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RJB

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  1. https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/46988859 This is a BBC article about CPL. In it, they mention two things (Sorry friends, I'm not prepared to comb through 363 pages of this thread...), both in the same paragraph: "The CPL will have a traditional league structure - with teams playing each other home and away over a season that runs from late April to October. Unusually for North American sport, there will be no play-offs." Surely they will play each other 4 times for at least a 24 game schedule, no? And the bit about the playoffs is good news to me, and settles the poll at the start of this thread perhaps.
  2. Interesting to hear coach Herdman on TSN 1040 yesterday, essentially laying claim to the entire women's program, right from the individual talent, to Rhian Wilkinson as head coach of the U17s. He referenced how they worked hard to build "the whole bloody thing." He also said that coaching men is exactly the same as coaching women; that an elite athlete is an elite athlete. And also, that the win in St. Kitts was a good win, and that if a "boxscore" fan thinks otherwise, then they should become a real fan to know that that is a very tough place to play, and that it was a good result for us. This is a serious question, that hopefully won't matter, but what are we judging Herdman on? Do we expect qualification out of the Gold Cup groups? Or do we expect nothing, and are looking to 2026?
  3. I think that's the point: Either they are our equal and that's pathetic, or they're our equal and that's fine.
  4. It very much sounds like you are putting St Kitts on par with us.
  5. Fair enough. This is chicken and egg stuff. I say that if we win, culture doesn't matter. You say you can't win without good culture. While I will concede that you may be correct, all I'm saying is that I'll take winning over good culture any day. A paradox you say? That's fine. I've watched Canada move into minnow territory over the last twenty years and I'd like a winner please. I've said this before, those minutes that we were leading in 2014 WCQ at Honduras were some of the best feeling watching this team I've had in too long. James had scored, it was all looking likely. Am I supposed to just be satisfied that oh well we lost but we have a good culture? If this type of thing is necessary, then do it, but don't try and sell me on it. As a teambuilding notion, this sort of thing should just happen. It's when pundits have nothing to talk about do they posit on its importance and we all get wound up about it, and frankly I just think it's a good talking point. Win some games, then some more, problem solved.
  6. Herdman may well do a good job for us - and I really want that - but he certainly is a self-promotion machine. He says very little of consequence other than toot his own horn and talk about things that are more motivational than anything: culture, identity, putting in a shift, buying-in, etc. I think he's his biggest fan. And why wouldn't he be? He got the CSA to flinch and hire him as the MNT coach, and he got to hand-pick the WNT coach. He's got his finger prints all over the CSA at this point, so, it's tough not to be too full of himself. And right now, I don't really care about any of that, because we're winning. And as long as that continues, I'm content. That's all I want, and all I've wanted for a very long time. If he can turn this minnow around, then he ultimately deserves to pat himself on the back!
  7. Fair enough, I suppose I should have said, first priority. But I'll double down on my position: I don't care about the culture of this team, as long as we win. I've supported the MNT for a very long time, and am resigned to us being a minnow. I don't care about culture, or identity, or guest speakers, I care about winning.
  8. The only thing I'll say about establishing culture is that I think it's something coaches just say. Kind of like when they say that a team needs an identity. I suppose they both kind of make sense, but they are phrases born of too much punditry, when in reality what needs to happen is the players need to listen to the coach, they need to do as they're told, what they're told needs make them the best they can be, and then most of all they need to win. Because culture and identity are completely meaningless if they never win. Or don't at least improve. I know that Herdman has to say something because we want to press, but lets not get too much into the media-speak. And how many of us list changing the culture of the team as a priority... ever? We want to win.
  9. Yesterday (Saturday) morning, listening to the Sportmarket on TSN 1040, Tom Mayenknecht made refererence to Ottawa Fury of the USL, and next year the CPL. Perhaps he knows something?
  10. RJB

    Qatar 2022

    Any word on the 2023 Asian Cup? If it is played starting in January again (as is happening with the 2019 tournament in the UAE, and the previous three tournaments), then it will immediately follow the World Cup. I'll be interested to see whether they move it to summer, and how that will affect the ongoing bidding process. Namely, will a nation with hot summers be shunned so that they can hold the tournament in June/July?
  11. That logo... from the clubs website: "The population of Ghent associated this circus, which visited Ghent in both 1895 and 1906, with the Sioux tribe and the conspicuous feather headdresses worn by the Indian chiefs who performed in the circus together with Cody the cowboy. That is the story of how the image of a Native American was introduced into the sports culture of the city of Ghent." My goodness.
  12. Karina of course is a proud Canadian, but also has ties to other countries within CONCACAF. She was born in the USA and also has very strong family ties to Dominca. She knows the region well, the people, the challenges, and is a well decorated international. And that is not even touching on her qualifications for the job through her Business Degree, and her plethora of experience. Honestly, this might be a bit of a reach here, but I think I can see Karina making political waves within the sporting world. Hopefully this is a small step in an upward trajectory within CONCACAF/FIFA because we need more females, and people like her leading these organizations.
  13. So you are saying that our chances would have improved significantly if our final two games were Honduras at home, and then Mexico(away I presume, since no one had two home games). This really only seems to have 'always' happened to us this last round. In 2014 qualifying, the group was very much up for grabs on that final day, and everyone needed a result. Plus, it should be stated that this group did not have one of the big three, and so doesn't fit into what you have previously stated is one "clearly better" team. So it's tough to say we got screwed, other than having to play away. But no one was able to lay down, or play a b squad, etc. 2010 we were awful 2006 we were awful 2002 we were awful I mean, I ultimately get your point that the schedule could be more to our advantage. But in previous World Cup cycles, we've had all the combinations, and the fact is that we just haven't been good enough.
  14. But it isn't the second leg, it's a league format. Honduras only had an advantage because we failed to do the necessary job against El Salvador and Mexico. Had we picked up two additional points from those three games vs. them that we failed to win, then this is not important. It's an excuse now only because it needs to be to complete the woe-is-me narrative.
  15. I know! It's frustrating to play at home first because we don't know what to do as a result. Should we win? Should we lose? This doesn't matter dspqr. Regardless of the order, we need to do better.
  16. You see, that's the dangerous thing for me. First off, I'd like to hear the players say that he said that. With respect to Peter Schaad, he's pretty comfy in his position as buddies with Dolan and DeVos, and so I don't think he's ready to rock the boat. And of course he would support those guys(especially DeVos, who I predict will be Assistant Manager). So I'd like to hear a player say those things about the tactics, because I would expect a coach at any level to ask a player where they prefer to play, and to encourage them to have fun. So if what you suggested above is what he said, that I say great. It's is naive and foolish to think that's all he said. No way. But this isn't about Zambrano. The focus now is on Herdman. And he needs to demonstrate how he is the best candidate in the whole world, and how he is so good that he deserves to get hired without a competition. This interview with Sharman has done nothing for me. He put the knife in Zambrano's back, and will need to do more than just spout off a bunch of cliche's to convince me.
  17. But he put the knife in the back of Zambrano. He worked behind the scenes, and made this happen. Shame. And no, I'm not excited about him. His credentials are not there. Say whatever you want, the CMNT and CWNT are different. The game is the same, but the stuff off the field is different. I don't see how he will be better than anyone else. There is nothing yet to suggest that. And in that interview, he says a bunch of good chatter... "It's a systems approach," but it doesn't really mean anything. What he said was, we're going to make the hex consistently, and have more pro players at tier one. Well, no shit! Octavio, are you listening? That's what got him the job instead of you, he wanted to produce talented players that are "housed in key areas." (again, what does that mean!?) And did you notice that he referenced the positive signs of the Gold Cup, and the home game against Jamaica? The important thing is that he needs to differentiate himself from Zambrano, who did a good job on the field.
  18. As much as this is technically correct, I think you must acknowledge there are major, major differences in mens and womens soccer. For the men, they come in oh so briefly as well paid professionals, they train a few times, and play a match. For the women however, this is their job oftentimes. Don't forget many of the CWNT players playing professionally in the States are paid by the CSA. Herdman could really use the "family" motivation for the women, because they really do need to play for each other. Whereas the men get that "family" experience from their club. The differences in the two are humongous. And he won't be able to bond with the men like he does with the women. Because at the national level, the women are often getting their best, most well paid coach they immediately have respect for him. But the men are usually getting the reverse. They're coming to an inferior nation at the sport. For these reasons there are coaches that can/should do one or the other but not both.
  19. I'm really disappointed in this decision by the CSA. The things that they are saying about Zambrano (they being Schaad) are really silly frankly, especially after only 9 months on the job. If they are in fact true, doesn't that say something more about the CSA for having just hired him!? And when this comes off the back of our first QF in the Gold Cup in seemingly forever, where we finished second in our group after just two matches with our new coach! He had us playing well, and if there were administrative issues, then perhaps they should hire an administrator? Anyhow, I like Zambrano, but if he was the wrong guy, then that's on the CSA. Another thing, is that by hiring Herdman without due process, they are saying that not only was he the best candidate in the entire world available to us, and that it is so obvious to everyone they didn't need to look for other candidates! This is incredibly small minded and short sighted. The fact is that John Herdman managed to bully his way into the CMNT job, got his people hired to run the CWNT, and all at the cost of whatever his salary is plus certainly the cost of buying out Zambrano. Rudi Schuller says that Herdman deserves a chance, but I disagree. Obviously I hope he succeeds, because I've been aching for success for too long, but I have no patience for him. He needs to succeed immediately for my liking (or at least within 9 months), due to the manner in which the CSA allowed him to force their hand. This type of move by the CSA gets made for superstars, and so I expect superstar results. I'm going to be very interested to see who his staff will be. Honestly, I don't have high hopes, and can see DeVos getting the job. This would explain the Schaad hacking of Zambrano (given Schaad's relationship through TV with DeVos). And DeVos is probably one of the supporters behind this move, as it will allow him perhaps to gain experience as an Assistant, and be the next one for the job. Serious bush league stuff by both the Herdman Soccer Association (formerly the CSA), and I look forward to hearing what Zambrano has to say. It's an old boys club all over again!
  20. Houston is a pretty major airport, perhaps it is partly there in order to make the travel aspect easier? And though we have recently drawn well at home, the possibility of 10k in Houston maybe a more enticing possibility than 20k in a Canadian city. And there's no guarantee of those numbers, I know, but the chance is what they're looking at. October in Canada can go either way, in most parts. Maybe they're just mailing this one in, calling it an away game, and hoping like hell they can draw a decent crowd? Or maybe the CSA office is incapable of pulling off another home friendly - I don't imagine they have hundreds of staff, and maybe they're all overworked? Perhaps we can think of this one like outsourcing, in that they have a guaranteed bottom line, but that guarantee comes at the cost of greater profits. I'm ok with this one.
  21. Looking back, I'd really like to know what Frank Yallop had in Peters. Was there a kick back for him? I recall him getting capped for us, as an unattached teenager, and then after a few games he wound up with Ipswich, Yallop's former club. I recall also a WCQ where he came on as a sub, then was subbed off! It was at Swangard, but the details are forgotten. Does anyone know about this? Am I messed up on these details, or is it not super sketchy how he came on the scene and was capped unattached?
  22. That the Gold Cup allows for these roster changes just adds to the feeling it has as a bush league tournament. Together with no extra time, no wonder it gets no attention. The name, the lack of extra time, and the roster shuffling, uggh.
  23. He certainly isn't the first two, but I don't recall his name being mentioned which ticks the third option.
  24. I thought this deserved its own thread... Sources: Octavio Zambrano to be named Canadian men’s soccer team coach The Canadian men’s soccer team has finally found a new coach. Multiple sources confirmed to Sportsnet on Wednesday that Canada Soccer has hired Ecuadorian Octavio Zambrano to take over as coach of the men’s side, bringing with him two or three assistants from South America to round out his staff. Canada Soccer will officially unveil Zambrano as the men’s coach on Friday morning at a press event in Toronto. Canada has been without a coach since Benito Floro did not have his contract renewed last September following the Reds’ elimination from 2018 World Cup qualifying. Michael Findlay has served as interim coach since Floro’s departure. Zambrano, 59, previously coached the LA Galaxy and New York MetroStars in MLS. He has never taken charge of a national team. Canada Soccer had no comment when reached by Sportsnet. http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/sources-octavio-zambrano-named-canadian-mens-soccer-team-coach/
  25. I feel the need to defend JDG here. I understand he moved to the Netherlands when he was 12. He never said he wanted to play for Canada. Tough to knock him on this.
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