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Group F Opponent Watch (Belgium, Croatia, Morocco)


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1 hour ago, TGAA_Star said:

Just watching ESPN FC and the pundits on there when it comes to Canada say that Canada are entertaining and that we are and have been consistent but they don't have Canada coming out of the group 

I wouldn't worry about it. Their opinions have no effect on the results of the matches.

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11 minutes ago, Sal333 said:

I wouldn't worry about it. Their opinions have no effect on the results of the matches.

That's true but that basically they said Canada is there to make up the numbers and honestly I could see why they would believe that. Especially since we haven't been to a World Cup in 36 years and also knowing the competition they said we are going up against, that due to our tournament inexperience we don't go far. I mean sure could we win a game? Possibly but to get 2nd in this group knowing Morocco and Croatia's quality yeah of course we match up against them but enough to beat those teams? It is a toss up 

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2 hours ago, TGAA_Star said:

That's true but that basically they said Canada is there to make up the numbers and honestly I could see why they would believe that. Especially since we haven't been to a World Cup in 36 years and also knowing the competition they said we are going up against, that due to our tournament inexperience we don't go far. I mean sure could we win a game? Possibly but to get 2nd in this group knowing Morocco and Croatia's quality yeah of course we match up against them but enough to beat those teams? It is a toss up 

Both the USA and Mexico have better FIFA rankings than Croatia and Morocco. We tied both those teams away and beat them at home. Those pundits haven't been paying attention to Canada and that's just fine with me. It'll be sweet when we move on to the round of 16.

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2 minutes ago, Sal333 said:

Both the USA and Mexico have better FIFA rankings than Croatia and Morocco. We tied both those teams away and beat them at home. Those pundits haven't been paying attention to Canada and that's just fine with me. It'll be sweet when we move on to the round of 16.

Yeah and if that happens we could go up against Germany or Spain 

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30 minutes ago, Sal333 said:

Both the USA and Mexico have better FIFA rankings than Croatia and Morocco. We tied both those teams away and beat them at home. Those pundits haven't been paying attention to Canada and that's just fine with me. It'll be sweet when we move on to the round of 16.

The US and Mexico rankings are based on the fact that FIFA generously awards points for playing a confederation final (Gold Cup) and winning it. And now, more recently, same with Nations League. Basically all we have to do going forward is play Gold Cup and Nations League finals, regularly draw and beat Mexico and the US in doing so. 

Regularly means over a decade, decade and a half. We win a Gold Cup and a NL before the end of the decade, and play finals, that'd lock us into low 20s and we'd see the Mexicans and US in mid to high teens.

Frankly, given their recent successes, it is odd Costa Rica could never win a Gold Cup.

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5 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

The US and Mexico rankings are based on the fact that FIFA generously awards points for playing a confederation final (Gold Cup) and winning it.

This. Is Mexico good? Of course, but take the team's FIFA ranking with a grain of salt. 

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51 minutes ago, TGAA_Star said:

Yeah and if that happens we could go up against Germany or Spain 

And that's where I see it ending. This team has it to get out of the group but after that we need miracles and last time I checked Canada was a secular country. So no miracles for us.

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Apologies if it has already been posted, but to prepare for their playoff match, against either Australia or the UAE, Peru will play Morocco in a friendly match in Spain. A good match for us to get a look at the Moroccan team.

It will be played at Stadi Cornellà-El Prat aka RCDE Stadium in Barcelona on Sunday, June 5th. So if @Unnamed Trialist is in town that day and free, he can be our scout ;)

https://www.futbolperuano.com/seleccion/noticias/peru-enfrentara-a-marruecos-en-amistoso-previo-a-duelo-de-repechaje-al-mundial-qatar-2022-346466

 

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3 minutes ago, Olympique_de_Marseille said:

Apologies if it has already been posted, but to prepare for their playoff match, against either Australia or the UAE, Peru will play Morocco in a friendly match in Spain. A good match for us to get a look at the Moroccan team.

It will be played at Stadi Cornellà-El Prat aka RCDE Stadium in Barcelona on Sunday, June 5th. So if @Unnamed Trialist is in town that day and free, he can be our scout ;)

https://www.futbolperuano.com/seleccion/noticias/peru-enfrentara-a-marruecos-en-amistoso-previo-a-duelo-de-repechaje-al-mundial-qatar-2022-346466

 

Peru vs Morocco...then I wonder why Canada can't be in talks to play any friendlies against other nations? Apparently USA they are trying to schedule a friendly against my country of Ghana, against the Black Stars. It has been talked about especially amongst us Ghanaians.

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2 minutes ago, TGAA_Star said:

Peru vs Morocco...then I wonder why Canada can't be in talks...

Patience @TGAA_Star , we are in talks.

It's just that we must remain in North American in June for CNL matches and it is super easy and close for Morocco to travel to Barcelona + it makes sense for Peru to make a stopover in Spain on their way to Qatar.

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On 4/9/2022 at 12:52 PM, TGAA_Star said:

Just watching ESPN FC and the pundits on there when it comes to Canada say that Canada are entertaining and that we are and have been consistent but they don't have Canada coming out of the group 

The Euros on the panel don’t seem to rate the Americans either.  Most Europeans have all the European teams advancing to the Round of 16, as they do every World Cup.  And it’s always an upset if a non-Euro team makes it through at their expense.  Mexico and US have excellent records making it out of the group stage over the last 20 years… only once (US in 2006) have they not.  So I don’t think that it would be out of the question, after winning the qualifying, that we get out of the group stage either.

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12 hours ago, TOcanadafan said:

The Euros on the panel don’t seem to rate the Americans either.  Most Europeans have all the European teams advancing to the Round of 16, as they do every World Cup.  And it’s always an upset if a non-Euro team makes it through at their expense.  Mexico and US have excellent records making it out of the group stage over the last 20 years… only once (US in 2006) have they not.  So I don’t think that it would be out of the question, after winning the qualifying, that we get out of the group stage either.

Yeah but against Belgium that opening game is key

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15 hours ago, Olympique_de_Marseille said:

Apologies if it has already been posted, but to prepare for their playoff match, against either Australia or the UAE, Peru will play Morocco in a friendly match in Spain. A good match for us to get a look at the Moroccan team.

It will be played at Stadi Cornellà-El Prat aka RCDE Stadium in Barcelona on Sunday, June 5th. So if @Unnamed Trialist is in town that day and free, he can be our scout ;)

https://www.futbolperuano.com/seleccion/noticias/peru-enfrentara-a-marruecos-en-amistoso-previo-a-duelo-de-repechaje-al-mundial-qatar-2022-346466

Thanks, had not seen that. 

I was at the Spain-Albania friendly a few weekends ago in that same stadium, great venue. Albania surprised me, in any case you can never take any team for granted.

Also: there are fairly large immigrant communities of both Peruvians and Moroccans in greater Barcelona--30,000 from Peru, ten times that from Morocco--so they should get out, as long as they don't gouge on prices. I'd go if it worked out for me. 

I personally prefer playing a rival either at home or in their country, to get the pressure of the opposing fans, which is why I'd favour us playing in North Africa before the WC.

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I spotted four members of the Croatian speed skating team as I walked back to my car from the short track speed skating world championships at Arena Maurice Richard in Montreal yesterday. They were in front of the Universel Hotel, the host hotel for the event, taking photos of themselves with Olympic Stadium in the background. I yelled across the street to them, "We're going to beat you in Qatar!" There was no reaction from them, but I felt better for saying it! 

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2 hours ago, Treppy2 said:

I spotted four members of the Croatian speed skating team as I walked back to my car from the short track speed skating world championships at Arena Maurice Richard in Montreal yesterday. They were in front of the Universel Hotel, the host hotel for the event, taking photos of themselves with Olympic Stadium in the background. I yelled across the street to them, "We're going to beat you in Qatar!" There was no reaction from them, but I felt better for saying it! 

Love that area … spent an absurd number of hours at the Viau Metro station in my life … damn that brings back a flood of memories!

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I just popped in to say that I watched Morocco twice (AFCON semi vs Egypt and 1st leg vs DRC) and they were terrible. Unimaginative, dour and not very good. Obviously very limited sample size, but I'm really not scared of them.

It's too bad, because it's the country on my mother's and my in-law's side, so I wish I could cheer them on. Maybe the group goes "full Daniel" and both Canada and Morocco go through! 😅

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Well Canada we are outsiders to the point where we stick out like a sore thumb almost so there is that. Plus Belgium we know their quality of Hazard, De Bruyne, Lukaku, Courtois, Tielemans stars all around. Croatia yes they have an aging team but they are still lethal in their attack with players like Kramaric, Kovacic, Modric and their defense is hard to break down too with players like Lovren, Vida, etc.

 

Morocco yes they have Hakimi but I'm not worried. But if they get Ziyech back in the fold, then Canada may be in trouble.

 

But Canada with our young squad, we do have speed from Davies and David and teams will try to cope with that. But also our free kick specialist on set pieces in Eustaquio and then we still have Larin who was and is lethal on a good day especially if given an opportunity to score.

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16 hours ago, Treppy2 said:

I spotted four members of the Croatian speed skating team as I walked back to my car from the short track speed skating world championships at Arena Maurice Richard in Montreal yesterday. They were in front of the Universel Hotel, the host hotel for the event, taking photos of themselves with Olympic Stadium in the background. I yelled across the street to them, "We're going to beat you in Qatar!" There was no reaction from them, but I felt better for saying it! 

Did you yelled it in English or French? If in English l'Office quebecois de la langue francais will be looking for you to teach you a lesson.

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10 hours ago, footballfreak said:

Give these guys a follow. Good overview of the group from outsiders who actually rate us. Also shout out to them for having great production values for such a small channel.

Wow! These guys have stronger rose-coloured glasses than I do. I simply have Canada going to the the round of 16. These guys have them topping the group!

They sound like my friend.  He gave up watching Canada for the longest time and then last year I convinced him to give them another go. After the first game he was impressed exactly like these two. He maintained this team can beat any team. He still maintains that and like these two he does qualify his prediction with they need a little bit of good luck.

Edited by Sal333
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12 hours ago, Daniel said:

I just popped in to say that I watched Morocco twice (AFCON semi vs Egypt and 1st leg vs DRC) and they were terrible. Unimaginative, dour and not very good. Obviously very limited sample size, but I'm really not scared of them.

It's too bad, because it's the country on my mother's and my in-law's side, so I wish I could cheer them on. Maybe the group goes "full Daniel" and both Canada and Morocco go through! 😅

I watched the 1st leg against Congo, and Congo should have scored 4 goals in that game. Small sample size, but I was left shocked that a team with players like that on Morocco, got worked by Congo. In the end, it ended 1-1, so IFS, ANDS, or BUTS I guess. 

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10 hours ago, footballfreak said:

Give these guys a follow. Good overview of the group from outsiders who actually rate us. Also shout out to them for having great production values for such a small channel.

Maybe they spend too much time harmonising with each other (a bit too rah-rah about the other's views), but there is something I like a lot: starting with Morocco. Really getting into Morocco, and having seen them play as well. That is cool, and more interesting. 

Then I listened to their Spain-Germany group analysis, and they spent a ton of time talking about New Zealand and even Solomon Islands, which I also thought was cool, prepping for the intercontinental playoff everyone assumes Costa Rica will take. 

If you do the underdogs first, and well informed, that lends a lot of credence to the message and raises the quality a lot. 

Still: they really did not analyse Canada at all, they said nothing to make you think they have a real idea how we play. 

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54 minutes ago, TOCanada115 said:

I watched the 1st leg against Congo, and Congo should have scored 4 goals in that game. Small sample size, but I was left shocked that a team with players like that on Morocco, got worked by Congo. In the end, it ended 1-1, so IFS, ANDS, or BUTS I guess. 

They have a world class free kicker though, don't they?  I seem to remember someone just scorching their kicks, and scoring one, or even more?  As I look for them online, it is clear that it is Hakimi.  He is a huge threat, all on his own, given the likely frequent opportunities.

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