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

[narduch]

8 minutes ago, Shway said:

Cblake has entered the chat.🤣

It's not a thread title, it's a sentence.

[EJsens1]

What a waste of time right now playing these donkeys again when we should be playing friendlies against better competition to prepare for Qatar. So typical 

[apbsmith]

2 minutes ago, EJsens1 said:

What a waste of time right now playing these donkeys again when we should be playing friendlies against better competition to prepare for Qatar. So typical 

I was literally just saying that with my buddies. Hopefully Curacao brings all their Dutch Euros. Curacao prolly the most similar(not really) to our WC group at least, just compared with almost all the other teams in the draw.

Edited April 5, 2022 by apbsmith

[N1ckbr0wn]

Oh how the times have changed 🤣 a year or so ago we would’ve been breaking down our chances against the likes of Curacao or Honduras. Now we’re all “what a waste of time, give us Brazil or England” 😅

[Redpunkfiddle]

11 minutes ago, EJsens1 said:

What a waste of time right now playing these donkeys again when we should be playing friendlies against better competition to prepare for Qatar. So typical 

Typical isn't quite the word I'd use for these times, not yet at least ;} but understood.

Edited April 5, 2022 by Redpunkfiddle

[EJsens1]

7 minutes ago, N1ckbr0wn said:

Oh how the times have changed 🤣 a year or so ago we would’ve been breaking down our chances against the likes of Curacao or Honduras. Now we’re all “what a waste of time, give us Brazil or England” 😅

I get what you’re saying, but it’s true. The priority for this region should be about improving our chances and preparation for the teams in Concacaf to succeed in Qatar. This isn’t helping, particularly in a time where we’ve barely had the opportunity to play outside of our region because of a condensed schedule and Covid.  I appreciate the importance of the nations league but this is a blunder IMO.

Edit..I can’t lie, but having to play Honduras again of all teams just pisses me off even more 

Edited April 5, 2022 by EJsens1

[N1ckbr0wn]

27 minutes ago, EJsens1 said:

I get what you’re saying, but it’s true. The priority for this region should be about improving our chances and preparation for the teams in Concacaf to succeed in Qatar. This isn’t helping, particularly in a time where we’ve barely had the opportunity to play outside of our region because of a condensed schedule and Covid.  I appreciate the importance of the nations league but this is a blunder IMO.

Edit..I can’t lie, but having to play Honduras again of all teams just pisses me off even more 

Oh for sure, I agree. I just think it’s funny 😂

[Shway]

I like the draw. 

Honduras is definitely going to be in a rebuild. So I expect to see a lot of new young guys, and no more Maynor.
Curacao is on the "rise", however looking at their roster and our b roster would be equivalent to what I see.

I still prefer we use this to rest some guys, and blood in new talent.

[Kent]

Toughest/easiest groups to call a winner.

League A, Group B the toughest, Group D is the easiest.

League B, hard to say which is the toughest to call but probably Group B. Maybe T&T should have the easiest time in Group C. Really I think League B should have some fascinating results.

League C, Group A I think is the hardest to call because all the teams (I believe) are very bad. Puerto Rico should stomp their competition easily in Group D. They will probably have the most lopsided results of any team in any league.

[Ally McCoist]

1 hour ago, EJsens1 said:

I get what you’re saying, but it’s true. The priority for this region should be about improving our chances and preparation for the teams in Concacaf to succeed in Qatar. This isn’t helping, particularly in a time where we’ve barely had the opportunity to play outside of our region because of a condensed schedule and Covid.  I appreciate the importance of the nations league but this is a blunder IMO.

Edit..I can’t lie, but having to play Honduras again of all teams just pisses me off even more 

I'm not sure how the planning and logistics of setting up friendlies work, but you would think the heads of CONCACAF would do everything in their power to help the 3 federations in setting of marquee friendlies. Instead, here we are awaiting a potential match against Curacao, who's not even a top 8 CONCACAF team. Whoopee...

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

1) Do not underestimate Honduras. In the Octagonal we had 6 wins and one draw at home. The draw was against Honduras

2) Panama had trouble getting by Curaçao in WCQ.

Both teams are teams we can lose against, especially away.

Edited April 5, 2022 by Olympique_de_Marseille

[Shway]

4 minutes ago, Olympique_de_Marseille said:

1) Do not underestimate Honduras. In the Octagonal we had 6 wins and one draw. The draw was against Honduras

2) Panama had trouble getting by Curaçao in WCQ.

Both teams are teams we can lose against, especially away.

That was sheer nerves, and a game we should've won.
That draw was also our first game of the Octagonal against our demon, AND it was our only non-win at home.

Honduras is a wash.
Panama overachieved.

[gigi riva]

I d rather us play bigger competion but like I said I am hoping that Herdman calls up some new faces, and on a side note that young lady that hosted the draw was cute,

[OhCanadaOhBaby]

12 hours ago, El Hombre said:

The only thing I can figure is because you don't get any Fifa points.

 

12 hours ago, Jedi Ram said:

Cause they are not FIFA members, thus regardless of our games with them we get no FIFA ranking points.

Martinque, Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Bonaire, Saint Martin and Sint Maarten are non-FIFA members.

 

12 hours ago, Shway said:

So we get no actual FIFA points

Checks out, thank you three. 

[Shway]

This is our fringe/b team depth chart.

 

[YorkRegionFan]

25 minutes ago, Shway said:

This is our fringe/b team depth chart.

 

Is this team good enough to beat the Hondura or Curaçao?  With the speculated friendly coming at the end of the window, I am wondering if Mr. Herdman would be calling up most of the guys we used in qualifiers, plus 4 or 5 unproven players.  The two NLL games would be a mix of the core players and unproven players, with an eye of playing the main core players in the friendly.

[Shway]

11 minutes ago, YorkRegionFan said:

Is this team good enough to beat the Hondura or Curaçao? 

Going based off their most recent rosters, I believe so. 

I think Honduras is in a rebuild, however their attack can still be dangerous (although we didn't see it) with Ellis, Quitto, and Lozano. 

Curacao's team would be equivalent to the squad listed. A lot of their guys are journeymen or playing in Erestedivise.
Now, like Jamaica if they get their duals nats to show up...could bring a different challenge. But in their current state, I think we can compete with that squad.

[Shway]

My thinking is....if we are thinking we can compete in our World Cup group stage against Belgium, Croatia, and Morroco with out A squad. Isn't it backwards to think that we couldn't compete against Curacao, and Honduras with a fringe squad? 

IMO we need to see our attack without the 4 key guys in David, Davies, Larin, and Buchanan. 

[Obinna]

1) Happy with the draw

2) Still on the fence about what kind of squad we should take.

1. Honduras and Curacao will be a challenge (see below). I am not sure we how much we can (or will) rotate.
2. The rumored friendly suggests our core will be participating. You're not going to play a WC prep game without having at least most of the players there who'll be in the WC. 
3. We still need to build the depth in this program. The foundation is there, but giving players like Brym, Fraser, ZBG and Schaffleburg games in competitions that matter is what's needed to trust and lean on them moving forward.
   1. To that end, we possibly need to split the squad in 2023 with NL finals and GC in 2023, so we need depth.
4. If we don't use this chance to blood some new players, then when will we do this? NL finals or GC 2023, when we are aiming for silverware? Easier to blood them now, arguably. 

3) Honduras are better than their WCQ record. @Shway we may or may not see a fringe squad.

1. For starters, the U20 concacaf tournament is being played at the same time (roughly). They'll want to keep their good record in youth competitions going. Continued qualification for youth world cups is critical for them.
2. Secondly, they have nothing else to play for. This is their big competition for 2022, so the core will be there. I am betting on most of the core (Elis, Quioto, Lozano, Acosta, Najar, etc.) being there. 
3. Figuora is the only significant player I can think of who'll be phased out. Am I missing anyone else?
4. They've already begun phasing in several players from their successful U-23 squad, so it's not as if wholesale changes are needed.
5. Honduras played a NL semi-final less than 12 months ago (and acquitted themselves well).
6. I think 2019/21 NL Honduras are closer to the "true" Honduras than the dumpster fire we saw more recently, because you know how these things work, you get some bad breaks and fall behind in the standings early, and then once you're close to that suck hole murphy's law kicks in and before you know it you have nothing to play for. This is a fresh competition, a new start, and there'll be motivation to make up for the failure. 

4) Curacao are an exciting draw. We cannot look past them. They took Panama to the brink. They would have been an honorable Ocho team, had they made it. They have the ability to strengthen with recruitment. 

 

TLDR: Tough, but exciting group. We'll have to be at our best. We may see an A squad with a sprinkling of fringe/newbies.

Edited April 5, 2022 by Obinna

[TGAA_Star]

I just hope Canada can win some silverware especially since we are one of the top teams in CONCACAF 

[Obinna]

I have struck out the 3 players who will most obviously need a rest.

If we really want to get fresh faces in here, we could stretch it and say David is out due to impending transfer. Everyone else from this list should be ready to go, barring injury.

We can make it simple and say Davies comes in for David. Who else makes the squad?

• Hasal for Borjan?
• Waterman for Vitoria?
• Piette for Hutchinson?

This would omit Corbeanu, Akinola, Paton, and Brault-Guillard, not to mention finding room for Mitrovic or Jebbison if either decides now is the time to commit to Canada. While those dual nationals are very much anyone's guess, it would be very hard to leave out those 4, maybe less so for ZBG, but the other 3 are all overdue a run in the team. 

At the same time, if everyone else is available who do you leave off? Who from that list will you tell they are surplus to requirements? I know most of us want some fresh faces, but the more I think about it the harder it will be to do. Not easy for Herdman, that's for sure. 

We never want our guys injured, but a few slight knocks to some guys would make this a lot easier. 

[Obinna]

^To follow up on that, I think I would bring Paton in and keep Piette out. I know it's harsh, but the fact he's out now makes it easier to keep him out to bring Paton in. 

I find it difficult to believe Akinola wouldn't be involved if he's playing and scoring, but I don't see the path unless we carry an extra player. It's easy to drop Cavallini from our armchairs, but I am going to assume Herdman won't drop a fit Cavallini to simply take a look at Ayo. More likely he makes an exception and brings both. 

[VinceA]

7 minutes ago, Obinna said:

^To follow up on that, I think I would bring Paton in and keep Piette out. I know it's harsh, but the fact he's out now makes it easier to keep him out to bring Paton in. 

I find it difficult to believe Akinola wouldn't be involved if he's playing and scoring, but I don't see the path unless we carry an extra player. It's easy to drop Cavallini from our armchairs, but I am going to assume Herdman won't drop a fit Cavallini to simply take a look at Ayo. More likely he makes an exception and brings both. 

Another worry for Akinola is even if he's fit again Jimenez has been on fire and a fantastic fit for TFC so far. Akinola might have his work cut out for him when he returns. Not a bad thing though he'll have to earn it. But I think it is a big upward climb to get to the WC, especially with guys like Cavallini not really having to worry about their place (as far as we've seen with Herdman).

[RJB]

18 hours ago, EJsens1 said:

What a waste of time right now playing these donkeys again when we should be playing friendlies against better competition to prepare for Qatar. So typical 

How quickly we forget!  We were the donkeys not so long ago.  Just as we dream of Brazil, and England, so too can these countries dream of Canada as an opponent.  We cannot let this success go to our head, and we owe it to these teams just as others owed it to us for so long.  Seriously, why the arrogance?  

Now all of a sudden we're too good for our region!?  It's time to give our collective heads a shake and remember where we came from.  

 

[nfitz]

20 hours ago, Ally McCoist said:

Montserrat pot 4? Didn't they have a couple upsets in the last few years?

Are you thinking of Martinique?