Austria - Canada pregame discussion

[jpg75]

It's a couple of weeks away, so may as well start a thread on this...

As for TV, we'll have to pray they figure something out or catch the Austrian feed on ORF via internet.

-----Original Message-----
From: Sportsnet Audience Feedback
Sent: Monday, February 13, 2006 10:59 AM
To: JP
Subject: RE: Canada/Austria March 1st, 2006


Hello JP,

Thanks for your recent email. Unfortunately, we do not have the broadcasting right for that match. Our apologies for any inconvenience that this may cause.

Sincerely
Jim LaChapelle
Audience Relations
1-877-288-7767

[Captain Canuck]

That is Sportsnet's standard response for any match. They gave it out prior to the Luxembourg match & Spain match and the promptly showed both.

I'm not saying they will show this one, just that their response doesn't always mean a whole lot.

[Andre v2.0]

So any predictions anyone?

I just checked the ÖFB website, and man, are the Austrians PUMPED to play this match. They've got a ticker that states 16 days 1 hour and 43 minutes until they play 'Kanada'.

http://www.oefb.at/show_page.php?pid=284

They're not advertising it as an 'entscheidendTodSpiel'² though. I think they'll be waiting for about ten days prior to the match to give it such a whiz-bang title.

Don't know what to predict, but I think I'll wait until Canada announces their roster before I do some prognosticating. Though since Austria wears a home red, Canada will wear white.

²Crude translation of 'ultimate death match'.

[Andre v2.0]

Correction, 16 days, 1 hour and 35 minutes. They are SOOOOOO PSYCHED FOR THIS!

[jpg75]

So any predictions anyone?

I just checked the ÖFB website, and man, are the Austrians PUMPED to play this match. They've got a ticker that states 16 days 1 hour and 43 minutes until they play 'Kanada'.

http://www.oefb.at/show_page.php?pid=284

They're not advertising it as an 'entscheidendTodSpiel'² though. I think they'll be waiting for about ten days prior to the match to give it such a whiz-bang title.

Don't know what to predict, but I think I'll wait until Canada announces their roster before I do some prognosticating. Though since Austria wears a home red, Canada will wear white.

²Crude translation of 'ultimate death match'.

Geez, i wonder how they'll feel when we beat them!? ;)

[RedandWhite]

It's a couple of weeks away, so may as well start a thread on this...

As for TV, we'll have to pray they figure something out or catch the Austrian feed on ORF via internet.

-----Original Message-----
From: Sportsnet Audience Feedback
Sent: Monday, February 13, 2006 10:59 AM
To: JP
Subject: RE: Canada/Austria March 1st, 2006


Hello JP,

Thanks for your recent email. Unfortunately, we do not have the broadcasting right for that match. Our apologies for any inconvenience that this may cause.

Sincerely
Jim LaChapelle
Audience Relations
1-877-288-7767

I got the same responce.

[Canadian_Supporter]

15 days. :)

I'm hoping we get to see a roster by the end of this week or early next week.

[Andre v2.0]

Anyone expecting a mainly Euro roster?

And the 2 dollar question on some minds must be this: Will Thunder Dan receive a call-up?

If he gets a call-up, he surely deserves his own chant. I mean with a name like 'Thunder Dan' the chant would practically write itself.

[jpg75]

Anyone expecting a mainly Euro roster?

And the 2 dollar question on some minds must be this: Will Thunder Dan receive a call-up?

If he gets a call-up, he surely deserves his own chant. I mean with a name like 'Thunder Dan' the chant would practically write itself.

I really hope he does get called, he deserves it the way he has played for PAOK.

[K_19]

I'm excited for this match. We've had good results and showed good form over the last three friendlies and I hope that we can keep the momentum going for this one. Sportsnet BETTER broacast this, at least on tape delay.

Predictions for the starting lineup, anyone?

[Canadian_Supporter]

Here is the Austrian squad from their last two WCQ's against England and Northern Ireland. I suspect a more experimental squad for the Canada game, but I know very little about the Austrian side. Although, Austria were already eliminated from WCQ's, so maybe they used an experimental side for the last two games?

Goalkeepers: Juergen Macho (Kaiserslautern), Helge Payer (SK Rapid), Andreas Schranz (Graz AK)

Defenders: Ernst Dospel (FK Austria), Anton Ehmann (Graz AK), Ferdinand Feldhofer (Wacker Tirol), Ronald Gercaliu (Sturm Graz), Andreas Ibertsberger (SC Freiburg), Emanuel Pogatetz (Middlesbrough), Paul Scharner (Brann Bergen), Martin Stranzl (VfB Stuttgart)

Midfielders: Rene Aufhauser (SV Salzburg), Andreas Ivanschitz (SK Rapid), Markus Kiesenebner (FK Austria), Andreas Lasnik (FK Austria), Juergen Saeumel (SK Sturm Graz), Markus Schopp (SV Salzburg), Markus Weissenberger (Eintracht Frankfurt)

Forwards: Sanel Kuljic (SV Ried), Roland Linz (FK Austria), Roman Wallner (Nordea Admira), Yueksel Sariyar (SV Pasching)

[Andre v2.0]

Here's a Thunder Chant, that is if he suits up for Canada

Many years forgotten
but remembered in name
Who is Thunder Dan
and what is his game?
Made in Canada
but perfected in Greece
He's more myth than man
making great saves with ease.

[torontosports]

thats legend lol

Here's a Thunder Chant, that is if he suits up for Canada

Many years forgotten
but remembered in name
Who is Thunder Dan
and what is his game?
Made in Canada
but perfected in Greece
He's more myth than man
making great saves with ease.

Edited to remove profanity filter by-pass.
Gordon

[RedandWhite]

Roster vs. Austria released. Once agian no Fernandes.

# Player POS DOB Caps G/S Club Hometown
8 Bernier, Patrice M 9/23/1979 15 0 Tromso Brossard, QC
11 Brennan, Jim M 05/08/1977 42 5 Southampton Newmarket, ON
14 De Rosario, Dwayne M/F 5/15/1978 36 7 Houston 1836 Scarborough, ON
16 Friend, Rob F 1/23/1981 5 0 Molde Kelowna, BC
17 Gerba, Ali F 7/27/1982 5 1 IFK Goteborg Montréal, QC
10 Grande, Sandro M 9/29/1977 10 1 Viking Stavanger Montreal, QC
13 Hutchinson, Atiba M 02/08/1983 19 2 FC Copenhagen Brampton, ON
3 Jazic, Ante D/M 2/26/1976 14 0 FC Kuban Halifax, NS
12 Johnson, Will F 1/21/1987 2 0 Chicago Fire Woodridge, IL
15 Klukowski, Mike D/M 5/27/1981 6 0 FC Brugge Oshawa, ON
4 McKenna, Kevin (C) D/F 1/21/1980 32 9 Energie Cottbus Calgary, AB
2 Pozniak, Chris D/M 1/10/1981 14 0 Haugesund FK Aurora, ON
9 Radzinski, Tomasz F 12/14/1973 28 7 Fulham Toronto, ON
5 Reda, Marco D 6/22/1977 3 0 Sogndal Woodbridge, ON
6 Serioux, Adrian D/M 05/12/1979 8 0 MetroStars Scarborough, ON
7 Stalteri, Paul M 10/18/1977 50 6 Tottenham Hotspur FC Brampton, ON
1 Stamatopoulos, Kenny GK 8/28/1979 3 1 Tromso Markham, ON
22 Sutton, Greg GK 4/19/1977 7 3 Montreal Impact Hamilton, ON

[jpg75]

Not bad, but not great. No Fernandes, no Hume and no DeGuzman...

Edit: Just remembered, isn't Dan Fernandes going to be at the Portugal U23 camp starting Feb 28th?

[Andre v2.0]

A decent squad. I'm still concerned about a lack of strong central defenders in Canada's talent pool. No Thunder Dan, but well.... in the CSA's defence, I don't think 'keep is a high priority position, as Canada has some depth available. Sutton, Stamatopoulos, Begovic(though young), and Hirschfeld make a decent pool of keepers. To be honest, if Thunder Dan was a either a Central Defender, a Striker, or an Attacking Midfielder, I would have no doubt in my mind that he would be actively courted by Canada.

Regardless, Fernandes should have been called up.

Canada should win though.

I'd field this line-up:

---------Sutton----------
Stalteri--Reda--Klukowski--Jazic

------Hutchinson---Grande--------
-Radzinski--DeRosario--Brennan-

------Gerba or Friend---------

Does the squad have any Right-sided midfield threat? I'd give the Captain's arm band to either Stalteri or Hutchinson.

[jpg75]

I'd field this line-up:

---------Sutton----------
Stalteri--Reda--Klukowski--Jazic

------Hutchinson---Grande--------
-Radzinski--DeRosario--Brennan-

------Gerba or Friend---------

Does the squad have any Right-sided midfield threat? I'd give the Captain's arm band to either Stalteri or Hutchinson.

Andre, McKenna was listed as the Captain...he's pretty much a shoo-in for one of the central D spots...

Here's my lineup:

------------Sutton----------
Stalteri--McKenna---Reda--Klukowski--
-Bernier-Hutchinson-Serioux--Brennan-
------------DeRosario-------
------------Radzinski--------

[jpg75]

Looks like a 4-3-3 alignment, but who knows...

http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/article.jsp?content=20060221_102507_3872

Yallop calls on strong squad to face Austria


Frank Yallop plans to play the squad selected for the full 90 minutes in Austria.

TORONTO (CP) -- Coach Frank Yallop has called up a strong squad for a March 1 friendly against Austria, bringing English league veterans Tomasz Radzinski (Fulham), Paul Stalteri (Tottenham) and Jim Brennan (Southampton) back into the fold.

But there is no place for goalkeeper Lars Hirschfeld (Rosenborg, Norway), midfielder Julian de Guzman (Deportivo La Coruna, Spain) and forwards Iain Hume (Leicester City, England) and Olivier Occean (Lillestrom, Sweden).

Austria is ranked 70th in the world, compared to No. 85 for Canada.

The Austrians finished third in a World Cup qualifying group that featured England and Poland. Austria's 4-3-3 record included a 2-2 tie and 1-1 loss to England.

The March 1 game in Vienna is the second for the Canadian men in 2006, following an 0-0 tie with the U.S in San Diego on Jan. 22.

Yallop has elected to go with Kenny Stamatopoulos (Tromso, Norway) and Greg Sutton (Montreal Impact) in goal over Hirschfeld, despite the fact that Sutton is out of season.

Yallop says he likes the "chemistry" between Stamatopoulos and Sutton.

"I tried to get (Hirschfeld) last year a few times and he was unavailable with injuries and all the rest of it," he said from Vancouver. "What happens is other people get to play and both guys have done very well for me. I'm not going to change at this point, but we'll see down the road."

De Guzman was not summoned because of "club commitments," Yallop said. Hume and Occean were left out because of a surfeit of forwards.

"I didn't want to bring guys in that might not get many minutes. I would rather give them 90 minutes when they do come in."

Hume, who has done well for Leicester of late, played the full 90 minutes and scored in Canada's 1-0 win over Luxembourg in November. Yallop is a fan and will recall him when the time is right.

"I'm just trying to manage the squad at the moment," Yallop said.

Yallop has been playing a 4-3-3 formation of late and is looking to play Radzinski and Dwayne DeRosario (Houston 1836, MLS) off a target man, likely Rob Friend (Molde, Norway) or Ali Gerba (Goteborg, Sweden). Radzinski and DeRosario may start out wide but will move inside to attack.

Will Johnson (Chicago Fire, MLS) provides another attacking option. .

In the midfield, Yallop has been playing two holding players and an attacker. His options include Patrice Bernier (Tromso, Norway), Sandro Grande (Viking Stavanger, Norway), Atiba Hutchinson (FC Copenhagen, Denmark) and Brennan.

Midfielders Ante Jazic and Adrian Serioux have been called in despite the fact they are looking to stick with the MetroStars of MLS. Yallop has talked to the coach and says the international trip will not hurt their chances with the new club.

Daniel Imhof (Bochum, Germany) is also a victim of numbers in midfield.

Yallop has a couple of international wild cards in midfielder Jonathan de Guzman (Feyenoord, Netherlands), Julian's younger brother, and goalkeeper Daniel Fernandes (PAOK, Greece).

Yallop has spoken to a Fernandes representative.

"He's just weighing up his options at this point," Yallop said of the young goalie who has played some 20 games this season in the top level of Greek soccer. "Portugal, Greece and obviously us are very interested in speaking to Daniel and getting him into the fold here. But at this point he hasn't committed to anything."

The waiting game continues with de Guzman, who is having a breakthrough season in the Netherlands. The Dutch are also interested.

"It's totally up to Jonathan. We all know he's doing very, very well at Feyenoord. We're there for him. We're just waiting and (will) see what develops for him. Like I've said before, only the player will decide what he wants to do and I just want players that are desperate to play for Canada."

Yallop, while slightly fatigued at having to play all his games away from home, is positive about his squad's progression.

"I feel we're getting to a point where we're nicely rounded."

[Andre v2.0]

Andre, McKenna was listed as the Captain...he's pretty much a shoo-in for one of the central D spots...

Here's my lineup:

------------Sutton----------
Stalteri--McKenna---Reda--Klukowski--
-Bernier-Hutchinson-Serioux--Brennan-
------------DeRosario-------
------------Radzinski--------

Yeah, I knew McKenna was a shoe-in because of the arm-band status, I just wanted to ignore that. I just think that he's a bit too slow to be a go-to CD. Though having Serioux and Hutch in CM certainly helps take some of the pressure off McKenna and Reda.




Oh, and thanks for the CP article above.

[jpg75]

Yeah, I knew McKenna was a shoe-in because of the arm-band status, I just wanted to ignore that. I just think that he's a bit too slow to be a go-to CD. Though having Serioux and Hutch in CM certainly helps take some of the pressure off McKenna and Reda.

Oh, and thanks for the CP article above.

I hear ya, i like to ignore some of the things Yallop does too :)

eg. If he does what he says in the article then we might be looking at this alignment in Mid-Attack

-----Hutch----Serioux----
--------Bernier-----------
Radz-----------DeRo-----
------Gerba/Friend-------

No offence to Gerba or Friend, but i'd rather have Klukowski AND Brennan on the left flank of D and Mid and put Radz as a full out striker. IMO, game versus WBA aside he has struggled on the right flank of a 4-3-3 all season with Fulham. I think he's better suited as a striker or withdrawn, playing off DeRo and he playing off Radz...that's my 2 cents