We're about two months out from CONCACAF qualifying, and I expect that regional news (camps, teams, etc.) will accelerate soon. Given that, seems time to start a thread that isn't U.S.-specific. (I know @alslammerz posted this thread already, but since its title is for Tokyo, maybe we can continue to use that one for global news: https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/2020-tokyo-olympics-non-u-s-team-and-tournament-news-r.2105198/) Qualifying is March 20-April 1 in Mexico. Participants are us, Mexico, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Canada, El Salvador and Haiti. Two teams will advance to Tokyo by advancing out of their groups and winning semifinal matches. Groups and more info here: https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/20...xico-at-2020-concacaf-mens-olympic-qualifying USA team thread here: https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/2020-olympic-qualifying-team.2030463/ The U.S. last qualified for the Olympics in 2008. Those of you who are old enough to remember that tournament still curse the name Gerald Sibon and think deeply on the correct behavior of walls on free kicks. Wikipedia informs me that the leading scorer in that tournament went to... Giuseppe Rossi.
Mexico recently gathered a team for training that was made up entirely of domestic players -- and, I think, no Americans. I believe that camp ended yesterday. Here's that roster: https://miseleccion.mx/noticias/2996/La-Seleccion-Nacional-de-Mexico-Sub-23-inicio-concentracion
Canada's January camp apparently included 13 Olympic-eligible players. Here's that roster: https://www.canadasoccer.com/canada-soccer-s-men-s-national-team-holds-january-camp-p162533 Here's part of one fansite's preview of that camp: So keep an eye on some of those youngsters, such as Tristan Borges, Theo Bair, Shamit Shome, Jayden Nelson, Noble Okello and James Pantemis, who all look to be promising future players for the national team. Borges is fresh off an MVP-winning campaign in the CPL, while Bair impressed in his MLS rookie season, and Shome was a revelation in the heart of the Montreal midfield. Along with young Toronto FC products Nelson and Okello, and the promising Impact goalkeeper, Pantemis, there is no shortage of young, domestic talent itching to make a difference in January. There are also some other promising youngsters that caught the attention immediately, Zorhan Bassong and and Charles-Andreas Brym, who are a pair of 20-somethings (20 and 21, respectively) playing in Europe, who both earn their first-ever call to senior action. Bassong is a young full-back in the Brugges system, while Brym is a forward in Portuguese side Beleneses system, with both youngsters slowly working up the ranks at their respective clubs. https://btsvancity.com/2020/01/03/d...mes-affect-their-olympic-squad-and-hex-hopes/ They ended up playing Iceland, losing 1-0, with several U23s featuring. Canada’s starting XI featured Maxime Crépeau in goal, Richie Laryea at right back, Amer Didic and Kamal Miller at centre back, Samuel Adekugbe at left back, and Samuel Piette, Liam Fraser, Charles-Andreas Brym, Jonathan Osorio, Tesho Akindele and Tosaint Ricketts from the midfield up through to the attack. In the second half, coach John Herdman replaced Laryea with Zorhan Bassong (46’), Akindele with Jayden Nelson (75’), Adekugbe with Ashtone Morgan (79’), and Ricketts with Theo Bair (90’). https://www.canadasoccer.com/canada...er-0-1-loss-to-iceland-in-california--p162547
I have no idea what the current state of Costa Rica's program is, but here's a callup list from the fall. At the time, the coach was former MLSer (among other things) Douglas Sequeira. https://www.fedefutbol.com/2019/09/20/preolimpica-vuelve-a-la-cancha/
This, by the way, will presumably be CONCACAF's page for this tournament, though it's pretty stale at the moment. (How stale? Scroll down three rows of stories and you'll see.) https://www.concacaf.com/en/olympic-qualifying-men
BigSoccer is never better than when DMN has a YNT thread all to himself, providing loads of useful information, uninterrupted and without silly sidebars and distractions. Edit: D'oh!
He just likes doing one liners and appearing when things go good out of the blue to say I told you so or to say things like you will be surprised. When it comes to actual prognostication and discussion that is actually relevant and constructive I rarely see him doing that. It is a bit odd.
No, I love to see your reactions after your preconceived notions. "They don't have a Colombian at the helm" Your avi matches your content. Ignorance is bliss bud.
What I said is true. If you would like to provide content people can discuss then that would be one thing. But just trolling forums trying to white knight your team because you disagree with an opinion is laughable. Your lack of content and/ or inept depth of conversation is worse than any avi I can come up with.
It's true according to who? You've already proven to me that I don't need to discuss my team since you're already clinging onto a notion that you grabbed from thin air. Irony at it's finest. I don't think a Colombian was coaching the Sydney Olympic team. If you want one that bad, check the process-long Honduras thread. I already gave my opinion, short and sweet. You should also educate yourself on the coach whose taking over this team. Cya bud
You were given a layup chance to redeem yourself by Dave Marino-Nachison and you blew your chance. You refer us to read posts in the Honduras forum when you came here trying to talk trash. Very immature. Now you are making it out to be that I am the one with egg on my face when one of the main reasons for the success recently was superior managers most of which were Colombian. Which were way better than any of the U23 managers we had during that run. You are a very odd chap but whatever. Have fun trolling other threads for any sort of Honduras mentions.
Hilarious.. I research "your" threads to formulate my own opinions. You can't seem to do that. Nad fans and their entitlement. Don't change, guy. Again do your research. Google is your friend, Ignorance is bliss. Any further replies and back and forths will land you in the rivalry thread where this sort of content would be more relevant and appropriate.
It has nothing to do with entitlement on my end. You feel entitled to go into a thread and express your opinion nobody asked for. Then when shown the proper thread for you to educate us and discuss your team you give a brief homer couple of sentences and think it is great. You are delusional and I will just say thinks for your educated opinions.
I don't know if CONCACAF has circulated rules for qualifying, but I did see this in the FIFA document: Each association entering the preliminary competition shall send FIFA a provisional list of at least 50 prospective players for the preliminary competition no later than 30 days before its first qualifying match. However: This list is not binding. Further players may be added, showing the same information, at any time but no later than the day before the qualifying match in question. The upshot of this seems to be that the roster deadline for qualifying is basically the day before each team's games start, so ... not much in the way of tea leaves to read there. These rules sometimes note leeway for injury replacements but clearly, given the late roster deadline, there's not really a need for them. https://res.cloudinary.com/concacaf...ncacaf-prod/assets/Olympic_Regulations_EN.pdf Add: Also, the document says the roster is 20 players. I see that the WNT has 20...
By my reading of the rules, they are allowed to name between 0 and infinity ringers up through the day before their first game, at which point they must settle on a maximum of 20 ringers.