June 6th friendly v Netherlands

[TGAA_Star]

5 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

I suspect the Dutch are paying our travel, costs and a fee, as they'll fill the stadium and it benefits them to play a team not in Europe, one they haven't played at home, and with a few big names that will drive the interest. 

As the opening match at Copa, if we don't screw up, is a good 2 weeks later, I think we should be able to stay in Europe and find another friendly early the following week. 

Gives us adequate prep for Copa América by us facing the Dutch in a friendly assuming we qualify first by beating T & T

[SpursFlu]

Fantastic News! Nice chance to bring in a few European based guys for a look

I'm thinking Colyn, Bair and the various CBs

Edited March 7 by SpursFlu

[Cadeau]

This is great news, so unexpected though that part of me first thought its all part of an elaborate April fools joke😝

[Cheeta]

14 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

An important little detail: that day is the 80th anniversary of the Normandy invasion, Juno beach.

Funnily, a few months ago I was looking at this, thinking about possible trips there for the event.

Probably the last major anniversary that will include any participants.

Little detail?

The Dutch, are hosting Canada, on the 80th Anniversary of D-Day.  

If that's a happy accident then wow.

[Mattd97]

amazing stuff. out of nowhere.  its a nice treat to be positive for a change. scary and unsettling.  i dont care for it.

[Stryker911]

9 minutes ago, Cheeta said:

Little detail?

The Dutch, are hosting Canada, on the 80th Anniversary of D-Day.  

If that's a happy accident then wow.

As a Dutch-Canadian with alot of family in the Netherlands I would genuinely be shocked if it wasn't done for that purpose. The love and admiration that they still feel for Canada is undeniable to any Canadian that has ever visited the country before.

[Joe MacCarthy]

31 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Probably the last major anniversary that will include any participants.

That is f'n crazy.  I remember growing up with that being the case with WWI vets.

[maplebanana]

2 minutes ago, Stryker911 said:

As a Dutch-Canadian with alot of family in the Netherlands I would genuinely be shocked if it wasn't done for that purpose. The love and admiration that they still feel for Canada is undeniable to any Canadian that has ever visited the country before.

I asked a couple of Dutch people at work about this, and they basically said that's only the older generation. People under the age of 40 seem to not care about Canada or our role in WW2. 

I also would point out that Amsterdam is the first time I got the following conversation:

(Me, with 4 canadian flags sewn to my backpack)

"Are you Chinese or Korean?"

"I'm Canadian"

"But Chinese?"

"No, I was born and raised in Canada"

"But Chinese?"

"No, I am from Canada. I speak English and French only. I played hockey on frozen back yard rinks"

"But Chinese?"

".... (sigh) Yes."

In fairness, I get this exact conversation about 5x a day in China. 

[Obinna]

24 minutes ago, SpursFlu said:

Fantastic News! Nice chance to bring in a few European based guys for a look

I'm thinking Colyn, Bair and the various CBs

Would be the perfect time to bring Colyn. Would be nice for Brym to get the nod for this too.

And in general, I think we want this to be a Euro-dominated selection

GK - Crepeau, Sirois, St. Clair

D - Davies, Johnston, LDF, JKL (why not?), Vitoria, Cornelius, Kennedy

M - Eustaquio, Kone, Hoilett, Colyn, Paton (or Loturi), 

F - David, Larin, Ugbo, Bair, Brym, Buchanan, Nelson, Millar

A little top heavy, but something along those lines perhaps? Maybe there is room for an Osorio or Piette in that midfield, but it's also a single game, I would say let Kone and Eustaquio run the show, then have Colyn come on at some point. I know he's behind Ahmed and Choniere, but they've gotten looks and will continue to get them. Paton has a bad injury, so maybe another chance for Louti, someone with a bit more of a defensive profile.

In the back, I think I would leave Laryea at home and give LDF a chance to back up Johnston. Remember, he can play full back too. We often talk about him being the next big CB, but he's probably more of a FB/CB hybrid. And JKL at some point deserves a look, why not during a friendly in Europe? Not sure what Kennedy's situation is, but if he's out long term maybe we go Zator instead. Opposite foot I know, but it's a CB nonetheless, and like LDF could be a backup to Johnston also. Vitoria gives a bit of leadership back there and arial presence. Keepers from MLS, just because we are kind of forced too. I don't see the point in bringing Borjan. 

I doubt it happens, but could we see a Froese or Bustos for this one? Both are deserving of some kind of a look, though it's probably still out of reach for them. Oh, and Pos maybe gets a look here actually, maybe before Zator even, seeing he's a new recruit. 

Edited March 7 by Obinna

[InglewoodJack]

23 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

I suspect the Dutch are paying our travel, costs and a fee, as they'll fill the stadium and it benefits them to play a team not in Europe, one they haven't played at home, and with a few big names that will drive the interest. 

As the opening match at Copa, if we don't screw up, is a good 2 weeks later, I think we should be able to stay in Europe and find another friendly early the following week. 

I know, and I would assume that the other opportunities we had- I believe there was a rumour about us going to play Saudi in Saudi Arabia- offered that too, but it always seemed like a friendly isn't economically feasible for us unless it's a home game, a game we can sell out, and a game against a country that won't charge us too much.

If we're "based" in the Netherlands or generally Northwest Europe for this camp, not to get too ahead of ourselves, but France, Denmark, Germany all become viable options, or even a rematch against Belgium- see how both sides have developed over the last 2 years. Realistically speaking though, once we're in europe, any UEFA team becomes an option. Very excited to see how our summer shapes up. Sounds like we're back in action.

7 minutes ago, Stryker911 said:

As a Dutch-Canadian with alot of family in the Netherlands I would genuinely be shocked if it wasn't done for that purpose. The love and admiration that they still feel for Canada is undeniable to any Canadian that has ever visited the country before.

It's a fun bit of trivia for people who don't know a lot about Canada, especially Americans. Like, yeah, Netherland's queen mother grew up in Canada, the King's aunt is technically Canadian, their constitution was stored at some lakehouse in Canada during the war, and out of gratitude, I believe they still ship enough tulips to Canada each year to make Ottawa's tulip festival the biggest in the world. Whenever you think of Canadian ties to Europe, you think Ireland, England, Scotland, France, Italy, maybe Greece or Germany, but Netherland and Canada have gone pretty hard for one another for a very long time.

 

[finchster]

I want tickets, that's all.

[Borjans Sweatpants]

1 minute ago, Obinna said:

Would be the perfect time to bring Colyn. Would be nice for Brym to get the nod for this too.

And in general, I think we want this to be a Euro-dominated selection

GK - Crepeau, Sirois, St. Clair

D - Davies, Johnston, LDF, JKL (why not?), Vitoria, Cornelius, Kennedy

M - Eustaquio, Kone, Hoilett, Colyn, Paton (or Loturi), 

F - David, Larin, Ugbo, Bair, Brym, Buchanan, Nelson, Millar

A little top heavy, but something along those lines perhaps? Maybe there is room for an Osorio or Piette in that midfield, but it's also a single game, I would say let Kone and Eustaquio run the show, then have Colyn come on at some point. I know he's behind Ahmed and Choniere, but they've gotten looks and will continue to get them. Paton has a bad injury, so maybe another chance for Louti, someone with a bit more of a defensive profile.

In the back, I think I would leave Laryea at home and give LDF a chance to back up Johnston. Remember, he can play full back too. We often talk about him being the next big CB, but he's probably more of a FB/CB hybrid. And JKL at some point deserves a look, why not during a friendly in Europe? Not sure what Kennedy's situation is, but if he's out long term maybe we go Zator instead. Opposite foot I know, but it's a CB nonetheless, and like LDF could be a backup to Johnston also. Vitoria gives a bit of leadership back there and arial presence. Keepers from MLS, just because we are kind of forced too. I don't see the point in bringing Borjan. 

I doubt it happens, but could we see a Froese or Bustos for this one? Both are deserve. Oh, and Pos maybe gets a look here actually, maybe before Zator even, seeing he's a new recruit. 

Might be worth using one of the Euro based GK prospects too, McGill being the obvious one.

This is amazing news, love unexpected surprises like this. In Blue we trust!

[Borjans Sweatpants]

1 hour ago, VinceA said:

I'M BLUE DA BA DEE DA BA DIE

Thats the obvious song to go with, but Blue Moon is a decent second shout!

[dyslexic nam]

Log off for an hr and look what happens.  Holy shit.  Great news.   

“Hey hon - remember when we talked about a trip to Europe…” 
 

[Unnamed Trialist]

5 minutes ago, Joe MacCarthy said:

That is f'n crazy.  I remember growing up with that being the case with WWI vets.

I used to go to the November 11th parade in Vancouver with my father, down near Victory Square, and I remember seeing veterans of the sadly infamous Boer War, then WWI, the international brigades in Spain with their haphazard uniforms.... It is amazing how your memory can bridge eras. I mentioned this to a friend once in Spain, and he says he recalls seeing veterans here from the Spanish American war, the wars in Cuba and Philippines in 1897-8. 

[Obinna]

4 minutes ago, Obinna said:

Would be the perfect time to bring Colyn. Would be nice for Brym to get the nod for this too.

And in general, I think we want this to be a Euro-dominated selection

GK - Crepeau, Sirois, St. Clair

D - Davies, Johnston, LDF, JKL (why not?), Vitoria, Cornelius, Kennedy

M - Eustaquio, Kone, Hoilett, Colyn, Paton (or Loturi), 

F - David, Larin, Ugbo, Bair, Brym, Buchanan, Nelson, Millar

A little top heavy, but something along those lines perhaps? Maybe there is room for an Osorio or Piette in that midfield, but it's also a single game, I would say let Kone and Eustaquio run the show, then have Colyn come on at some point. I know he's behind Ahmed and Choniere, but they've gotten looks and will continue to get them. Paton has a bad injury, so maybe another chance for Louti, someone with a bit more of a defensive profile.

In the back, I think I would leave Laryea at home and give LDF a chance to back up Johnston. Remember, he can play full back too. We often talk about him being the next big CB, but he's probably more of a FB/CB hybrid. And JKL at some point deserves a look, why not during a friendly in Europe? Not sure what Kennedy's situation is, but if he's out long term maybe we go Zator instead. Opposite foot I know, but it's a CB nonetheless, and like LDF could be a backup to Johnston also. Vitoria gives a bit of leadership back there and arial presence. Keepers from MLS, just because we are kind of forced too. I don't see the point in bringing Borjan. 

I doubt it happens, but could we see a Froese or Bustos for this one? Both are deserving of some kind of a look, though it's probably still out of reach for them. Oh, and Pos maybe gets a look here actually, maybe before Zator even, seeing he's a new recruit. 

God dammit I forgot Corbeanu. Knew I was forgetting someone. We are just stacked out wide. I mean, who do we drop to get him on? I guess it'd be Brym or Nelson. Would be a shame for Brym to miss out considering the opponent, but I am very high on Nelson. Maybe we go Nelson instead of Hoilett and play him in the midfield. I still want to see him central

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

17 minutes ago, Obinna said:

Would be a shame for Brym to miss out considering the opponent,

On 10/3/2023 at 10:01 AM, Ottawafan said:

Please no Brym please.

@Ottawafan , I think Brym will be called to this one!

Edited March 7 by Olympique_de_Marseille

[Bigandy]

33 minutes ago, SpursFlu said:

Fantastic News! Nice chance to bring in a few European based guys for a look

I'm thinking Colyn, Bair and the various CBs

The euro seasons will be over so I'm not sure if you save a whole lot on flights if they go back to canada in the offseason. Extremely unlikely we play against one of the worlds best, right before copa, with an expiremental squad only to turn around and use a completely different squad at Copa. 

This will be an A squad. No experiments. 

[Unnamed Trialist]

I don't think we should be looking at European based players or Dutch-based especially like Colyn, Brym, if they are not going to Copa America, because their seasons will be over.

Well, perhaps De Graafschap will be in a promotion playoff, but otherwise.

The coincidence of place is a bit irrelevant. The costs will be covered by the Dutch and we have to take our Copa team, whatever that is meant to be. Just saying. Spain ends 10 days earlier like Italy, France another week earlier like Portugal, Championship ends a month earlier then there could be a promotion for PNE. Most European based players are on their offseason, have a rest, may be back in Canada already, then if we qualify for Copa will reengage for these friendlies and the competition.

[Mihairokov]

I still cant get over this being on the 80th anniversary of Normandy. My grandfather served in Holland and every few years they would send letters and flowers as a thank you. Seriously considering attending this one if I can. 

[Bigandy]

15 minutes ago, Obinna said:

Would be the perfect time to bring Colyn. Would be nice for Brym to get the nod for this too.

And in general, I think we want this to be a Euro-dominated selection

GK - Crepeau, Sirois, St. Clair

D - Davies, Johnston, LDF, JKL (why not?), Vitoria, Cornelius, Kennedy

M - Eustaquio, Kone, Hoilett, Colyn, Paton (or Loturi), 

F - David, Larin, Ugbo, Bair, Brym, Buchanan, Nelson, Millar

A little top heavy, but something along those lines perhaps? Maybe there is room for an Osorio or Piette in that midfield, but it's also a single game, I would say let Kone and Eustaquio run the show, then have Colyn come on at some point. I know he's behind Ahmed and Choniere, but they've gotten looks and will continue to get them. Paton has a bad injury, so maybe another chance for Louti, someone with a bit more of a defensive profile.

In the back, I think I would leave Laryea at home and give LDF a chance to back up Johnston. Remember, he can play full back too. We often talk about him being the next big CB, but he's probably more of a FB/CB hybrid. And JKL at some point deserves a look, why not during a friendly in Europe? Not sure what Kennedy's situation is, but if he's out long term maybe we go Zator instead. Opposite foot I know, but it's a CB nonetheless, and like LDF could be a backup to Johnston also. Vitoria gives a bit of leadership back there and arial presence. Keepers from MLS, just because we are kind of forced too. I don't see the point in bringing Borjan. 

I doubt it happens, but could we see a Froese or Bustos for this one? Both are deserving of some kind of a look, though it's probably still out of reach for them. Oh, and Pos maybe gets a look here actually, maybe before Zator even, seeing he's a new recruit. 

Theres likely to be a second friendly in europe if you listen to kevin. But why would we use a prep game for the copa to experiment. We also would likely lose credibility if we toy with the netherlands. They need to be facing our A team. If we bring in a A/B hybrid, then why would other big nations view us as a good choice for prep before major tournaments. 

This will be the same squad we bring to copa 100%

[toontownman]

1 hour ago, Obinna said:

*Robert has entered the chat*

To be fair, this friendly was a condition in the contract of our new head coach John van 't Schip. 

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

42 minutes ago, maplebanana said:

I asked a couple of Dutch people at work about this, and they basically said that's only the older generation. People under the age of 40 seem to not care about Canada or our role in WW2. 

I also would point out that Amsterdam is the first time I got the following conversation:

(Me, with 4 canadian flags sewn to my backpack)

"Are you Chinese or Korean?"

"I'm Canadian"

"But Chinese?"

"No, I was born and raised in Canada"

"But Chinese?"

"No, I am from Canada. I speak English and French only. I played hockey on frozen back yard rinks"

"But Chinese?"

".... (sigh) Yes."

In fairness, I get this exact conversation about 5x a day in China. 

@JamboAl , OMG, how much do you have to put up with this when you are in Europe?

[finchster]

51 minutes ago, maplebanana said:

I asked a couple of Dutch people at work about this, and they basically said that's only the older generation. People under the age of 40 seem to not care about Canada or our role in WW2. 

I also would point out that Amsterdam is the first time I got the following conversation:

(Me, with 4 canadian flags sewn to my backpack)

"Are you Chinese or Korean?"

"I'm Canadian"

"But Chinese?"

"No, I was born and raised in Canada"

"But Chinese?"

"No, I am from Canada. I speak English and French only. I played hockey on frozen back yard rinks"

"But Chinese?"

".... (sigh) Yes."

In fairness, I get this exact conversation about 5x a day in China. 

I thought about this when I read it 

 

[MtlMario]

47 minutes ago, maplebanana said:

I asked a couple of Dutch people at work about this, and they basically said that's only the older generation. People under the age of 40 seem to not care about Canada or our role in WW2. 

I also would point out that Amsterdam is the first time I got the following conversation:

(Me, with 4 canadian flags sewn to my backpack)

"Are you Chinese or Korean?"

"I'm Canadian"

"But Chinese?"

"No, I was born and raised in Canada"

"But Chinese?"

"No, I am from Canada. I speak English and French only. I played hockey on frozen back yard rinks"

"But Chinese?"

".... (sigh) Yes."

In fairness, I get this exact conversation about 5x a day in China. 

Same here. Born and raised in Canada but everyone says I'm Italian and when I went to Italy they do not consider you Italian but Americano (which I have to remind them I'm Canadian). Too bad we can not consider ourselves Canadian first of so and so heritage.