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

[MM3/MM2/MM]

4 minutes ago, dyslexic nam said:

Someday I will buy you a beer. 

Hell, if we take 6 points in the next 2 games, I will drive to Deep River(?) and buy @El Hombre a beer.

Edited October 8, 2021 by MM3/MM2/MM

[Gian-Luca]

Best part of this result was taking two points off Mexico & thus keeping them within reach of the rest of the table. As we get Mexico off our plate rather early, I was wary that if they run away with the lead & qualify super-early they would play B team player against teams that we need them to beat late on in order to stay in the top 3. We just brought them down to earth a bit and in fact they don't even lead the table anymore on goal difference, so they now have to pummel the next two teams to get back on top.

I just wish Herdman had taken David off a bit earlier since it was obvious we were gassed and we'll need his legs on Sunday with our roster further depleted (although we do get Junior & Spooner back at least).

That fucking yellow on Laryea was ridiculous, that should have been a red for a Mexican and nothing for Laryea. I hate these discretionary yellows that you can't even appeal.

Edited October 8, 2021 by Gian-Luca

[dyslexic nam]

Just now, The Beaver 2.0 said:

I suspect we've all been suffering profound psychological trauma for far too long. It is a type of PTSD, being a fan of our national team for as long as we have.

We just aren’t used to being a good team.  And I don’t mean that to disrespect the boys  I have been watching for decades - but we have not been a WC quality team.  
 

I am still coming to grips with the idea that we might actually play in Qatar.  

[Onelessstar]

18 minutes ago, ADP10 said:

I’d be content with 5 but want 7

That appears to be my wife's opinion too.... 😐

[The Beaver 2.0]

Just now, Onelessstar said:

That appears to be my wife's opinion too.... 😐

Yikes, you might want to see a man about that. Get the ol' V. You cannot claim headaches the rest of your life.

[Floortom]

 

That generally aligns with my thoughts.

Thought most of the boys were good other than David who was really ineffective. Kaye even picked it up after a really poor first 30 minutes

 

[JamboAl]

24 minutes ago, El Hombre said:

Jesus Christ, man.  Did @Cblake not inflate your numbers enough?  Just give me the card and we'll call it even.

I mean, I'm playing with one arm tied behind my back due to @JamboAl shadow-banning me and Hawkguy blocking me.  This is garbage.

I’m not shadow banning you.  I’d like to actual banning you.  But you know where I live.

[jonovision]

Just now, Floortom said:

 

That generally aligns with my thoughts.

Thought most of the boys were good other than David who was really ineffective. Kaye even picked it up after a really poor first 30 minutes

 

Laryea way too high for me. He had major issues defensively.

[Floortom]

Just now, jonovision said:

Laryea way too high for me. He had major issues defensively.

I thought overall he was good defensively other than on the goal i suppose where he got caught. He was also a key part of a lot of the attack and getting forward so tough to expect him to be flawless defensively. 

[Unnamed Trialist]

So let's try some ratings, or at least comments (I hate grading)

Crepeau: absolutely no worries with him there. Really did not have to make great saves, just solid stops. Covered a lot of risky free kicks 2nd half. Even when taking goal kicks slowly, usually played out, confident. 

Vitoria: very solid, good in the air, and very fit tonight. A leader on the pitch. Probably had to take that yellow--or better to take it than not. Will play vs. Panama. If you say he was our best player, I am fine with that.

Kamal: for me much better tonight, perhaps not at all flashy and kept a low profile. But no errors, and did his job anonymously vs. tough rivals. 

Johnston: considering he often did not have help, he was pretty good covering wide. I mean, he really should not have had to be out there on Lozano or whoever all alone. Some bold tackles as usual. Very mature.

Laryea: he is quite a spark and has a lot of attitude. Had problems covering wide at times, again often needing help. Got forward well, but I think he could have more: at some point Davies had to shift inside to open up the channel for the LB. A minor lost opportunity. 

Eustaquio: if you watched 1st half carefully, they were keying on him to remove our outlet. Which is why Kaye saw the ball so much in the deeper buildup. For me a solid performance. His free kicks were better tonight, finally getting past the first defender. As commented, balls hang up and travel at altitude so that was tough to control, but he was dangerous for us on a day we did not have the Junior option.

Kaye: Well he had a few bad touches in the first minutes, but nothing fatal. He held up, was fit, often had to be a creative mid, got into tackles, did his DM job too. I was happy overall and pleased for him.

Osorio: Some would say he was lined up behind David, and it sure seemed like it. IN the high press he often traded off with the other Jono pushing up high. Very fit, some lovely dribbles, tactical nous. Also helps to have a Spanish speaker with these refs "salvadoreños". Great goal, real leadership. Okay: someone sign him in Europe, the guy deserves it.

Tajon: Did everything you could expect, should have had an assist and maybe a goal. Knowing what he could do, he still ran past and around defenders. Faded near the end, but kept his tactical positioning. Does he miss Jamaica? Then he's set for Panama.

Davies: Probably not his best game, as we only saw flashes. As often happens, you think he could do more just on pace. True, there were times he had literally four defenders come over to say hi to him, static deep up the left. That late counter he screwed up the pass, if it'd gone across to David with room....  Amazing pass on the goal, and frankly, I don't mind if he is a bit discreet if the team works, rather than have him forcing it.

David: probably our worst player. Pressured, helped defend, but his first touch was poor and he did not get into the game in attack. Just did not link insistenly with anyone else on the pitch. You can't always put it down to "service".

Subs: very confident seeing Sam come on, totally reliable and will see the pitch vs. Jamaica. Brym, for me, nothing special and what is worse: for ten minutes, you sprint when pressuring the ball, and he trotted. Don't get it. Personally, I think it is insulting Brym got minutes at Azteca when we have Ennin, or even when Tesho answered the call late the way he did in the GC. Millar: should have had more minutes as is reliable, stays in possession, helps in defense. Hope he starts for Tajon in Jamaica. Fraser: I don't know much about him, but he did have a fine header and seemed to do his job.

Herdman: an excellent job except after the chant break, which also hurt us in the GC. Not subbing and refreshing the team risked the result. The lineup was unarguable and he boldly sought the result 1st half, and then late. All subs were in the right spots. Found the Brym sub in distasteful, bad message to the rest of more deserving players. But think of the prep: was it obvious we were playing at that altitude?

Cornejo (ref): Objectively, he helped us. Did not shit his pants as they often do, was fairly unbiased, and did his job. I prefer a ref like this any day, glad for the reffing change.

[RS]

47 minutes ago, El Hombre said:

I think OneSoccer would sell more subscriptions if they had an Explicit channel with Hume just swearing a blue streak throughout the game.

"Fooking 'ell, what a sweet fookin' ball from Buchanan!"

The Roy Kent approach.

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

8 minutes ago, MM3/MM2/MM said:

Hell, if we take 6 points in the next 2 games, I will drive to Deep River(?) and buy @El Hombre a beer.

Wait... @El Hombre is in Deep River? El Hombre, I thought you had moved out from Ottawa to the Arnprior area...but that's like 130km past that!

@MM3/MM2/MM are you in Ottawa?

[An Observer]

31 minutes ago, Fullback said:

The boys have proven we should go for it every game no matter what.

Draws away to the US and Mexico, I can hardly believe it. Fate is in our hands at this point

I said that after the Gold Cup that if we went for it every game we would qualify as no way the sides in the region could stay with us over a 14 match round robin

[Cheeta]

42 minutes ago, spitfire said:

Great result!! Especially in Mexico at the Azteca!! It shows how far we have come as a footballing national that we are disappointed with only a draw!! Bring on Jamaica!! 
 

Mexico played with A LOT of respect out there for this side.  A genuine fear of surrendering goals.  What a difference that makes, eh?

[RS]

49 minutes ago, nolbertos said:

Also first time I hear Osorio speak.  Why does he speak with a Spanish accent, when talking to Canadian media??  I thought growing up here all his life he’d speaking more like a Canuck than anything eh 😛

He speaks like every other person raised in Brampton between the 80s and now.

[Macksam]

48 minutes ago, nolbertos said:

Great road point.  I don’t know if Mexico played so poorly or this Mexican team is the worst in decades because the Mexicans love to attack snd they defended way too much in this match IMO, I get the feeling Tata is going to get sacked before Herdman ever does, as the Mexican press going to crucify him.  Also didn’t know Canada tied at Azteca in 1980 WCQ, wow its been 41 years since Canada got a result.  

Well, there's also the fact that we're really good this time around.

[lenny]

1 hour ago, Corazon said:

Huge point for us but even better, it just means that Mexico will be forced to play out this qualifying longer than expected.  Thinking about late in qualifying vs some of those other teams we are competing with.

100%.

This is what people who say, "taking points from Mexico doesn't matter" forget.

[An Observer]

24 minutes ago, VinceA said:

Bruh remember when Floro was our coach and we had no hope going into any of our games?

You could always bet and win on the over under on how many defenders would see the pitch

[grigorio]

30 minutes ago, VinceA said:

Bruh remember when Floro was our coach and we had no hope going into any of our games?

Yes we tried to play conservative football looking for draws and lost. Now we look for wins and sometimes get draws. That’s the attitude shift we needed. 

[The Beaver 2.0]

1 minute ago, grigorio said:

Yes we tried to play conservative football looking for draws and lost. Now we look for wins and sometimes get draws. That’s the attitude shift we needed. 

But also we now have the talent!

[BearcatSA]

7 minutes ago, Cheeta said:

Mexico played with A LOT of respect out there for this side.  A genuine fear of surrendering goals.  What a difference that makes, eh?

It helps to have gamechangers on the attack, guys who can hurt you. 

I wish I had a screen shot of the 1 on 4 Davies faced on one play.  And Buchanon doubles the pleasure and doubles the fun.

[Cheeta]

33 minutes ago, wallflower said:

I always assumed JO was Italian - my apologies to the Italians.

So, then, I guess it's Brampish that we are hearing. 

I've often mussed at how linguisticly accute Atiba Hutchinson's kids must be. 

Mum's side is Danish, Dad's side are Trini, they're growing up in Turkey and Pops speaks Brampton. 

If a flying sauser ever lands anywhere and little green men disembark you're gonna want those Hutch kids around to translate. Do they speak Matian?  Nope, not a lick.  But they'll figure it out faster than anyone else born on this planet. I shit you not.  I'm talking minutes here.   

[Gian-Luca]

Sounds like some non-Canadians are impressed (although maybe Kilbane counts as one now?)

 

[Joe MacCarthy]

 

[Dominic94]

People say David isn’t effective and all, but I just don’t see many opportunities to get him involved.

we attack almost solely through Davies on the left, or Buchanan on the right, and then Hoilett when he’s there, we don’t really have much going ever through the middle, we play out wide, and we build from there. Until we get Arfield or Ferdi or someone who constantly play through balls for JD, I’m afraid we won’t ever find him effective against top teams. He’s not the Cavalini or Larin style striker who really scored off headers or chippy choppy stuff. He poaches and makes good runs. His goals come from plays up the middle, and We just don’t really do that.