2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup

[Regs]

The tourney starts this Wednesday. Canada is in a group with Cuba, Costa Rica and the US. Here are the Canadian games:

Canada v Costa Rica
July 6th @ QWest Field Seattle
TV: Sportsnet @ 5:30PM Pacific

Canada v USA
July 9th @ QWest Field Seattle
TV: Sportsnet @ 1:30PM Pacific

Canada v Cuba
July 12th @ Gillette Stadium Foxborough, Mass.
TV: Sportsnet @ 6:00PM Pacific

Did anyone go to the tune-up game the other night vs Honduras (2-1 Honduras)?

Interesting to see that Yallop has picked so many Montreal Impact players for the squad... Mike Franks is the only Whitecap... Victor is heading the delegation down for the CSA... how much longer do you think before BCSA will need to be searching for a new President?

 

[Hands of Stone]

knvb for President!

I see that the Yanks were advertising the Canada games in our local papers, probably having a tough time selling tickets for the Canada vs. Cuba match, you know the whole embargo thing.

Should be interesting if this Canada team can sort out thier scoring problems, surprised JJ didn't get the call.

hos

 

[BlazeArmy]

surprised JJ didn't get the call.

hos

I believe Yallop basically called him fat, out of shape and non-existent at times off the ball.

Or words to that effect.

Considering he has been scoring you'd think he'd get a look.

 

[LFC2]

Canada friendly. Went hoping for a decent atmosphere with low expectations for a great game. They announced 4100, but I would say that was a bit high. No where close to the life that was in the stadium for the full qualifier last year against Guatemala.
Game was OK, without a program very tough recognizing many faces in the Canadian lineup. Atiba Hutchison was very good, and Desario(sp?) up front looked dangerous at times, but most noticeably actually worked hard compared to the likes of Pech who never really looked into playing for Canada.
Honduran second goal was world class anywhere. Volley off of a very wide cross top corner, no chance.
One thing I will say about this bunch is that they are missing some of the more recognizable names, but worked harder and grittier than any recent Canadian teams I have seen.

 

[Regs]

No program?

Sounds like the CSA was on top of things as per usual

 

[Regs]

Go Canada Go!

First match is tonight, any predictions?

1-1

National soccer team coach optimistic, not delusional heading into Gold Cup

Jim Morris
Canadian Press

Thursday, July 07, 2005

SEATTLE (CP) - There's a huge gap between being optimistic and delusional.

When it comes to the Gold Cup, national soccer team coach Frank Yallop has very lucid expectations for his side.

For Yallop the 12-team tournament for the championship of CONCACAF, which covers North and Central America and the Caribbean, is another study session. It gives him a chance to evaluate the talent available to him while affording the players an opportunity to prove themselves to their coach.

Canada plays Costa Rica on Thursday at Qwest Field in the opening game of Group B play. A win would be a huge confidence boost for Yallop's young team and would greatly enhance their chance of advancing to the next round.

But Yallop knows the true test for the national team will come in 2008 when Canada begins qualification games for the 2010 World Cup.

"If I put pressure on myself to get results at this point I'd be crazy," Yallop said Wednesday after practice on a pristine grass field in the shadows of Huskie Stadium at the University of Washington.

"Right now it doesn't mean anything. It might mean sacrificing results at this point to get the experience and be ready to play (qualifying) games."

That doesn't mean Yallop, who took over as national team coach in December 2003 after the departure of hardnosed Holger Osieck, will treat the Gold Cup like a meaningless NHL exhibition game.

Canada faces the powerful Americans on Saturday before a partisan crowd at Qwest, the home of the NFL Seattle Seahawks.

Losing to Costa Rica would dig a hole. To then be beaten by the Americans could bury Canada.

"The first game is important," said Yallop.

"What you don't want to do is lose. Then you have to go into the game Saturday looking for something. We want to come out strong and get ahead."

Yallop wants to develop a winning attitude on the team. He wants a side that will go into the next World Cup qualifying round able to play a solid 90 minutes with sound defence and the ability to convert its scoring chances.

He knows that takes time and patience. That's why he's assembled a 19-man roster with 13 players who have played nine or less international games for the national team.

"We have to make sure we're building the program, that each player is getting better each time they are playing for Canada," Yallop said.

"Yes, we want to win the tournament. We want to go into the game feeling we have a good side."

Canada, which failed to qualify for next year's World Cup in Germany, is currently ranked No. 85 in the world, one spot ahead of Albania.

Costa Rica is ranked 24th and the Americans 10th. Canada wraps up the preliminary round Tuesday against No. 70 Cuba at Gillette Stadium in Foxboro.

"On paper we're the worst team," Yallop said.

"We don't feel that. We feel we can get a good result in any of the games we play."

Costa Rica - which beat Canada twice in World Cup qualifying play last year - will be without strikers Paulo Wanchope and Ronald Gomez and defender Gilbert Martinez.

Midfielder Atiba Hutchinson said the Canadians must keep their poise against Costa Rica.

"They are well organized and are good with the ball," said Hutchinson, a native of Brampton, Ont., who plays for Helsingborg, of the Swedish Premier League.

"We have to be well organized and disciplined. The last couple of games we played we've been a little bit unorganized with the counterattacks."

What Yallop doesn't want is a repeat of Saturday's friendly against Honduras. Canada dominated for 50 minutes, then gave up a two quick goals on defensive lapses and lost 2-1.

"We've given a lot of soft goals away," said Yallop.

"We've played well in spells in matches but never have been able to put in a full 90 minutes."

 

[Regs]

Day 1 Scores

Panama 1-0 Columbia
Honduras 1-1 Trinidad & Tobogganing

 

[Dapotayto]

Go Canada Go!

First match is tonight, any predictions?

1-1

I'll predict Canada 2 Costco Rico 1. I also predict, if the weather stays cloudy, that several of the Costricans will be wearing gloves, tights, earring tape and coloured boots thereby covering half of the 'pet peeves' thread in one game.

 

[knvb]

Yeah, but will they punt or drop kick is the big question.

Canada will lose 1-0... and punt. Damn them.

 

[The Apprentice]

Canada will lose 1-0... and punt. Damn them.

Canada did lose 1-0. The goal came off a very questionable penalty. Canada had some good opportunities but they kept punting the ball wide of the net.

 

[Captain Shamrock]

Fcuking shite. Canada is fcuking shite.



Hail Hail

 

[Bronco]

I have to agree with my Irish friend. Canada looked absolutely horrible!! Derosario had a few decent runs, but other than that they looked little better than oh I don't know the Montreal Impact!


On a side note, how awful is the new offside rule. As a defender you're shiting your pants until the last minute when the prick touches the ball. Don't like it at all, makes for much more running!!

 

[Regs]

I only saw the hilites but read the report on the CSA website... they said that Canada totally outplayed Costa Rica and were extremely unlucky... was it a PK?

The hilites I saw were basically some shocking misses and a nice touch by one striker to the other that looked about 5 yards offside but made up for it by blasting the fcuking thing about 50 yards wide into Puget Sound.

US beat Cuba 4-1.

US v Canada tomorrow... prediction is 2-0 US.

 

[knvb]

I disagree totally with your prediction Regs. I think the Americans will win 2-0.

I do however agree with Captain and have to admit I had a good laugh when I read his post last night as I was thinking the same thing.

 

[T-Idiot]

I saw the last 20-25 minutes of the Game and the only time Canada
looked to be making headway is when they pressured them

The fresh legs of Peters and the black guy with the Rasta
hair who can throw the ball a mile sure gave Canada's Offence
a boost
Hume when he really pressured gave Canada more opportunities
thorugh being fouled and FK's
& Brennan ...Who hasn't been their and had the six yard box asthma
attack ( spelling )

Peter's sure can move like the wind with the ball ... I wonder if he can play a full game

Prediction U.s.a. 4 Canada 0
T

 

[BlazeArmy]

Watched the US and Canada game today.

While it was nice to see we can defend pretty well, it is obvious i have a better chance at scoring at a supermodel convention than the National team does in international games.

They passed alright but that gets you nothing in the results section. It is apparent that any time they play they feel very frail as there seems to be a sh*t/own/penalty goal against every game.

Peters looked good when he came on again today. DeRosario worked well and had some nice play but seemed to lack touch at inopportune times.

On to Cuba, which seems destined for a 0-0 draw at this point.

 

[willis316]

Agreed Blaze. I am not sure of your chances at a supermodel convention but if you are saying they are slim I hear you. They have no finish. Heard reports that they were having lazy practices this week including drills that had them finishing on net. Nice to hear that the coaching staff realizes their weakness. CS is right, they are rubbish. I guess it would be the equivilent of the English Hockey team. Can't eve watch a full game without thinking we must have something better to offer than this to the football world. Oh, we do, our ladies team provides better soccer.

 

[Regs]

I'll agree on the finishing obviously being a sore spot, but that's about it.

There was loads of good stuff happening in this game that I hadn't seen in a Canadian team in a long time. The dude that got the red card was solid defending and going forward... unfortunate to get the sending off in the end. He went missing a bit after the half, but all-in-all, he's the best centre-mid I've seen in the maple leaf for a long time (I don't even think that's his natural position).

This game was on eye-opener for me... I don't think there was a single hump up the park. Not one. I think we've turned the corner...

 

[Captain Shamrock]

I'll agree on the finishing obviously being a sore spot, but that's about it.

There was loads of good stuff happening in this game that I hadn't seen in a Canadian team in a long time. The dude that got the red card was solid defending and going forward... unfortunate to get the sending off in the end. He went missing a bit after the half, but all-in-all, he's the best centre-mid I've seen in the maple leaf for a long time (I don't even think that's his natural position).

This game was on eye-opener for me... I don't think there was a single hump up the park. Not one. I think we've turned the corner...

Canada is shite. shite I say.




Hail Hail

 

[ParkHead]

Oh, we do, our ladies team provides better soccer.

Don't kid yourself. Our Women's national team plays the best kick and run around. I don't know what you have been watching.

Still embarassing that, that is our national team!


parkhead