Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2020: Jan 28 - Feb 9

[rkomar 141]

16 hours ago, Lofty said:

Random observation: Jordyn Huitema is slow.

It wasn't just her.  The Mexican players were beating every Canadian player to the ball for most of the game.  It looked like our players weren't that interested in giving 100% on each play.  That doesn't sound good, but it paid off towards the end of the match, where we dominated possession because the Mexicans were too pooped out to compete anymore.  It will be interesting to see how much the Mexicans have left in the tank for their final game against the Americans.

I got the impression that the Mexican plan was to go full throttle at the beginning to get an early goal, and maybe batten down the hatches after that.  Our defensive play was good enough to stymie that plan, and with our early goals, we were able to coast towards victory.

[Lofty 3,569]

7 hours ago, rkomar said:

It wasn't just her.  The Mexican players were beating every Canadian player to the ball for most of the game.  It looked like our players weren't that interested in giving 100% on each play.  That doesn't sound good, but it paid off towards the end of the match, where we dominated possession because the Mexicans were too pooped out to compete anymore.

...

I did see this from a few players but certainly not all: Scottie always wins every 50/50 ball and even came away with it once when she was pushed to the ground. Buchanan, Zadorsky, Carle, and Schmidt also competed hard for the ball. Perhaps others too who don't come to mind right now.

I agree that Huitema could have competed harder for some of those loose balls but she seems to shy away from physical contact. She also plays far too deep for a centre forward, which is actually similar to what Sinclair has been doing in recent years. If you lack pace it is understandable but then you just have to time your runs better to get behind the defence. Somebody has to get up on that last defender and if not the centre forward then who?!

As for raw speed, which is really what I was talking about, she runs with those little pixie steps that will never get you to top speed. Sprinters don't run like that! (And nor do Leon or Chapman, two of the team's speedsters.) She needs to spend her summer training with an olympic track team. She would come back with 5 lbs more muscle and one second off her 100m sprint time. It would serve her football well in many areas.

Edited February 6 by Lofty

[Lofty 3,569]

Canada vs. Costa Rica, Fri, 7th Feb 2020, 7pm EST, in Carson, CA.

USA vs. Mexico, Fri, 7th Feb 2020, 10pm EST, in Carson, CA.

The two winners qualify for the Olympics.

Edit: It appears as though both matches will be broadcast live on OneSoccer.

Edited February 7 by Lofty
Both matches live on OneSoccer

[red card 667]

14 hours ago, Lofty said:

I did see this from a few players but certainly not all: Scottie always wins every 50/50 ball and even came away with it once when she was pushed to the ground. Buchanan, Zadorsky, Carle, and Schmidt also competed hard for the ball. Perhaps others too who don't come to mind right now.

I agree that Huitema could have competed harder for some of those loose balls but she seems to shy away from physical contact. She also plays far too deep for a centre forward, which is actually similar to what Sinclair has been doing in recent years. If you lack pace it is understandable but then you just have to time your runs better to get behind the defence. Somebody has to get up on that last defender and if not the centre forward then who?!

As for raw speed, which is really what I was talking about, she runs with those little pixie steps that will never get you to top speed. Sprinters don't run like that! (And nor do Leon or Chapman, two of the team's speedsters.) She needs to spend her summer training with an olympic track team. She would come back with 5 lbs more muscle and one second off her 100m sprint time. It would serve her football well in many areas.

Huitema has actually been a very physical player. Playing for Canada youth teams, at least once on average, she bowls over the goalkeeper. I was always afraid she would get seriously injured but she usually ended up recovering after a bit.

And when required, she has shown she has the motor to chase down a ball.

It could be the PSG training. Be more productive with your movements and focus on better positioning. She certainly showed this in the Jamaica match - all her 5 goals was being at the right place at the right time rather than any show of dribbling, passing and running skills or being physical.

[Unnamed Trialist 4,766]

1 hour ago, red card said:

Huitema has actually been a very physical player. Playing for Canada youth teams, at least once on average, she bowls over the goalkeeper. I was always afraid she would get seriously injured but she usually ended up recovering after a bit.

And when required, she has shown she has the motor to chase down a ball.

It could be the PSG training. Be more productive with your movements and focus on better positioning. She certainly showed this in the Jamaica match - all her 5 goals was being at the right place at the right time rather than any show of dribbling, passing and running skills or being physical.

Good post. She also has very physical support at PSG, there are very powerful players there, perhaps to rival what Lyon puts on the pitch, so she does not need to be covering as much ground. 

She is good in the air, quite accurate too.

I think, however, that she or anyone could train speed. You have to run to do this, and not in training, on your own. You do 5k runs, and mix with series, sprints, pause, sprints. Until you feel like puking. Then go again. It can be done. Perhaps her lankiness and still being young has not enabled her to develop the pure explosive speed, but she has a light frame and should be able to improve in that area.

[narduch 1,494]

Reminder. Olympic spot on the line tonight at 7pm ET

 

[sting 55]

One Soccer You suck. Media error no game.

[JamboAl 1,374]

1 minute ago, sting said:

One Soccer You suck. Media error no game.

Same here.  Thought my internet was down.

[Gian-Luca 2,653]

11 minutes ago, JamboAl said:

Same here.  Thought my internet was down.

Also the same for me

[JamboAl 1,374]

Screw it.  I’m gonna watch basketball instead.

[Gian-Luca 2,653]

Replacement stream:

 

[Unnamed Trialist 4,766]

None of the pirate feeds work either, it really could be beyond their control. 

Wrong, the Spanish feed obviously does work, as per above.

Edited February 8 by Unnamed Trialist

[sting 55]

3 minutes ago, Gian-Luca said:

Replacement stream:

 

Thanks, I really appreciate you finding this.

[JamboAl 1,374]

Two words I thought I would never say in my lifetime: Graçias Honduras.

[narduch 1,494]

I think I like this commentary better

[Unnamed Trialist 4,766]

They just tried a long shot vs. Labbe, who is often dangerously off her line. 

We have to pick up intensity and break them down, the further on it goes the more confident Costa Rica could get. 

[Gian-Luca 2,653]

33 minutes ago, sting said:

Thanks, I really appreciate you finding this.

The great irony being where I found it - someone posting it on Onesoccer's twitter feed.

[Gian-Luca 2,653]

Thought we played fairly lousy in the first half, gave the ball away a lot and looked fairly slow to react to everything

[dyslexic nam 7,361]

I am getting a high quality stream from OS on their twitter feed.  I am not an experienced Twit, so can’t advise how to do it, but it is there to be seen.  Will be air playing it to the TV so won’t be around.  Good luck. 

[dyslexic nam 7,361]

 Nope.  Thought it was a half time show. My bad.  

[dyslexic nam 7,361]

Sorry.  

[Lofty 3,569]

Very good first half by Costa Rica. Not allowing Canada any time on the ball in the Costa Rica defensive third. And Canada far too concerned about keeping possession instead of making chances; always making a sideways or backward pass when well placed for a more dangerous forward pass -- Sophie Schmidt being one of the major culprits.

A bit better in the last 5 mins of the half but Costa Rica have played their way into this match and it is a close affair now.

Well done to the officials for the 5 mins added time after the two long injury delays.

[Lofty 3,569]

1 hour ago, sting said:

One Soccer You suck. Media error no game.

What? I'm watching on OneSoccer. Maybe try again?

Edited February 8 by Lofty

[rkomar 141]

I actually got to watch about 25 minutes on OneSoccer before it conked out on me.   Hopefully they'll have the full game up on replay later.

Time to watch the Leafs.

[sting 55]

1 minute ago, Lofty said:

What? I'm watching on OneSoccer. Maybe try again?

You must be watching the wrong game. Hundreds of people don't have it.