After decades of following the CMNT, I hesitate to say this, but I'm really thinking that we've made a major leap. Since 2000 we've been seeing wisps of promise but not seeing it materialise in real results. But I am sensing something very different now. Two major points: First, in the past, the promise always seemed to come from one or two players, now the talent is far more spread around. It used to be selecting players was about tryign to decide who to add. Now it seems that the decisions are more based around who to cut. There are players getting cut now who would have been a definite add in years past. Second, and probably more important, I'm seeing a lot more confidence on the pitch. In years past the style of play and general impression from watching the players seemed to focus on trying not to lose and playing an on our heels defensive style. Now they seem to be playing to win and going on the attack. That said, the real test is yet to come, and I still don't think that we're quite "there" yet. But all in all I think there is a good reason to be optimistic.
Game day today and the game (all CONCACAF qualifiers) is available on https://www.oz.com It's refreshing to see the players praising manager John Herdman as the most different they've seen. He's certainly the most detailed oriented the team has ever seen leaving nothing to chance or imponderable. Players training for today's game Canada are ready for Matchweek 3 of Concacaf Nations League Qualifying. 💪 #CANMNT 🍁 #CNL pic.twitter.com/LHbPPImula— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) November 17, 2018
Hutch comes through! Yea baby. The old geezer is making us older geezers proud. Way to show the youngsters how it's done! Nice cross by Russ to get the assist. More please. SKN is playing very well. Their marking is pretty solid.
Well not convincing but a win is a win and I'll take the 3 points plus the clean sheet. Beauty of a snap header by Hutch. That, boys & girls, is how it's done! Onward!
Highlights: @SKNFA_ 0 - 1 @CanadaSoccerEN#CNL #TheDreamStartsNow pic.twitter.com/YAU8XYBLUO— Concacaf Nations League (@CNationsLeague) November 19, 2018
Was hoping for a better result, but could have been worse I guess. We'll have a better idea of where we stand after Curacao and Martinique play their games tomorrow. At any rate, a single point against French Guiana will be enough to clinch in Group A. I think it's near impossible for us to miss the Gold Cup.
I was expecting more like 3-0 or 4-0 but a win is a win. And complaining that our team didn't win big enough is a good problem to have. Since we won our first two games by an average of 6 goals and the only major line up change was missing Osorio I guess soccer analytics can conclude that Osorio is worth about 5 goals a game, right?
Their Keeper Archibald and their players eith some playing in the UK deserved lots of credit too. I'd say Arfield has a much bigger impact than Osorio
2 really top notch saves keeps his team in it. That is what a good keeper does for you. I was hoping for more goals as well but to their credit SKN really defended as a unit very well and their individual man marking was solid. Nice to see Davies developing his right foot shot even if the keeper did stop it. That was on frame with some power. No to the draw for our last game. I want another win with another clean sheet. Keep it rolling!
In the November 2018 FIFA Rankings, you gained points but fell 2 spots to 78th. You got passed by Uganda and Belarus. You're 8th in Concacaf.
No one was going to move up that much in the FIFA rankings from beating on Concacaf minnows (Haiti and Curaçao saw paltry gains as well).
Arriving January 2019: Nike to become Canada Soccer's official equipment, apparel and footwear supplier! #Arriving2019 #CANWNT #CANMNT #CanPara #CanFutsal #CanadaRED pic.twitter.com/MxnXZeNmGa— Canada Soccer (@CanadaSoccerEN) December 18, 2018
CPL already having a huge positive effect on Canadian soccer. Thanks to CSB 1075185204875157505 is not a valid tweet id
I'm not trying to knock it but since the CPL has already signed a uniform deal with Macron, I'm not sure how they get credit for an NT deal with Nike?
FIFA Rankings will be out tomorrow. With the new formula, the rankings move slowly, so they could move even slower in January, February, and March before national teams play in March. There will be an AFC Asian Cup in January.
Since you're in the know: given that the rankings are an aggregation of the points you earned in each game rather than an average, if you didn't play any games, you stay put rather than losing points over time, correct?
I was mistakenly thinking that the November games would go in these rankings, but they went in the November rankings. Teams who don't play remain the same, and FIFA says the Top 100 had 98 teams remain in the same position, 1 moved up 1, and 1 moved down 1. Of the 98, it's possible a small amount of them played and changed their points but not enough to change their ranking. I wouldn't use the term "aggregation of the points you earned in each game." That sounds like a league or group stage where your points cannot decrease on the field (off the field decisions like points penalties and forfeits can decrease points). Leagues and group stages start teams with 0. With ELO, you points go up and down, and it never starts over. There is no such thing as a game dropping out of ELO after a certain amount of years. You can read https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elo_rating_system and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIFA_World_Rankings#2018_ranking_system_update
So overall a solid performance in the Nations League qualifying. We played minnows but we beat minnows and the only goal scored against us was from a terrible error on our part. Step one accomplished. Now step two is to translate this into victories against teams in our own echelon. I really hope Wednesday's draw puts us into the same group as Honduras. In small part this is because it would be an easier group. Mainly, however, I want to see us take the next step by going into hostile territory and coming out with the win.
Ending up in group A is meeting expectations, though maybe not as much of a foregone conclusion as I might have thought, seeing as Jamaica ended up in group B.