OT: 2024 Soccer and Vancouver Whitecaps Thread

[Just A Bit Outside]

Larin and David have very respectable goal scoring records at club level.

But for Canada, if they are playing anyone decent, they could not hit a barn door.

 

[sting101]

nothing to be ashamed of.

David Bombito and Eustaquio struggled to make plays. Not their best games.

Not having Buchanen and Davies getting hurt was too bad as it would have been nice if they could have had a bit more firepower to send forward

 

[VanJack]

This tournament is something to build on......but two regulation goals in five tournament games isn't going to get it done.

It's a continued weakness in Canadian soccer.....developing clinical finishers. And doesn't appear that anyone is on the horizon.

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

our finishing is shit and needs to be fixed

reffing actually an embarrassment, hard to not think this is fixed (though we didn't deserve the win)

respectable performance

Finishing can only be fixed with better talent. You can keep rotating players and managers and try different formation but the harsh reality is we don't have the attackers that can generate offense.

Unfortunately our youth level talent is medicore and doesn't really test attackers at a young age to develop chances or escape pressure in tight quarters. You see far too many games where a player stands out and finishes chances due to athleticism and pace. This stops working at a higher level and the same players seemingly struggle at striking a ball from distance or striking a ball while in motion.

Maybe this improves but it will take another decade or two to see results if we really commit to fostering creativity and developing skill at this spectrum.

 

[mjlee]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1807598159004070388

 

[ziploc]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1807598159004070388

So....no twin?

How does that even work?

 

[ziploc]

Finishing can only be fixed with better talent. You can keep rotating players and managers and try different formation but the harsh reality is we don't have the attackers that can generate offense.

Unfortunately our youth level talent is medicore and doesn't really test attackers at a young age to develop chances or escape pressure in tight quarters. You see far too many games where a player stands out and finishes chances due to athleticism and pace. This stops working at a higher level and the same players seemingly struggle at striking a ball from distance or striking a ball while in motion.

Maybe this improves but it will take another decade or two to see results if we really commit to fostering creativity and developing skill at this spectrum.

I played metro soccer in Vancouver to a fairly high level (this was some years back obviously)

In my entire time playing I had one coach who I remember teaching us technique around dead ball strikes. I remember one coaching session on finishing in close, and it was really just seeing who could kind of naturally already do it one-on-one against the goalie.

At that time it really was just about athleticism and pace. I am hoping things have improved, but as you say it's going to take a long time to really see the results.

 

[WTG]

Now Dutch fans are fighting English fans

I f***ing hate Dutch football culture. Netherlands has some of the worst hooligans in Europe. Disgraceful and shameful

 

[ziploc]

Now Dutch fans are fighting English fans

I f***ing hate Dutch football culture. Netherlands has some of the worst hooligans in Europe. Disgraceful and shameful

Thankfully English fans are well known for their dignity, patience, and quiet reserve.

 

[DFAC]

Now Dutch fans are fighting English fans

I f***ing hate Dutch football culture. Netherlands has some of the worst hooligans in Europe. Disgraceful and shameful

That's soccer in general - worst fans in all of sports.

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

I played metro soccer in Vancouver to a fairly high level (this was some years back obviously)

In my entire time playing I had one coach who I remember teaching us technique around dead ball strikes. I remember one coaching session on finishing in close, and it was really just seeing who could kind of naturally already do it one-on-one against the goalie.

At that time it really was just about athleticism and pace. I am hoping things have improved, but as you say it's going to take a long time to really see the results.

The good news is the results from changes 7-8 years ago are already paying dividends.

I played some 25 years ago when the gameplan usually involved longballs to the fastest guy. Midfielders were totally useless most of the time as the CB's (me) would be instructed to just punt the ball down the pitch to the attackers. You were called a ball hog if you held onto the ball for more than 5 seconds. The CanMNT under Yallop, Hart and Floro even employed this tactic and never really focused on any attempt to possess the ball.

A guy like Kone would have been totally screwed had he been a decade older and developed under the old approach.

 

[ziploc]

The good news is the results from changes 7-8 years ago are already paying dividends.

I played some 25 years ago when the gameplan usually involved longballs to the fastest guy. Midfielders were totally useless most of the time as the CB's (me) would be instructed to just punt the ball down the pitch to the attackers. You were called a ball hog if you held onto the ball for more than 5 seconds. The CanMNT under Yallop, Hart and Floro even employed this tactic and never really focused on any attempt to possess the ball.

A guy like Kone would have been totally screwed had he been a decade older and developed under the old approach.

I played mostly midfield, and I agree that if I wanted the ball at all I basically had to run back and get it defensively. Otherwise it was just punted up field in a kind of direct ball approach, but more of a dump and chase to be honest.

We had one European coach who sent me home with a video of Maradona highlights and said, "That's how we will play." I was shocked that this was a way teams could play, but in order to even get a chance I had to run pretty much constantly. Even then it only worked if I kept the ball and made long runs with it. If I passed it off it would just be booted upfield. We weren't taught interlinking play at all, that I can remember.

Glad to hear things are changing somewhat. I have spoken to coaches now who teach their teams to change the field - they say a young team that understands how to cross the ball to the other side is miles ahead of any other team. It seems so basic, but it just isn't intuitive unless you grow up watch the sport at a high level.

 

[VanJack]

Argentina were the better side....no shame in admitting that. But from what I gather, the pitch at MetLife Stadium was awful.

In fact almost all the games at COPA America were played in brutal heat and poor quality surfaces. It's definitely something they need to work on before the World Cup in two years.

Although it'll never happen.....it would be interesting to see Canada and Argentina matched up in Canada during a late November deep-freeze. They'd find out in a hurry what it's like for the Central American teams in CONCACF, who probably now dread making their way to the Great White North.

 

[ziploc]

Argentina were the better side....no shame in admitting that. But from what I gather, the pitch at MetLife Stadium was awful.

In fact almost all the games at COPA America were played in brutal heat and poor quality surfaces. It's definitely something they need to work on before the World Cup in two years.

Although it'll never happen.....it would be interesting to see Canada and Argentina matched up in Canada during a late November deep-freeze. They'd find out in a hurry what it's like for the Central American teams in CONCACF, who probably now dread making their way to the Great White North.

The pitch was abominable. It was sodden, water spraying up with every bounce of the ball, and it significantly slowed things down.

Argentina were clearly the better team and will beat Canada 9 out of 10 times. But the pitch and the reffing (and our lack of finish) certainly didn't help.

 

[Lindgren]

Are England fans any happier now?

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

Are England fans any happier now?

Imagine Canada narrowly escaping a group of France, Belarus and Great Britain in a hockey tournament, then proceeding to get into a knockout bracket with games against Germany and Switzerland while the other bracket had Czech Republic, Finland, Sweden and the USA...

Good for England. They backed themselves into an easy draw and had a rather easy path into the finals while getting favorable reffing.

Now is time for the Maple Lions to lose in crushing fashion again.

 

[Red]

Massive fight between fans and players after the Uruguay v. Colombia game. Uruguay players are alleging that their families were in danger in the stands. Likely some of the Uruguay players will be suspended for the 3rd place game with us.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1811225678471434567

 

[Bubbles]

Imagine Canada narrowly escaping a group of France, Belarus and Great Britain in a hockey tournament, then proceeding to get into a knockout bracket with games against Germany and Switzerland while the other bracket had Czech Republic, Finland, Sweden and the USA...

Good for England. They backed themselves into an easy draw and had a rather easy path into the finals while getting favorable reffing.

Now is time for the Maple Lions to lose in crushing fashion again.

It's weird they've made the finals now in consecutive Euros playing very different styles. They also had a pretty easy path to the finals (other than Germany) in 2020.

Hopefully Spain puts a nail in the coffin for Southgate and co.

 

[DFAC]

Massive fight between fans and players after the Uruguay v. Colombia game. Uruguay players are alleging that their families were in danger in the stands. Likely some of the Uruguay players will be suspended for the 3rd place game with us.

https://x.com/i/web/status/1811225678471434567

See my previous post about soccer fans being the worst.

Hope Canada can pull out the win - this Uruguayan team is very easy to dislike.

 

[Bubbles]

That's the CONMEBOL I've expected!

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

It's weird they've made the finals now in consecutive Euros playing very different styles. They also had a pretty easy path to the finals (other than Germany) in 2020.

Hopefully Spain puts a nail in the coffin for Southgate and co.

The biggest thing that bugs me is how they've been the beneficiaries of bogus penalties in two consecutive Euro semi-finals.

2020

Then this yesterday

 

[Just A Bit Outside]

Oh Nunez. As a Liverpool supporter, I'm not surprised. He's an emotional hot head.

Similar to Suarez.

However, and I don't fully know if it was that section in particular, but apparently things were being thrown from Columba fans in the direction of the families of the Uruguayan team. If that actually is the case, there's atleast some understanding as to why they were pissed. Regardless, they shouldn't have taken it to the extent they did.

Either way, hope Canada wins. Would be amazing.

As an England supporter, I'm conflicted. It's great they won and they definitely played better in the 1st half but they still have not been great. They have had luck for sure but you need luck on your side to get through quite often.

I still think Spain wins but it's one game and you just never know.

 

[VanJack]

Wow!....Jesse Marsh and the Ecuadorian coach just came out swinging, blasting the entire COPA America tournament. Terrible pitches, a lack of security as we witnessed in the ugly aftermath of the Colombia-Ecuador match; and biased refereeing. Marsh said the refereeing he witnessed in some of the CONCACAF teams' games versus South American teams was some of the worst he had ever witnessed.

He was particularly outraged by the one-sided officiating in games involving Canada. Blatant non-calls and players from South American teams rolling around on the pitch to try and draw more yellow and red cards. He added that he was proud of his team for taking all the abuse, both on and off the pitch--with low-life chants from the stands and social media posts with ugly racist overtones.

Yikes!.....looks like the US of A has a lot of work to do before hosting the World Cup in a couple of years. Hopefully they, along with FIFFA, can learn some hard lessons from this COPA tournament and how it was run.

 

[SeawaterOnIce]

Wow!....Jesse Marsh and the Ecuadorian coach just came out swinging, blasting the entire COPA America tournament. Terrible pitches, a lack of security as we witnessed in the ugly aftermath of the Colombia-Ecuador match; and biased refereeing. Marsh said the refereeing he witnessed in some of the CONCACAF teams' games versus South American teams was some of the worst he had ever witnessed.

He was particularly outraged by the one-sided officiating in games involving Canada. Blatant non-calls and players from South American teams rolling around on the pitch to try and draw more yellow and red cards. He added that he was proud of his team for taking all the abuse, both on and off the pitch--with low-life chants from the stands and social media posts with ugly racist overtones.

Yikes!.....looks like the US of A has a lot of work to do before hosting the World Cup in a couple of years. Hopefully they, along with FIFFA, can learn some hard lessons from this COPA tournament and how it was run.

It's just such an uphill battle when you realize how massively corrupt FIFA along with the regional football federations are.

You even look at the 3 prior World Cup hosts in Brazil, Russia and Qatar and it pains a rather obvious picture.

 

[JoeCool16]

So....no twin?

How does that even work?

I'm more surprised that Daniel doesn't have a son the exact same age playing on the team named Balter.