Road to Costa Rica - u20 World Cup

[Gian-Luca]

I am not sure if Russ Courtnall’s daughter was injured, but right now that is looking like one woeful substitution to take her out given the performance of Tse in the 2nd half

[Colonel Green]

LOL.

[BearcatSA]

Tough to watch.  Really tough.

[footballfreak]

Assuming this result holds, our stats in U-20 Women’s World Cups not played on Canadian soil:

• Qualified: 6/8
• Qualified for knockout rounds: 1/8 [2004 Thailand]
• Knockout games won: 0
• Overall record: 5 wins - 1 draw - 12 losses
• Last U-20 World Cup game won outside of Canada: 2012
• Last 3 tournaments: 0-0-5 (1 GF 17 GA)

 

[Colonel Green]

I'm confident nothing will come of this numerical advantage.

[Colonel Green]

Just to make sure this team leaves with zero dignity.

[footballfreak]

The last 3 games I’ve watched are U-20’s vs South Korea, Whitecaps @ Galaxy, and this. I think I may have to rethink my life choices.

Make that 1 GF, 18 GA in the last 5 games.

[Colonel Green]

Well, they managed to exceed my low expectations.

[footballfreak]

Think I’ll skip 0-4 vs Nigeria. 

[Gian-Luca]

Well we managed to get a better result on the night than the Americans did thanks to that Olivia Smith goal. Scraping the bottom of the barrel for positives, I know.

[BearcatSA]

10 hours ago, Gian-Luca said:

Well we managed to get a better result on the night than the Americans did thanks to that Olivia Smith goal. Scraping the bottom of the barrel for positives, I know.

The American keeper had a tough night, like ours.

The loss last night vs France is the only match I've watched in this tourney.  How has the level of play been in other tourney matches?  Is the heat and humidity a big factor for all teams?  The decision making and technique in this match were both really poor.  It was like watching an underwater tai chi class compared to previous U20 women's tourney matches I have had the opportunity to see.

[The Ref]

3 hours ago, BearcatSA said:

The American keeper had a tough night, like ours.

The loss last night vs France is the only match I've watched in this tourney.  How has the level of play been in other tourney matches?  Is the heat and humidity a big factor for all teams?  The decision making and technique in this match were both really poor.  It was like watching an underwater tai chi class compared to previous U20 women's tourney matches I have had the opportunity to see.

The ambient affect all the same more or less.  I've seen all the games of all the teams so far.  Canada looks as if we made a poor selection of players from the beginning.  Perhaps too many recommendations of friends and families instead of assessing skill and physical attributes.  Preparation needs more than just showing up.  The U.S. is not doing that much better either.  The local Costa Rica is weak but at least their playing makes sense.

[Gian-Luca]

4 hours ago, BearcatSA said:

The American keeper had a tough night, like ours.

The loss last night vs France is the only match I've watched in this tourney.  How has the level of play been in other tourney matches?  Is the heat and humidity a big factor for all teams?  The decision making and technique in this match were both really poor.  It was like watching an underwater tai chi class compared to previous U20 women's tourney matches I have had the opportunity to see.

I've only seen the two Canada games, which were each painful to watch, though moreso from a Canadian pespective and the fact that John Helm can't pronounce "Canuck" properly. The strange thing was the TSN lady crew was somewhat discouraged at half time against South Korea (which was also scoreless at the half) but positively beaming about the Canadian performance against France at half time. I couldn't see any discernible difference, the team had tremendous difficulty in stringing 4 passes together or advancing the ball in a meaningful way in both matches.

Canada giving up 5 goals in the second halves of games thus far and the lack of wits on the field from most players certainly suggests the NCAA development route is getting surpassed by the pro game overseas. The need for a women's pro league in Canada is clear, though the actual market for a pro women's league is very murky IMO.

[Colonel Green]

2 hours ago, The Ref said:

Canada looks as if we made a poor selection of players from the beginning.  Perhaps too many recommendations of friends and families instead of assessing skill and physical attributes. 

On what basis would you assume that there are a bunch of better players who were left off the team?

1 hour ago, Gian-Luca said:

The need for a women's pro league in Canada is clear, though the actual market for a pro women's league is very murky IMO.

I think "murky" is generous, unfortunately.

I would be much more optimistic about the idea of Canada having a domestic league if we had an established, successful women's hockey league, but we do not. If hockey can't hack it, I don't rate soccer's odds very highly.

[The Ref]

1 hour ago, Colonel Green said:

On what basis would you assume that there are a bunch of better players who were left off the team?

 

Obviously on the basis of the results.  I've been to ID camps where some players are selected based on who you know and political influences.  I've seen such players have a short career because they were never good enough.  Maybe things have not changed that much.  If I am off my rocker and my meds, I apologize.

[Free kick]

I am watching Mex-Ger now.   It incredible to think that Mexico (if the score holds) will eliminate Ger and advance to the knockout stage.   There is no way that Mexico should be better than us in Women's soccer

Edited August 17, 2022 by Free kick

[red card]

39 minutes ago, Free kick said:

I am watching Mex-Ger now.   It incredible to think that Mexico (if the score holds) will eliminate Ger and advance to the knockout stage.   There is no way that Mexico should be better than us in Women's soccer

 

In women's youth football, Mexico is now ahead of Canada. Ranked 2nd in u20s and first in u17s in Concacaf. 

In both u20 & u17, Canada finished behind US & Mexico in the last 3 Concacaf qualifers. 

In the last 3 FiFA u20 (including 2022), Canada didn't qualify for one and placed lower than Mexico in two. In the 10 FIFA u20 tourneys, Mexico has placed higher in 5, Canada in 3 and 2 were basically equal.

In the last FIFA u17 (2018), Mexico defeated Canada 1-0 in the semis.

[Colonel Green]

I watched parts of the New Zealand-Colombia and Brazil-Costa Rica games last night. The former was easily the most even game I've watched in this competition, lots of fun plays by both teams.

 

[Gian-Luca]

A 3-1 loss finishes the tourney for us. I missed everything but injury-time goal from Nigeria to make it 3-1. Looks like we took an early lead on a total gift from the Nigerian keeper although credit Novak for her effort:

 

[The Ref]

Canada U20 not better than a Club team, but at least they scored 2 goals.

[red card]

Quarters have good rep from the regions: 2 Conmebol, 2 UEFA, 1 CAF, 1 AFC & 1 Concacaf. Maybe we'll see a new winner as only past winner left is Japan - but they have probably been the best team.

Concacaf's showing was weak as Costa Rica was the worst team & Canada was third worst. US only got a win against the second worst team. Mexico was the only Concacaf team to control play mentally, play combination/first touch plays and had the least number of one dimensional players - but they don't know how to put away their chances.

Linda Caicedo of Colombia looks to be the breakout star. She has looked good here after looking good at Copa America.

For Canada, it was the same as usual aside from 2014 when they played in Canada and made it to the quarters with a team that included Sheridan, Buchanan, Lawrence, Fleming, Prince & Beckie. Canada hasn't qualified or got out of the group stage since 2004.

The difference was that under Herdman, the youth teams played with a identity that was the same as the senior team. This team played like a team that doesn't come from a football country. Nobody is ready to be on the 2023 World Cup squad. Not likely to see anyone do serious time for the senior team until they're playing pro. 

 

[Kent]

On 8/15/2022 at 3:26 PM, Gian-Luca said:

the fact that John Helm can't pronounce "Canuck" properly.

This. The first time he said it I had to think for a while to figure out what he said.

Very poor showing from Canada in this tournament. Top 3 players for me were, in no particular order, Zoe Burns, Jade Rose, and Olivia Smith. Hopefully they can contribute to the senior team somewhere down the line, but we shall see.

[footballfreak]

By the time the 2024 U-20 WC kicks off, it will be 10 years since Canada last won a finals match, and those matches were on home soil.

How is it possible for a gold medal winning program at the senior level, that consistently hangs around in the top 10, is composed of graduates of a U-20 program that comes nowhere close to that bar? I would say we’re in terminal decline that will reach the senior team soon, except we still seem to be ticking along okay - bedding in talented young players into the senior team at a steady tick.

Something’s gotta give though. Either the talent pipeline is drying up, or the CSA are bungling squad selection and management. Either way, these repeated three-and-out tournament showings (or worse) are back breaking for the program. It’s not hard to foresee more and more Sydney Leroux/Flores sisters scenarios playing out in the future if the gap continues to widen.

[red card]

7 hours ago, footballfreak said:

By the time the 2024 U-20 WC kicks off, it will be 10 years since Canada last won a finals match, and those matches were on home soil.

How is it possible for a gold medal winning program at the senior level, that consistently hangs around in the top 10, is composed of graduates of a U-20 program that comes nowhere close to that bar? I would say we’re in terminal decline that will reach the senior team soon, except we still seem to be ticking along okay - bedding in talented young players into the senior team at a steady tick.

Something’s gotta give though. Either the talent pipeline is drying up, or the CSA are bungling squad selection and management. Either way, these repeated three-and-out tournament showings (or worse) are back breaking for the program. It’s not hard to foresee more and more Sydney Leroux/Flores sisters scenarios playing out in the future if the gap continues to widen.

The u20s play like they're behind in their development since they don't play/train enough with just NCAA + possibly League 1, didn't get proper coaching at earlier age groups and play against weak &/or one dimensional competition.

Nevertheless, there is a reasonable amount that have made the senior team as there seems to be late bloomers, play better with better players &/or develop more once they're in a pro environment.

Of the 60 person senior squad listed for the recent WCQ, the only ones who didn't play for a Canada youth team are Gilles, Lacasse, Viens, Alidou, Hellstrom & Pridham. Many Quebecois which shows there was (and maybe still) a blind spot. It also may show that the Euro leagues are better at identifying & developing talent than NWSL.

The backbone of the current team is from the seven players of the 2014 u20 team that made the quarters playing in Canada + veterans from youth teams of the early aughts. 

From the 2016 u20 team, Rose is a senior team regular and 4 have been selected on/off (Carle, St-Georges, Stratigakis & Proulx). 5 are pros.

From the 2018 u20 that didn't qualify, Riviere, Huitema & Grosso are senior team regulars. Carle & Stratigakis were also on this team. 4 are pros.

For those who say Canada's youth team selections are way off, it isn't evident based on the senior Canadian player pool ex Quebec players. Instead, given the number of youth women playing, Canada's senior team player pool shows we aren't producing enough in numbers and not enough elite players (regular starters in the top clubs of the top 4 Euro leagues or regular contributors for NWSL teams). The US has many more players that don't get selected to their youth teams but more of them end up in the NWSL, blossom and make the senior team. 

 

Edited August 20, 2022 by red card

[The Ref]

Yesterday had not it been for the VAR Colombia could have won against Brazil.  The lengthy delay of the guys in the Var reveals that even them could not easily come to conclusions.  At the end they overrule the field referee and I wonder if refereeing via television is better than on-the-field where the referee cannot only see the fault close, but see body language, expresions and consistency of players inclined to foul and hide their hand sort of speak.