September and October 2023 friendly matches (plans, speculation, rumours etc.)

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

Herdman keeps talking about playing Tier 1 opposition but who can we actually play during these windows?

- CONMEBOL teams will be in World Cup Qualifying.
- Mexico, USA and Costa Rica are frankly not interesting (we play them often) and other CONCACAF Teams are busy with Nations League
- OFC teams are frankly not interesting (but I suppose we could play New Zealand)
- AFC Teams are available
- CAF Teams are fully available in October but are playing one qualification match in September.
http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/2023_Africa_Cup_of_Nations_qualification
- Germany are not available. They will play Japan and France in September and will play the USA and Mexico in October.

Which of the UEFA Teams are available because they aren't playing qualifiers (due to groups of 5 teams)?

First part of the September window:
Austria (will host Moldova in a friendly)
Wales (will host South Korea in a friendly)
Moldova (will host Austria in a friendly)
Bulgaria (will host Uzbekistan in a friendly)
Norway (looks like they will host Jordan in a friendly)
Gibraltar (they suck)
Malta (they suck)

Second part of the September window:
France (will travel to Dortmund to face Germany)
Turkey (just imagine playing in Beşiktaş' home stadium!)
Scotland (will play England in a "Heritage Match" friendly)
England (will play Scotland in a "Heritage Match" friendly)
Czech Republic ( will play Hungary in a friendly)
Hungary (will host the Czech Republic in a friendly)
Azerbaijan (looks like they will host Jordan in a friendly)

First part of the October window:
Montenegro
Georgia (looks like they will host Thailand in a friendly)
Gibraltar (looks like they will play Wales in a friendly)
Sweden (will play Moldova in a friendly)
Moldova (will play Sweden in a friendly)
Wales (looks like they will host Gibraltar)
England (will play Australia in a friendly)

Second part of the October window:
Armenia
Albania (will host Bulgaria in a friendly)
Bulgaria (will travel to Albania for a friendly)
Scotland (will play France)
France (will host Scotland)
North Macedonia
Estonia (looks like they will host Thailand in a friendly)

Assuming that the CSA will only tell us what is going on at the very last minute, if anyone reads any news regarding the nations listed in green announcing a friendly against another nation, then I will change the colour of that nation from green to red.  Some of this information on friendly matches is from Wikipedia and therefore may be unreliable. If there are any mistakes please let me know.

Hopefully this thread will allow us to figure out what that CSA plans to do before they announce it and to preemptively stop silly posts like: "Why don't we play Team X?"

Edited June 1, 2023 by Olympique_de_Marseille

[Obinna]

Great work as always. 

Some thoughts:

• Why no CONMEBOL teams in your analysis? Is the assumption that we are going to Europe so no teams from the Americas?
• As you mentioned, CAF teams off the table in September. 
• I'll put the AFC and CAF teams aside and just consider European teams:
  • First part of Sept Window:
    • Austria, Wales are a yes for me, Moldova is a no. Doesn't fit the mold of Top Opponent.
    • Austria and Wales don't either, but they are teams we can still learn from with a better ranking and reputation than us in World Soccer.
  • Second part of Sept Window:
    • France obviously would be the dream match for us, but Turkey would be a good test.
    • A Turkey-Wales or Turkey-Austria window may be seen as light given what our aspirations are. I wouldn't mind it at all, but neither are world beaters. 
  • First part of Oct Window:
    • Montenegro is a maybe for me. Everyone else is unavailable. We need to go AFC or CAF here (or CONMENBOL)
  • Second part of Oct Window:
    • France again is probably too good to be true. The rest besides Scotland and maybe Bulgaria or Albania could be decent, but I think we'll be aiming higher. 
• In short, the UEFA options are not great.
• I think the group wants and needs teams they clearly looking up at. That's not the case with any of the teams mentioned, aside from France. I know we are lower than Austria, Wales and Turkey on the totem pole, maybe even Scotland as well, but that's just reputation. The team itself and the players, coach, and brotherhood are not looking up at these teams, I don't imagine.  
• Teams I think we'd be looking up at (ignoring the unavailable European teams):
  • France
  • Germany (only available in Sept)
  • Brazil
  • Argentina
  • Uruguay
  • Morocco (only available in Oct)
  • Senegal (only available in Oct)
  • Maybe teams:
    • Colombia, Chile, Paraguay, Ecuador, Peru 
    • Nigeria, Cameroon, Egypt, Mali, Algeria, Tunisia, Ghana, Ivory Coast 
    • Japan, Korea 
    • Australia 
    • Scotland, Austria, Wales, Turkey
  • Honorable mentions but won't be seen as a challenge:
    • Iran
    • Saudi Arabia
    • New Zealand

Edited March 30, 2023 by Obinna

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

9 minutes ago, Obinna said:

 

• Why no CONMEBOL teams in your analysis? Is the assumption that we are going to Europe so no teams from the Americas?

The answer is in the first part of my post. They will have begun WCQ. See:

https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification_(CONMEBOL)

 

 

9 minutes ago, Obinna said:

 

• • First part of Oct Window:
    • Montenegro is a maybe for me. Everyone else is unavailable. We need to go AFC or CAF here (or CONMENBOL)

I can imagine us playing a CAF Team in France in the first part of the October window and then that particular team plays France during the second part of the October window. That is likely the best option.

Edited March 30, 2023 by Olympique_de_Marseille

[Watchmen]

4 minutes ago, Obinna said:

Some thoughts:

• Why no CONMEBOL teams in your analysis? Is the assumption that we are going to Europe so no teams from the Americas?

Their WC qualifying already starts in September/October.

[Obinna]

Fantasy windows:

September (Austria/France)

• Set up camp in Vienna (again). The group has trained there before. Start the window off with a game against Austria. Post match travel West to France, train for a few days before a massive test against France. 

October (Morocco/Senegal)

• Set up camp in Spain, which we've done before under Herdman. Travel for the European based Canada, Morocco and Senegal will not be an issue. Two WC teams from CAF. Short travel for Moroccan fans in particular (could even play in Tangier if they insist), but regardless, it would be two good tests, but also two winnable games after showing well against Austria and getting schooled by the French. 

 

 

[Obinna]

7 minutes ago, Olympique_de_Marseille said:

 

First part of my post. They will have begun WCQ. See:

https://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification_(CONMEBOL)

I can imagine us playing a CAF Team in France and then that particular team plays France during the second part of the October window. That is likely the best option.

France, Senegal, Canada love triangle in October? Paris is a romantic city, after all...

Edited March 30, 2023 by Obinna

[Watchmen]

Just now, Obinna said:

Fantasy windows:

September (Austria/France)

• Set up camp in Vienna (again). The group has trained there before. Start the window off with a game against Austria. Post match travel West to France, train for a few days before a massive test against France. 

October (Morocco/Senegal)

• Set up camp in Spain, which we've done before under Herdman. Travel for the European based Canada, Morocco and Senegal will not be an issue. Two WC teams from CAF. Short travel for Moroccan fans in particular (could even play in Tangier if they insist), but regardless, it would be two good tests, but also two winnable games after showing well against Austria and getting schooled by the French. 

 

 

Or, come up with the money and see about hosting a few CAF teams in Canada in October.

[Obinna]

Just now, Watchmen said:

Or, come up with the money and see about hosting a few CAF teams in Canada in October.

Now we're really talking fantasy!

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

4 minutes ago, Watchmen said:

Or, come up with the money and see about hosting a few CAF teams in Canada in October.

2 minutes ago, Obinna said:

Now we're really talking fantasy!

You could sell out Saputo or even the BigO by inviting Morocco or Algeria and probably a few other CAF teams too but I think @Obinna is right and we are really talking fantasy. We would need to co-invite such a team with the USA or Mexico so they could play a second friendly elsewhere in North America.

[Watchmen]

7 minutes ago, Olympique_de_Marseille said:

You could sell out Saputo or even the BigO by inviting Morocco or Algeria and probably a few other CAF teams too but I think @Obinna is right and we are really talking fantasy. We would need to co-invite such a team with the USA or Mexico so they could play a second friendly elsewhere in North America.

I know, and I don't think that's unreasonable here. Some good teams available. September in Europe and October in Canada doesn't seem totally unreasonable. 

[Unnamed Trialist]

15 minutes ago, Obinna said:

Fantasy windows:

September (Austria/France)

• Set up camp in Vienna (again). The group has trained there before. Start the window off with a game against Austria. Post match travel West to France, train for a few days before a massive test against France. 

October (Morocco/Senegal)

• Set up camp in Spain, which we've done before under Herdman. Travel for the European based Canada, Morocco and Senegal will not be an issue. Two WC teams from CAF. Short travel for Moroccan fans in particular (could even play in Tangier if they insist), but regardless, it would be two good tests, but also two winnable games after showing well against Austria and getting schooled by the French. 

 

 

Good call but Morocco never plays in the north, Tangiers, that's the Rif, historically repressed by the monarchy. There's animosity.

But Morocco has joined the Spain-Portugal bid for the 2030 World Cup and have stadiums they'd like to use.

We're late as always, so frustrating this inoperancy.

[Obinna]

5 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Good call but Morocco never plays in the north, Tangiers, that's the Rif, historically repressed by the monarchy. There's animosity.

But Morocco has joined the Spain-Portugal bid for the 2030 World Cup and have stadiums they'd like to use.

We're late as always, so frustrating this inoperancy.

Didn't they play Brazil there a few days ago?

[Unnamed Trialist]

Just now, Obinna said:

Didn't they play Brazil there a few days ago?

I'm wrong then. Historically the king wouldn't even visit the north, the Rif is estranged, but I'm wrong about where they'd play then.

I have very cheap flights to Tangiers.

[Watchmen]

8 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

But Morocco has joined the Spain-Portugal bid for the 2030 World Cup and have stadiums they'd like to use.

This is a fantastic bid, but I'd prefer it for 2034 with the Argentina/Uruguay/Paraguay/Chile bid winning in 2030. If that doesn't win, Spain/Portugal/Morocco would be a great alternative. 

[Obinna]

16 minutes ago, Olympique_de_Marseille said:

You could sell out Saputo or even the BigO by inviting Morocco or Algeria and probably a few other CAF teams too but I think @Obinna is right and we are really talking fantasy. We would need to co-invite such a team with the USA or Mexico so they could play a second friendly elsewhere in North America.

I suppose we could play Morocco and Alegria in a sold-out double-header at Saputo - meanwhile Algeria and Morocco could play each other in a sold-out Big O.  

I guess the question is how much you'd have to pay these teams to come over. Also, would Alegria and Morocco could easily play each other in their own backyard, so there'd have to be some financial incentive for them to come over, no? 

By the way, are there enough Senegalese or Cameroonians in Montreal to swap either with Algeria?

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

Just now, Unnamed Trialist said:

Good call but Morocco never plays in the north, Tangiers, that's the Rif, historically repressed by the monarchy. There's animosity.

Yes, as @Obinna said, Morocco just literally played in Tangier and beat Brazil there a few days ago. But I don't think they will go back again so soon.

 

3 minutes ago, Watchmen said:

I know, and I don't think that's unreasonable here. Some good teams available. September in Europe and October in Canada doesn't seem totally unreasonable. 

I don't think it's unreasonable but I don't think the CSA is bold enough to do that.

In October we could play Morocco in Lille or Côte d'Ivoire in Paris and then go play Australia in London like we did in October 2013.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/oct/15/australia-canada-socceroos-match-report

Exactly 10 years later, we need another rematch at Craven Cottage!

[Obinna]

1 minute ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

I'm wrong then. Historically the king wouldn't even visit the north, the Rif is estranged, but I'm wrong about where they'd play then.

I have very cheap flights to Tangiers.

I took me by surprise because I just figured it would have been in Casablanca, but the stuff about the monarchy is interesting. Thanks for sharing. 

[Treppy2]

Not sure where to put this, but I just want to point out there are currently active threads titled: 

• September and October 2023 friendly matches
• Gold Cup 2023
• CONCACAF Nations League Finals 2023
• CONCACAF Nations League 2023/2024
• CNL: Canada vs Honduras - Tuesday, March 28th
• Canada and the 2024 Copa America
• CONCACAF Nations League 2022/2023
• 2026 World Cup – News, Updates and discussions

For us Canadian supporters who have suffered through decades in the wilderness with a minimal amount of matches to look forward to, WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE!

[Obinna]

1 minute ago, Olympique_de_Marseille said:

Yes, as @Obinna said, Morocco just literally played in Tangier and beat Brazil there a few days ago. But I don't think they will go back again so soon.

 

I don't think it's unreasonable but I don't think the CSA is bold enough to do that.

In October we could play Morocco in Lille or Côte d'Ivoire in Paris and then go play Australia in London like we did in October 2013.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/oct/15/australia-canada-socceroos-match-report

Exactly 10 years later, we need another rematch at Craven Cottage!

Throw in Ballou and we have a deal.

In all seriousness though, Morocco and Ivory Coast is borderline underwhelming for a team wanting to challenge themselves against the best. No disrespect to Ballou's boys, but their program doesn't seem to be in the best place. On the field I don't doubt they could give us a challenge, but no longer can they be thought of as elite, which are the type of teams we keep talking about wanting to play. Morocco on the other hand has proven they are, and I think we'd want a second crack at them. 

[Unnamed Trialist]

3 minutes ago, Obinna said:

I took me by surprise because I just figured it would have been in Casablanca, but the stuff about the monarchy is interesting. Thanks for sharing. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rif

Was a short-lived independent Berber or Amazic republic, was defeated by Spanish colonial forces and redelivered to the Moroccan crown.

 

 

 

[Kent]

Just a request from someone that doesn't want to keep up with endless speculation on this, if/when friendlies are announced, please make a thread for that friendly. I am interested in confirmed friendlies much more than speculation and I'm sure I'm not the only one. I think for the Japan friendly I didn't find out about it for days.

[Big_M]

Theres way too many threads being opened

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

4 hours ago, Big_M said:

Theres way too many threads being opened

My reasoning is that as long as each one serves a different and specific purpose, then why not?

[Obinna]

14 minutes ago, Olympique_de_Marseille said:

My reasoning is that as long as each one serves a different and specific purpose, then why not?

I think it's just a little cluttered at the moment, but it'll work itself out with time as certain threads naturally drop off. I agree that each serves a purpose. Thanks for starting them!

[BearcatSA]

8 hours ago, Olympique_de_Marseille said:

Yes, as @Obinna said, Morocco just literally played in Tangier and beat Brazil there a few days ago. But I don't think they will go back again so soon.

 

I don't think it's unreasonable but I don't think the CSA is bold enough to do that.

In October we could play Morocco in Lille or Côte d'Ivoire in Paris and then go play Australia in London like we did in October 2013.

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2013/oct/15/australia-canada-socceroos-match-report

Exactly 10 years later, we need another rematch at Craven Cottage!

I think we'll be road (or or at least neutral European site) warriors for these windows.  I agree with your suggestion possibilities.  Turkey would be good opponent, considering the player connections.  I'd like another crack at Morocco or another bigger time CAF side.  I have zero interest in the likes of Wales or Armenia, frankly.

I wouldn't put landing a really big fish like France out of the equation, either.  With guys like Davies and David in our fold, we have become a much sexier draw.  Truly knowledgeable observers know that we are a side on the rise and with that, a good test to face on their home soil.

I think we start seeing home friendlies again in 2024, likely not this year unless we land a really big draw opponent where you can sell those now higher priced base line ducats.