Friendly - March 24 - Canada vs Scotland [R]

[DJT]

Venue:
Percy Perry Stadium - Coquitlam, BC

Kickoff:
4:00 PM PDT / 5:00 PM MDT / 6:00 PM CDT / 7:00 PM EDT / 8:00 PM ADT / 8:30 PM NDT

Live video Webcast:
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/video/canada-scotland.html

Real-time chat:
http://sitechat.siteprotect.com/soccer-chat.net/soccer-chat.html

[speedmonk42]

This is sad. I don't have any beer.

:(

[Daniel]

I'm getting a static CBC Television screen. Anybody else?

[DJT]

That's what I'm getting. At least we know the stream is working.

[Rudi]

quote:Originally posted by Daniel

I'm getting a static CBC Television screen. Anybody else?

Yup. It'll change at 7.

[speedmonk42]

woo hoo there it is

[Daniel]

It's on.

[Rudi]

Here we go.

[torontofc]

Go Canada!

[Daniel]

What the hell is this rendition of Flower of Scotland?

Mods: an R?

[Daniel]

Zoom in!

[JamesW]

Our line up is...?

Go Canada!

[Cheeta]

Mitch Peacock! Knew that voice.

Oy. Bit of standing water out there.

[nolando]

Geez...the fact that I can watch this from my home in Kagoshima, a podcast from town where I used to play footie, more often than not in the rain, and live no less...is almost enough to make me cry...simply a beuatiful thing...thanks cbc

[Cheeta]

Ooooh. Blame the plastic for letting that one run. At a bhoy, Jamie.

[loyola]

OK, let's try a starting 11:

Monsalve

KOA/Edgar/Haber/Lumley

Peters/Johnson/JBB/Ayre/AJ Gray

Lombardo

[loyola]

that first run by Jaime was amazing, just too bad the shot was poor.

[Jeffery S.]

That pitch is really hurting both sides, the ball runs too fast, the controls are tough, the rain just makes it worse. Pretty scrappy football so far.

[The Ref]

Links don't work for me, computer too old. Is this game going to be on real TV at any time?

[Cheeta]

Crap, gotta split for a bit. Take the Little One to some gig or another.

See the 2nd half.

Vid freezes a bit at my end, but otherwise okay considering the alternative is NOTHING.

Just noticed on the CBC site it's Canada 0 Scotland 0 in the Frist half.

[JamesW]

quote:Originally posted by loyolaI'm missing 1....

No, you have them all now, thanks.

[Daniel]

Good framerate, not the best resolution when I fullscreen it. Overall a great effort by CBC.

When are we going tp shoot?

[villus]

Canada looks to be holding shape well, look to be a little nervy and the pitch seems to be hurting play.

Go Canada

[speedmonk42]

How choppy is it for you guys?

[The Ref]

So I take it the game will not be on TV even delayed. How long have they been playing?

[Can. in UK]

The pitch is embarassing.

[speedmonk42]

If a field turf pitch can get flooded like that, I can't imagine what the grass ones are like.

[loyola]

Peacock is reporting that Kalhtoff will have try outs in Germany next month.

[Rudi]

quote:Originally posted by Can. in UK

The pitch is embarassing.

Would you rather the teams play on the water-logged Swangard grass pitch?

[villus]

Lombardo is invisible out there

[loyola]

quote:Originally posted by villus

Lombardo is invisible out there


Agree, he is not involve at all.

[speedmonk42]

While I realize the bandwidth ratio of video to audio is probably very small, I would still value 10 more pixels than to listen to these guys talk.

[Jeffery S.]

Neither team is shining, but Scotland shows a lighter touch on the ball, settling it well on the pitch quicker than us. Better midfield combinations, more a result of better positioning. We are rather static in the middle, about half the players look lost. I just attribute this to the conditions; do I really want to watch another half of this, I don't think I am getting much out of it?

[speedmonk42]

Did they just to the announcement in French in the stadium?

[BrennanFan]

Lenarduzzi wants a domestic coach for the MNT (idiot). Good first half, but Scotland getting forward more than Canada.

[red card]

this a national team game - should be in both langs

[Can. in UK]

quote:Originally posted by Rudi


quote:Originally posted by Can. in UK

The pitch is embarassing.

Would you rather the teams play on the water-logged Swangard grass pitch?


Yep.

[speedmonk42]

quote:Originally posted by red card

this a national team game - should be in both langs


That depends on how much money it costs.

It BC it is totally unnecessary.

[Rudi]

quote:Originally posted by Can. in UK


quote:Originally posted by Rudi


quote:Originally posted by Can. in UK

The pitch is embarassing.

Would you rather the teams play on the water-logged Swangard grass pitch?


Yep.

I'd imagine that pitch would be much more of an 'embarassment' under these conditions.

[Grizzly]

quote:Originally posted by BrennanFan

Lenarduzzi wants a domestic coach for the MNT (idiot). Good first half, but Scotland getting forward more than Canada.



Decent play by play from Peacock. Lenarduzzi is showing an embarassing paucity of soccer knowledge. This guy was our head coach?

[spursfan]

From what I can see it looks like typical Canadian soccer - banging the ball long and waiting for a defensive error. Scotland appears to be playing much the same type of game. They probably should have made a better chance on Edgars miscue.

[JamesW]

quote:Originally posted by speedmonk42

While I realize the bandwidth ratio of video to audio is probably very small, I would still value 10 more pixels than to listen to these guys talk.
I disagree. They might not be world class, but they give basic info such as who the players are and were they play. Those are things I need.

[matthew]

We should not be 4-5-1. Maybe Johnson is tracking back more than he should be, but we need two guys up front. And the few times I've seen Lombardo I've never thought he was the kind of guy with the workrate to chase lost causes all day up front alone. He's more of a poacher and he combined well, but he's not getting any of the ball.

Even Di Ioia (who I also think of as a poacher type) would be better suited. If we're looking at Lombardo alone up top come July 1 I'm worried.

And I know without Lensky we don't have a real good left-mid option, but can we play Peters on his natural side? He and KOA can be dangerous, sure we're loading up one side, but I would like to see us put our most dangerous player in his natural position. Though I do like how he's cutting to the middle and creating space.

The low bandwidth has been tough for me to see and the high bandwidth works for 1:11 and then I need to refresh (and buffer), so I'm hardly catching the flow very well, but I think it's been decent, but scrappy. I thought we had the better of the early exchanges.

Scotland has made us look unsettled before. It's a good friendly for us, because we need to pick up the tempo and pace of the game and I think this helps.

I thought JBB has looked all right too so far, he's one of my worries, but I thought he's been decent.

Any other thoughts from people with better connections (I'm going to watch this properly next week on a good computer).

C'MOM BOYS!

cheers,
matthew

P.S. I know I beat this horse into the ground by 1998, but I *#$%ing hate us wearing black. Esp this summer when it will be a) warm and b) we're playing two teams that wear red and most of our fans will wear red and we'll be the ones in black.

[villus]

quote:Originally posted by Grizzly


quote:Originally posted by BrennanFan

Lenarduzzi wants a domestic coach for the MNT (idiot). Good first half, but Scotland getting forward more than Canada.



Decent play by play from Peacock. Lenarduzzi is showing an embarassing paucity of soccer knowledge. This guy was our head coach?


Lenarduzzi is an ass. I wish they would use someone else for play by play. He was horrible as a coach and he is showing why in the box

[morrison]

I hope those are "traveling" fans singing Flower of Scotland

[loyola]

quote:Originally posted by Rudi


quote:Originally posted by Can. in UK


quote:Originally posted by Rudi


quote:Originally posted by Can. in UK

The pitch is embarassing.

Would you rather the teams play on the water-logged Swangard grass pitch?


Yep.

I'd imagine that pitch would be much more of an 'embarassment' under these conditions.


This pitch is the only one where the ball could bounce decently in BC. I don't think Swangard was playable. I agree that the pitch isn't helping both teams but they didn't have other option.

[loyola]

Monsalve looks solid in goal. I think he will provide an excellent cover to Begovic this summer.

[villus]

Im sick of Lenarduzzi tooting his own horn

[speedmonk42]

quote:Originally posted by Jamit


quote:Originally posted by speedmonk42

While I realize the bandwidth ratio of video to audio is probably very small, I would still value 10 more pixels than to listen to these guys talk.
I disagree. They might not be world class, but they give basic info such as who the players are and were they play. Those are things I need.


I agree with you.

My feed has settled down is mucho smoother now.

[Jeffery S.]

Lenarduzzi: I am so glad I am not alone in my view. He is locked in the 1970s, he has not evolved at all with world football. Sad.

Play by play is atrocious, you can never get a clear idea of who is who, hard enough as it is with the rain and the dark uniform, the poor camera work not revealing the number.

Changes, think Agostino and O'Conner are on, Lombardo is off, not sure who else. Anyone?

[matthew]

quote:Originally posted by Jeffrey S.

Changes, think Agostino and O'Conner are on, Lombardo is off, not sure who else. Anyone?


Gabe Gala to lm, Nunez to cm, haber pushed up front, D'Agostino to RB and 19 (Attakora-Gyan?) to CB. Ayre, KOA, Grey and I'm assuming Lombardo are off.

Can anyone confirm who the new CB in for Haber is?

cheers,
matthew

[The Ref]

Thank you for the comments. I assume there is no score yet.

[Jeffery S.]

That was our best little sequence, before the offside. Haber looks good, relaxed. Maybe the Scots are tiring, we are getting used to the pitch, more play and control is coming our way.

[jeffymac1971]

If the game was scored on the balance of play, Scotland is winning hands down, We are playing traditional Canadian Soccer of kicking the ball 50 yards and run like hell with no build up.

We will be generous hosts for the U20 for sure!

[villus]

scotland starting to take control of the game. Canada's positioning and runs off the ball is bad IMO, but I guess that is consistent with Canadian soccer at all levels. Although they have made wholesale changes although they're runs were'nt great in the first half either.

[villus]

Yes bob we get it, the scots play like Gimmell did

[The Ref]

Boy do we need Simoes.

[Rudi]

GOAL!

Gabe Gala!

[speedmonk42]

gooooooooooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaalllllllllllllllll

[Cheeta]

How do you like that!

[sKriSh]

Yeah!!!

[Jeffery S.]

Goal, keeper ate it, but the goal is still a great one. I am not so sure, as Peacock says, that it was a cross, looked like a bit of a shot to me.

1-0.

[matthew]

Gabe Gala meant it!

WOOOHOOOO.

We're black and black
we're on the ****ing attack
Canada! Canada

cheers,
matthew

[JamesW]

If that was a shot, that was amazing!

[loyola]

Unlike Lenarduzzi I think Gala saw the keeper off his line and tried the shot.

Good to be leading 1-0.

[speedmonk42]

"what we will see now is Canada Ideally defend...."

F@CK OFF

[villus]

Good for them that they scored, hopefully keeps moral up. Not sure if it was a chip or an errant cross but we will take it.

[Cheeta]

Though it was a looping chip myself, man was looking square at the 'keep. Either way, get the ball towards net.

Greasy ball, greasy pitch, greasy gloves. Shoot Gawd Damn it.

[Rudi]

GOAL!

2-0 CANADA!

[sKriSh]

2-0 !!!!!!

[Cheeta]

BONZIA!!!

[speedmonk42]

NO NO NO We were supposed to be defending.

That was not supposed to happen.

[Jeffery S.]

quote:Originally posted by speedmonk42

"what we will see now is Canada Ideally defend...."

F@CK OFF


What we need is for Canada to get fouled, roll around a bit on the ground, waste sufficient time to deflate the Scottish comeback, and watch how Lenarduzzi renounces his passport as we disgrace him by winning.

You can just feel he is hoping for a dumb backpass from an outside back and Monsalve committing a penalty.

And We score again!

2-0.

[Rudi]

Goal Scotland.

2-1.

[villus]

Nice job Johnson, thank god we have him in our system as opposed to playing for the US

[Cheeta]

[xx(]

Ug.

[loyola]

Bad goal given by Monsalve. Unfriendly bounce in front of him but still should've put his body behind the ball.

[villus]

we have no linking up between our defence and mid. We will need to improve on that come summer, pitch is rather small though

[rdroze]

They just announced attendance as 4265.

For a U20 friendly on a rainy day with a venue change, I'd say that's pretty impressive!

[loyola]

Call me crazy but I prefer the 2-1 scoreline than the 2-0 one. We're rpeparing for a big tournament so it's not bad to be in that situation and facing some pressure from a team that wants a goal. We'll see how we do in the last minutes.

[nolando]

Mitchell looks a bit like Tie Domi tonight...

[JamesW]

My stream is messing up. I missed the last two goals.:(

[Rudi]

GOAL!

3-1 CANADA

[loyola]

quote:Originally posted by loyola

Call me crazy but I prefer the 2-1 scoreline than the 2-0 one. We're rpeparing for a big tournament so it's not bad to be in that situation and facing some pressure from a team that wants a goal. We'll see how we do in the last minutes.


Excellent reaction.....

[JamesW]

I saw that one!

[Cheeta]

Sweet Geezus!!

[Cheeta]

Sweet Geezus!!

[speedmonk42]

Holy Cow.

Perhaps now we should be defending..... LOL

[villus]

That was a goal!!!! even though the keeper blundered that was a great buildup from the boys in Black, and is very good to see, we need more of that on all levels!

[denis]

another poor cross??? what an idiot

[The Ref]

Who has scored for Canada

[torontofc]

Toisant Ricketts his second!
Who is this guy?

[Rudi]

quote:Originally posted by denis

another poor cross??? what an idiot

Yes, unbelieveable that these buffoons cannot admit that Canada just might be doing something right on the goals.

[Jeffery S.]

We score a great goal off an excellent move breaking us free down the left, the cross is tough, sure, but the key is getting through the defence to begin with.

And these jerks talk about defensive miscues? Sure, two keeper errors, but all goals were off plays where the attackers got the better of the defenders, including Fletcher's.

[loyola]

quote:Originally posted by Rudi


quote:Originally posted by denis

another poor cross??? what an idiot

Yes, unbelieveable that these buffoons cannot admit that Canada just might be doing something right on the goals.


Poor keeping on 2 of those goals. Yes, we're building nicely but still those 2 goals shouldn't have been scored with decent keeping, same thing for the Scotland goal. But I'm happy withn the lead.

[torontofc]

Toisant Ricketts.....who is he?

[nolando]

love the Canadian backdrop, I gotta say...its almost like you could imagine a black bear running across the pitch or something...some of the scots must wonder if they are in the rockies or something

[nolando]

That's it 3-1 final...Canada wins!!

[speedmonk42]

Overall a good experience I think

As Loyola said, the 2-1 situation was a good pressure situation to help the team.

Dealing with a guy like Fletcher too was good.

[villus]

quote:Originally posted by nolando

love the Canadian backdrop, I gotta say...its almost like you could imagine a black bear running across the pitch or something...some of the scots must wonder if they are in the rockies or something


agreed, I think I actually saw a Yeti run by at half. If we are getting goals off of mistakes so be it, but the most important thing is we are showing movement and smarts to get into the attacking areas and that is what Canadian soccer is lacking.

[The Ref]

Great reporting guys and thank you as the link didn't work for me. Convincing score and win. Hope we can carry the momentum. In summary it seems the two bad things were the artificial turf and Lenarduzzi.

[speedmonk42]

quote:Originally posted by loyola


quote:Originally posted by Rudi


quote:Originally posted by denis

another poor cross??? what an idiot

Yes, unbelieveable that these buffoons cannot admit that Canada just might be doing something right on the goals.


Poor keeping on 2 of those goals. Yes, we're building nicely but still those 2 goals shouldn't have been scored with decent keeping, same thing for the Scotland goal. But I'm happy withn the lead.


I dunno about the second goalie 'mistake'.

That goal was scored by a player being in the right place at the right time as a result of players moving up the field together. That is a good thing, even if it came off of a mishandled ball by the goalie.

[loyola]

Looking at that replay of Ricketts first goal, it's nice to see him adjusting his run with the last defender (the one on Johnson).

[villus]

The team looks like it has a good spirit and are bonding, this is great to see

[torontofc]

What was the GAbe GAla goal like?

[JamesW]

Great job by the CBC to get us the game. Great job by the players to turn the Scotland mistakes into goals. Overall, a great game.

Any one know if the next one will be on CBC.ca?

[Rudi]

quote:Originally posted by Jamit

Any one know if the next one will be on CBC.ca?

Hopefully.

[Jeffery S.]

quote:Originally posted by torontofc

What was the GAbe GAla goal like?


He did a good job getting past his defender on the left, and with a left footer from maybe 25 yards or more hooked it high and long, it went in in the far corner and the keeper misjudged it. A challenging pass-shot, a keeper error, but still well taken, as the effort was dangerous and the move forwards done confidently.

I am really quite happy about the 2nd half effort, we passed better in the middle, the defense and especially Monsalve were confident except for that one bad bounce, we moved better up the wings.

[matthew]

Ricketts plays NCAA with Wisconsin Green Bay and I thought was maybe a long shot to even make the team. The way the guys were congratulating him post-game, you can tell this was big for him. He's from Edmonton btw.

Gala's goal was cross/shot form the just outside the side of the area. Keeper was deep in his goal and it was a little near-post on him and then he took a step back and could only palm the ball into the top-corner. A bit like DeRo's goal in Guatemala, but more chip than blast.

That was fun.

I was liking Gala even before the goal. JBB was a little less solid in the second (esp when they were taking it to us early) and I didn't think Nunez imposed himself on the game too much.

Haber looked good for a CB playing up top, but I don't think it's his best spot. I'd like to see him play where JBB is, he has the pace and touch I think, plus obviously has the skill to break stuff up.

Attakora-Gyan made me nervous at times, but I thought he did quite well overall. I like our options in the back. I was worried, but I like Lumley well enough and NA-G has more size and good pace and haber obviously has the size as well.

I thought O'Connor was quite good. Great run to get into position and the cross for the third goal was smart. It didn't look like he had anyone to cross it to so he chipped it back post, put it on goal, made it as difficult as possible for the keeper and good things happened.

Peters really disappeared in the second half too, but the Scots seemed to really be keying on him and we had other people getting the job done.

A good result. The squad is coming together I hope.

But let's not forget. Scotland were missing some players and played us pretty even, there's lots of work to do.

cheers,
matthew

PS and despite the bad bounce on the goal, I was really happy with Monsalve. Better than expected in the air. Good hands and confident. He's not the biggest keeper, but he's athletic and he was strong winning balls in the box. I feel good with him as our number two.

[Daniel]

Gala seemed to regularly be beating his man.

Peters would disappear for long periods of time (as usual).

Why are we still playing with Lombardo as a lone forward? This hasn't proven effective in many many games.

Johnson needs to step up more as a midfield general.

[Cheeta]

Well, I'm happy. Four 2nd half goals is always fun, moreso when you're side is the one putting them in.

Plastic didn't seem so bad to me. Ball seemed to bounce about right. Maybe ran a little given that THE PITCH WAS A LAKE but I couldn't imagine what a grass pitch would play like under these conditions. Those red lines were annoying but whatever, I can live with it.

Hope the archive plays better.

Mitch and The Duz. Like Mitch, think I've written that before. The Duz can rot. Is there a by-law in BC which dictates that The Duz, regardless of qualities has to be on any and all football broadcasts? Cause if there is it's time to storm parliment with torches and pitchforks.

I'm usualy pretty easy going about this sort of thing but today was a bit much. Maybe because I had the sound on, but sheesh.

Otherwise good audio. CBC mic'd the crowd well and blended the commentary and crowd volume nicely.

Hard to draw too from the match given the conditions. Great to see the lads enjoying themselves. Warms the heart.

[canuck-fan]

Just back from the match...tons of fun, and a great result. I can't imagine that there'll ever be an international match across the street from my house again.

Many of our boys played really well and I'll be interested to compare what I saw live against the webcast. Particular standouts were:

Kent O'Conner -- rock solid defensively and a threat going forward. Scotland didn't get a sniff from our left side all match long. My MOTM for Canada.

David Monsalve -- apart from the error on the free kick goal, he was excellent. He claimed crosses and was able to defuse everything Scotland offered. He realzed that Fletcher was the real threat and did well to beat him in the air for a number of high balls.

Gabe Gala -- I wasn't really impressed with AJ Gray in the first half, particularly after he switched flanks with Peters, but Gala handled his marker with ease. His pace gave Scotland fits on the left side in the second half. The goal was magic. He also combined well with O'Conner.

Marcus Haber -- was solid at cenre-half and showed more than Lombardo did as a lone front-runner. I had the privilege to sit in front of his parents, who were deserevedly proud of his efforts. Of couse, he was overshadowed by...

Touissaint Ricketts -- great pace and two goals in 30 minutes.

Disappointments included Lombardo (just not suited to being a lone targertman), JBB (shaky first touch, though he did settle in the second half), and Nunez (showed little after a promising start to the second half). KOA was also a disappointment. I had heard so much about him and was really looking forward to seeing him play. He seemed awkward and had trouble on the ball -- either hesitating and being caught in possession or giving it away, hot potato style, as soon as he received it.

At times Scotland was the better team, but they seemed unable to deal with our pace. Peters, Gala and Ricketts particularly tore the Scotland defence apart. Apart from Fletcher, Scotland didn't seem to have many options. Fletcher was, though, the single most dangerous player on the park.

The Southsiders were a riot and added greatly to the atmosphere. The CSA should pay them to attend matches. You couldn't hear the Tartan Army at all

[Johnnie Monster]

Just back from the match... a very scrappy performance by both sides but we out muscled and out hustled. Didn't look too bad considering the weather & pitch conditions, although our back line completely let their guard down after Canada's 2nd, resulting in Scotland's tally. We need to do better.

Peters and Lombardo also need to get off their ass and MOVE out there. We can do much better than our typical Canadian strategies of "dump & run" and "half line goal suck." Once we moved away from that plan, we scored three. Go figure!!!!

The section of 50 Southsiders / Voyageurs booked for Swangard did in fact manage to group at the top three rows of the grandstand's south end. We sang like madmen start to finish, and cat-called the "Departin' Army" as they slinked for the exits five minutes before time.

Sadly, aside from us, Canada's support was adhering to typical soccer mom etiquette. Claps here and there, joined us on an impromptu "O Canada" just before time, but that's it.

I'd say there was 20-25% crowd support for Scotland, mostly old timers, soccer moms and dozen or so young dudes in their daddy's kilts. As far as I could see, the Scotland support were ex-pats and adult children living here in BC, not travellers from the UK.

Now one thing that MUST CHANGE:

During every goddamn game hosted in BC, the DJ plays salsa / latin music, Ricky Martin, etc before the match and through the warmups.

I can kinda see that there's relevance to that kind of music when we're playing a CONCACAF rival, as their fans turn out in droves to see Canada lose.

But FFS! Canada? Scotland?

We are not Puerto Rico. We are not Costa Rica.

Goddamn it.... Let there be rock!

Final gripes: No match programmes, no concession, no beer. Just a freebie line-up sheet and a kiosk selling T-shirts.

[Daniel]

The O Canada came out loud and clear on "TV".

[Blue and White Army]

If I ever get flack for supporting Canada in the Canadian supporters' section IN CANADA again, someone is going down.

You wouldn't believe the aggro I got, from Canadians standing literally right in front of the Canadian hardcore, but supporting SCOTLAND.

CSA - sort it out. Segregate the fans. If you think Scotland vs. Costa Rica at the FIFA U20 World Cup is going to be all kissy-face, you've got another thing coming.

Can't wait for the 2007 Whitecaps matches. That's proper football, supported by proper fans. I've had enough of these "soccer events" attended by idiot glory hunters. The FIFA U20 WC can go to hell.

[Loud Mouth Soup]

The Hyundai men's U-20 national team presented by Yahoo! Canada pulled off a 3:1 victory over Scotland today at the Percy Perry Stadium in Coquitlam, BC...

http://www.canadasoccer.com/eng/media/viewArtical.asp?Press_ID=2651

Sweet merciful crap. It's the Canadian U20s. That's it. If I have to hear this garbage every time they talk about the teams, I'd rather we not get the money. They are Canada's team. Not Yahoo's, not Hyundai's. Bite me, CSA. Bite me.

[Vancouver Fan]

On the other hand kudos to a couple of Scottish Canadians leading the way in our section. Johnnie Monster and Morbital showed that you can be proud of cheering for Canada even against the country your ancestors are from.

As for the game. Most of you called it correctly. Scotland seemed the better side for most of the match but Canada countered nicely. If that is their strategy against some of the better teams then go with it. I think they are pretty sound at the back amd with Begovic manning the net we will make it very difficult for teams to score on us. We can counter quite well.

The pitch improved when the rain stopped with 20 min left. Both teams put some passes together on the ground something that was impossible in the first half because of the water on the field.

The sun came out on the drive home.Most people left happy. The fact that the game went on without too much fuss after the last minute move is remarkable considering that there was not enough security or concessions ,washrooms ,parking seating etc. Everyone made the best of a difficult situation. Thanks Coquitlam.

PS ,Loved the fact that the CBC had the webcast.Looks pretty good. Very happy for fans around the world like Nolando in Japan. Loved the comment about feeling sentimental watching BC landscape.

[youllneverwalkalone]

We did have your back, btw.

One comment that old guy made, which makes me a bit sick upon reflection, was "shame on you boys, there's children here."

I say shame him for raising his Canadian hoolie son to cheer for Scotland. I suppose I can understand if it were England, as they do win the odd match. But that was poor form on their part. Serious sore losers at the end of the day. And besides, let's face it, the kids love foul language. Whatever is said in bad taste is more than made up for by setting the right example: cheer for your country!

We should also give David Edgar his due for coming over and giving us a hand and signing some autographs for the kids. He's good boy that one, the future captain of the MNT I have no doubt.


quote:Originally posted by Blue and White Army

If I ever get flack for supporting Canada in the Canadian supporters' section IN CANADA again, someone is going down.

You wouldn't believe the aggro I got, from Canadians standing literally right in front of the Canadian hardcore, but supporting SCOTLAND.

CSA - sort it out. Segregate the fans. If you think Scotland vs. Costa Rica at the FIFA U20 World Cup is going to be all kissy-face, you've got another thing coming.

Can't wait for the 2007 Whitecaps matches. That's proper football, supported by proper fans. I've had enough of these "soccer events" attended by idiot glory hunters. The FIFA U20 WC can go to hell.

[CanadasBest]

Kudos again to the good atmosphere created by the southsiders and voyageurs. "Where's your famous Braveheart now?" and "We've got Ricketts" were both instant classics.

[Blue and White Army]

Cheers, youllneverwalkalone. Good to know I wasn't the only one perturbed by the actions of a small handful of nimwits.

[morbital]

was good fun, and like i say CANADIAN FIRST, i owe everything to canada, not scotland. am i proud scotsman, yes. but not at the expense of being CANADIAN. so for that simple reason i will ALWAYS cheer for canada not matter who the oppenent is.

micky mous side fact: its 04:42 PDT and theres still no official match report anywhere....

ive had to piece together a summary

Saturday March 24th, 2007 - 16:00 PDT


International Friendly
1 : 3
Scotland [U-20] Full Time
Canada [U-20]
76' Fletcher

Gala 67'
Ricketts 74'
Ricketts 81'


@Percy Perry Stadium
Attendance: TBA

Match Reports:
News:
CBC

[Rudi]

Attendance was around 4,200.

[Blue and White Army]

Yeah, all the aisles and steps were chocoblock full of people. A health & safety inspector would have shut the place down if he'd seen the state of the place! :)

[The Ref]

Who were the officials and how was the refereeing?

[loyola]

It was a guy from Ontario (with an italian name) and I think he did well. One of the AR was from Quebec (Belleau). The other one I don't remember, maybe from BC.

[sstackho]

Here's the CP article about our Hyundai boys presented by Yahoo! Canada.

Canada unleashes offence in second half to down Scotland 3-1 in U-20 friendly
BY RON SUDLOW
CP
891 words
24 March 2007
23:09
The Canadian Press
English
(c) 2007 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

COQUITLAM, B.C. (CP) _ The goals were easy tap-ins for Tosaint Ricketts, but he was willing to do the work to make them happen.

Ricketts was a perpetual motion machine for Canada with his threatening runs to the Scotland goalmouth and they paid off twice Saturday in a 3-1 Canada win in a friendly between two sides headed for this summer's FIFA Under-20 World Cup.

Ricketts' first goal came off a Will Johnson cross that beat goalkeeper Andrew McNeil. The Edmonton native, a sophomore at University of Wisconson-Green Bay, was in the right position for an easy tap-in.

He also provided insurance when Kent O'Connor of North Vancouver lofted a shot from the left sideline that McNeil misplayed right to Ricketts' feet.

``The play was good,'' Ricketts, 19, said of his first goal that proved to be the winner. ``I just wanted to get on the end of it. I just got in the right position and finished it off. I know if I make the right runs, they'll put the ball at my feet.''

Gabe Gala, of Brampton, Ont., gave Canada a 1-0 lead in the 67th minute to spark a three-goal surge in 13 minutes.

Steven Fletcher, who has 12 goals for Hibernian of the Scottish Premier League this season, cut Canada's lead to 2-1 on a free kick.

Gala's goal came after he beat defender Greg Ross along the sideline then curved a shot just under the crossbar.

The goal opened gaps in the Scotland defence and Ricketts, who has been with the under-20 team only since December, ran into the spaces.

``We like his athleticism,'' said coach Dale Mitchell. ``He's a fit kid, he's a quick kid. He can keep running. He's not just a sprinter, he'll keep going and he has a great attitude. I think he's someone who's appreciated the chance to get a look here and he's doing everything he possibly can to make this team and he wants to badly.''

``Certainly a couple of goals in an international game are going to help his cause.''

Toronto-born Johnson, who now lives in Woodridge, Ill., earned his 21st U-20 cap to go with the three men's national team appearances, said Gala's goal changed the complexion of the game.

``Everybody knows goals change games,'' said Johnson who scored the game-winner in a friendly against Brazil last May. ``They had a lot of possession, but they didn't really have clear-cut chances. They played it around the back and we waited until we got our chance and we took it to them.''

Saturday's game had to be moved from Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, B.C., to Percy Perry Stadium, a venue with synthetic, all-weather FieldTurf, because the original pitch was unplayable due to heavy rain.

Canada and Scotland took advantage of the international calendar to set up two friendlies in B.C. The second is Tuesday at Royal Athletic Park in Victoria. Both matches kick off Canada's cross- country tour leading up to the U-20 World Cup that will also feature a game against defending under-20 champion Argentina at BMO Field in Toronto on May 11.

Scotland was a surprise qualifier among the six to come out of Europe. They made it to the UEFA qualification final before losing 2-1 to Spain, but gained their first U-20 berth in 20 years.

The Scots had a territorial edge in the first half, which was played in a steady rain. Both teams had trouble generating offence, relying mainly on long balls, rather than short passes. The rain eased in the second half, allowing both sides to build up attacks.

Jaime Peters, of Pickering, Ont., who has 23 caps, had the best early chance for the Canadians in the first half when he beat three defenders in a run down the middle. McNeil saved his shot from the top of the penalty area.

``It's big for confidence going into the under-20s,'' Peters said. ``I don't think we played particularly well, but we still got that 3-1 result and there's a lot more to come out of our team.''

Graham Dorrans had a 30-yard strike saved by Canadian goalkeeper David Monsalve of Brampton, Ont. and Fletcher also had a bicycle kick sail over the bar.

Canada qualified as host country for the June 30-July 22 competition involving 52 games in Victoria, Burnaby, Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.

Its is in a group with Chile, Austria and African champion Republic of Congo. Their games will be played in Edmonton and Toronto.

Scotland's group play opponents are Japan, Costa Rica and Nigeria, which lost in the 2005 final to Argentina. The games will be played in Victoria and the Vancouver suburb of Burnaby.

Notes:The Canadians wore their new black-and-white sweaters ... a rash of injuries caused Scotland to add seven new players to the 20-member team playing the two game exhibition series ... among the missing is captain and defender Scott Cuthbert who is recovering from a groin injury.

[KAS]

quote:Originally posted by morbital

was good fun, and like i say CANADIAN FIRST, i owe everything to canada, not scotland. am i proud scotsman, yes. but not at the expense of being CANADIAN. so for that simple reason i will ALWAYS cheer for canada not matter who the oppenent is.
My now deceased Father was born and raised in Glasgow, but I was born and raised in Canada. I believe that the attitude and approach that I take to these things is the most appropriate under the circumstances: I wish Scotland well in the U-20s this summer, best of luck and all that, and I am glad that their senior team is doing well in qualifying for the 2008 Euros, but Canada has always been and always will be my team. I would never cheer for any team against Canada.

Now I have to go grab a few reports on the game like the CP article and e-mail them to my cousins in Scotland! :D

[Daniel]

Fletcher was really in a league of his own yesterday.

[Jeffery S.]

quote:Originally posted by The Ref

Who were the officials and how was the refereeing?


The only reffing debate was a Scotland offside first half that was quite close, was called but maybe it wasn't.

Someone was carded for kicking the ball at goal after the whistle went, maybe it was Johnson, when we were up in the 2nd half. Excellent time wasting and well taken, especially if you think the defence needs a rest.

Otherwise I thought the ref was watching the game carefully, was close to the play, and basically called it fairly.

Just want to add re the CP article, I think that Scotland had changed their keeper for the last goal, McNeil was no longer in the nets. Am I right?

[masster]

quote:Originally posted by Jeffrey S.

Just want to add re the CP article, I think that Scotland had changed their keeper for the last goal, McNeil was no longer in the nets. Am I right?


Yes

[matthew]

It might have been a new keeper for the last two goals. I can't remember when Fox came in for McNeil, but it was definitely Fox on the last goal.

I also have Scottish roots and support Scotland against anyone except Canada. Be proud of your roots, but never forget where you come from.

Not sure it's been mentioned, but one of the best sights in the match was seeing the Canadian players running to the support post-match and throwing souvenirs into the crowd (I know Monsalve's gloves went in and Edgar threw something). The players seemed to appreciate the support and the crowd ate it up.

Hope we see more of that in the build-up for the summer. That kind of thing will get the country behind them.

cheers,
matthew

[The Beaver]

Just one note: Though I was impressed with our guys for pulling out the result--and for mostly not losing their composure while Scotland had the better of possession in the second half, I was especially impressed with young David Edgar and his leadership. Can't help but feel this young man will someday be the captain of our Nats. I love his fierce dedication to the game and his country. (Only wish a couple of young, very talented Canadians playing in Holland would show the same sort of dedication and passion and vision.)

[VPjr]

I really hope that the next game is played under better weather conditions. The pitch looked like it was more water than plastic grass.

Considering the conditions, I think it is very hard to take away much from this game. I echo The Beaver's observations about Edgar. This young man has a certain quiet calmness to the way he plays that you see in good players, particularily good defenders. he doesn't rush and doesn't get rattled. He had that one error in the 1st half that provided the Scots with a great scoring chance but I believe the pitch conditions were at fault because it appeared he lost his footing. if we had 3 players on this squad of that quality, this is a scary team.

As far as Toronto FC is concerned, I am sure they were pleased for the most part by the play of AJ Grey and Gabe Gala. Both players demonstrated good ball winning skills and excellent pace. For the record, I think Gala actually meant to shoot at net. If not, that is one horrible attempt at a cross. Lombardo didn't look great unfortunately

[AlanDouglas]

Sorry, but I say cross. I was at the game, and right in line with Gala when he hit it, and the moment the ball left his boot I thought, "he's miskicked it." There was just something about the sound of the kick that was not right. And you can see on the replay that he's off balance and almost stumbling right afterwards. Credit to the guy, he did very well on the goal, but I'm pretty sure it was meant as a cross.

[Daniel]

Any pictures?

[The Beaver]

Forecast for tomorrow's game in Victoria is for sun, 10 degrees. With the weather nice today--and yesterday--I suspect the field won't be in too bad condition. I think we'll see a better game from our Euro-based players tomorrow. This is all very good experience for the lads, and I hope they can take it up a notch tomorrow.

[Richard]

quote:Originally posted by Daniel

Any pictures?
There is a photo slideshow of Canada-Scotland March 24 at www.bcsoccerweb.com.

[CanadasBest]

quote:Originally posted by The Beaver

Forecast for tomorrow's game in Victoria is for sun, 10 degrees. With the weather nice today--and yesterday--I suspect the field won't be in too bad condition. I think we'll see a better game from our Euro-based players tomorrow. This is all very good experience for the lads, and I hope they can take it up a notch tomorrow.


It's been a lot drier here compared to Vancouver. The pitch at RAP is in great condition. It should be a great game tomorrow.

[nolando]

quote:Originally posted by Daniel

Fletcher was really in a league of his own yesterday.


Fletcher is not only a hell of a player but a hell of a story - I hope this kid captains Scotland one day...

(from wikipedia)

Steven Fletcher (born March 26, 1987, in Shrewsbury, Shropshire) is a Scottish professional footballer who currently plays for Hibernian in the Scottish Premier League.

Fletcher was born into an army background and spent much of his early years living on military bases in England and Germany where his Liverpudlian soldier father was based. His father died from cancer when Fletcher was aged only 10, prompting his mother to relocate to Hamilton, Scotland to be closer to her family. When she failed to settle and returned south, Fletcher decided to stay on in Scotland with his uncle. Hibs youth coach Donald Park, also from Hamilton, spotted his footballing talent and the young Anglo-Scot joined the Leith side's youth network aged 13. [1]

[Gian-Luca]

quote:Originally posted by Cheeta

Mitch and The Duz. Like Mitch, think I've written that before. The Duz can rot. Is there a by-law in BC which dictates that The Duz, regardless of qualities has to be on any and all football broadcasts? Cause if there is it's time to storm parliment with torches and pitchforks.

I'm usualy pretty easy going about this sort of thing but today was a bit much. Maybe because I had the sound on, but sheesh.


Now having had a chance to watch the game, I'll add my support to the anti-Lenarduzzi-as-a-commentator views that have been expressed. But I've been expressing such sentiments for years, going back to the old network54 board it used to be myself & Klaus (who never made the transition to this board, AFAIK) were the most vocal in our disgust at his commentary. Don't get me wrong - I respect & appreciate what he did as a player & as a coach for Canada - but as a commentator he drives me nuts. He really needs to stop taking up so much airtime second guessing players & telling us what they would have been better off doing well after they have tried to do it.

[morbital]

http://www.vancouversouthsiders.com/media/u20-canada-scotland.wmv

[Sigma]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdqOdm0Yn6Q

Some highlights and interviews with Ricketts, Johnson, Peters, Mitchell and the Scottish coach.

[loyola]

From our U-20 MNT manager Dave Nutt blog, some comments about the game and expolanations about the last minute change of venue:

http://ca.blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-fkxUVowyaKfdJ3hJ_w4l

Canada 3 : Scotland 1
Greetings from sunny Vancouver! Too bad, the sun decided to show up a day too late…


After a week of torrential downpours and a last minute venue change, game one of the road to the FUWC is in the books! Those of you that braved the elements and made the trip to Percy Perry Stadium in Coquitlam were treated to a very entertaining match and a great result, 3-1 to the good guys!


Despite the conditions, I thought that both teams put on a good show for the fans. The slick field made it tough to play and the match certainly wasn’t mistake free, but in the end there were chances each way and a great atmosphere. We didn’t play our best match, but were still able to pull out a win over the U19 EURO Runners Up giving us 3 victories over top 20 soccer nations in the past year! I’m willing to bet no Canadian team has ever beaten three teams of the quality of Brazil, Czech Republic and Scotland in a year!


One of the things that I like best about our group is that they seem to know how to get results. Yesterday certainly wasn’t a masterpiece, but a win is a win and we will certainly take it! It isn’t very often that a Canadian team gets a result against a quality opponent without a great performance, but good teams find ways to win even when they don’t play their best, and yesterday, our guys got the job done!


Another thing I like about our team is that they have definitely got a “Canadian” mentality. They’re scrappy, play with a lot of heart and never give up. In my mind, this is a team that the Canadian public is going to enjoy supporting for the next 4 months and into the future as they become the next generation of Men’s Senior National Team stars and with a little good fortune help us to return to the World Cup!


It’s been a very interesting last few days. A HUGE thank you and job well done needs to go to the Burnaby Local Organizing Committee. In particular Don (Hardman) from the BLOC, who really stepped up to ensure the show went on despite the weather. Also, a big congratulations to Tanya Hodge, Kevin Hayashi and the rest of the CSA crew who spent almost 12 hours in the pouring rain yesterday to put on a successful international friendly with only 24 hours notice.


Another big thank you needs to go out to all of the fans that attended the match. Thank you for accepting the venue change, accepting the seating issues and still creating a fantastic atmosphere! You may not realize it, but your support really makes a difference to the team!


I know there are some people out there that were not pleased with the shift in venue. For those people, I would like to make a few things clear.


The decision to shift the venue from Swangard Stadium was the right one. I was standing on the pitch on Friday when the decision was made that it was unplayable. I got my snorkel and flippers off just in time to hear Mr. Joe Guest, Director of Officiating for the Canadian Soccer Association make the final call.

There was nothing that anyone could have done to keep that pitch playable. Every week there are matches cancelled all over the world due to inclement weather. There is NOTHING anyone can do about it! The BLOC and CSA worked quickly and efficiently to put on a match and give fans in the greater Vancouver area the opportunity to see the U20s in action. Would it have been better to cancel the match completely and deprive the great fans that did attend the opportunity to see the match?

The most important thing for the teams involved was that a game took place. Both teams have trained too hard and traveled too far to cancel this match. For our team in particular, we need games to prepare for the FUWC and this will be one of only a few chances we’ll have to get our entire team together, so obviously the show needed to go on!

Percy Perry Stadium was the only venue with a turf pitch and stands to accommodate the match. Obviously it wasn’t designed or intended to host international soccer matches, but it was the best option available to us when the match needed to be moved from Swangard and a special thank you should also go to everyone involved at the stadium for bending over backwards to work with us.

In the end, both teams were very happy with the facility, the match and the crowd! Well, the ferry is just arriving at the island, so I’m going to sign off, but we’ll be back at it again on Tuesday, March 27 kicking off at 7pm at Royal Athletic Park. I understand that this match is sold out and should be a fantastic crowd and another entertaining match!


I’ll let you know how it goes,


Dave

[Thistle]

I have about 50-odd pictures I took at the Coquitlam match. If anyone would like a copy on CD I would be happy to oblige. Email me with your mailing address and I will get a copy out to you within the week. They do not exactly fall within the pro category as some are a bit grainy when full-screen, but is a decent souvenir nonetheless.

Peace out.

[Thistle]

I have about 50-odd pictures I took at the Coquitlam match. If anyone would like a copy on CD I would be happy to oblige. Email me with your mailing address and I will get a copy out to you within the week. They do not exactly fall within the pro category as some are a bit grainy when full-screen, but is a decent souvenir nonetheless.

Peace out.

[Sigma]

From the CSA...

"For patrons who were unable to attend the Canada-Scotland International Friendly Match on March 24, 2007 at Percy Perry Stadium in Coquitlam, refunds will be available at point of purchase. The complete ticket(s) will need to be presented to receive the refund.

Customers who purchased via internet or Ticketmaster Charge-By-Phone, please mail your tickets to Ticketmaster Customer Service at Ticketmaster Canada
Attn: Customer Service
1 Blue Jays Way
Suite#3900
Toronto,ON, M5V 1J3
If you have any questions or concerns, please call Customer Service: 604-280-4400

Refunds will be available commencing March 26, 2007 through to April 9, 2007."

http://www.canadasoccer.com/eng/media/viewArtical.asp?Press_ID=2659

[Daniel]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSqrSwTnPVw