CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying: Canada v Mexico

By far the biggest crowd of the tournament. Fair to say it’s full of energy here at BC Place. A large group of noisy Mexican supporters have taken up a spot in the opposite corner to where the Voyageurs are. If the lower bowl holds 25 000, I’d go with about 15 000 as the crowd right now.

Standing ovation as the teams enter the stadium for the anthems. Anyone who suggested that Mexican fans would outnumber Canadian fans….hope you didn’t put money on that. This is overwhelmingly a Canadian crowd.

So Canada opt for

Leblanc

Wilkinson, Woeller, Chapman, Sesselmann

Scott, Schmidt, Parker, Sinclair

Tancredi, Julien

An aggressive, attacking formation that could at times look more like a 4-3-3 when Sinclair pushes up and presumedly Parker would sit in front of Scott and Schmidt. We’ll see.

Mexico go with:

Santiago, Sandoval, Rowold, Mendez, Noyola (NCAA player of the year), Diaz, Dominguez, Garza, Ocampo, Ruiz, Perez

Brazen prediction: 2-0 Canada

Game on!

CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying: USA v Costa Rica

The story’s unfolding as it should and tonight will see whether the favourites and the hosts can win their semi-final matches, qualify for the 2012 Olympics and then go on to face each other on Sunday to see if Canada’s catching up to the States or if they’re pulling further away.

USA start:

Solo, Rampone, O’Hara (good call), Lepeilbet, Boxx, O’Reilly, Lloyd, Cheney, Heath (didn’t see that coming), Beuehler, Wambach.

Costa Rica:

Miranda, Barrantes, Saenz, Sanchez, Campos, Cruz, Rodriguez, Alvarado, Sanchez, Acosta

Prediction: at least 6-0 for the State. They are just too strong and the Costa Rican back four will struggle against the onslaught of their crosses…as will their keeper I suspect.

CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying: USA v Mexico

“We definitely work on our set pieces and each of us has a role. We try to execute that role as much as we can and as well as we can.” – Sydney Leroux after the USA v Mexico game.

Here’s what has surprised me tactically in a lot of the games. Set pieces can be the great equalizer when a weaker team is taking on a stronger team. If you are struggling to get possession in the attacking third and put dangerous balls into scoring areas, you should be looking at any free kick within 35 yards or corner kick as an opportunity to score. You should come into games where you are the distinct underdog with a bevy of well-rehearsed set pieces and the grimmest of determination to be first to balls played into the box.

I watched several of the weaker teams set up for corners and free kicks and leave 3 or 4 players back to cover a lone striker. When Guatemala was losing to the States but by a still respectable margin, they left three back to cover one striker, put two players on the ball for a wide free kick and then had another drifting between the 18 and the centre circle, neither covering an opponent nor anywhere near where the ball might land from a poor clearance. They ended up putting a half decent ball in the box but it was four against nine defenders (plus Solo in goal). They might as well have just kicked it our for a goal kick.

How do you beat the USWNT?

First off, I am not an expert or even an avid follower of women’s international soccer. I take an interest in it for events like the one now in my back yard, the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifiers, and the World Cup. I find women’s soccer frustrating because I see the biggest impediment to its improvement laying not in the physical aspects of the game but the technical. And in countries like Canada where girls have had the same access, or very close, to good coaching and programs for the past dozen years or so, it is frustrating to see basic flaws in technique and elementary mistakes related to positioning and movement. Without pointing fingers, there were very simple lapses in technique and positioning that cost the team important goals in Germany last summer at the World Cup.

There are some who say the women’s game will never be as good as the men’s game because the men’s game is faster and more physical. Perhaps. But the point for now is that it can be much better still than it is and we should be seeing the same level of technical proficiency and tactical nous here in Canada as we see in other western countries with similar populations. I don’t think we’re there yet but the progress under Morace and now Herdman is clear. We just have to hope that there’s a large contingent of 16-20 year olds coming through the system who can buttress the squad and provide competition for spots so that the next ten years sees continued improvement. After all, Christine Sinclair turns 29 this year.

The US Women’s national team however is considerably further down that road. As a country with ten times the population of Canada and a stronger cultural commitment to elite athletics than Canada you would expect this to be the case. It will be difficult catching up to the impressive abilities they have shown in recent years and of course in their first two games here in Vancouver. And while the Americans have dominated women’s soccer in the Olympics (three gold medals in the four Olympic Games that have included women’s soccer), they have not won a World Cup now in twelve plus years with their last win coming in 1999.

So they can be beaten. Sweden played them three times last year beating them twice and drawing once. England also beat them in a friendly and Canada even got a draw last fall in a friendly.

CONCACAF Olympic qualifying: Canada v Cuba

As promised, Canadian national team coach John Herdman has made sure every player gets to play in front of a home crowd at this tournament. Lots of new faces in the starting eleven but Christine Sinclair still gets the start. Canada look like this:

• G: McLeod
• D: Woeller, Booth, Gayle, Moscato
• M: Mottershead, Kyle, Timko, Sinclair
• F:, Tancredi, Buckland

Much bigger crowd tonight. Probably closing in on 10 000.

First half

• This will be a good test of Canada’s depth.
• Herdman obviously watched Cuba play and saw that Cuba’s Martinez (8) and Ellis (11) are the ones to worry about. Despite the ball being in Cuba’s end almost continuously from the start, he’s still on his centre backs to sit in positions that will deny Martinez the ability to get a ball to her feet and turn.
• Interesting seeing Sinclair play as an attacking centre mid. Emphasis on attacking. It almost looks like a 4-3-3- at times.
• 15 minutes in and aside from a Sinclair header off a corner Canada really haven’t done much.
• After a very quiet start, marked by some poor decisions on the ball, Kyle drives smartly into the box and draws a legit penalty which Sinclair slots confidently. 1-0 Canada in the 17th minute
• Gayle at right back is struggling to get involved and she’s playing against a suspect Cuban defender if she could get forward and get the ball.
• Tancredi very quiet as well.
• Gayle finally gets forward, megs her mark and puts the best cross of the game so far into the box. No one on the other end though.
• Lovely second goal. Quick, incisive pass from Mottershead, angled perfectly for a streaking Sinclair to get beyond her mark and cross first time to Tancredi at the far post who just had to keep it on target. Two great balls and a confident header from Tancredi.
• The ball is rarely out of Cuba’s half and Canada have found their stride.
• Cuba’s back line is just too ragged. They don’t push as a unit and against good strikers who can make a yard of space look like a km…it will cost them.
• This is turning into 8v9 in the Cuban defensive third. They leave one up, Martinez, and Canada leave two centre backs behind to cover the threat. Mottershead doing a good job quarterbacking. Spraying balls wide and slicing balls into strikers feet very well
• Herdman is the most vocal person in BC Place.
• Chelsea Buckland’s missed two sitters now. Now that I’ve posted that she’ll no doubt score a cracker
• Half time and the Cubans seem more content with the result than Canada

Second half

• Sinclair wisely rested for the second half. Sophie Schmidt on in her place.
• Buckland with a nice move to the end line and a perfect rolled ball back to Schmidt who finishes the move with a clunker right in the keepers arms. That should have been the third.
• Booth out, Chelsea Stewart in.
• This game is stuck in dullsville
• Martinez gets in behind Woeller and Moscato on good long ball. McLeod though, reads it early and very well and comes 30 yards to clear it before Martinez can get a touch
• Kelly Parker in, Buckland off. Timko pushed up to striker as Parker settles into her office on the right side of midfield
• Herdman demanding quicker ball movement; asking players to play two touch
• Blatant hand ball of a Kyle shot not called. Officiating lacking quality much like Canada in the second half. They simply have to do better than this in terms of the last ball into the box.
• Officially left Dullsville and headed for Grimsville
• 12417 announced crowd
• Gayle is one of the few with naturally strong 1v1 attacking ability but just hasn’t applied it as much as I’d like to see. Creative moves, pace and knocks a good ball in.

While it was all good and noble for Herdmann to get all the players some playing time it really just served to expose the lack of attacking depth they have and the scary degree to which they’re reliant on Sinclair. Costa Rica will realize this was not Canada’s top eleven but it will still give them hope that they are within a few lucky breaks of beating Canada and avoiding the States in the semis.

Here’s the final stats for the game:

Statistics/Estadísticas                                       CANADA                         CUBA

1. Goal Attempts/Tiros Totales                               26                                     0
2. Shots on Target    /Tiros al Arco                          14                                     0
3. Saves/Atajadas                                                        0                                        11
4. Fouls/Faltas                                                             7                                        9
5. Corner Kicks/Tiros de Esquina                           14                                      0
6. Offsides/Fuera de Lugar                                       2                                         0

Stats are not always the best indicator of how a game played out but when they’re this one-sided it’s realistic to expect that more than two goals should go in.

CONCACAF Olympic qualifying: Haiti v Costa Rica

Another minuscule crowd on hand for the start of this game. After having seen both teams play two nights ago, you would have to make Costa Rica strong favourites to win. Especially given the injury to Haiti’s starting keeper, Ednie Limage, who kept the score against Canada somewhat respectable. Her replacement Geralda Saintilus will be busy.

Haiti need to combine better in the middle and attacking third to keep possession but that will be difficult against a very skilled Costa Rican team that dominated the middle of the field against Cuba in its first game. For Costa Rica it’s really a matter of finding their shooting boots. They are confident on the ball from front to back and know a victory tonight combined with a Canada win will put them in the semi finals.

The warm ups for both teams were indicative of where they’re at. Costa Rica’s was very organized and functional. Emphasis on possession games and finishing. Haiti was more basic technique work.

First half – on the fly

• A couple of very solid tackles from Haiti early on. One results in a totally undeserved yellow card. All ball.
• When Costa Rica are in possession everything is on the ground unless they’re crossing from a wide position into the box. Impressive.
• Halfway through it’s been a bit sloppy. Costa Rica not penetrating and Haiti’s work rate and determination are making this interesting. Lots of strong challenges.
• Haiti’s keeper stacks the pads and make the old double knee save on the best chance of the game in the 29th minute!
• Fiorda Charles, #6 for Haiti, really throws herself at corners when she comes up from the back. Could see her scoring against this relatively smaller CR team
• More poor finishing from CR keeps it 0-0. They can’t afford this here and they definitely can’t afford it against the top flight teams if they make the semis.
• I don’t think you’ll see many teams with the resolve and physical determination of this Haiti team. They want every loose ball and they are fully committed in the tackle and holding each other totally accountable. Can hear them snapping on each other from here when they aren’t happy about something!
• 4 mins of first half injury time gives you some indication of the tackles flying around.

0-0 at the half is a confidence booster for Haitia and a concern for Costa Rica. CR are far more respectful of Haiti’s attack and seldom leave themselves with just one extra defender at the back. It’s limiting their ability to get people forward and that’s starting to force CR to knock longer diagonal balls to forwards rather than continue to persist with the ground game through the midfield.

It’s still Costa Rica’s game to win but Haiti will not go quietly and if a scrappy goal wins this game it’s more likely to be Haiti that get it.

Second half - on the fly

• 49th minute. Great left foot strike on the turn on the second touch from Wendy Acosta leaves Haitian keeper Saintilus no chance as it goes just inside far post. 1-0 CR.
• Haiti still tentative. Leaving three back to mark one CR striker when they go forward.
• Haiti’s best spell leads to their best chance. Well saved by CR GK Arias. Following corner leads to scramble in front but no goal for Haiti.
• Poorly cleared free kick by Haiti leads to second chance inside their six and Acosta gets her second of the game; third of the tournament. Totally unnecessary goal to give up and just when Haiti were asserting themselves in attack.
• Replay of Acosta’s second goal shows her out jumping three Haitian defenders and the gk. Just wanted it more which is surprising given Haiti’s ferocity on loose balls to this point. So much for my prediction that a goal of the scrappy sort would be one scored by Haiti.
• Haiti back on the ascendancy here with a couple of very close calls. Need to keep committing players forward. One goal and this becomes a very interesting last 20 minutes.
• The game is losing its life in the last ten minutes. CR captain Daniela Cruz’s late, studs up tackle on Haiti’s captain Kencia Marseille may have ended the Haitian’s game.
• Nope, she’s back on. That was a bad foul she was subjected to.
• Ends 2-0 for Costa Rica.

Everything about how Costa Rica presents themselves suggests a country that is going in the right direction with it’s women’s teams. They play a very progressive style with every player obviously encouraged to work to keep the ball. Their shape is disciplined and they showed they can handle the physical side of the game. Beyond this, the team is well staffed and from the pre game warm up to the professional approach shown through the game, they are cultivating an atmosphere that indicates they want to keep improving until they are a force in women’s soccer.

Sadly, one of their players fell awkwardly in an aerial challenge right at the end of the game (can’t see her number) and is being taken away strapped down as if a spinal injury is possible. Looks like she’s going straight to the ambulance.

For Haiti, it looks like they’re tournament is over. If Canada beat Cuba (coming up in 15 minutes) they’re out.

CONCACAF realities

Last night we saw the US Women’s national team beat the Dominican Republic 14-0. The score was extreme but the issue that most had with the game was the reaction to the goals from US Head Coach Pia Sundhage who greeted each goal, even as the score rose above double digits, with excited fist pumps and high fives. Her rationale is that this is how she shows respect for her opponents.

I suggest she watch this video to see how other countries respect their opponents. It’s about the Haitian U17 Women’s team, how they were affected by the earthquake in their country two years ago (their head coach was killed, team members were left homeless and orphaned) and how it continues to affect them.

One of their first games after the earthquake was against the US U17 team. The US also won handily that day but their reaction, despite being kids, was much more empathetic. Listen also for the reference to how neighbouring countries, including the Dominican Republic, stepped in to help the Haitian U17 team in the aftermath with offers of food, shelter and training facilities.

CONCACAF Qualifying: Canada v Haiti

Crowd has definitely swelled to several thousand now. Lots of flags. Canada in red. Haiti in generic blue adidas tops.

First half notes – posted on the fly

• Only takes a minute of play to see this will be a faster, more physical game and Haiti did not come here to roll over. Pressuring Canada all over the field and a very high line that they really are going to have to watch.
• Poor organization from Haiti on a wide free kick that Canada exploited well.
• Canada have played three balls behind the high line already. One too heavy and two offside. This is the half of living dangerously for Haiti.
• And they are caught. Through ball to Sinclair who times run well and squares to Christina Julien for the tap in. 1-0.
• Haiti starting to compose themselves again.

CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying: Costa Rica v Cuba

There was a mini Twitter spat earlier today between Peter Schaad (Whitecaps radio announcer) and Ingrid Green (vocal supporter of women’s soccer). Green was upset about the lack of awareness of the CONCACAF Olympic qualifiers that start tonight at BC Place and seemed to implicate the media in this. Schaad pointed out that it was the CSA’s job to promote events and not the media’s. As often happens in a 140 character universe there was some misinterpretation followed by some retraction but the fact remains as I sit here in BC Place before the Costa Rica v Cuba games…there may be more players, officials and CONCACAF flacks than spectators.

The subtext is whether there is still a perception that, regardless of performance levels or the overall quality of the game, women’s soccer should be ‘promoted’ by the official and/or unofficial media. That people should come out and watch it whether it’s good or not. Promotion in this context strays perilously close, for me, to pandering. We should not feel obliged to support something. You support because there’s an internal, intrinsic desire to be involved in it to some degree.

NSCAA – Kansas City 2012, Part 1

Time to get this thing going again…

Just got back from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) convention in Kansas City, Missouri. Buddied up with TSS’s Rob Dattilo to save some money on hotels and cabs but the highlight of travelling with Rob was watching his determination to eat everything that was put before him no matter how big the serving. No easy feat in Kansas.

There were about 3000 coaches from the States, Canada and seemingly even a few from Britain made the journey to one of the stranger cities I’ve been to. With a city population of about 500 000 and a metro population just over 2 000 000, I can only surmise they must all be experts at hide and seek because it felt very much like a ghost town save for the adidas clad hordes around the (excellent) Kansas City Convention Center. Here’s a rundown of how it went.