Canada Pre-World Cup "friendlies" thread: news, gossip and speculation.

[SpecialK]

CSA is incompetent and run by part time amateurs with Zero checks and balances and real vision. The board of Directors is a joke. From the sex scandals in Vancouver, lack of vision to promote players and sell merchandise to the whole Oz crazy Circus, lack of transparency and giving keys to both programs without any oversight to herdman, lack of media and promotion and announcements, lack of planning of Friendlies ( this has been a problem for years !!! ). They have no idea what they are doing. 

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

53 minutes ago, Shway said:

Quiet silence

Silence is usually pretty quiet @Shway 🤫

54 minutes ago, Shway said:

only to find out that some thing was planned but didn't have for reasons for a-z.

Yes.. yes.., we remember the rumours from October/November 2020 of a Euro-based camp and the 2021 Camp Poutine where we didn't actually play anybody...

If this is a repeat of that situation I will be the first to 💩 on the CSA,but I think it more likely that in this case the CSA is just being slow.

[Shway]

1 hour ago, Olympique_de_Marseille said:

Yes.. yes.., we remember the rumours from October/November 2020 of a Euro-based camp and the 2021 Camp Poutine where we didn't actually play anybody...

If this is a repeat of that situation I will be the first to 💩 on the CSA,but I think it more likely that in this case the CSA is just being slow.

Meanwhile they were quick to launch Red + White + Gold + Black + Blueballs...
I totally get the fact that they like to move in silence, and that doesn't typically mean "nothing is happening".
But they still have to move "different" than they used to, too change perceptions, and that hasn't.

My main issue with these lack of announcements is that it doesn't give fans enough time to prepare/plan/or book.
It's always a last minute scramble to rearrange this, or cancel that because everything is always so fluid with these guys and there's always a reason or challenge that only WE (CSA) seem to face.

Our first CNL game is less than 5 weeks away, and maybe there is a friendly before....do you know how annoying it is explaining to the wife last minute "I'm going to Vancouver next weekend".... "wait, for what"..."a Canada game" "wtf, why am I hearing this now"...."oh because ......"

I can't be the only one who would experience that.

Edited May 4, 2022 by Shway

[SpecialK]

2 minutes ago, Shway said:

Meanwhile they were quick to launch Red + White + Gold + Black + Blueballs...
I totally get the fact that they like to move in silence, and that doesn't typically mean "nothing is happening".
But they still have to move "different" than they used to change perceptions, and that hasn't.

My main issue with these lack of announcements is that it doesn't give fans enough time to prepare/plan/or book.
It's always a last minute scramble to rearrange this, or cancel that because everything is always so fluid with these guys and there's always a reason or challenge that only WE (CSA) seem to face.

Our first CNL game is less than 5 weeks away, and maybe there is a friendly before....do you know how annoying it is explaining to the wife last minute "I'm going to Vancouver next weekend".... "wait, for what"..."a Canada game" "wtf, why am I hearing this now"...."oh because ......"

I can't be the only one who would experience that.

Or learning from opponents media/social media. 

[kacbru]

Did no one see that the CSA was fined by FIFA for fan behaviour in WCQ?  I think it was 50k swiss francs?  You can't expect to pay that and have friendlies...

[Shway]

14 minutes ago, kacbru said:

Did no one see that the CSA was fined by FIFA for fan behaviour in WCQ?  I think it was 50k swiss francs?  You can't expect to pay that and have friendlies...

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

42 minutes ago, Shway said:

But they still have to move "different" than they used to, too change perceptions, and that hasn't.

Agreed.

43 minutes ago, Shway said:

My main issue with these lack of announcements is that it doesn't give fans enough time to prepare/plan/or book.

100% Agree!

And you're in the GTA right? I'd complain about being in Ottawa but imagine those like @dyslexic nam out in PEI!

49 minutes ago, Shway said:

explaining to the wife last minute "I'm going to Vancouver...I can't be the only one who would experience that.

Just tell your wife you swore a collective holy vow to the players "Weeee... love you. We love you. We love you. And where you go we follow, we follow, we follow"

I'm am sure she will take it well when you confess your undying love for the team and that you are compelled to follow them and to shower them in adoration.

[Rougeisthecolour]

1 hour ago, Shway said:

Meanwhile they were quick to launch Red + White + Gold + Black + Blueballs...
I totally get the fact that they like to move in silence, and that doesn't typically mean "nothing is happening".
But they still have to move "different" than they used to, too change perceptions, and that hasn't.

My main issue with these lack of announcements is that it doesn't give fans enough time to prepare/plan/or book.
It's always a last minute scramble to rearrange this, or cancel that because everything is always so fluid with these guys and there's always a reason or challenge that only WE (CSA) seem to face.

Our first CNL game is less than 5 weeks away, and maybe there is a friendly before....do you know how annoying it is explaining to the wife last minute "I'm going to Vancouver next weekend".... "wait, for what"..."a Canada game" "wtf, why am I hearing this now"...."oh because ......"

I can't be the only one who would experience that.

You are not alone. I have to submit days off work a month in advance. Flights cost more closer to the date, hotels fill up etc.. I have given up attending any games in the June window., friendlies or NL.  I travelled short notice to the Jamaica match as I already had the time off work but not happening for me this time. My flight was a crazy price to Toronto not doing it again 3 months later. 

I am now lookng towards the Tuesday, March 28, 2023 match vs. Honduras. Hopefully the city and ticket sales are announced well in advance of the actual match.

The CMNT has many fans outside the big markets and those in the big markets that will travel to other markets but hard to always be in a holding pattern in regards to booking travel. Just my 2 cents.

[An Observer]

5 hours ago, Shway said:

Meanwhile they were quick to launch Red + White + Gold + Black + Blueballs...
I totally get the fact that they like to move in silence, and that doesn't typically mean "nothing is happening".
But they still have to move "different" than they used to, too change perceptions, and that hasn't.

My main issue with these lack of announcements is that it doesn't give fans enough time to prepare/plan/or book.
It's always a last minute scramble to rearrange this, or cancel that because everything is always so fluid with these guys and there's always a reason or challenge that only WE (CSA) seem to face.

Our first CNL game is less than 5 weeks away, and maybe there is a friendly before....do you know how annoying it is explaining to the wife last minute "I'm going to Vancouver next weekend".... "wait, for what"..."a Canada game" "wtf, why am I hearing this now"...."oh because ......"

I can't be the only one who would experience that.

There is a hidden benefit to this in that you can always go to Vancouver with your mistress last minute and just tell your wife that its due to the CSA scheduling - as always - the footie match last minute...and the best part, she will believe it

[El Hombre]

So there are two main topics going around:

1) We need a friendly in June to prepare for the World Cup, and
2) Nations League is the perfect time to bring some new faces in to see how they perform.

Do these two ideas not run counter to each other?

Assuming the idea of a friendly is to see how your top team stacks up against another top team, this would mean that the friendly is only really useful if you bring your first choice squad.  However, given that it is unlikely that we will bring an expanded squad or a split squad for the friendly and the nations league game, that gives little room to bring new faces in.  Also, it would be surprising to bring in some key players for the friendly but then ask them to sit during the games against Curacao or Honduras.  I think just on the Northern Futbol podcast yesterday, I heard names like Mitrovic, Waterman, Dias, Paton, Corbeanu, MacNaughton, Chung, Gutierrez, Halbouni etc all be put forward as candidates for the NL games.  You would only be able to bring in one, maybe two given the above.

So, which is more important?  Top-tier friendly or new faces in the squad for Nations League?

[TGAA_Star]

For me it would be both but I would honestly lean more towards having friendly matches because you are going to your first World Cup in almost 4 decades.

[Shway]

1 hour ago, El Hombre said:

So there are two main topics going around:

1) We need a friendly in June to prepare for the World Cup, and
2) Nations League is the perfect time to bring some new faces in to see how they perform.

Do these two ideas not run counter to each other?

Assuming the idea of a friendly is to see how your top team stacks up against another top team, this would mean that the friendly is only really useful if you bring your first choice squad.  However, given that it is unlikely that we will bring an expanded squad or a split squad for the friendly and the nations league game, that gives little room to bring new faces in.  Also, it would be surprising to bring in some key players for the friendly but then ask them to sit during the games against Curacao or Honduras.  I think just on the Northern Futbol podcast yesterday, I heard names like Mitrovic, Waterman, Dias, Paton, Corbeanu, MacNaughton, Chung, Gutierrez, Halbouni etc all be put forward as candidates for the NL games.  You would only be able to bring in one, maybe two given the above.

So, which is more important?  Top-tier friendly or new faces in the squad for Nations League?

I’ve suggested this:

- An expanded squad to 30 guys 🤭
- First team plays the friendly (1-16)
- Fringe first and new players play the Curaçao game (16-30)
- First team and standouts return for Honduras 

[TGAA_Star]

1 minute ago, Shway said:

I’ve suggested this:

- An expanded squad to 30 guys 🤭
- First team plays the friendly (1-16)
- Fringe first and new players play the Curaçao game (16-30)
- First team and standouts return for Honduras 

This I prefer 

[El Hombre]

1 minute ago, Shway said:

I’ve suggested this:

- An expanded squad to 30 guys 🤭
- First team plays the friendly (1-16)
- Fringe first and new players play the Curaçao game (16-30)
- First team and standouts return for Honduras 

While that would be great, I think it all falls apart at the first item on your list.  I'm not saying that's what I want, just going by what we have seen in the recent past.

[Shway]

1 hour ago, El Hombre said:

While that would be great, I think it all falls apart at the first item on your list.  I'm not saying that's what I want, just going by what we have seen in the recent past.

reason for the emoji.

....sad we always expect the bare minimum. Money can't be the excuse anymore either.

[Califax]

15 hours ago, Shway said:

Our first CNL game is less than 5 weeks away, and maybe there is a friendly before....do you know how annoying it is explaining to the wife last minute "I'm going to Vancouver next weekend".... "wait, for what"..."a Canada game" "wtf, why am I hearing this now"...."oh because ......"

I can't be the only one who would experience that.

So true.

I have - as it stands - a couple upcoming trips and could squeeze this game in depending where it is. 
Just watching the trajectory of flights prices mirror my blood pressure while my wife's opinion of me heads in the other direction. 

 

[Ally McCoist]

 

[narduch]

Saw somewhere else the Iran game may be in Canada or Qatar. Perhaps that game will be in November right before the World Cup

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

1 hour ago, narduch said:

....or Qatar. Perhaps that game will be in November right before the World Cup

That would be interesting because Iran plays England on November 21st and we play Belgium on November 23rd.

It would need to be early enough that Iran feels that their players got a proper amount of rest.

With the amount of people who have left Iran for Turkey since the revolution, we could play that match in Beşiktaş' stadium and fill it.

[LazyGru]

2 hours ago, narduch said:

Saw somewhere else the Iran game may be in Canada or Qatar. Perhaps that game will be in November right before the World Cup

As an Iranian, I can tell you with 99% certainty that any scheduled friendly with Iran will not occur due to complete incompetence by Iranian Football Federation.

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

7 minutes ago, LazyGru said:

As an Iranian, I can tell you with 99% certainty that any scheduled friendly with Iran will not occur due to complete incompetence by Iranian Football Federation.

And that is a strong statement coming from someone with "Lazy" in their username! 🤣

[Bison44]

10 minutes ago, LazyGru said:

As an Iranian, I can tell you with 99% certainty that any scheduled friendly with Iran will not occur due to complete incompetence by Iranian Football Federation.

So you could say that, Federation wise we are brothers???  I fell your pain Lazygru.  

 

[TOCanada115]

1 hour ago, Olympique_de_Marseille said:

That would be interesting because Iran plays England on November 21st and we play Belgium on November 23rd.

It would need to be early enough that Iran feels that their players got a proper amount of rest.

With the amount of people who have left Iran for Turkey since the revolution, we could play that match in Beşiktaş' stadium and fill it.

Herdman said after the draw that he didn’t want to play a friendly in November before the tournament. Needed those days to get the team ready for the tournament. 

Any friendlies would be at the beginning of June, or in September. 

[Sal333]

1 hour ago, LazyGru said:

As an Iranian, I can tell you with 99% certainty that any scheduled friendly with Iran will not occur due to complete incompetence by Iranian Football Federation.

Couple that with the CSA's stellar performance and we can safely say this friendly will be played in Oct 2027.

[Bison44]

We really need to expand the pool.  Call in a couple extra guys for those CL games.  Get several of the Dias, halbouni, Paton, Corbeanu kinds of guys there and get them integrated into the team "brotherhood".  You never know who is going to be hurt come fall.  And this ride isnt going to stop after 2022, and they'll prob be the guys pushing the maple leaf even further for the next 4 years eh?  It would be nice if this new found winning culture imprinted on as many guys as possible.