Camp Poutine 2021 @ IMG in Florida Jan 9 -24

[BearcatSA 534]

27 minutes ago, soccer.shocker said:

Word out of Vancouver is Baldisimo is carrying some kind of injury so maybe just not available if he was in fact in the plans.

From whom?

[lenny 39]

6 hours ago, DigzTFC said:

 

Canada Soccer you earned this:

 

(with apologies to Kipling)

 

When you're wounded and left on Honduras' fields,

And the Catrachos come out to try to explain,

Jest roll to and fro and cry out in pain,

    An' appeal for a foul like a CONCACAFer.

 

[Alex 987]

There was a time not long ago when a team like this would have been equivalent to our best squad. We are looking good!

[Shway 3,234]

2 hours ago, CanadaFan123 said:

No doubt Okello is good but Priso got first team minutes over him at TFC and is 2 years younger. End of day Baldisimo had a better 2020 than both though.

Hey I like Baldy....I really do. He's not here today, but he'll definitely be part of the U24 (I hope).
Priso was a revelation, he clearly was performing in training in which he made his way into the team. But mind you, Okello was out on loan, before TFC signed Priso.

[Shway 3,234]

12 minutes ago, Alex said:

There was a time not long ago when a team like this would have been equivalent to our best squad. We are looking good!

Aint that the truth....the fact that there's no NCAA guys or Unattached FC players is the testament. Also the fact that we are having conversations about guys who played substantial minutes with MLS and were not called. These are some special times. 

[SpursFlu 2,687]

Let me take a stab at this 

Laryea Cornelius Halbouli Gutierrez

                  Piette MAK

                     Osorio

Corbeanu                 Flores

                   Cavallini 

[Obinna 8,595]

48 minutes ago, SpursFlu said:

Let me take a stab at this 

Laryea Cornelius Halbouli Gutierrez

                  Piette MAK

                     Osorio

Corbeanu                 Flores

                   Cavallini 

switch Cornelius and Halbouli and looks good. 

[SpursFlu 2,687]

57 minutes ago, Obinna said:

switch Cornelius and Halbouli and looks good. 

Really I felt good about everything but the 2 CB positions I just threw a couple darts against the wall 

[Obinna 8,595]

52 minutes ago, SpursFlu said:

Really I felt good about everything but the 2 CB positions I just threw a couple darts against the wall 

Oh yeah, nothing wrong with those 2 options, I just meant you'd probably want to swap them so that Cornelius is on his stronger left foot. Just nitpicking. 

[Pottsy3 438]

Haven’t been active on the forum much in 2020 but I had to come back after this roster announcement. 
 

I love the CB pool called in. It’s the position I am least confident in, and I would love to see what we have in Halbouni/Sturing/Waterman challenging the young “veterans” in Miller/Cornelius. Assuming Henry is in the mix and James is brought back into the fold, the guys in this camp are fighting for their opportunity to get called in for important WC qualifying matches in 2021.

I’m getting major Fraser Aird vibes from Cristian Gutierrez. Breaks into a huge club in his ancestral country at a young age and attracts attention from another national team. Doesn’t reach high expectations the next few years forcing a loan to Vancouver. Nothing too impressive in some fullback action at Vancouver and switches to represent Canada. Nonetheless, happy to have him on board.

 

 

Side note: I’m really pulling for Halbouni since I recently learned he played for my alma mater Western University in my graduating year. 

Edited December 24, 2020 by Pottsy3

[dyslexic nam 9,908]

9 hours ago, Shway said:

Aint that the truth....the fact that there's no NCAA guys or Unattached FC players is the testament. Also the fact that we are having conversations about guys who played substantial minutes with MLS and were not called. These are some special times. 

The best part for me is that we will never be in that unenviable situation again.  With the CPL pipeline, the MLS academies and first teams, and our top talent always destined for Europe, our current standards for making the team should be the baseline minimum going forward.  It is always a crapshoot when it comes to how many truly elite players we will have in the mix, but the average level of talent across the senior squad has increased and I don’t see that ever going backwards from where we are now.  

[Unnamed Trialist 5,792]

15 minutes ago, dyslexic nam said:

The best part for me is that we will never be in that unenviable situation again.  With the CPL pipeline, the MLS academies and first teams, and our top talent always destined for Europe, our current standards for making the team should be the baseline minimum going forward.  It is always a crapshoot when it comes to how many truly elite players we will have in the mix, but the average level of talent across the senior squad has increased and I don’t see that ever going backwards from where we are now.  

I think one of the untold stories here is what is happening with our player agents, and agencies. If you have a proper agent you should not be Unattached, if you are pro there should always be other pro opportunities. As long as you are willing to move to play. But you need a proper structure of agents and 15 years ago ours was very weak. 

Just the simple fact of agents getting work via CPL, with modest contracts, means they are getting experience, their revenue streams in Canada itself have picked up, and with all the experience that goes along with this.

[Aird25 1,268]

13 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

I think one of the untold stories here is what is happening with our player agents, and agencies. If you have a proper agent you should not be Unattached, if you are pro there should always be other pro opportunities. As long as you are willing to move to play. But you need a proper structure of agents and 15 years ago ours was very weak. 

Just the simple fact of agents getting work via CPL, with modest contracts, means they are getting experience, their revenue streams in Canada itself have picked up, and with all the experience that goes along with this.

I get the sense that southern Ontario is beginning to have decent scouting and agents but the rest of Canada still lags. Pacific’s roster is half signed to one agency. Loads of promising young players, but they haven’t found a single opportunity for their players outside of CPL. Alberta and Quebec may be further along than BC too

[CanMNT Memes 87]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CJL0W-4p7K8/

 

[Olympique_de_Marseille 2,772]

Do you guys remember this photoshop from 2017 from @Moldy9 ?

 

On 1/20/2017 at 4:05 PM, Moldy9 said:

Since you wanted one so bad I made two for ya and why not considering today is a historical day, it's going to be huuuge, it really is:

 

 

If either @Moldy9 or @CanMNT Memes or somebody else is good with video editing, here is a clip of MAK saying he likes poutine  :

 

 

[SpursFlu 2,687]

2 hours ago, Aird25 said:

I get the sense that southern Ontario is beginning to have decent scouting and agents but the rest of Canada still lags. Pacific’s roster is half signed to one agency. Loads of promising young players, but they haven’t found a single opportunity for their players outside of CPL. Alberta and Quebec may be further along than BC too

I think one thing to consider is its a much bigger commitment for kids from BC to up and move to Europe to play football unless its a legit opportunity 

[top cheese 219]

Call a spade a spade this camp is just to give some of the younger guys and opportunity to get integrated into the team/ program. 

[Club Linesman 952]

Is it too early to start harassing the CSA to ensure these “games” are streamed?!?

[SpursFlu 2,687]

52 minutes ago, Club Linesman said:

Is it too early to start harassing the CSA to ensure these “games” are streamed?!?

Never too early 

[dyslexic nam 9,908]

1 hour ago, Club Linesman said:

Is it too early to start harassing the CSA to ensure these “games” are streamed?!?

Given how long I have been since we played a competitive match in any capacity I think it would be appropriate.  Nothing fancy - a few cameras and a YouTube stream.  But something. 

[RS 2,023]

The tweet announcing the roster has OneSoccer tagged in it. (Doesn't show up in the embed below, but if you click the photo it'll show up on the original tweet)

 

[Shway 3,234]

Great, now let’s hope we don’t have to make another payment to watch it...

[Obinna 8,595]

On 12/23/2020 at 9:41 PM, Alex said:

There was a time not long ago when a team like this would have been equivalent to our best squad. We are looking good!

In a thread on Big soccer one of the American fans described it as a "mid-table Hex team" and said it would be a "solid test". This was in the thread about their own January camp and there was speculating on whether or not they will play us.

Rumors of them playing Serbia have now surfaced in that thread as well, which we heard about on here a few days ago. Hopefully it comes true and we end up playing USA and PR.

[Lansdude 394]

[Stoppage Time 76]

Seven days to go! Any news on possible matches (training matches or otherwise)?

Also, in the case of any injuries in the squad, or withdrawals due to something unforeseen, who is next in line to be included in the camp roster?

For me, in no particular order, they are Michael Baldisimo, Mo Babouli (who should have been there in the first place - a very good soccer IQ combined with skill), and Mo Farsi.

What do you folks think?

And, Happy New Year!