The bad news is Canada got the most difficult seeding possible for the Nations League Semifinals. The good news is that Canada will now have to beat both Mexico and the US to claim the title. If we got the title by facing Panama and Honduras Canada would not get the credit they deserve. But Canada cannot go 90 minutes with Mexico again without scoring. If we go to pens, Mexico will win. Gotta get it done in regulation. Buckle up. This is gonna be a very, very tough task.
I agree with everything that you said, except that Canada will lose to Mexico, if we go to penalties. Canada beat Venezuela in penalties in the Copa Americas & we have 2 very good goalkeepers & we have the players to do a good taking penalty shots. I know that Guillermo Ochoa has been an excellent goalkeeper for Mexico; but he will almost be 40 in March. Time catches up with everyone sooner or later.
It amazes me that we have gotten so used to playing in the U.S. in all tournaments, that nobody, not even Canadians, acknowledge or think about the fact that the U.S. have a huge advantage before the matches in March are even close to being played & NO, it is not an excuse, as it is a ridiculous reality. The biggest problem with the Nations League & Gold cups, is that it all favours the Americans, big time! Over 95% of their matches are played at home. Canada probably plays less than 15% at home. The Copa Americas matches were all played in the U.S. this year & the playoffs in the 2026 World cup will be played there too. When ranking teams, nobody talks about that huge advantage. The Americans do not play well on the road. Just look at the 2022 CONCACAF Qualifiers for the World cup, where teams played each of the other teams home & away. Canada finished #1. The U.S. tied Costa Rica for 4th place in points. Look at what just happened in these quarter finals in the Nations League cup in the past week. The 4 favourite teams (Canada, USA, Mexico & Panama) all played much better at home than they did on the road; but still, the semifinals & finals will be played in the USA. Canada has the best record in the semifinals & overall this year, so the semifinals should be played in Canada (Vancouver for better weather)... FIFA & CONCACAF are only driven by greed & Money. Then, if it has to remain fixed in the U.S.' favour, at the very least, there should really be some kind of a handicap for rankings, for teams playing on the road in all CONCACAF tournaments, because rankings matter, as FIFA rankings help determine how difficult a group those countries will finally end up in, for the 2026 World cup. Canada ended up in the 'Group of Death' in the 2022 World cup, partially because of their poor ranking, despite having finished #1 in the Qualifiers... Regarding the small crowd, one of the major reasons for that is a lack of exposure on TV. I personally know several people who would have watched these matches, had they been on Cable TV. OneSoccer does a good job; but it doesn't come close to reaching as many people as Cable would. If one of the major sports networks carried the matches, they would build it up & talk about Suriname's tiesbto the Netherlands & what victory would mean for Canada etc... It was good to hear that 'Canada Soccer' s new dynamic CEO, Kevin Blue, has said that would like to see that kind if exposure too. *Finally, I will take Canadian Smarties over U.S. M&Ms any day... 😁
Yeah, but it's worse than all that. Canada playing Mexico in California will be like a home game for Mexico, so Canada has top seed in the tourney and Mexico sits dead last, and yet Mexico get the advantage as though they were top seed. We have to overcome that variable before we even get a chance to face the US, who, while also seeded lower, will also get the massive advantage granted to them. But hey, it'll make it all the more sweet if they can pull it off.
Stay with soccer gentlemen. You obviously know it well. Regarding politics-happy to give you some insights as to why pulisic did the Trump dance and happy to tell you what MAGA stands for vs what the media portrays it to be.
@,tonymacdonnell424, Most Canadians know more about American politics than probably the majority of Americans do. We also know all too well that Trump is a convicted rapist & felon & leader of a coup & that he is the sketchy president who admires dictators & who told people to inject themselves with Clorox to cure Covid & the guy who lies constantly. We don't need the media to convince us of that, as we all saw it live on TV unfold right in front of us. We also don't need MAGA conspiracy theories here in Canada, as we stick to the real facts. So I suggest that it is you who should really "stay with soccer" because people here are too well informed to be bamboozled by a member of the MAGA cult. Oh yeah, we all already know what MAGA stands for & you are going to find out 1st hand in 4 years time, that the U.S. will be in such an autocratic mess, that Trump will almost surely ensure that America will never be great again in your life time.
The bad news is Canada got the most difficult seeding possible for the Nations League Semifinals. The good news is that Canada will now have to beat both Mexico and the US to claim the title. If we got the title by facing Panama and Honduras Canada would not get the credit they deserve. But Canada cannot go 90 minutes with Mexico again without scoring. If we go to pens, Mexico will win. Gotta get it done in regulation. Buckle up. This is gonna be a very, very tough task.
I agree with everything that you said, except that Canada will lose to Mexico, if we go to penalties.
Canada beat Venezuela in penalties in the Copa Americas & we have 2 very good goalkeepers & we have the players to do a good taking penalty shots.
I know that Guillermo Ochoa has been an excellent goalkeeper for Mexico; but he will almost be 40 in March. Time catches up with everyone sooner or later.
I think kone is much stronger as a 10 or an 8.
It amazes me that we have gotten so used to playing in the U.S. in all tournaments, that nobody, not even Canadians, acknowledge or think about the fact that the U.S. have a huge advantage before the matches in March are even close to being played & NO, it is not an excuse, as it is a ridiculous reality.
The biggest problem with the Nations League & Gold cups, is that it all favours the Americans, big time!
Over 95% of their matches are played at home. Canada probably plays less than 15% at home.
The Copa Americas matches were all played in the U.S. this year & the playoffs in the 2026 World cup will be played there too.
When ranking teams, nobody talks about that huge advantage. The Americans do not play well on the road.
Just look at the 2022 CONCACAF Qualifiers for the World cup, where teams played each of the other teams home & away. Canada finished #1. The U.S. tied Costa Rica for 4th place in points.
Look at what just happened in these quarter finals in the Nations League cup in the past week. The 4 favourite teams (Canada, USA, Mexico & Panama) all played much better at home than they did on the road; but still, the semifinals & finals will be played in the USA. Canada has the best record in the semifinals & overall this year, so the semifinals should be played in Canada (Vancouver for better weather)... FIFA & CONCACAF are only driven by greed & Money.
Then, if it has to remain fixed in the U.S.' favour, at the very least, there should really be some kind of a handicap for rankings, for teams playing on the road in all CONCACAF tournaments, because rankings matter, as FIFA rankings help determine how difficult a group those countries will finally end up in, for the 2026 World cup.
Canada ended up in the 'Group of Death' in the 2022 World cup, partially because of their poor ranking, despite having finished #1 in the Qualifiers...
Regarding the small crowd, one of the major reasons for that is a lack of exposure on TV. I personally know several people who would have watched these matches, had they been on Cable TV. OneSoccer does a good job; but it doesn't come close to reaching as many people as Cable would.
If one of the major sports networks carried the matches, they would build it up & talk about Suriname's tiesbto the Netherlands & what victory would mean for Canada etc... It was good to hear that 'Canada Soccer' s new dynamic CEO, Kevin Blue, has said that would like to see that kind if exposure too.
*Finally, I will take Canadian Smarties over U.S. M&Ms any day... 😁
Yeah, but it's worse than all that. Canada playing Mexico in California will be like a home game for Mexico, so Canada has top seed in the tourney and Mexico sits dead last, and yet Mexico get the advantage as though they were top seed. We have to overcome that variable before we even get a chance to face the US, who, while also seeded lower, will also get the massive advantage granted to them. But hey, it'll make it all the more sweet if they can pull it off.
@@greglawrence9230, I fully agree!!!
Stay with soccer gentlemen. You obviously know it well. Regarding politics-happy to give you some insights as to why pulisic did the Trump dance and happy to tell you what MAGA stands for vs what the media portrays it to be.
@,tonymacdonnell424, Most Canadians know more about American politics than probably the majority of Americans do.
We also know all too well that Trump is a convicted rapist & felon & leader of a coup & that he is the sketchy president who admires dictators & who told people to inject themselves with Clorox to cure Covid & the guy who lies constantly.
We don't need the media to convince us of that, as we all saw it live on TV unfold right in front of us.
We also don't need MAGA conspiracy theories here in Canada, as we stick to the real facts.
So I suggest that it is you who should really "stay with soccer" because people here are too well informed to be bamboozled by a member of the MAGA cult.
Oh yeah, we all already know what MAGA stands for & you are going to find out 1st hand in 4 years time, that the U.S. will be in such an autocratic mess, that Trump will almost surely ensure that America will never be great again in your life time.