that one didn't need to be re-taken.

[Corazon]

10 hours ago, The Beaver 2.0 said:

If we beat Costa Rica, then I think we can start to make the argument that we've joined the second tier in CONCACAF. We've got to get consistent results to stay there, but I feel we might be knocking on the door.  Jamaica seems to be making the same move. Not sure where Panama is at the moment, and Honduras seems to be slipping a bit. But that would be the likely second tier, presuming we're there now: Costa Rica, Jamaica, Canada, Panama and Honduras. 

We've still much to prove and we've still a lot to improve, but as KJ said at the end of the telecast, we must not deny the fact that we did to Martinique and Cuba what we've never done, which is dice them up comfortably and score a bundle of goals. Costa Rica will be the real test. We need many more such tests, and more often.

Both Panama & Honduras are currently enduring a transition.  The downfall of Honduras has been over the past few years where several of the Honduras' best players have aged and retired.  Panama had a solid core of half a dozen guys based either in Europe, Mexico & MLS.  Most of those players will go down as the best the country has ever seen and most retired after the World Cup.

Trinidad is currently struggling and USA is also in transition.  Very opportunistic times for Canada and Jamaica who seem to be trending in the right direction.  Particularly Canada.

[Corazon]

Missed the game but watched the highlights.

• Nice to see Miller see some time and officially cap tied
• David & Cavallini can't stop scoring
• Looks like Hoilett had a nice bounce back game after the opening game.
• Still sounds like we were a little sloppy with some defensive errors

[apbsmith]

10 hours ago, SkuseisLoose said:

Here’s the screenshot of when he makes contact should’ve definitely been retaken.

This needs to go viral... Especially with all the current PK controversy in Women World Cup right now. 

In addition to being used in all future referee coaching schools on how to keep your eyes open during a PK.... Man the ref's positioning on that play makes that pic even funnier. 

[Yoginess]

15 hours ago, baulderdash77 said:

Does anyone outside of Canada see how good our squad is getting?  

5 years ago a game like this would be a trap game.  Or a couple Gold Cups ago we didn’t score a goal.  Now it’s a complete romp.

Was digging through some past results. 2012, 13 games and 1 goal for. 3 draws and 10 losses.

But etched in my memory is the game in Cuba (2012 WCQ). We got a 1-0 win but looked awful, sloppy, and so slow. 

[Yoginess]

A couple of closing thoughts on the game. I think Arfield has the biggest impact on his team. His ability to shrug off pressure and pass out of a press makes us a much better team.

Our offensive players can hang with any team in our region easy but the skill at the back is not close (yet?)

[rightback]

24 minutes ago, Yoginess said:

A couple of closing thoughts on the game. I think Arfield has the biggest impact on his team. His ability to shrug off pressure and pass out of a press makes us a much better team.

Our offensive players can hang with any team in our region easy but the skill at the back is not close (yet?)

Not to mention his energy, commitment and as a threat to score. Just a fantastic player and, hopefully, he will influence everyone else for some time to come.

[Yoginess]

Can someone send the highlights to Tomori?

[Macksam]

 

1 hour ago, Yoginess said:

A couple of closing thoughts on the game. I think Arfield has the biggest impact on his team. His ability to shrug off pressure and pass out of a press makes us a much better team.

Our offensive players can hang with any team in our region easy but the skill at the back is not close (yet?)

That’s going to be the number one thing needed to beat Mexico. Both him and Osorio changed that game when they came on.

If we calm things down and successfully play out of the back, they won’t seem like the World Class outfit we made them look like during that first half. 

I hope Herdman makes them watch the Sweden vs Mexico game during the World Cup as a blue print on how to beat them.

Edited June 24, 2019 by Macksam

[cronaldo7]

1 hour ago, Macksam said:

 

That’s going to be the number one thing needed to beat Mexico. Both him and Osorio changed that game when they came on.

If we calm things down and successfully play out of the back, they won’t seem like the World Class outfit we made them look like during that first half. 

I hope Herdman makes them watch the Sweden vs Mexico game during the World Cup as a blue print on how to beat them.

I really do think Oso's TFC experience playing in the CCL was absolutely invaluable. To go down to Mexico, play in hostile atmospheres, being the underdog and to shine/outperform the "better" opposition, that's something that has clearly given him confidence and an undeniable swagger. To rise above the old-adage and prove that it is possible; I'm sure he has lots to share with his new and younger Canadian teammates.

[deschamp86]

2 hours ago, Yoginess said:

Can someone send the highlights to Tomori?