WCQ: Mexico vs Canada - Thursday, Oct 7, 9:40pm Eastern / 6:40pm Pacific - Mexico City

[Free kick]

1 hour ago, trc2014 said:

Another analyst who wants to start Canada’s best available 11 against Mexico.  Am I missing something with this strategy?

Yup. I dont get it either,  thats the kind of lineup you play if you are playing a home game against a less heralded side and need lots of goals to improve your goal diff..  

 

its better to put Piette and Kaye somewhere in Central mid because it would really help in defending and counter attacking.  Thats whats needed, defend and counter attack.

Edited October 2, 2021 by Free kick

[A_Gagne]

I don't think Buchanan gets the start against Mexico. He's got too much to work on defensively. I think he'll be used as an impact sub.

Davies starts higher up the pitch IMO, as Mexico are unlikely to bunker and that also allows Sam to start behind him, giving Davies more of a free roll, or if we're really swinging for the fences, Laryea to create overlaps with Davies.

I'd start Junior up front, as I think he can make space for David better than our other options right now.

I'd play a back 4 as it allows Vitoria and Doniel to both play and IMO they're still our best two centerbacks. The downside is I can't remember the last time they played as a CB pairing together, but I still trust them more than Millar-Vitoria/Henry.

-----------JH----------

----AD----JO----JD---

------MAK----SE------

--SA---SV---DH--AJ--

----------MC---------

 

Edited October 2, 2021 by A_Gagne

[Floortom]

8 minutes ago, A_Gagne said:

I don't think Buchanan gets the start against Mexico. He's got too much to work on defensively. I think he'll be used as an impact sub.

Davies starts higher up the pitch IMO, as Mexico are unlikely to bunker and that also allows Sam to start behind him, giving Davies more of a free roll, or if we're really swinging for the fences, Laryea to create overlaps with Davies.

I'd start Junior up front, as I think he can make space for David better than our other options right now.

I'd play a back 4 as it allows Vitoria and Doniel to both play and IMO they're still our best two centerbacks. The downside is I can't remember the last time they played as a CB pairing together, but I still trust them more than Millar-Vitoria/Henry.

-----------JH----------

----AD----JO----JD---

------MAK----SE------

--SA---SV---DH--AJ--

----------MC---------

 

Once again, Junior Hoilett will not travel to Mexico.

[A_Gagne]

4 hours ago, Floortom said:

Once again, Junior Hoilett will not travel to Mexico.

Oops!

I guess David is up front.

[An Observer]

I suspect the following due to injuries, the conditions, the fact Hoilett can’t play, Cav is not fully fit and the hope that Larin/Hutch are actually coming and available for 2 or 3rd matches (honestly, I don’t see why we named to the side on Friday and Saturday they are out…seems a bit odd).

- - - - AD JD - - - - - 

- - - - - JO - - - - - - 

- - SA MK SE ZBG - - 

- - - KM SV AJ - - - -

- - - - -  MC - - - - - 

Buchanan, Laryea and Millar (and possibly Cav) as impact subs off the bench if we are in it at the 60 - 70 min market; or Brym or Shaffleburg in to save legs if we are out of it

In either scenario, one or more of Fraser, Wotherspoon and Piette in to save legs in the center.

Cornelius and Henry saved for Jamaica as they matched up better with a physical side.

Hoilett to start also against Jamaica, and Cav to be an impact sub off the bench possibly with Larin and Hutch if they actually do travel.

[shorty]

Whether he’s carrying a knock or not, I think Cav has to start in Mexico. David, Davies, etc MUST be starters for the next two games and running them from the start risks that. Also, it’s backwards — attempting to overwhelm the Mexican back line with David and Davies for 60 with Cav coming on late won’t be as effective as having Cav muscle them and body them for 60 followed by the speedsters. Plus, Cav knows many of the Mexican players well from Liga MX and has likely played at Azteca more than anyone, and he was always likely to get fewer minutes in Jamaica and Toronto anyway, barring injuries (knock on wood). Anyways, that’s my two cents.
 

Agreed that the calls to throw out the A team right away are bizarre. Hopefully the brotherhood mantra prevails over the egos that just want to play every minute. In fairness, it’s a message JH has to finesse. Players do need to believe they can beat any team and yet you also need to sell them on Gambler ethic, ie know when to hold’em, etc. 

[trc2014]

3 minutes ago, shorty said:

Whether he’s carrying a knock or not, I think Cav has to start in Mexico. David, Davies, etc MUST be starters for the next two games and running them from the start risks that. Also, it’s backwards — attempting to overwhelm the Mexican back line with David and Davies for 60 with Cav coming on late won’t be as effective as having Cav muscle them and body them for 60 followed by the speedsters. Plus, Cav knows many of the Mexican players well from Liga MX and has likely played at Azteca more than anyone, and he was always likely to get fewer minutes in Jamaica and Toronto anyway, barring injuries (knock on wood). Anyways, that’s my two cents.
 

Agreed that the calls to throw out the A team right away are bizarre. Hopefully the brotherhood mantra prevails over the egos that just want to play every minute. In fairness, it’s a message JH has to finesse. Players do need to believe they can beat any team and yet you also need to sell them on Gambler ethic, ie know when to hold’em, etc. 

I wish it was as easy as this.  Whitecaps say Cav isn’t ready for Mexico, he’s not playing.

Edited October 3, 2021 by trc2014

[shorty]

1 minute ago, trc2014 said:

I wish it was as easy as this.  Whitecaps say Cav isn’t ready for Mexico, he’s not playing.

Officially? Missed that.
 

I did read here that Hoilett wasn’t coming to Mexico and that the Besiktas boys were staying with the club, but not that Cav was ruled  ineligible (knew he was injured though, obviously). Bummer.  
 

With Borjan (who I would assume is not travelling yet) does that make 5 total that are called but not really called because they can’t appear in every or any game? Fuck’s sakes…. I get why JH would still call them because you never know if the situation might change, particularly with day to day injuries and govt policies, but still. 

[trc2014]

12 minutes ago, shorty said:

Officially? Missed that.
 

I did read here that Hoilett wasn’t coming to Mexico and that the Besiktas boys were staying with the club, but not that Cav was ruled  ineligible (knew he was injured though, obviously). Bummer.  
 

With Borjan (who I would assume is not travelling yet) does that make 5 total that are called but not really called because they can’t appear in every or any game? Fuck’s sakes…. I get why JH would still call them because you never know if the situation might change, particularly with day to day injuries and govt policies, but still. 

Sorry - meant IF they say, which seems very possible given him not in the line-up last night.

[shorty]

Got it. Understand your post now.

It’s fascinating to think about the three way dance of bargaining/negotiations about playing time with clubs/players/national team. Caps would be justified in leaning on the MNT to let Cav recover because they need him, but on form and recent results, do they, really? But would JH call them out for that, and how, tactfully? And Cav is surely chomping at the bit to get on the field with a team for whom he has produced more recently than his home club, in a country where he really excelled. 

[Sal333]

If most of you want to keep the double Ds in reserve and Cavallini is unavailable why not try Schaffelburg? He has played a little CF and he can run like the wind. With Millar, Z.B.G and/or Laryea on the wings you have enough speed up top to have the RCMP file an arrest warrant. If at the end of 60, a win or tie is still in our grasp then you can apply the finishing touches with David, Davies and Buchanan.

Edited October 3, 2021 by Sal333

[shorty]

Honestly I think that’s a good time and use for him. The only difference is the experience in Azteca Cav would bring and the physical nature. (No Akindele is really the only real surprise for me in this squad. Ennin vs Brym is.. meh). In terms of having a placeholder that gives your starters 60 minutes of rest and possibly gives the Mexican back line something to think about I think Shaff is a good call. 

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

I just can't see how Borjan can be ready for this match.

Herdman needs to name a 4th keeper for this squad.

I wish we knew who got those "standby" emails.

Edited October 4, 2021 by Olympique_de_Marseille

[kacbru]

Assuming the injured players are unavailable and a worse case scenario where all of Adekugbe, Buchanan, Kaye, Laryea and Vitoria pick up yellow cards in the Mexico game, how do you pick a team for the Jamaica game out of this?

GK: Crepeau, Pantemis

DF: Henry, Davies, Miller, Johnston, Cornelius, ZBG

MF: Piette, Osorio, Estaquio, Fraser, Wotherspoon

FW: Hoilett, David, Millar, Brym, Shaffelburg

You would think that Herdman will be using the 5 with yellows strategically to avoid this risk, and that must play a significant role in how he goes about managing minutes across all three games.

[Tyson M]

9 minutes ago, kacbru said:

Assuming the injured players are unavailable and a worse case scenario where all of Adekugbe, Buchanan, Kaye, Laryea and Vitoria pick up yellow cards in the Mexico game, how do you pick a team for the Jamaica game out of this?

GK: Crepeau, Pantemis

DF: Henry, Davies, Miller, Johnston, Cornelius, ZBG

MF: Piette, Osorio, Estaquio, Fraser, Wotherspoon

FW: Hoilett, David, Millar, Brym, Shaffelburg

You would think that Herdman will be using the 5 with yellows strategically to avoid this risk, and that must play a significant role in how he goes about managing minutes across all three games.

I know that's supposed to be frigtening but... I could still pick a decent squad for Jamaica in this worst case scenario.

[kacbru]

2 minutes ago, Tyson M said:

I know that's supposed to be frigtening but... I could still pick a decent squad for Jamaica in this worst case scenario.

Out of those options, Davies, David, Hoilett, Estaquio, Johnston, Henry and Miller are ones I would want to rely on and are also key to the must-win game vs. Panama.  So I think it provides a good indication of whose minutes might be managed conservatively against Mexico (Hoilett aside obviously).

[CanadaFan123]

23 minutes ago, kacbru said:

Assuming the injured players are unavailable and a worse case scenario where all of Adekugbe, Buchanan, Kaye, Laryea and Vitoria pick up yellow cards in the Mexico game, how do you pick a team for the Jamaica game out of this?

GK: Crepeau, Pantemis

DF: Henry, Davies, Miller, Johnston, Cornelius, ZBG

MF: Piette, Osorio, Estaquio, Fraser, Wotherspoon

FW: Hoilett, David, Millar, Brym, Shaffelburg

You would think that Herdman will be using the 5 with yellows strategically to avoid this risk, and that must play a significant role in how he goes about managing minutes across all three games.

It’s hilarious that even in that worst case scenario I wouldn’t be worried about fielding a competitive side. 
 

This only lends weight to the notion that we should go for it every match. One thing is certain, we only have 11 more games to earn points. We can’t waste any of them.. particularly when we have a side that believes they can win any game. Let them do that. 

Edited October 4, 2021 by CanadaFan123

[Cblake]

1 hour ago, Olympique_de_Marseille said:

I just can't see how Borjan can be ready for this match.

Herdman needs to name a 4th keeper this squad.

I wish we knew who got those "standby" emails.

Can he even board a plane at this point, would be be allowed too I wonder. 

 

[dyslexic nam]

34 minutes ago, kacbru said:

Assuming the injured players are unavailable and a worse case scenario where all of Adekugbe, Buchanan, Kaye, Laryea and Vitoria pick up yellow cards in the Mexico game, how do you pick a team for the Jamaica game out of this?

GK: Crepeau, Pantemis

DF: Henry, Davies, Miller, Johnston, Cornelius, ZBG

MF: Piette, Osorio, Estaquio, Fraser, Wotherspoon

FW: Hoilett, David, Millar, Brym, Shaffelburg

You would think that Herdman will be using the 5 with yellows strategically to avoid this risk, and that must play a significant role in how he goes about managing minutes across all three games.

if that was the pool of players we had available for the trip to Jamaica, you can field a damn strong starting 11:
 

                     Crepeau

      Johnston - Henry - Miller

            Eustaquio - Piette

ZBG————-Oso ————— Davies 

                 David - Hoilett

That is a strong defence, and only subs in Henry for Vitoria from the trio that played most of the GC - and I suspect Jamaica is a fast strong team, so that might be advisable anyway.  In mid, you omit Kaye and plunk in Piette for added defensive stability in a double pivot with Staq.  And on the right side, ZBG slides into that two way outside Buchanan role, which would be a good fit for the way he plays in Montreal. Lastly, the pairing of Hoilett and David up top is a very strong striking duo.  

Obviously there are guys you would normally have on the field if we had everyone available,  but even with maximum yellow accumulation in Mexico I would be confident we could get a result with a starting 11 like this. 

Edited October 4, 2021 by dyslexic nam

[CanadaFan123]

46 minutes ago, dyslexic nam said:

if that was the pool of players we had available for the trip to Jamaica, you can field a damn strong starting 11:
 

                     Crepeau

      Johnston - Henry - Miller

            Eustaquio - Piette

ZBG————-Oso ————— Davies 

                 David - Hoilett

That is a strong defence, and only subs in Henry for Vitoria from the trio that played most of the GC - and I suspect Jamaica is a fast strong team, so that might be advisable anyway.  In mid, you omit Kaye and plunk in Piette for added defensive stability in a double pivot with Staq.  And on the right side, ZBG slides into that two way outside Buchanan role, which would be a good fit for the way he plays in Montreal. Lastly, the pairing of Hoilett and David up top is a very strong striking duo.  

Obviously there are guys you would normally have on the field if we had everyone available,  but even with maximum yellow accumulation in Mexico I would be confident we could get a result with a starting 11 like this. 

That would be damn good and we’d even have depth off the bench.  

Edited October 4, 2021 by CanadaFan123

[davey_twelve]

Does it make sense to have a heavy MLS based roster for this first match? Is the multiple time zone travel going to be a factor for those not based in NA? I know some people saw that as an issue in the first window.

[mrstepp817]

On 10/2/2021 at 1:11 PM, Kadenge said:

I trust Herdman with player management. He is meticulous on details. We did well in window 1 by getting the tie away v USA. Not many had predicted that, but we did drop 2 points v Honduras. So we are  down net 1 point from what would have been expected results 5 v 6. The other team results were surprising and help us, but at the end , I feel we still need to pick up the 1 point we "dropped". So where do we pick up that 1 point?   I agree  we need to focus on Jamaica and Panama. I'm not sure JH uses the same strategy he did v Mexico in the 2019 GC.

Winning away at Jamaica and then winning at home would make up for the dropped point

[Floortom]

Some of the players arrived in Mexico last night while the rest are travelling today. I guess they’re not going to an intermediary location which makes sense 

[Pottsy3]

Any news about viewing parties yet? I’m travelling through Vancouver that night and am hoping not to be limited to my iPad for the match.

[Cblake]

16 hours ago, kacbru said:

Assuming the injured players are unavailable and a worse case scenario where all of Adekugbe, Buchanan, Kaye, Laryea and Vitoria pick up yellow cards in the Mexico game, how do you pick a team for the Jamaica game out of this?

GK: Crepeau, Pantemis

DF: Henry, Davies, Miller, Johnston, Cornelius, ZBG

MF: Piette, Osorio, Estaquio, Fraser, Wotherspoon

FW: Hoilett, David, Millar, Brym, Shaffelburg

You would think that Herdman will be using the 5 with yellows strategically to avoid this risk, and that must play a significant role in how he goes about managing minutes across all three games.

I would love to see Shaff get the opportunity, this kid has been a treat to watch for the Reds this season since Perez has given him an opportunity. He has taken advantage of it and made the most of it, scoring three goals and assisting on three others. He runs really well too. What a great kid, could not be more happier for him.