Group F Opponent Watch (Belgium, Croatia, Morocco)

[El Hombre]

7 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

For Belgium, Tajon's teammates Mignolet in goal and Vakanen in the attacking midfield. 

Yes, they may not be starters, but still. They have Bruges players, so do we.

There's also Lille's Onana on the field as well.  He might also be the only Belgian on the field who isn't old enough to collect a pension.

I'll be interested to see how they match up against Poland and Wales.  Maybe this is a one-off, but they don't look unbeatable.

[Kadenge]

Belgium is not the same team without Lukaku. Plus their star keeper was not playing. The dutch played great soccer in the last Euros they just  could not score. They seem to have solved that. I agree though that Belgium's back 3 is a weak spot.

[toontownman]

Got one back at the death. 1-4 final score.

[Acid-Tone]

6 minutes ago, Kadenge said:

Belgium is not the same team without Lukaku. Plus their star keeper was not playing. The dutch played great soccer in the last Euros they just  could not score. They seem to have solved that. I agree though that Belgium's back 3 is a weak spot.

Not only that. We’re all so used to seeing Belgium having a lot more of the ball, and in more dangerous positions.  So the midfield didn’t look great out there either. 

Though I think it’s fair to question how much motivation some of these guys had today. (KdB basically said that he didn’t want to be there)

[InglewoodJack]

don’t even need to scout these minnows anymore. I need to figure out who Germany is gonna start against us in the quarters 

[Shway]

Belgium are the fake best (ranked) team.
Their golden generation is finished after this year by a shocking Canada defeat.

[Blondo]

3 hours ago, Acid-Tone said:

...Though I think it’s fair to question how much motivation some of these guys had today. (KdB basically said that he didn’t want to be there)

Yep, the lack of focus and effort was appalling. €100/person to go watch this abysmal display but luckily it was only the two of us. This is simply not on and let's hope the boos and whistling from the stands conveyed this message. Three more matches this window so our guys better bounce back quickly.

 

Edited June 4, 2022 by Blondo

[Gian-Luca]

 

[Gian-Luca]

FWIW:

 

[Gian-Luca]

I haven't been able to find Austria-Croatia highlights yet, every one I try turns out to be a video game collection.

Let's hope Canada doesn't continue the trend of Group F opponents losing by 3 goals in their first post-WC draw match

[Blondo]

3 hours ago, Acid-Tone said:

Not only that. We’re all so used to seeing Belgium having a lot more of the ball, and in more dangerous positions.  So the midfield didn’t look great out there either. 

I agree, it's not only the defence (although there are a couple things to say and I saw some dumb individual errors), but more generally speaking it's the lack of commitment of the whole team for the defensive tasks which is worrying. This defeat might be a good wake-up call. In the interviews after the game it sounded like the players finally got the message; now that Holland made it loud and clear. Better for us this happens now and these issues will be taken to heart ahead of Qatar.

In the middle 3rd the Dutch were usually much better positioned while Belgium not only were sloppy but allowed them acres of space. Lost possession in dangerous spots far too often and it was only a matter of time before the Dutch cashed in. Hardly anybody offered an outlet and that wasn't all Holland's doing.

Holland, and especially Van Gaal (who has a history with Belgium), came for a result. He didn't want to leave Van Dijk out for this one game (doesn't have to play the other three). Belgium, and Martinez, otoh used the game to give players some much needed match rhythm (Hazard, Meunier, Witsel, Lukaku was in a rut, ... and Onana made hisn debut).

[Unnamed Trialist]

22 minutes ago, Blondo said:

I agree, it's not only the defence (although there are a couple things to say and I saw some dumb individual errors), but more generally speaking it's the lack of commitment of the whole team for the defensive tasks which is worrying. This defeat might be a good wake-up call. In the interviews after the game it sounded like the players finally got the message; now that Holland made it loud and clear. Better for us this happens now and these issues will be taken to heart ahead of Qatar.

In the middle 3rd the Dutch were usually much better positioned while Belgium not only were sloppy but allowed them acres of space. Lost possession in dangerous spots far too often and it was only a matter of time before the Dutch cashed in. Hardly anybody offered an outlet and that wasn't all Holland's doing.

Holland, and especially Van Gaal (who has a history with Belgium), came for a result. He didn't want to leave Van Dijk out for this one game (doesn't have to play the other three). Belgium, and Martinez, otoh used the game to give players some much needed match rhythm (Hazard, Meunier, Witsel, Lukaku was in a rut, ... and Onana made hisn debut).

Any team that makes Memphis Depay look good is not doing its job.

[Gian-Luca]

Very harsh words from the ESPN panel about Belgium, but it seems to me that Belgium is unlikely to rest on the "laurels" of their defeat and not learn from or adapt to this

 

[Free kick]

3 hours ago, Gian-Luca said:

I haven't been able to find Austria-Croatia highlights yet, every one I try turns out to be a video game collection.

That is freaken annoying.  I dont know how or why Youtube allows that crap to be posted without proper disclosure in the titles.  
 

one video says its from sky sports. Looks like the exact logo.  Cant go wrong right?  Wrong, its another video game.

Edited June 4, 2022 by Free kick

[Free kick]

 

[Joe MacCarthy]

UEFA Nations League Croatia v Austria Highlights

[dhawk11]

5 hours ago, Gian-Luca said:

I haven't been able to find Austria-Croatia highlights yet, every one I try turns out to be a video game collection.

Let's hope Canada doesn't continue the trend of Group F opponents losing by 3 goals in their first post-WC draw match

I hate those video game highlights. Super annoying

[Gian-Luca]

This appears to work:

 

[narduch]

The UEFA.tv app has highlights 

[Brozosexual]

Croatia were actually pretty good in the first half, especially the first 30 minutes. Nothing spectacular, but were definitely the better team. Towards the end of the first half and especially since we conceded, though, things were seriously falling apart. I feel like they were too relaxed about it from the start and didn't really take it seriously. Once they conceded, they basically packed their bags and couldn't even be bothered.

Unfortunately Sosa also got some minor injury at half time, while Dalić's other subs in the second half were in general pretty stupid and pointless. Though I don't really think different subs would have made much of a difference anyway.

I thought Pongračić was shit. Also thought Ivušić didn't cover himself in glory for the third goal. People in our circles really blame Ćaleta-Car, but I personally thought Pongračić was much worse. The one thing that pissed me off with Car was the fact he was casually talking and laughing after this disaster show of a game. I'd like to see him benched just for that, if nothing else. Pongračić I'd like to actually see benched indefinitely, he's just a shit defender that masks it by being decent on the ball. Shame neither Gvardiol nor Lovren are there. The other kid I rate and would like to see debut for the senior side is also absent since he's with the u21s (almost scored an own goal in the game they bottled, lmao, but he's seriously good nontheless).

Thought Brozović and Pašalić were dog shit. Pašalić overall and Brozović in his defensive game. On the other hand, I thought Majer did great and Brekalo was decent. They were the two standouts.

It's difficult to predict how we'll do against France, especially after such a poor and in many ways Jekyll and Hyde performance, but I don't really see us getting blown out. I see a close game, one goal margin for either side or alternatively a draw. I think these doofuses will be much more pumped for France.

Edited June 4, 2022 by Brozosexual

[Unnamed Trialist]

13 minutes ago, Brozosexual said:

Croatia were actually pretty good in the first half, especially the first 30 minutes. Nothing spectacular, but were definitely the better team. Towards the end of the first half and especially since we conceded, though, things were seriously falling apart. I feel like they were too relaxed about it from the start and didn't really take it seriously. Once they conceded, they basically packed their bags and couldn't even be bothered.

Unfortunately Sosa also got some minor injury at half time, while Dalić's other subs in the second half were in general pretty stupid and pointless. Though I don't really think different subs would have made much of a difference anyway.

I thought Pongračić was shit. Also thought Ivušić didn't cover himself in glory for the third goal. People in our circles really blame Ćaleta-Car, but I personally thought Pongračić was much worse. The one thing that pissed me off with Car was the fact he was casually talking and laughing after this disaster show of a game. I'd like to see him benched just for that, if nothing else. Pongračić I'd like to actually see benched indefinitely, he's just a shit defender that masks it by being decent on the ball. Shame neither Gvardiol nor Lovren are there. The other kid I rate and would like to see debut for the senior side is also absent since he's with the u21s (almost scored an own goal in the game they bottled, lmao, but he's seriously good nontheless).

Thought Brozović and Pašalić were dog shit. Pašalić overall and Brozović in his defensive game. On the other hand, I thought Majer did great and Brekalo was decent. They were the two standouts.

It's difficult to predict how we'll do against France, especially after such a poor and in many ways Jekyll and Hyde performance, but I don't really see us getting blown out. I see a close game, one goal margin for either side or alternatively a draw. I think these doofuses will be much more pumped for France.

I guess Canada's task in Qatar is to ensure your mood doesn't change a bit. 

[Free kick]

12 hours ago, Joe MacCarthy said:

UEFA Nations League Croatia v Austria Highlights

that video wont load for me

[Joe MacCarthy]

58 minutes ago, Free kick said:

that video wont load for me

Works in FF and Brave

[NotCanadian]

[Blondo]

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2022/jun/05/canada-soccer-strike-panama-friendly-training

It sounds like Canada's players and your FA are fighting over money. In case this is true: “To be clear, the Men’s National Team demand was for 75-100 per cent of the World Cup prize money,” the statement said. “The Association, in an effort to adhere to the principle of pay equity, proposed 60 per cent of the Fifa World Cup prize money to be split between the two National Teams.” then the players are being really greedy.

Just to compare, for Russia2018 Belgium players initially only got 12.5% of prize money for the group stage; with "big bonuses" for making a deep run as an incentive (tbqh these sums are hardly noticeable on a player's bank account), up to 33% of the prize money for being crowned world champions in case they had managed/can achieve that extra-ordinary feat (same agreement for the Euros and Qatar2022). Germany players and so on receive an even lower percentage of prize money. It isn't really a percentage because, like Belgium, their agreement is also based on bonuses. If the Belgian FA had to give 60% to the players (men + women), then not getting out of the groups, like Germany in 2018, would be a financial death sentence (the bulk of the costs are incurred at an early stage, while sporting success drives revenue or lack thereof in case you don't get results).

40% going to the FA isn't much. According to the article they're even understaffed and I assume the money could make a world of difference for Canadian football and the development of young talents that one day may represent your country and pay it forward themselves. It even serves the self-interest of the current crop as it costs a lot to take a team + support staff to Qatar and provide the best possible conditions for this team to shine. Even at 40% for the FA they'll have to skimp in case they donot want to risk a lot of red ink. Besides doing well for country will add much more to a player's market value/future income and the prize money in Qatar = peanuts compared to the wages/other income that good players earn. They could view it as investing in their own future and the future of generations to come. They should view it as an honour to represent their country.