Manchester United 2:1 Boca Juniors

United Man of the Match:
Antonio Valencia shined in his debut, and brings something very different to the table than Ronaldo. Valencia stayed wide for most of the game on the right wing, and he was working hard putting in tackles stopping onrushing Boca attackers. Almost all of United's attacks came through his industry. The first goal came from a free kick that Valencia won, and the second he potted himself. He was whipping balls into the box the entire first half and was causing significant problems for Abbondanzieri in the Boca net. Valencia certainly impressed the Munich crowd with a high energy debut.

Match Notes:
- Anderson scored! And it was a cracker, with Ronaldo gone the position of free kick taker is up for grabs and Anderson certainly threw his name into the hat with a marvelous effort. After two seasons of scoreless football for Anderson, he finally scored his first goal in a United kit. Hopefully the goal will boost his confidence and act as a sign of things to come this season as Anderson will look to score his first goal in a competitive match.

- Against Barcelona in the Champions League Final one of United's main criticism was that they allowed Barcelona to boss the midfield. Against Boca it was a similar story, as Boca keeping possession for most of the second half. With Hargreaves still injured many supporters were calling for the manager to go after a defensive midfielder, but it seems Sir Alx has kept faith in Darren Fletcher. Fletcher came on with very little time remaining and didn't have too much of an impact but he may be called on a lot in big matches this season.

- Craig Cathcart the centre back currently with the reserves started the match and played the full ninety minutes. Other than hitting his own crossbar with a header he put in a fairly decent performance. With Ferdinand and Brown both having injury problems last season, United may call on Cathcart at some point during the season and he looked ready to play against Boca Juniors.

- United have only kept one clean sheet in five matches this preseason, and it was against the Malaysian XI. Boca only managed one goal in this match, but could have easily had more. Hangzhou, FC Seoul and the Malaysian XI all managed two goals, so there is an obvious problem, for the most part it just seems to be momentary lapses that are to be expected in preseason. Hopefully it doesn't indicate something more to come in the season.

-Rooney didn't have a great performance (though was strangely named man of the match?) and his partnership with Berbatov hasn't really been on display yet this preseason. With only three games remaining until the start of the Premier League season, Rooney and Berbatov need to get more playing time together and they need to start forming that partnership in order to go into the season ready to play the style Sir Alex wants United to play.

Final Thoughts:
Boca Juniors probably were the better team in the match, but United still managed to get the win. Despite the negatives Boca Juniors are a good team that were expected to put up a good fight which they did.

Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Six

In this episode of Canadian Terrace Talk Kevin Elder of Think it All in and I talk Gold Cup, preseason friendlies, the World Club Cup, The Champions Trophy match last weekend in Montreal, and Toronto FC in the Champions League.

Enjoy!

Listen Online to Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Six

Download Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Six

You can subscribe on Itunes via the first link

Canada is Back in the Champions League

Tonight Toronto FC will become Canada's second representative in the CONCACAF Champions League after Montreal's epic run to the quarterfinals in the 08-09 tournament. Toronto will play a home and away series with the Puerto Rico Islanders, the winner of which qualifies for the group stage.

When all eyes in the Canadian soccer scene were on Montreal before their Champions League quarterfinal I said that as a Canadian national team supporter first and foremost I will support any Canadian team playing in the Champions League. My view has not changed, tonight I fully hope Toronto breezes by their opposition. This is easy for me to say with no real Canadian club allegiances, but for the people who are both national team diehards and Ultras or Southsiders the issue gets a little more heated.

Obviously they have no emotional investment in Toronto, and will probably be cheering against Toronto in the competition. Which on the outside may look bad for Canadian soccer, but really it can only improve it. Rivalry spawns competition which in turn creates a better product.

The fact Montreal's Champions League run was such a success made qualifying for the tournament (the Voyageurs Cup) such a bigger deal. The Impact's success had all of Canada interested whether they wanted the Canadian team to succeed or to see them fail horribly. The idea that "no press is bad press" applies to this situation perfectly. The fact that supporters had more than a passing interest in the tournament made it more important to their respective front offices.

I mean just look at Toronto they played a full line-up in a game they needed to win by four to take home the Voyageurs Cup. The odds were very slim, and most teams may have saved their full team for the league. But seeing Montreal's success made Toronto want that Champions League spot that little bit more and made Toronto push to show that they were the best team in Canada. Back in February when the Impact looked like they had a chance of winning the Champions League they were looked on as Canada's best team, which of course bred more competition.

The competition has forced front offices to improve the product on the pitch and hopefully put Canada on the map in CONCACAF (a second spot in the tournament may not be out of the question).

So whether you are cheering for them or not, know that Toronto doing well in this tournament will help the game across the country at many levels.

Hangzhou Greentown 2:8 Manchester United

United Man of the Match:
Audacious flicks, a clinical finish, perfect positioning, inventive first touch, Berbatov displayed it all against an admittedly poor Hangzhou Greentown team. He was bought not to be United's top goal scorer, but to help the likes of Rooney and now Michael Owen pop in as many as possible. His ball to Owen for the fourth goal was sublime, and he had a very well taken goal himself. Berbatov looked like the man who United bought for thirty million pounds, not the player who had a very average season in 08-09.

Match Notes:
- Before we jump to any conclusions about how good Man. United are going forward lets make on thing clear, Hangzhou Greentown are not a good team. Unlike FC Seoul they would not have a hope in hell of staying up in the Premier League and probably would have a hard time staying up in the next two or three divisions of English football.

- Michael Owen pocket his first Manchester United brace and took his tally in the Asian Tour up to four making him the leading goal scorer for United so far. The second finish was brilliant, as he volleyed home a brilliant ball from Berbatov. Owen has looked good playing with Berbatov, Macheda and Rooney which is a very good sign.

- Giggs scored his first ever hattrick for United. It isn't really that big of a deal considering it came in a friendly, but they were all quality finishes, and he keeps building on what is shaping up to be a very good preseason for him.

- Evra has gone two seasons with out hitting the back of the net for Man. United with his last goal for the club coming in the 7-1 romp of AS Roma. Against Hangzhou Greentown he hit the crossbar twice and put in another quality shot from distance. Evra has the ability to shoot from long range and getting close albeit against weak competition may encourage him to have a few more goes during the season.

- Tosic and Nani seemed to provide an endless supply of crosses this match, as they were finding more space than they've probably ever seen in their pro careers out on the flanks. A lot of the time they were given enough space to run into the eighteen yard box before delivering a cross. Getting these crosses in will be key to executing the that style Sir Alex and Untied are looking for this season.

- The two goals in the last fifteen minutes is slightly concerning, it shows a definite lack of focus. The first doesn't worry me too much because in all likely hood Rooney will not be called upon to defend from corners too often during the season (his man scored the headed goal from a corner). The second however was a comedy of errors. Foster should have known there were only seconds left on the clock and booted the ball long instead of playing a short ball into the back four that they bobbled and gave right away to the onrushing forward. This may be yet another sign that Foster is just not cut out to be a United keeper.

Final Thoughts:
Can't really go bananas the result, due to the poor quality of the opposition, but there were certainly some encouraging signs this match. The defending and overall communication still needs some improvement though...

FC Seoul 2:3 Manchester United

United Man of the Match:
Wayne Rooney, United's great hope for the coming season had his best game of the preseason. He had a very well taken headed goal to open the scoring for Man. United, then he played a perfect ball in for Macheda to finish the second. There is a lot expected of Rooney this season, and living up to expectations may prove difficult, but he was certainly on song today.

Match Notes:
- Giggs continues to grow older and play younger every season. He looks as fit as ever this preseason, playing good balls around the park, making elusive runs and keeping pressure on opposing defenders. Ryan Giggs looks hungry for nineteen this season.

- FC Seoul was able to pass the ball around much easier than they should have been able to. The defending was sloppy, and United were much too conservative giving the opponents too much time on the ball in the final third. Two goals to Seoul may indicate a lot more against the likes of Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal.

- Berbatov found the score sheet for the first time on this Asian Tour with a perfectly placed header off a Gibson goal. His one touch lay-offs are as good as ever, and hopefully he can prove Sir Alex right again in his confidence to keep Berbatov ahead of Tevez.

- It was interesting to see four natural central midfielders line up in a 4-4-2. The width in the first half was virtually non-existent which had to be expected with Anderson and Fletcher playing as wingers. Seeing versatility out of these players is good, but if we are going to rely on either of those players to play out wide this season our attack may start to look very one dimensional.

- This was by far the most competitive game of the preseason so far, with United playing an other actual club team. FC Seoul is a very good team, and they were unlucky at points during the match. This FC Seoul team would be competitive in the Premier League and they probably could relegation in the Premier League.

- Macheda had a well taken goal against Seoul off a beautiful through ball from Wayne Rooney. Macheda continues to show incredible composure in and around the eighteen yard box for some one of his age.

Final Thoughts:
Another match and another victory. This one was much shakier, and although preseaon matches don't matter its nice to see United keep on winning. Overall is was a good match to watch and the quality of FC Seoul surprised me more than anything else.

Manchester United Training Camp Week Three

Preseason Results:
Malaysian XI 0:2 Manchester United
AFC Rochdale 0:2 Manchester United Reserves
FC Seoul 2:3 Manchester United
Norwich 1:1 Manchester United Reserves
Hangzhou Greentown 2:8 Manchester United

Injuries:
Nemanja Vidic - Expected return July 29
Owen Hargreaves - Expected return September
Gabriel Obertan - Expected return October

Transfers:
none

Rumour of the Week:
David Silva to Manchester United

Ridiculous United News Story of the Week:
The Not So Special One Still Wants United Job

I'm Not Dead

Sorry for the lack over posts over the last week. I haven't been taking a break from the beautiful game, being part of my club's technical support staff as well as a player takes a lot of time when your club hosts a tournament. Today I finally caught up watching torrents of the Man United preseason games. I will have match reports (in a new less-formal style) up soon. I will also have more reaction about Canada and the Gold Cup now that I've had some time to mull over the tournament.

Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Five

In this episode of Canadian Terrace Talk, Kevin and I talk Gold Cup, preseason results, the Julian De Guzman transfer saga and more along with our guest Brendan Dunlop, host of the Hardcore Footy Show.

Enjoy!

Listen Online to Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Five

Download Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Five

You can subscribe on Itunes via the first link

2011: Canada's Next Competitive Fixture

I'm sorry for the depressing headline, but it's just starting to sink in that the Canadian Men's National Team will not play another competitive fixture until the 2011 Gold Cup.

All in all Canada put in some good performances during the Gold Cup and deserve to leave with their heads held high, but looking forward Canadian supporters need something to keep them going. With the World Cup coming up next year many teams will be looking for friendlies to get themselves prepared for the tournament. So the idea is being thrown around of an invitational tournament at BMO Field in 2010. At the moment the CSA's biggest concern is the money aspect, they need to know that there is a significant amount of interest because it is an idea they are considering.

So what's the solution send an email. It takes very little time and could mean a lot in the long run if you are a Canadian supporter who wants to see their team in action next year.

CSA Contact Information

For those who say this would just be a group of friendlies, you're right but a contact at the CSA has informed me that they are not in talks with anyone for a home friendly at any level in the near future. Anything is better than nothing.

For more info check out the Voyageurs thread on the topic.

Malaysian XI 0:2 Man. United

United Man of the Match: Whether or not he was the best player on the pitch is debatable, but I'm picking Zoran Tosic just because of how much he surprised me. His minutes last season were very limited and he didn't really impress much in the time given. Against the Malaysian XI he was consistently beating his man and finding open space on the left flank. He is good in the challenge, and does a lot of work out on that left wing. Unfortunately his final balls into the box were lacking, but that is something that comes with experience playing out there, hopefully he gets more opportunities during the season.

Preseason Boredom: This game was a typical preseason run out against weaker opposition. United went out and scored twice in the first 13 minutes, then decided to completely slow it down and stop trying to pressure the Malaysian net. Obviously United did not want to embarrass their hosts, but getting 15 minutes of quality time out of 90 is just not good enough training. The game did pick up in the last twenty or so minutes when the substitutes started to come onto the pitch, but United didn't get nearly enough out of this game as they should have. It made for a very boring spectacle.

Forwards Hitting the Net: Its nice to see that all of United's forwards are already bringing in the goals. Rooney and Macheda both have hit the back of the net and Owen has already scored twice in his two-game United career. Berbatov is the only forward with the team in Asia that hasn't scored yet. With much of the worry going into preseason being about how United will replace the goal hauls of Tevez and Ronaldo it is good to see the forwards are already finishing their chances.

Crosses in From Wide: Once again United went out in what was essentially a flat 4-4-2 with attacking wingbacks in the shape of Fabio and Neville. This means lots of crosses into the box which is good for tall players like Macheda and Berbatov. The crosses from wide will also help Owen score a few more clinical one-touch finishes. With Nani, Tosic playing as traditional wingers, and Valencia to come it will be very interesting to see how these younger players cope with the new expectations.

Sir Alex's Selection: It's preseason and all that matters is getting as much of the squad as many minutes as possible and that's whats happening.

Player Ratings:
Foster - 6
Fabio - 6
Brown - 6
Evans - 6
Neville - 6
Tosic - 7
Carrick - 6
Giggs - 7
Fletcher - 6
Macheda - 6
Owen - 7

Subs:
Kuszczak - 5
Evra - 5
O'Shea - 5
Ferdinand - 6
Berbatov - 5
Rooney - 7
Nani - 6
Scholes - 5
Anderson - 5
Gibson - 5

Canada 0:1 Honduras

Canadian Man of the Match:
De Guzman continues to impress playing for Canada, he never gives up the ball. He can hold off defenders if necessary and he always finds that open man. De Guzman is a quality midfielder who should be playing in one of Europe's top leagues. Against Honduras he was key to Canada's attack and played a very good game.

Fucked by CONCACAF Again: That is now two Gold Cups in a row that Canada has been eliminated on a poor refereeing decision. Referee, Joel Aguilar, gave Honduras a ghost penalty which Martinez converted to give Honduras a one-nil lead, and eventually the one-nil win. Stalteri was not at fault in the slightest for the penalty, in fact it is still unclear what the penalty was for. With all this being said, the penalty was in the first half and gave us plenty of time to tie the match, unlike 2007 when the poor call was the last one of the match. Did Canada lose the match purely because of the penalty call? No, but it was a big part of it.

Composure Under Pressure: I really was proud of Canada yesterday, they pressed so hard for that equalizer and deserved it. Some poor finishing and unlucky breaks stopped them from finding the back of the net, but the build up play was very good. In the last ten minutes of both World Cup Qualifying matches against Honduras when Canada were a goal down looking for an equalizer, they were playing a very direct style, panicking and giving the ball away. Yesterday was a different story, all match Canada held on to the ball, and in the last ten minutes they didn't lose their heads as they continued to play the style of football that had got them to the quarterfinal. It was encouraging to see, as was this entire tournament.

Get Used to It: Canadian fans, player, and coaches all seem to be outraged every match after CONCACAF opposition goes in front and dives to waste time. Most of the teams do it, and it is a popular tactic around the world. Of course it isn't classy, but it happens in almost every major CONCACAF match and bitching about it doesn't make a difference. Canada needs to learn to keep a cool head in the situation and keep playing the way we're used to. The more the players get riled up about it the more the opposition will dive.

Hart's Selection: Hart played the same team that beat El Salvador one-nil. The only real debate was whether to play De Jong or Simpson, and Hart chose to go with Simpson. Simpson played a very good game so no complaints there. Once again Hart's tactics and substitutions were spot on.

Player Ratings:
Sutton - 7
Stalteri - 5
Jakovic - 6
McKenna - 7
Klukowski - 7
De Guzman - 8
Johnson - 5
Hutchinson - 6
Bernier - 6
Simpson - 7
Gerba - 5

Subs:
Peters - 6
Jackson - 6

Malaysian XI 2:3 Man. United

United Man of the Match: Nani put in a solid ninety minutes against the Malaysian XI, he looked much better than he did last season. His decision making seemed to be much improved, albeit against a team that gave him much more time on the ball than he is used too. Nani took his goal very well after a quality ball from Wayne Rooney. Nani was putting good crosses into the box all match, and looks like he may have the potential to step up in Ronaldo's absence.

After Van Der Sar?: After Peter Schmeichel left United, the club struggled to find a solid, number one goalkeeper, until Van Der Sar. Since Van Der Sar arrived at Old Trafford he has performed very well and has been instrumental in United's last three Premier League titles. Van Der Sar has also announced that he will retire after this season, and next in line is Ben Foster. Foster has yet to impress, and today's error was a glaring example of how much difficulty he has getting on the same page as his outfield players. Foster has shown time and time again that however good of a shot stopped is, he is not ready to start for United. Another Schmeichel situation may be in the cards for United after Edwin leaves.

Traditional 4-4-2: Manchester United were sticking to a more "traditional 4-4-2" in this match than they've played in a long time. With Nani, Gibson and later Tosic playing as traditional wingers United looked good. They were getting lots of balls in from wide positions and Nani finished one off a cross from Rooney. The more midfield-oriented formation gave Berbatov and Rooney more space than they were used to last season. Rooney also was playing with the "number ten" freedom that many are hoping he will play with in the upcoming season. All around the signs were good.

Youth Energy: The introduction of Tosic and Fabio in the second half brought around a big change. Both of them were full of energy down the left wing and they caused a lot of trouble for the Malaysian defenders. Both of them will be fighting for first team positions this season, and it is nice to see players looking to break into the squad who aren't afraid to play aggressively and without abandon.

Sir Alex's Selection: For the first friendly of the season Sir Alex sent out a very strong line up. As usual for these friendlies he brought on seven substitutes and gave them all a reasonable amount of playing time.

Player Ratings:
Van Der Sar - 6
Evra - 6
Ferdinand - 6
Evans - 6
O'Shea - 5
Nani - 7
Scholes - 5
Anderson - 7
Gibson - 6
Rooney - 7
Berbatov - 7

Subs:
Foster - 2
Brown - 5
Fabio - 6
Tosic - 5
Owen - 6
Giggs - 7
Macheda - 5

Manchester United Training Camp Week Two

Preseason Results:
AFC Flyde 1:2 Manchester United Reserves
Malaysian XI 2:3 Manchester United

Injuries:
Nemanja Vidic - Expected return July 29
Owen Hargreaves - Expected return September
Gabriel Obertan - Expected return October

Transfers:
Richard Eckersley : United to Ipswich - Compensation
Mame Biram Diouf: Molde FK to United - Fee Undisclosed
Manucho: United to Real Valladolid - Fee Undisclosed

Rumour of the Week:
Ashley Young to Manchester United

Ridiculous United News Story of the Week:
What Ronaldo Says is Now Gospel

Canada vs. Honduras: A Tactian's View

After looking past the rivalry, and the overall aura this game has, Canada will be in tough to get a result against the Hondurans.

Although Honduras are missing the likes of Suazo, Palacios, Figueroa, Guevara and Suazo they still have a very good team. Lots of people look at all the domestic players and underestimate the Honduran squad, but there are some very talented players on that roster. Carlos Costly netted three goals the 2007 Gold Cup, and he already has two in this edition. Espinoza, the twenty-two-year-old midfielder has already struck the net twice in only seven international appearances for Honduras. Don't be fooled this is a strong side, with many players looking to impress and earn themselves a spot on the roster for the remainder of World Cup Qualifying.

With the attacking threats at the disposal of Honduras, Canada would be wise to stick with the patient, slow style they have been playing in the tournament so far. That means Canada will most likely go out in a 4-1-4-1 (4-5-1), instead of the 4-4-2 which Canada has experimented with throughout the group stages.

Expect to see solid players who track back and make an impact defensively to start in the midfield. This will leave "impact players" like Simpson, Jackson and Peters on the bench.

Up front will undoubtedly be Ali Gerba, and the back four that started the first two matches will continue against the Hondurans. The starting XI will most likely look something like this:

------------------Sutton-----------------
--Stalteri--Jakovic--McKenna--Klukowski--
-----------------De Guzman---------------
--Johnson--Bernier--Hutchinson--De Jong--
-------------------Gerba-----------------

So the same XI that started against Jamaica in the opening match of the tournament.

A lot of pressure will be on De Guzman, to be a defensive presence in the centre of midfield. He will also be asked to spread out the field and try and keep possession against a quick Honduran team.

If Canada need a goal or a spark, expect Peters to be one of the first players off the bench. He looked impressive going forward against Costa Rica in a position he is not used to playing (centre midfield). Jackson may also see some minutes if Canada goes a goal down.

In the end how Canada fares comes down to how well the back four that has impressed so much at this tournament performs. Playing together in the first two games of the tournament the back line of Stalteri, Jakovic, McKenna and Klukowski did not concede a goal. If Canada hopes to pull out a result against Honduras they will need to rely on the same patient defending that won them the first two matches. If they can keep there cool under pressure and play the same type of game they did against Jamaica and El Salvador they will be in with a big shout against Honduras.

Allez Les Rouges!

Canada vs. Honduras: A Supporter's View

Canada and Honduras are squaring off in a Gold Cup quarterfinal tomorrow for the first time since World Cup Qualifying, and for the first time in the Gold Cup I am fully getting into it. It will be a very nervous 90 minutes (or 120) tomorrow for Voyageurs across the country, especially those who were in Montreal on that night of September 6th, a date that will be ingrained in my memory forever.

After that night in Montreal when Canada lost two-one to Honduras essentially eliminating Canada from World Cup Qualifying, I haven't been able to hear the word "Honduras" without becoming incredibly frustrated. I now find it difficult to feel good when TFC scores a goal which involved Guevara in any capacity. When I hear the name Stade Saputo, I think of the thousands of Honduran fans who massively outnumbered the Canadians. When I think back to that match it really epitomizes the sad life of a Canadian supporter. That is why tomorrow is such a big match.

I don't care if Honduras sent a U-12 girls team, I want to beat the shit out of them. Will it make up for the disastrous World Cup Qualifying campaign... no. But extracting any bit of revenge on the classless divers would bring me some happiness.

Tomorrow is the biggest day for the Canadian National Team since World Cup Qualifying, and as Duane pointed out winning the Gold Cup may not do too much for the team, but beating Honduras would do a lot for the fans.

That loss in Montreal was the low point of my life supporting the Canadian National Team... tomorrow can't change that. But as a Voyageur hopefully tomorrow adds an extra highlight to a country that has been starved of international success.

Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Four

Yours truly is missing from the most recent episode of Canadian Terrace Talk, but Kevin Elder (aka Pompey Canuck) and John Molinaro of CBC Sports talk Canada at the Gold Cup, Canada looking forward, international transfers, and more.

Enjoy!

Listen Online to Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Four

Download Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Four

You can subscribe on Itunes via the first link

Owen not first choice, admits Ferguson

Michael Owen has admitted he owes it to himself to prove he is still "hungry" for success at his new Premier League club Manchester United.

He also has extra reason for motivation given Sir Alex Ferguson's admission that the former Liverpool, Real Madrid and Newcastle goal-getter was not his first-choice target.

The Scot had wanted to sign Karim Benzema but was put off by French football club Lyon's valuation of the France international and allowed Real Madrid to continue their astonishing summer spending spree with a free run at the 21-year-old.

Ferguson even tried to keep Carlos Tevez at Old Trafford by offering him a five-year contract in January, so was left with little alternative but to turn to the bargain bucket for Owen when it became apparent the Argentina international was already thinking of pastures new.

"Michael knows that," Ferguson explained. "We looked at the situation and mulled it over for quite a few months. We knew that his contract was coming to an end but I still had an intention to bring in another player [Benzema]. "

Ferguson revealed the situation was compounded by the uncertainty surrounding Tevez, although he did admit if all else failed he was prepared to sit tight with the four strikers already at Old Trafford.

He added: "What confused us was waiting for a decision from Carlos Tevez. That confused us as we were not getting any answers, which put us in quite a quandary in terms of what we should do. We waited long enough. We tried to get Benzema but as soon as that fell through we went for Michael. I've explained this to Michael – that, at 21, Benzema was a possibility. But as soon as that looked to be floundering I contacted Michael.

"We had the four strikers anyway - [Dimitar] Berbatov, [Wayne] Rooney, [Federico] Macheda and [Danny] Welbeck. I know two of them are young but, listen, youngsters with ability will always get a chance here."

Nick Walsh writes features and betting previews for Betfair.

The Emergence of Dejan Jakovic

Dejan Jakovic had only played for the Canadian National Team two times before the Gold Cup. Both of those matches were friendlies, and the second was a pre-Gold Cup friendly. With this in mind Jakovic went into the Gold Cup probably expecting to be behind Hainault and Hastings in the pecking order at centre back, but Hart gave him a start in the first game against Jamaica. A decision which payed off.

The twenty-four-year-old defender is currently applying his trade in the MLS with D.C. United. His performances with D.C. have been very impressive, and they obviously caught the eye of Stephen Hart.

Since the first minute of the Gold Cup Jakovic has been incredible. He was The Canadian Stretford End's man of the match (there are very few higher honours) in the first game against Jamaica. He also played a very solid game against El Salvador in another 1-0 win. Paired together with McKenna, Canada kept clean sheets in their first two matches.

Jakovic and McKenna have complimented each other very well in the tournament so far. McKenna is a typical tough, good in the air, centre back, but Jakovic provides something very different. He is technically very strong with the ball at his feet. He can distribute the ball from the back line quickly, and he is very calm playing the ball around in the final third.

He is also a very patient defender, something that Canada needs more of. Too often are Canadian defenders caught lunging into tackles, committing too early and getting beat. Jakovic is a smart player who shows incredible patience, jockeying and sticking with opponents.

When Canada tied Costa Rica in the final game of the group stage 2-2, it became evident just how important Jakovic has been. The difference in distribution between Hastings and Jakovic is like night and day. Jakovic also seemed to calm McKenna down in the first two games, because against Costa Rica Mckenna had returned to the old Canadian long ball style.

Jakovic kept opposition breaks to a minimum, making sure he slowed down the attack every time an opponent would run at him. Against Costa Rica the lack of discipline in the back line became obvious purely because of the number of quick attacks that the Ticos had.

Jakovic is a refreshing change on the Canadian back line from the "boot it long", "get stuck in", Hasting, Serioux, or McKenna type defenders. Without a doubt Dejan Jakovic has been Canada's best player of this tournament so far.

Manchester United Training Camp Week One

At the end of every week of Manchester United's preseason I'll have a quick update on whats going on.


Preseason Results:
none

Injuries:
Michael Owen none

Transfers:
Lee Martin: United to Ipswich - Fee Undisclosed
Gabriel Obertan: Bordeaux to United - Fee Undisclosed
Fraizer Campbell: United to Sunderland - £3.5m

Rumour of the Week:
Ibrahimovic to Manchester United (literally five minutes after I posted this Inter announced that he wasn't up for sale)

Ridiculous United News Story of the Week:
No one wants a Owen shirt (just to be fair he doesn't yet have shirt number)

7 days until Preseason kicks off!

Costa Rica 2:2 Canada

Canadian Man of the Match: There weren't really any exceptional performances on the Canadian side, but De Jong put in a good ninety minutes. He had a beautiful goal, by far Canada's nicest of the tournament. He looked much better at left back than he had looked at left midfield in the first two matches. De Jong is a young player who has a bright future with the national team, and he may not start in the knockout stages of the tournament, but he is certainly putting his name into the hat for 2014 Qualifying.

Poor Defending: This game showed just how good Dejan Jakovic is. Hastings was poor defensively and he brought back a good old Canadian tradition to the back line, kick and run. Not only was Hastings booting the ball up the pitch every time it dropped at his foot, but McKenna was too. McKenna had his shakiest game of the tournament as well. The hole left by DeGuzman was evident on the offensive and defensive sides of the ball. Peters did a good job going forward, but he was a liability on the defending. He was never going to win a header, and he is not a strong enough tackler to be playing as a central midfielder.

Winning a Spot: Peters, Hastings, Hainault, Nakajima-Farran and Cann all got their first action of the tournament against Costa Rica. All of them would have hoped to give Hart some selection dilemmas, but none of them played a good enough game to give Hart any problems. Hainault looked solid at right back, but Stalteri has been playing better than usual so he doesn't have much hope of starting in the quarterfinal. The other players were all well below the starters they were deputizing for. Not a big surprise, but some competition for spaces would have been nice to see.

Top of the Group: For the second Gold Cup running Canada has won their group. This time Canada is going into the quarterfinals undefeated, and with confidence sky high. The team can be very proud of the football they've played to get there. With a week to relax until the start of the quarterfinals, it gives the supporters a chance to look back on a tournament (regardless of what happens in the knockout stages) that has been a success for Canada.

Hart's Selection: Giving some of the starters a rest seems to have been the right decision as the squad he sent out held on to first place in the group. The one baffling decision was to play Jamie Peters in the centre of midfield. Peters actually had a decent game going forward, but he had his best moments when he ran to the outside. His poor defensive play in the centre of the park was part of the reason Canada's defense looked so shaky. This is nothing against Peters who is a good player, but he is not a central midfielder.

Player Ratings:
Sutton - 4
Hainault - 6
McKenna - 6
Hastings - 5
De Jong - 7
Johnson - 5
Bernier - 7
Hutchinson - 6
Peters - 5
Simpson - 6
Jackson - 5

Subs:
Nakajima-Farran - 5
Gerba - 5
Cann - 5

United Sign French Youngester Obertan

Hello! This is Jennifer from the Bordeaux Offside. Sam contacted me recently after the Obertan transfer to write a little about Obertan for you guys, so here I go.

Gabriel Obertan, affectionately called Gaby by Bordeaux fans (such as myself) joined Bordeaux not too long ago in 2005 after training at Clairefontaine. He spent a season playing for the CFA (youth) team with other youngsters such as Grégory Sertic, with whom he makes a pretty good partnership. He fared fairly well in the CFA, and also with accordance to his age he was promoted to the first team and signed a pro contract, but for that first professional season he stayed mostly on the bench, most of his appearances as subs (he did put in a winner against dreadful ASSE).

This past season, he was quite impressive for me. It was evident that he has lots of talent, and none of the staff or players ignored that. He extended with Bordeaux and Blanc talked about his talent. I can tell you that he really came in for me at a difficult time during CL qualifications when Gourcuff was out on injury. He filled in Gourcuff’s role pretty decently and was even praised by Blanc for the good job he did. He even scored a brace in a Coupe de la Ligue game that made us all ecstatic.

I think one of the main reasons he never quite broke out into our squad is simply that we haven’t quite tapped into his talents. It’s the curse of many a young player. Without much playing experience, you don’t know if the decisions you make are the right ones, and Gaby made many subpar decisions on the pitch when he played. It’s that indecision that Blanc didn’t trust, and the lack of experience at that level of playing is dire when you’re trying to win the title. Gaby has a great deal of technical proficiency; he IS a technical player but not a strategically player. He needs to work on communicating with the rest of the players and making better decisions.

At the beginning of the year, I compiled a list of the biggest in Bordeaux in 2008. This was what I wrote for Gaby:

Biggest Promise: Gabriel Obertan
Gaby has all the makings of a star (in the strict non-womanizing, non-Drama Queen, excellent footballer way). A loan away will allow him he the experience he needs to excel. FC Nantes really wants him now, too. Not surprising.

Gaby did get that loan, to FC Lorient. That was all we had hoped for him, to get to a smaller L1 club and get more experience, and come back to shine. He was off to a great start with a goal and I think he even started again Lyon. Christian Gourcuff is quite a conservative coach though, and didn’t give Gaby too much confidence or playing time, and after a few bad performances Gaby fell out of favour, making his loan a terrible one.

I know a lot of people are complaining about how Gaby isn’t a goal machine (it’s true; his goals are a rare occasion for celebration... I’ve only personally seen 4), but this is a young player, something like a diamond in the rough that needs a lot of polishing and playing time. With the experience and the right team, he really will shine. And while I don’t believe United is the place to accomplishment (for me it makes more sense to stay at Bordeaux seeing as a lot of players are departing…), but he does deserve a chance at United and I hope Sir Alex would give him that. I can only wish him the best of luck.

Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Three

In this latest episode Kevin Elder (aka Pompey Canuck) of Think All In and I look at Canada's Gold Cup wins over El Salvador and Jamaica, some other Gold Cup results, the transfer window (including Julian De Guzman) and more!

Enjoy!

Listen Online to Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Three

Download Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Three

You can subscribe on Itunes via the first link

Patience pays off as Ferguson finally snares Obertan

Sir Alex Ferguson has provided Manchester United with another injection of youth by completing the signing of exciting French forward Gabriel Obertan from French football side Bordeaux on a four-year contract.

The Scot has wasted no time in plugging the gaps created by the high-profile departures of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez and 20-year-old Obertan becomes the third new face in at Old Trafford following the arrivals of Antonio Valencia from Wigan and free-transfer capture Michael Owen.

It also gives the game's longest-serving manager yet more midfield options because Obertan can switch between wings and play as a centre forward. Ferguson used his connections with Bordeaux manager and former United centre-back, Laurent Blanc, to land the Paris-born France Under-21 international for a fee in the region of £3m, although an unspecified minor injury means he will not travel with the squad for the forthcoming tour of the Far East.

"Gabriel is a player we have tracked for a few years now, but because of his educational programme our efforts to get him here have always been delayed," Ferguson told the official club website. "We are delighted to get him now as he is an exciting prospect. We like to get young players and develop them, and we will see that in Gabriel over the next two years."

Obertan, who spent last season on loan at Lorient, said he had no hesitation in moving to England and was delighted at the prospect of joining up with the Premier League champions. "I am very happy to join Manchester United," he said. "This is a big opportunity for me to play at such a great club. I am very excited to be here and I look forward to proving what I can do."

Nick Walsh writes features and betting previews for Betfair.

Canada 1:0 El Salvador

Canadian Man of the Match: Back to his normal self, Julian De Guzman put in a brilliant performance for Canada, obviously the TFC transfer craze isn't getting to him. His passing was sublime as usual and he was putting in solid tackles in the middle of the pitch. He wasn't caught too far up field once all match, yet he always seemed to be at the head of Canada's attack. His ability to turn and quickly distribute the ball was one of the main reasons Canada held on to the ball for so long.

Eliminating the Counter: El Salvador showed against Costa Rica that they are most dangerous on the counter. Canada have been burned on the counter attack several times before, but the team defended very well against the Salvadorians. In fact El Salvador did not have one quick paced counter all match. The slow, conservative game was the game Canada went out to play. It was very similar to the first half against Jamaica. Although it may not be the most exciting style to watch it is yet another indication that Canada has the ability to play their game and when they do it is very effective.

Ali "Müller" Gerba: Ali Gerba scoring record for Canada is now fifteen goals in only twenty-five appearances. The goal against El Salvador wasn't quite as nice of a finish as the goal he scored against Jamaica, but getting any type of goal has been difficult for Canada in the past. It was a true poachers finish, a typical Ali Gerba goal. Gerba is now quickly approaching Dale Mitchell's Canadian goal scoring record of nineteen goals. The Canadian Gerd Müller is starting to get a few Toronto FC supporters very excited.

Moving On: Canada's second win of the tournament essentially guarantees progress in the quarterfinals. Canada may opt to play some of the younger players like Nakajima-Farran, Peters and Waagner against Costa Rica with the game meaning very little to Canada. The two results that have sent Canada through have brought some much needed enthusiasm to many Canadian supporters, but others are looking at the situation with more of a cynical eye. Where was this form (and coach) during World Cup Qualifying?

Hart's Selection: Same squad with the exception of Simpson for De Jong, same formation, and the same result. No complaints, Hart has now put together four wins in a row! He still only has the two competitive losses as Canadian manager, and one was the 2007 controversial loss to the United States.

Player Ratings:

Sutton - 6
Stalteri - 6
Jakovic - 7
Mckenna - 7
Klukowski - 7
De Guzman - 9
Johnson - 6
Bernier - 7
Hutchinson - 8
Simpson - 6
Gerba - 7

Subs:
Jackson - 6
De Jong - 5

Youth Team Transfers and Why Loans are Bad!

In all of the transfer hoopla with Man. United in the past few days with the Valencia and Owen signings people have overlooked two very key United youth team transfers. Rodrigo Possebon was sent on loan to Braga in Portugal and today Lee Martin was sold to Roy Keane's Ipswich.

I'll start with the more recent transfer of Lee Martin. He is a perfect example of why loan deals are bad at a club like United. The coaches at United are the some of the best in the world. The training they are getting every week during United training is unparalleled. People say they need to get game experience, but game experience at lower level, or just lower status clubs is no were near the experience they will gain playing against the likes of Rooney, Vidic, Carrick etc. every week. It is one of the United youth set up's most prized traditions that the academy players train with the full team every day.

The game experience is not nearly as important as being with world class coaches and players everyday during training. Getting loaned out to Sunderland does not provide that same opportunity. Here is an interesting tidbit on United youth team products:

Current, established, first team players that came the youth system: Gary Neville, Wes Brown, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, John O'Shea, Johnny Evans, Darren Fletcher (total 7)

Group of those players that went out on loan: John O'Shea, Johnny Evans (total 2)

Out of the seven currently with the United first team , only two went through the loan system. The first John O'Shea is widely considered to be the weakest technically out of that group. The second Johnny Evans really has only had one season with the United first and still has yet to establish himself in the long term.

Back to the Lee Martin situation, here are a list of the clubs he has played with in his Manchester United career:

Royal Antwerp
Rangers
Stoke City
Plymouth Argyle
Sheffield United
Nottingham Forest

This was a player who came to the United youth system from Wimbledon touted to be one of the best English prospects. He wasted away playing with different clubs, and in his entire Manchester United career only made one first team league appearance, against Hull City this year after United had already clinched the title.

Possebon is one of the brightest players with the United reserves at the moment, sending him out on loan may be a very, very bad idea. I really fear for Possebon's future at the moment,with his recent Italian U-20 cap, and a year in Portugal to come, keeping him in Manchester may prove difficult.

Playing in the Championship doesn't make you a better player, training with Manchester United makes you a better player.

Jamaica 0:1 Canada

Canadian Man of the Match: Dejan Jakovic picked up only his third cap with the national team, and he looked like a solid veteran who had been playing all his life. Alongside Kevin McKenna, Jakovic was breaking up attacks, challenging for headers and getting stuck in. Most of his tackles were very well timed and he was rarely beaten by the Jamaican forwards. Jackovic proved why he deserves a starting spot with Canada at this Gold Cup.

Possession Oriented 4-1-4-1: The biggest difference between the team last night and the team that flopped during World Cup Qualifying was the tactics. The team played a 4-1-4-1 in which they kept the ball, and played a possession game. They were making the right runs, there was always an open man, and the ball was cycling through the entire team. With De Guzman as the defensive midfielder, acting as a "playmaker" Canada looked very good. In the second half, the possession style fell apart a little and Jamaica took a hold of the match, but there were certainly glimpses of a solid team.

Creativity/Spark Missing: In the first half when the team was playing the possession style game they were still missing that little bit of flair or creativity in the final third. Simpson came on and made an impact in the first two minutes of the second half, but faded after that point. The switch to a 4-4-2 with Jackson helped to expose a tired Jamaican side which led to the winner, but Canada was still missing that little bit of creativity. DeRosario often provides this approach, but with him evidently on the out with the national team Canada are going to need to find someone new who can bring this spark to the attack.

Solid at the Back: Canada looked very good at the back. When the defenders won the ball they played it out through the back instead of booting it. They stopped with the risky tackles at midfield, for the most part giving Jamaica up until the final third. The defending was very patient and the back four was very impressive. Sutton also had a good match, making a few key saves, the most important from a Fuller breakaway.

Hart's Selection: For the first time in a long time the tactics were right and the team was right. Even more surprisingly, when the team was struggling he managed to make two impact substitutions, both paying off to change the game around. Especially the addition of Jackson which really turned the game in Canada's favour and led to the goal. Hart has shown once again why he deserves to be at the reigns of this national team.

Player Ratings:
Sutton - 7
Stalteri - 6
Jakovic - 8
McKenna - 7
Klukowski - 6
De Guzman - 6
Johnson - 6
Bernier - 6
Hutchinson - 6
De Jong - 5
Gerba - 7

Subs:
Simpson - 6
Jackson - 7

I have a more tactical analysis of the match on the new Voyageurs front page.

A Scouser, a Galáctico, a Geordie... and a Manc?!?!

The above photo is more than slightly shocking... Michael Owen, the Liverpool product has just signed a two-year-deal with Manchester United. I'm rarely at a loss for words but this is just one of those times. So I'll break it down nice and easy...

Positives:

It is essentially a no risk deal. The contract is full of incentives, so if he is constantly injured and off the field United won't still be throwing massive amounts of money at him. Plus he came to United on a free transfer, so there wasn't any money wasted there. If he does get injured, which is very likely, it won't be catastrophic like it was at Newcastle because of the depth upfront that United has with the youth players and the two starting forwards (Rooney and Berbatov).

He understands that it was Stoke, Hull City or Manchester United. If he is sitting in the bench he knows the situation is still better than it would have been elsewhere. He most likely will be behind Berbatov and Rooney in the pecking order this season, much like Tevez was last season, we just hope we won't whine as much as Carlitos.

Despite recent form Michael Owen can be a very good player. He has a good touch, and an eye for goal. Before he went to Madrid and Newcastle his scoring record for Liverpool was actually very good. There are also a few masterful England performances to look at, most notably his hat trick against Germany and the stunning goal against Argentina in the 1998 World Cup.

Finally the deal will piss off a fair amount of scousers, he will most likely be treated like United fans treat Ince.

Negatives:

This guy is really all about the money. Today that is most players, but usually we can slightly delude ourselves that they care about the football. When you transfer from Real Madrid to Newcastle for £16 million, after one season you know it is about the cash.

He was a fierce Liverpool player who grew up as a fan through their youth system. He said on many occasions that his dream was to make Liverpool the best club in the world. Sure, almost all players would say that about any team they are playing for, it is just a little irritating that he felt that way about Liverpool. With that being said I'm sure I would forget all about his Liverpool allegiances if he scored against the scousers this season.

Fitness and Injuries. That's all that needs to be said here.

With that in mind I'll let you all make up your minds on this deal as I try to make up mine.

Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Two: FIXED

Fixed: The episode is now the real episode not the first episode again. Sorry for the error.

Happy Canada Day Everyone!
Our present to you is the second episode of Canadian Terrace Talk.

In this episode Kevin Elder (aka Pompey Canuck) of Think It All In and I preview the upcoming Gold Cup, along with a rehash of the Confederations Cup, UEFA U-21s, the transfer window, Toronto FC, plus why the Canadian National Team is better than both Italy and Spain.

Enjoy!

Listen Online to Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Two

Download Canadian Terrace Talk Episode Two

You can subscribe on Itunes via the first link