Canada and the 2024 Copa America

[Watchmen]

1 hour ago, Obinna said:

On that note, we couldn't have had a better 6 come out of CONCACAF to compete against CONMEBOL. Everyone that should be there, will be there. 

Yeah, I was thinking about that yesterday. If the teams were chosen, this would probably be the 6 you pick: the big 2, WC hosts/emerging talent in Canada, traditional power in and emerging team in Costa Rica and Panama, and top Caribbean representation in Jamaica.  Teams with players in big leagues around the world, and every area of this region represented.

Edited March 26 by Watchmen

[JamboAl]

33 minutes ago, Ruud said:

Wasn’t that game in Texas an away match?

Any US home match against Mexico is an away match.  If anyone has a chance to go, would highly recommend it.  Utter anarchy!

[RS]

38 minutes ago, Ruud said:

Wasn’t that game in Texas an away match?

5 minutes ago, JamboAl said:

Any US home match against Mexico is an away match.  If anyone has a chance to go, would highly recommend it.  Utter anarchy!

It's an "away match" for the 90 minutes that the game is actually being played, but everything else surrounding the match (travel, accommodation, practice facilities, fans not harassing them at all times of the day/night, quality of stadium and pitch, etc.) is very comfortable for the Americans.

[Obinna]

24 minutes ago, RS said:

It's an "away match" for the 90 minutes that the game is actually being played, but everything else surrounding the match (travel, accommodation, practice facilities, fans not harassing them at all times of the day/night, quality of stadium and pitch, etc.) is very comfortable for the Americans.

Moreover, I imagine the Mexican hostility in the stands is an excellent motivator for a USA team trying to change the narrative. USA are not a soccer country in the sense Mexico are, but every win they register in this rivalry is a step in the right direction, and a step in the wrong direction for Mexico. 

[Bigandy]

Im just looking at the copa draw. 

Lets assume we get 2nd and advance. My guess is we will play ecuador as the #1 team from group B.

I'd say thats the easiest quarterfinal draw we could hope for. (still a tough ask to even get out of the group) We would then likely play Argentina again in the semis.

It feels strange that we wouldnt cross over and play the brazil side. Playing our on group in the semis feels silly to me. 

Edited March 26 by Bigandy

[DrunkOffPunch]

53 minutes ago, RS said:

It's an "away match" for the 90 minutes that the game is actually being played, but everything else surrounding the match (travel, accommodation, practice facilities, fans not harassing them at all times of the day/night, quality of stadium and pitch, etc.) is very comfortable for the Americans.

This statement applies to Mexico as well.

[Gian-Luca]

Our first three Copa opponents are all playing friendlies today. Peru is playing the Dominican Republic, which might tell us more about the latter than the former. Argentina is playing Costa Rica, while France plays Chile. The latter match is on DAZN if anyone is up for some scouting

[Obinna]

6 minutes ago, DrunkOffPunch said:

This statement applies to Mexico as well.

I mean yes you are right since they play there so often and USA is basically Mexico now. 

14 minutes ago, Bigandy said:

Im just looking at the copa draw. 

Lets assume we get 2nd and advance. My guess is we will play ecuador as the #1 team from group B.

I'd say thats the easiest quarterfinal draw we could hope for. (still a tough ask to even get out of the group) We would then likely play Argentina again in the semis.

It feels strange that we wouldnt cross over and play the brazil side. Playing our on group in the semis feels silly to me. 

I had that thought after watching Futbol Americas this morning, breaking down the USA 3-peat and previewing the Copa.

They mentioned how Mexico has an easier path to the semi, since they'd have to play Peru, Chile or Canada in the cross over, assuming they win their group. BUT as a Canadian fan I share the exact same optimism since we would be facing Mexico. This just isn't a Mexican team that scares me at the moment. Good team still and deeper team than Canada, but lacking the top end talent we have and NOT the Mexico of the past. 

[PegCityCam]

14 minutes ago, Gian-Luca said:

Our first three Copa opponents are all playing friendlies today. Peru is playing the Dominican Republic, which might tell us more about the latter than the former. Argentina is playing Costa Rica, while France plays Chile. The latter match is on DAZN if anyone is up for some scouting

And we got diddly😐

[SpursFlu]

In Conmebol qualifying. Peru and Chile between them have played 12 games. They have a combined 1 win and sit 8th and 10th out of 10 teams

Just saying

[Bigandy]

37 minutes ago, Obinna said:

I mean yes you are right since they play there so often and USA is basically Mexico now. 

I had that thought after watching Futbol Americas this morning, breaking down the USA 3-peat and previewing the Copa.

They mentioned how Mexico has an easier path to the semi, since they'd have to play Peru, Chile or Canada in the cross over, assuming they win their group. BUT as a Canadian fan I share the exact same optimism since we would be facing Mexico. This just isn't a Mexican team that scares me at the moment. Good team still and deeper team than Canada, but lacking the top end talent we have and NOT the Mexico of the past. 

Im so uninspired by mexico that I could see them finishing in any spots of the group. 

[Watchmen]

37 minutes ago, PegCityCam said:

And we got diddly😐

Of all the possible windows, "immediately after the T&T game" is the least of my concerns.

[Obinna]

12 minutes ago, Bigandy said:

Im so uninspired by mexico that I could see them finishing in any spots of the group. 

Same here, but I still feel they'll get the job done. Jamaica have very dangerous players, but Mexico has handled them in the last few encounters, and I don't trust the Jamaicans over 3 games to get more points than Mexico.

Venezuela are the wild card for me. I used to watch them a LOT in the Juan Arango era, pretty much every match of the 2014 cycle (GF at the time was Venezuelan), but that was a few cycles ago now. Some of the players are the same (Rondon, Rincon), and I am familar with some of the MLS players they have currently, but I cannot say I watch them now a days. I do understand they are off to a hot start in WCQ, but *checks wiki page*  they are winless in 4 at the moment, including a narrow 2-1 loss to Italy, but a goaless draw against Guatemala in Houston. 

In short, I don't trust Venezuela to get more points than Mexico. The other team is Bolivia, who may frusturate teams but won't finish ahead of Mexico. 

So that's my reasoning, anyway. As unimpressed as I am with Mexico, and as much as they could slip up, I don't think they will. 

Edited March 26 by Obinna

[gigi riva]

2 hours ago, Ruud said:

Wasn’t that game in Texas an away match?

Lol In some ways yes , at least inside the Staduim, other than that it was definatly in American territory

[costarg]

53 minutes ago, PegCityCam said:

And we got diddly😐

All part of the plan my friend, don’t wanna give ‘em too much scouting material.

[PegCityCam]

1 hour ago, Watchmen said:

Of all the possible windows, "immediately after the T&T game" is the least of my concerns.

Sure, but I was thinking two birds, one stone: qualify for the Copa and christen a new coach🤷‍♂️

[Bigandy]

1 hour ago, Obinna said:

Same here, but I still feel they'll get the job done. Jamaica have very dangerous players, but Mexico has handled them in the last few encounters, and I don't trust the Jamaicans over 3 games to get more points than Mexico.

Venezuela are the wild card for me. I used to watch them a LOT in the Juan Arango era, pretty much every match of the 2014 cycle (GF at the time was Venezuelan), but that was a few cycles ago now. Some of the players are the same (Rondon, Rincon), and I am familar with some of the MLS players they have currently, but I cannot say I watch them now a days. I do understand they are off to a hot start in WCQ, but *checks wiki page*  they are winless in 4 at the moment, including a narrow 2-1 loss to Italy, but a goaless draw against Guatemala in Houston. 

In short, I don't trust Venezuela to get more points than Mexico. The other team is Bolivia, who may frusturate teams but won't finish ahead of Mexico. 

So that's my reasoning, anyway. As unimpressed as I am with Mexico, and as much as they could slip up, I don't think they will. 

I think its ecuador, not bolivia? and ecuador is decent.

Everything else i agree with.

[MauditYvon]

39 minutes ago, Bigandy said:

I think its ecuador, not bolivia? and ecuador is decent.

Everything else i agree with.

Ecuador is decent, not much for their players manners

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-13239567/Ecuador-threaten-axe-senior-stars-took-17m-Chelsea-wonderkid-Kendry-Paez-16-New-York-strip-club-team-mate-threw-cash-strippers-hours-game-partying-115m-Moises-Caicedo.html

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

47 minutes ago, Bigandy said:

I think its ecuador, not bolivia? and ecuador is decent.

Everything else i agree with.

I followed Ecuador at the last World Cup and while before because of Enner Valencia (that fella rose like a salmon and hung in the air like Jordan).

They now have a bunch real good pieces that have developed, especially defensively - Estupinan, Caicedo, the centre back getting good minutes at Leverkusen.  

Only lost to Italy this year and Argentina and Australia last. Big test if the chips fall that way.

Edited March 26 by WestHamCanadianinOxford

[Obinna]

50 minutes ago, Bigandy said:

I think its ecuador, not bolivia? and ecuador is decent.

Everything else i agree with.

Right. Can't believe I mixed that up. Yeah, Ecuador can top the group for sure. They'd be a more interesting test for us, possibly a harder team to face. They'd have the advantage in the stands, not so much as Mexico though. 6 in one, half dozen in the other? Which one would you prefer to face?

[SpursFlu]

I think Ecuador beats Mexico 

With that in mind, all things considered, we actually have a pretty doable path to the final 4

[Kent]

4 hours ago, Ruud said:

Canada gets to quarter finals and I’m hoping US gets to the finals - they are a great team to be absolutely honest home advantage or not.  Mexico should also do well with home support 

I think Brazil is going to make a statement

Only one of Brazil or USA can make the final, not both. Just in case you hadn't noticed the format. I know you didn't explicitly say you thought they would both make the final.

Does anyone remember if the 4 top seeded teams were drawn, or did they get placed into their groups? Seems like it's set up for an Argentina v Brazil final and a USA v Mexico 3rd place game. I hate when they don't do the crossover and it just smells of shenanigans.

Looks like they did a similar thing last Copa America. It was 2 groups of 5 teams, top 4 teams move on. 1st and 2nd from Group A were paired with 3rd and 4th from Group B, and vice versa. So you could have the top 2 teams of a group playing in the semi finals. So stupid, but I guess they got their Argentina v Brazil final that they wanted. 

[Watchmen]

9 hours ago, PegCityCam said:

Sure, but I was thinking two birds, one stone: qualify for the Copa and christen a new coach🤷‍♂️

I'm now fascinated by the alternate universe timeline where we qualified for the Copa, fired Biello, and hired a new permanent head coach in a 3 day span. 😉

Edited March 27 by Watchmen

[Gian-Luca]

This Chile France friendly has been entertaining (more so than Wales Poland, despite the latter match meaning something), but difficult to take a lot from it as I don’t think Chile will play this style against us. I suspect they will be favourites against us though 

[Macksam]

6 hours ago, RS said:

It's an "away match" for the 90 minutes that the game is actually being played, but everything else surrounding the match (travel, accommodation, practice facilities, fans not harassing them at all times of the day/night, quality of stadium and pitch, etc.) is very comfortable for the Americans.

I don't think it is anymore. The games are usually 60/40 (might be even closer) in favour of Mexico when it comes to the fans in the stadium, which is a massive improvement to say 13 years ago when it was usually 95/5 in favour of Mexico with the Outlaws being the only significant presence of American fans.