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

[Unnamed Trialist]

Good for them, pleased.

I don't think they'll take anyone who's not in the preliminary roster.

Then, a player might not be that interested in going all the way to Bahrein for a single match. As if it were a remote chance to get to Qatar but not really. Noone nursing a knock.

I'd expect any MLS player who's been to a call up, any of the u23 mix...the only out of season players not MLS being the odd CPL (Didic, Carducci) and Metcalfe in Norway. 

[CanadaFan123]

1 minute ago, An Observer said:

This could be a roster and possible starting squad

Crepeau

Johnston Waterman Miller

Laryea Piette Osorio Kone Shaffleburg

Cavallini Akinola

Bench

St. Clair

Henry

Brault Guillard

Edwards

Nelson

Kaye

Choiniere

Russel Rowe

Even if Montreal gets to the final, that’s the 5 November so plenty of time for them to get on a flight to the Middle East and get over the jet lag

I like it. I also think we could see Hutchinson and Wotherspoon. Both are legends at their clubs and it seems both clubs are supportive of their push to the World Cup. 
 

A few other names to consider: Raposo, Priso, Akindele, Hasal, Rea, Tabla, Farsi.

[InglewoodJack]

Could Larin get the call up for this game if he’s still on the outside at club Brugge? I feel like a match against a minnow is a good way to get him some reps before the World Cup.

[narduch]

Guys like Larin and Wotherspoon won't be at this.

Come on guys

[Gian-Luca]

I see that on social media most "fans" are actually whining about this friendly, complaining that we should be playing far higher quality opponents from Europe on this date instead of Bahrain.

Perhaps Rick Westhead could do his next investigative article on why these fans are so stupid.

[narduch]

Bahrain. Good enough for Serbia 7 days later.

Not good enough for Canada 

[BearcatSA]

I wonder what the actual roster size for this one will be?  I am going to guess a lower number, maybe 18?

[JBR]

17 minutes ago, narduch said:

Bahrain. Good enough for Serbia 7 days later.

Not good enough for Canada 

“Any fool can criticize, condemn, and complain, and most do.”

[sose]

29 minutes ago, BearcatSA said:

I wonder what the actual roster size for this one will be?  I am going to guess a lower number, maybe 18?

11 lol

[CanadaFan123]

10 minutes ago, narduch said:

Guys like Larin and Wotherspoon won't be at this.

Come on guys

St Johnstone has specifically set up friendlies to get him prepped for the World Cup. I think they’d be fine with him coming early to try to make the team. Otherwise it was all for nothing.

[JamboAl]

42 minutes ago, CanadaFan123 said:

St Johnstone has specifically set up friendlies to get him prepped for the World Cup. I think they’d be fine with him coming early to try to make the team. Otherwise it was all for nothing.

St Johnstone is struggling again this year in the league.  I would be surprised if his boss let him go until after their last league match-if he makes the squad.

[trc2014]

I know this is for fun but no one actually thinks that a 26 man roster with more than half of them not going to the WC would actually go to this camp?  Did the CSA get rich overnight from all of that Carlsberg money haha?

 

[VinceA]

2 minutes ago, trc2014 said:

I know this is for fun but no one actually thinks that a 26 man roster with more than half of them not going to the WC would actually go to this camp?  Did the CSA get rich overnight from all of that Carlsberg money haha?

 

We don't know what that camp will look like. The crux of the video was "if" it was a 26 man squad, what was Herdman's plan? In this case it was to evaluate some of the future. I'm assuming it will be a group of 18.

[Gian-Luca]

2 hours ago, BearcatSA said:

I wonder what the actual roster size for this one will be?  I am going to guess a lower number, maybe 18?

Possibly even 16, but I would guess 18 as well. I doubt they would bring 3 keepers for this friendly, for starters 

[narduch]

They would probably need at least 22 players to have practice scrimmages.

[Unnamed Trialist]

Don't think any Montreal player getting to an MLS final makes any sense for this friendly. Even if they get to semis, those players don't need to go into a camp immediately.

They need rest. A few days of down time. Then to get back to training, slowly. Then play the Japan friendly.

You don't taskmaster players into game readiness.

[trc2014]

Is the public going to get to see this provisional list that is due tomorrow?

[RS]

5 hours ago, Gian-Luca said:

I see that on social media most "fans" are actually whining about this friendly, complaining that we should be playing far higher quality opponents from Europe on this date instead of Bahrain.

You can't expect people to put forth a shred of effort into educating themselves as to why European opponents aren't an option.

[narduch]

27 minutes ago, trc2014 said:

Is the public going to get to see this provisional list that is due tomorrow?

Teams don't have to make them public.

So far I've seen Saudi Arabia and Poland release theirs despite that

Edited October 20, 2022 by narduch

[Gian-Luca]

32 minutes ago, RS said:

You can't expect people to put forth a shred of effort into educating themselves as to why European opponents aren't an option.

I hear that it's a moot point that the European teams are unavailable - apparently we should be playing them anyway on days when they aren't available.

[YorkRegionFan]

Given the budget restraints of the CSA, do you think they will just hold a camp for 22 North American based players somewhere in North America, then two days before the Bahrain friendly, just bring a squad of 16 over?  Unless Bahrain helping to pay for expenses, I cannot see how they could afford to fly over so many players.

[YorkRegionFan]

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Edited October 20, 2022 by YorkRegionFan
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[YorkRegionFan]

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Edited October 20, 2022 by YorkRegionFan
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[RS]

5 minutes ago, YorkRegionFan said:

Given the budget restraints of the CSA, do you think they will just hold a camp for 22 North American based players somewhere in North America, then two days before the Bahrain friendly, just bring a squad of 16 over?  Unless Bahrain helping to pay for expenses, I cannot see how they could afford to fly over so many players.

The press release does make mention of Bahrain hosting Canada. It's general etiquette for the host nation to pay for visitors' expenses in a friendly.

“Bahrain have graciously agreed to host us, which provides the team with an opportunity to both acclimate to the middle eastern conditions and to gain important minutes at an international intensity for a number of players prior to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022™ final roster selection,” said John Herdman, Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team Head Coach.

[Unnamed Trialist]

I seriously doubt Bahrein is paying travel.

They may offer accomodation or facilitate it; add training facilities. 

Hosting means just that: they are the host and we visit. They agree to the friendly and that makes it official. 

Was looking at their attendances for NT matches, hard to know for sure but I see crowds under 10,000 for many homes matches in the national stadium in Riffa.