CONCACAF Nations League 2022/2023 - General Thread - Group Stage

[RS]

1 hour ago, MtlMario said:

I do not know who proof reads these things (if anyone) but it's inexcusable. The March 25, 2022 game, they must have a time machine.

It's a tweet from a random fan account. 

People make mistakes.

[Sal333]

2 hours ago, MtlMario said:

I do not know who proof reads these things (if anyone) but it's inexcusable. The March 25, 2022 game, they must have a time machine.

Well, if you can have a crystal ball why can't the CSA have a time machine?

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

It is looking very VERY likely that BMO Field will host our home CNL match against Honduras in late March.

- TFC seem to be willing to play night games in March (starting March 11th) which sets a precedent for the #CanMNT
- TFC are playing away during the international window so the stadium is free and the pitch will hopefully not be too torn up
https://www.torontofc.ca/schedule/
- After playing Curaçao, it is easier, cheaper and faster to fly into Toronto and then onwards to Europe.
Everywhere else besides Hamilton or Vancouver is either too cold or too small to host this match in late March (except for the Big O, but the odds of playing there are slim)

Vancouver's schedule looks even more open at first glance https://www.whitecapsfc.com/schedule/ but it doesn't tell the whole story.
It looks like they are going to remove the pitch at BC Place during that whole block in March for
The Home + Garden Show from March 16th to 19th + setup + take down
https://www.bchomeandgardenshow.com/
A Red Hot Chili Peppers Concert on March 29th + setup + take down
https://www.bcplace.com/whats-on/2023/rhcp

It is a little premature, but the complaints about how Toronto hosts too many matches may now commence.  

Edited December 22, 2022 by Olympique_de_Marseille

[Redpunkfiddle]

I would also like to complain in advance  that 17,000 Curaçaoans showed up.

[Boominbooty]

This should be in Victoria. We are owed two games that were cancelled because of Covid. 

[devioustrevor]

4 hours ago, Boominbooty said:

This should be in Victoria. We are owed two games that were cancelled because of Covid. 

I doubt the Men's team will be playing in a stadium that small for at least a generation.

[devioustrevor]

Hopefully more news from both sides of that window is announced soon.  If the home game is in Toronto or Montreal I am thinking of flying down to Curacao for the away game and then attending the home game.  I already booked a week off of work.

[Alex]

Is it too early to say effff Honduras? Nah it’s never too early too late or inappropriate to say that. 

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

2 hours ago, devioustrevor said:

Hopefully more news from both sides of that window is announced soon.  If the home game is in Toronto or Montreal I am thinking of flying down to Curacao for the away game and then attending the home game.  I already booked a week off of work.

Why would they play this match at the Big O?

It is too early in the season to play at Saputo.

7 hours ago, Boominbooty said:

This should be in Victoria. We are owed two games that were cancelled because of Covid. 

True, Victoria is owed but it won't be in March 2023.

[InglewoodJack]

I am sadly nervous we screw around and lose points here. We shouldn’t pull any punches and just play this match at Saputo. Ice out Honduras and keep it moving.

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

2 hours ago, InglewoodJack said:

I am sadly nervous we screw around and lose points here. We shouldn’t pull any punches and just play this match at Saputo. Ice out Honduras and keep it moving.

As far as I understand,  the pitch won't be ready. They don't have the same setup as Allianz Field in Minnesota.

For big stadiums, that can host this game, it would be Toronto or Hamilton.

Edited December 21, 2022 by Olympique_de_Marseille

[InglewoodJack]

6 minutes ago, Olympique_de_Marseille said:

As far as I understand,  rhe pitch won't be ready. They don't have the same setup as Allianz Field in Minnesota.

For big stadiums, that can host this game, it would be Toronto or Hamilton.

Tim Hortons Field has a better set up than Saputo? Montreal’s first game last year at Saputo was April 16th, a little less than 3 weeks later than our nations league game would be. Those 3 weeks make a big difference in Montreal, but it would be cool to host a game here. 

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

30 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

Tim Hortons Field has a better set up than Saputo?

No but the Donut Box is much more winter ready. That is why we played there in January.

Like I said, I am convinced the game will be in Toronto but Hamilton would be a backup option. Only if Hamilton doesn't work would the CSA consider Montreal and the Big O.

[Obinna]

1 hour ago, InglewoodJack said:

I am sadly nervous we screw around and lose points here. We shouldn’t pull any punches and just play this match at Saputo. Ice out Honduras and keep it moving.

Didn't they recently play against the US in St. Paul in temperatures of 1 billion below Celsius? 

Hard for them to fear any other cold weather game after that, I am thinking.

...or maybe an entire generation of Honduran players will have ptsd. Hard to say which way it would go....

[Stoppage Time]

2 hours ago, Olympique_de_Marseille said:

Why would they play this match at the Big O?

It is too early in the season to play at Saputo.

True, Victoria is owed but it won't be in March 2023.

The Big O has turf the consistency of concrete does it not?

[InglewoodJack]

2 minutes ago, Stoppage Time said:

The Big O has turf the consistency of concrete does it not?

The last time I was on the field at the Big O, the Expos were playing literally on a green carpet over concrete. I’ve caught a few IMFC champions league games and the pitch did not look significantly nicer.

[Obinna]

5 hours ago, devioustrevor said:

I doubt the Men's team will be playing in a stadium that small for at least a generation.

I selfishly want a game on the West Coast so that I can easily fly in and out same day, but I have to agree that playing at Starlight (does it still go by that name?) is unlikely.

What about Winnipeg? That's a short flight from Alberta

It's also cold if you want to freeze out the Hondurans, and at 30k it has enough capacity. I imagine it is very available and you're probably only adding an hour of flight time versus going to Toronto.

...who am I kidding...this won't get played in the Peg...it's going to be in Toronto, isn't it?

[VinceA]

Wouldn't hate the matches being somewhere like Ottawa or Halifax. They need to spread games around.

[Obinna]

3 minutes ago, VinceA said:

Wouldn't hate the matches being somewhere like Ottawa or Halifax. They need to spread games around.

Ottawa would be kind of cool. They have the facilities for it. Halifax doesn't though. They won't play at Wanderers ground in March. 

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

29 minutes ago, Obinna said:

Ottawa would be kind of cool. They have the facilities for it.

Yes and no. It is a plastic pitch made for CFL. Yes, Atlético play on it but it looks like the #CanMNT don't want to. Also, it's likely to be a few degrees colder than Toronto.

I don't think the CSA want it to be too cold.

[JamboAl]

Anyone who is thinking of going to Curacao away, we will be reaching out to Canada Soccer in the new year about tickets.  One thing to consider, there are not very many flights to the island (I think it’s 4 a week: 3 Air Canada and 1 WestJet).  I would think about booking early or it could be Qatar pricing to get down there.

[Obinna]

10 minutes ago, Olympique_de_Marseille said:

Yes and no. It is a plastic pitch made for CFL. Yes, Atlético play on it but it looks like the #CanMNT don't want to. Also, it's likely to be a few degrees colder than Toronto.

I don't think the CSA want it to be too cold.

It's good enough for the women's team, so it should be good enough for the men, but I agree with you that it seems they don't want to play there. Weather that is too cold may negatively impact the attendance, but that's more reason to play out in Vancouver. Maybe something can be arranged despite the RHCP concert and whatever else is going on.

A side point - if we want to spread games to the rest of Canada this cycle, CFL venues in places like Ottawa and Winnipeg are going to have to be part of the equation. They already played in Hamilton which worked out okay, as did Commonwealth, which is more familiar venue despite being a CFL stadium.

The only CFL stadium I can think of which I don't see being used is MacMahon stadium and rightly so, I would say. 

[trc2014]

2 hours ago, VinceA said:

Wouldn't hate the matches being somewhere like Ottawa or Halifax. They need to spread games around.

Not for these must win games.  Canada has never lost a competitive match at BMO.

[Shway]

The game will be played in Toronto, and the West coast fans will go crazy.
We have to hope for a friendly to be booked, only till then will we might see a game played at BC Place.
 

[Watchmen]

10 hours ago, Shway said:

The game will be played in Toronto, and the West coast fans will go crazy.
We have to hope for a friendly to be booked, only till then will we might see a game played at BC Place.
 

I think the World Cup sort of resets the cycle.  I'm sure west coast fans would enjoy seeing a game, but I wouldn't put it in the "go crazy" category unless it happens consistently.