Canada vs. United States (Nations League A) Tuesday, Oct. 15th, 2019 - 7:30pm EST

[Daryn27]

5 hours ago, Gian-Luca said:

Altidore went off injured for TFC, might miss the game against us.

Did they say how long and what it was?

[BFBF]

Definitely harsh on Shome. He is very good positionally, and a very safe passer as people have mentioned.. He isn't flashy, or physically gifted. But he is always in the right place, connects play extremely well, and is developing his creative abilities. I think that is the reason he doesn't get attention. 

Years ago when he left Edmonton I predicted he would be Montreal's replacement for Bernier and I stick by that. His soccer IQ is very good and we will see him become a very creative passer. He should be above Fraser for a callup, and soon I think we will see him above Tiebert and Johnson as well.

[Floortom]

Looks like Altidore is our.

walker Zimmerman had a head injury and will likely be out too. Not sure if he would have played anyway as he was likely the 4th choice CB IMO.

[Gian-Luca]

7 hours ago, Daryn27 said:

Did they say how long and what it was?

Sore quad, but they haven’t said how long for. My guess is TFC doesn’t release him, but I guess we will see

[Kent]

17 hours ago, Shway said:

Sounds like Piette. 
It's his ball winning that is good.

Piette I think of as a great ball winner, even if he doesn't do much else. I don't get that impression with Fraser, but maybe I'm just not noticing it.

[RJB]

No Noble Okello for this squad.  Not playing a MLS game for a full season - or ever! - is probably the reason.

I've said this before, and I'll keep on about it: Though I agree we are capable of beating the USA, I would be delighted with a point.  We haven't beaten them since 1985, and as much as we're improving, we have to admit this will be a tough task.

[CanadaFan123]

1 hour ago, RJB said:

No Noble Okello for this squad.  Not playing a MLS game for a full season - or ever! - is probably the reason.

I've said this before, and I'll keep on about it: Though I agree we are capable of beating the USA, I would be delighted with a point.  We haven't beaten them since 1985, and as much as we're improving, we have to admit this will be a tough task.

"Delighted"?  I think that's a bit much for an expected result.  We drew the States in 2012, 2013 and were minutes away in 2016... since that time we have improved and they have gone down a bit.  I think expectations need heightening.   

[dyslexic nam]

In just about the least surprising revelation to date, I think a draw would be okay, a win would be awesome, and a loss would be disappointing.

[xabuep2]

At the moment,  both Canada and the USA look pretty even. The US advantage is only its historical superiority. If the canucks overcome that barrier and take advantage of playing at home, Canada will get a precious 3  points . 

[Kadenge]

Met a few TFC fans outside BMO field yesterday and asked if they were attending the Oct 15th game. Their response "Altidore and Bradley are playing in that game right?".......sometimes I wonder if TFC fans are really soccer fans. A lot seem to be totally clueless about the CMNT. On a brighter note met a young soccer fan today who told me he has seen a lot of ads for the game. 

[RJB]

1 hour ago, CanadaFan123 said:

"Delighted"?  I think that's a bit much for an expected result.  We drew the States in 2012, 2013 and were minutes away in 2016... since that time we have improved and they have gone down a bit.  I think expectations need heightening.   

C’mon, take off your rose coloured glasses. We’re doing very well presently, yes, but that doesn’t take us to their level. I reject that we need to heighten expectations - I would argue the opposite. We haven’t had a meaningful result since maybe Honduras at home in WCQ. And our recent tests v Mexico and then Haiti were failures. Just because David and Davies are promising, doesn’t mean the USA doesn’t have a superior lineup in the vast majority of positions.

To draw this game would be a sign of progress, the first real evidence of progress in a very long time. 

[CanadaFan123]

20 minutes ago, RJB said:

C’mon, take off your rose coloured glasses. We’re doing very well presently, yes, but that doesn’t take us to their level. I reject that we need to heighten expectations - I would argue the opposite. We haven’t had a meaningful result since maybe Honduras at home in WCQ. And our recent tests v Mexico and then Haiti were failures. Just because David and Davies are promising, doesn’t mean the USA doesn’t have a superior lineup in the vast majority of positions.

To draw this game would be a sign of progress, the first real evidence of progress in a very long time. 

Not rose coloured glasses at all, just being realistic.  I'd be okay with a draw but not delighted as it would not be a sign of progress.  As Herdman even said, we need to beat a rival to progress... anything less is just the same old mediocrity.  This USA team is not good enough to celebrate drawing against.. at home.  A top world team or even Mexico?  Sure, all day.

[CanadianSoccerFan]

2 hours ago, Kadenge said:

Met a few TFC fans outside BMO field yesterday and asked if they were attending the Oct 15th game. Their response "Altidore and Bradley are playing in that game right?"

[lazlo_80]

9 hours ago, Kadenge said:

Met a few TFC fans outside BMO field yesterday and asked if they were attending the Oct 15th game. Their response "Altidore and Bradley are playing in that game right?".......sometimes I wonder if TFC fans are really soccer fans.  

We aren't. I don't even know how i stumbled on this site.

[Admin]

It's not a TFC problem, it is a soccer in Canada problem. 

[Kadenge]

33 minutes ago, admin said:

It's not a TFC problem, it is a soccer in Canada problem. 

Yeah I know....I do attend and follow TFC games but it's frustrating that this city can attract over 25K supporters for our local club, yet a significant number of  those fans are oblivious re the magnitude of the game next Tuesday 😯

[Admin]

1 minute ago, Kadenge said:

Yeah I know....I do attend and follow TFC games but it's frustrating that this city can attract over 25K supporters for our local club, yet a significant number of  those fans are oblivious re the magnitude of the game next Tuesday 😯

It's a problem that runs very deep.  Ads on buses are not simply what is missing.

People know about the game, they just aren't going. 

 

[gator]

55 minutes ago, admin said:

It's not a TFC problem, it is a soccer in Canada problem. 

No, it's not the club, I do find that many of the TFC fans are not interested in supporting the National Team though which is very perplexing to me!

[El Hombre]

9 minutes ago, gator said:

No, it's not the club, I do find that many of the TFC fans are not interested in supporting the National Team though which is very perplexing to me!

It's because the men's team is a "perennial loser", or at least that is the perception.  That perception won't change overnight when it is so easy to pretend to be English or Portuguese or Irish or Spanish or Italian when soccer comes up.  That's far and wide across the country though, not just in Toronto.  Little by little it is changing which is cause for optimism.

[nolando]

18 minutes ago, admin said:

It's a problem that runs very deep.  Ads on buses are not simply what is missing.

People know about the game, they just aren't going. 

 

Am wrong to think that Vancouver would bring up different challenges but most definitely a better crowd for this match?

[narduch]

I still hear casuals say 'I didn't even know Canada has a soccer team'

We're not going to change perceptions until we make an actual World Cup

Edited October 8, 2019 by narduch

[king1010]

16 minutes ago, narduch said:

I still hear casuals say 'I didn't even know Canada has a soccer team'

We're not going to change perceptions until we make an actual World Cup

Even at that, I can already see us making the world cup going 0-3 and everyone piling on saying "Canada soccer still sucks."

[narduch]

6 minutes ago, king1010 said:

Even at that, I can already see us making the world cup going 0-3 and everyone piling on saying "Canada soccer still sucks."

Yup. Most likely.

[CanadaFan123]

I think a lot of it comes down to this very specific match: Canada vs. USA

People, even Canadians, like to put on their "other country" hat and bash the USA anytime soccer comes up.. but they can't do that if they're Canadian fans since we're even worse.  Supporting MLS is an easy way to sidestep this dilemma "I'm just here for *fill in the foreign star*".  

A win against the USA would be a major step forward for soccer in this country.  More so than any other victory at this point.

31 minutes ago, narduch said:

I still hear casuals say 'I didn't even know Canada has a soccer team'

We're not going to change perceptions until we make an actual World Cup

If a person doesn't know Canada has a soccer team I'm going to guess their football knowledge doesn't expand past the Champions League Final.  

[Admin]

50 minutes ago, nolando said:

Am wrong to think that Vancouver would bring up different challenges but most definitely a better crowd for this match?

I encounter the same shit in Vancouver as I do here.   I have banged my head on the walls of this garbage in the soccer cafes of Commercial, College and Jean Talon.  It's the same everywhere.
 

The crowd would be better in Vancouver. I suspect the average ticket prices would be less, on average with a larger lower bowl. $70 outside the south end is probably too high.  One of the problems, other than grass, is that you can double the number in Vancouver and the CSA would still make less money based on the stadium deal. 

This is also the long weekend everyone closes down their cottages.  The BBQ I was at last weekend, with some of the hardest core soccer people in the city, many are doing just that.  They are not here, can't go if you are not here.  It's a big last gig at the cottage, Thanksgiving family thing and close up shop.   That BBQ alone would account for almost a whole row in 113.

One of the surprising things to me when I moved to Toronto, is that the city is EMPTY on long weekends.  Like I just woke up in 28 days later empty and wandering the streets.....