Welcome, everyone to Post Media's World Cup coverage.
Here I am joined by JJ Adams and Patrick Johnston,
who will be covering the World Cup
for us here in Vancouver.
Uh, gentlemen, let's start with Canada.
We know there's big questions about Alphonso Davies,
but JJ before we'll talk about him
later in the impact that he could
potentially have if he can get healthy.
But even without Davies what are
you expecting from Canada this tournament?
Well, Jesse Marsch has already said he said
the identity isn't going to change
even if Fonzy isn't around.
So, uh, I don't think you know
as much as we are
the the host country and we are rallying around Canada.
I'm not entirely 100%
sure we will see them in
a knockout round match at BC place.
Um, just historically,
I know I'm going to get the daggers.
I'm going to get people, you know, uh,
leaving nasty messages on, on this video.
But, uh, I'm not sure we're going to
see Canada in the knockout round at BC place,
maybe in the knockout round,
but I don't think at BC place.
PJ what do you have to add?
Yes, I said.
To win the pool. I mean, it's it's it's.
Hardly a group of death, right?
No.
So, Patrick, what are you expecting from from Canada.
I'm expecting bigger things than JJ,
that's for sure. Geez, Louise.
JJ, are you picking them?
Finish third. What are we doing here?
They're going to go to Foxborough like oh my God.
You know.
I think.
I think Qatar is a monster.
No I'm kidding I'm kidding I'm kidding.
I just I just look at how
the the group lines up for them, right?
Like the home, the big home game like listen great.
Good for Bosnia. Knocked off Italy.
My God Italy. What the hell.
But but seriously though,
like Canada it sets up for them.
The home game in Toronto opened it all up.
Home game here against Qatar.
Home game here against Switzerland.
Listen, Switzerland should not be underrated.
We all know this but it's setting up
for a top two finish that's for sure.
And obviously if they win the group they
get to stay here and they don't go anywhere like that.
That is what they want.
Uh win the group.
You got to win the group. There's no doubt about it.
And obviously all the questions
about injuries and what have you like.
Yeah. Like it it is a team that is under pressure.
Um, and, and I found it interesting that they decided
to do their pre first week pre tournament in the US,
uh, and not in Canada and avoiding a bit
of a big show as an unveiling.
If I were me, I would have been like,
let's get right at this. Yeah.
I mean, shouldn't you get acclimatized to the hoopla.
To the whole like you're playing at home,
you're a home team like that.
To me, that's how I would have done it.
But anyway, this is what they're doing and that's.
Where they're going to face.
That hot weather that they're never going to play in.
Because the because
the only outdoor stadium that they might end
up is in is in is in New England.
And that's only if everything goes wrong.
So you're you're ruling them out
of the final in New York, though already.
Then I am ruling him out of the final in New York.
I'm going to be honest.
I don't think they're going to go quite that far.
Without us being cynical.
You know, the the play that role
of the cynical journalist who who are you hopeful of,
JJ for the Canadian team outside of Davies?
I mean, he's obviously
the class of the team. We all know that.
And however much he'll be included, we'll see.
But other than him,
who do you feel are Canada's most important players
if they are going to advance?
Well, I think you know all eyes
on on Jonathan David of course.
Uh, you know, this is a chance for him to,
you know, really establish himself
as that world class striker.
You know, he wasn't in when he was
in France. Not so much.
Now. Uh, I think this is a chance for him to come
back out and prove that he is that top level striker?
I think he's crucial for for
Canada's hopes of advancing winning the group.
I think, you know Canada historically has
not scored very many goals at the World Cup.
And that needs to change if they want to have success.
I mean that's like the Madden, uh,
kind of saying there, you know,
that there is a touchdown
when the catches the ball in the end zone.
If you don't score, you don't win.
Canada needs to, to score.
Um, you know, and,
uh, the other person I,
I really want to see, and,
you know, this is just the homer in me is, uh,
Ali Ahmed, you know,
uh, we saw him in Vancouver.
Uh, we saw what he went over to
England and had great success,
uh, proving that he is,
you know, a top tier player.
I'd love to see him come in
here and just absolutely ball out.
Um, I think he's,
he's a very skilled player.
He can score as we've seen in England.
So I think he's another, you know,
possibly unsung, uh, hero possibly for for this team.
Patrick, how do you feel like they don't have
they don't have Captain Sweatpants in goal anymore.
Um, you know, and if if to typically as,
as JJ has highlighted Canada's struggle to score goals.
But if you look at the peaks
of like going back decades when Canada has done well,
they've always had a rock at
the center of defense and they've had a good goalie.
You talk about like Jason DeVos or, you know,
certainly Paul Dolan or or Craig Forrest.
Um, how do you see
Canada's defense lining up in this tournament?
Well, I mean, there is the question about defense.
I mean, there's also the question about midfield.
Like, you know, if I look at
how important Stephen Eustaquio is going to be, right.
Like, like the fact
that we can talk all we want
about who's going to score and
we can talk about all we want,
who's going to line up in defence, because of course,
obviously there are injury questions there.
I'm just want to see how the midfield
going to be run because like you know you lose.
I mean obviously we're now we're now
well past Atiba Hutchinson era.
But like, think about how important he was for that team.
Um, you know,
managing all that is going to be a huge question.
I've got huge. I mean, can can Bombino get back right.
Like he's supposed to be getting back fitness right now.
Is he going to be ready to go.
You know like can we make all these things work Ralph.
I mean, we love Ralph. Oh, great local story.
I don't think he's the answer. But you never know.
Right. Um it is the real concern.
I mean the one A and one B,
I think for me is how do you run that
central midfield and then okay,
are you healthy at all at all at all in the back.
And then we can talk about scoring goals health.
Um so JJ you have covered
Alphonso Davies since the start of the year
or since the start of his career.
Um, what, what percentage do you put
on him actually making an impact on in this tournament?
And how do you think he's going to be
deployed if he can get back?
Well, we're not going to see him for a while.
We definitely won't see him for the first few games.
Um, but when he comes back,
uh, there's not another player on Canada like him, right?
When when he's in top form,
he is an absolute cheetah.
He is you know,
obviously we saw him growing up.
We saw what he turned into.
Uh, if we get that version of Fonzi,
then it, it makes Canada a much more dangerous team.
And, you know, will he come back?
I mean, uh, you know,
I think we talked about this before about, you know,
the with his injuries and and who is to blame,
you know, is it Canada's fault?
Is it is it Byron's fault? Is it the player's fault?
I don't think it's the player's fault,
but, um, you know,
I, I'm very curious to see,
you know, what his, uh,
sort of relationship is
with with the Canadian team and how,
how Byron, uh, views him with the Canadian team.
Um, but I digress for,
for how he fits in with his team and makes an impact.
I mean, uh, it,
it can't be overstated how
important of a player he is to the team.
So I think him coming back, you know,
could be the difference of them finishing
either second or maybe first in the group.
You know, he is that
that X factor that could push him over the edge
though I still think probably
second in the group. Patrick.
Well let's let's let's wrap up with that guys.
Give me a prediction of how you think Canada will do, uh,
where they'll finish and then give me
one other prediction of anything from the tournament.
It can be what happens with the US.
It can be who wins the tournament.
It can be what happens to England, whatever.
Just give me one prediction
about Canada and one prediction
about the rest of the tournament. PJ you go first.
Oh my God. Well, I think Canada's going to win the group.
I think I've said that already.
Um, I think everyone in the group, you know,
decent chance of winning their
first knockout round match.
Um, just given that you're playing a third place team,
um, the rest, I mean,
it's going to be interesting.
Um, especially when you think about,
I mean, obviously teams are grouped into regions,
but just the fact that there's teams having to go up and
down the coast, for instance,
you know, like, um,
you look at Germany, right?
Like Germany is playing or across, you know,
Germany playing Houston and Toronto and New York.
Um, I, they have a relatively easy group,
I suppose, but like,
like there's going to be some real surprises in this one.
You look at group F, like
group F, Holland, Japan, Sweden,
Tunisia, like that's going to
be there's your group of death right there.
Um, I, there's going to be some really challenging stuff.
Paul, you want me to give you a prediction on England?
Is that what you're asking? Is this. No. You can give.
A prediction on anyone.
I think we all know what's going to happen in to England.
They s****ed through the group stage
and then they go out on penalties.
In the group. They'll finish fourth.
No, they'll get through spectacular fashion.
They'll get through with
a probably three nil nil
or one one draws and then they'll lose on penalties.
Yeah. That's just what happens.
Run around for 90 minutes and lose on penalties.
That's England's game plan.
Yeah. No it's it's there's so few
like honestly like there's
so few pools that are intriguing.
Although we got a good group look at Group G. I
think Group G is going to be
interesting with Iran, Egypt and Belgium.
Like there is something there.
Um and and, and all three of.
Those teams playing in Vancouver.
Yeah, yeah. That's what I mean. Like that.
That to me is one of the more exciting groups to watch.
I mean, I'm, I'm looking forward.
I'm really looking forward to,
to seeing New Zealand,
Belgium, seeing New Zealand, Egypt,
like I think those are going to be some fun games.
Um, do I have a hot take here?
No, I don't think I do.
I think other than the fact that um you
know could the US drop to Paraguay.
I don't know. I wonder about that one.
I hope so. All right.
Andres Cubas, you know, running the show.
Um, no, I, I it's it's it's it's a,
it's an interesting World Cup.
It's going to be wide open.
Um, the way the travel is going to
work is going to be such a factor and like
to come back to the Jesse Marsch thing,
all we need to be ready for hot weather, like great.
But like, if there's a team that
is ready for hot weather, I mean, I,
I do wonder about Germany having
a hand handle going to all these different places.
Um, you know, Ivory Coast,
Ivory Coast plays twice in Philly and
once in Toronto, right?
Like they don't have to travel as much.
I do find myself wondering if Ivory Coast could pull
something off in Group E and upset Germany.
JJ first Canada, then the rest of the world.
Uh, like I said, I, I,
I see them probably coming
in second in this group if they,
if they play well, uh, that's just my,
my gut feeling at the way,
you know, the group looks.
Bosnia wins the group.
Um, I would, I would,
I'm leaning more towards Switzerland
actually, um, winning the group.
Okay. Um, did you,
uh, and uh, hot take,
um, and I say this as, uh,
a passport carrying American,
uh, they're not getting out of the group stage.
It's going to implode.
Canada will have the the greatest sense
of schadenfreude you will ever see as
we watch the American fan base
just disintegrate into chaos.
It's going to be wonderful.
And, uh, Patrick,
you actually brought this point up before.
Something is going to happen.
Uh, with Iran off the field,
there's going to be something that
happens with either fans or,
you know, certain presidents holding a team hostage.
Something is going to happen, mark my words.
And, uh, it's going to be a story.
And maybe that peace prize
that somebody got might has to get taken away.
Two too many, too
many sites and too many teams
for something like that not to happen.
Um, I am one thing I'm curious about in
this tournament is who the breakout stars will be,
because there's an overreliance in my opinion,
on like, how Lionel Messi
is still the biggest star in the tournament.
Like there were questions at the last World Cup,
whether he was on his last legs
and they happened to win it.
And obviously you've got France and Mbappe.
Um, but there seems
to be an overreliance on some of the older names.
We'll see. Mo Salah here in Vancouver.
Um clearly had a terrible season.
Uh he's still in amazing shape but had
a terrible club season in the EPL.
Um, but there seems to be
an overreliance on some of the older stars.
We'll see if there are some young players,
like some of the Barcelona star kids who
can emerge for for Spain.
But there in terms of sort of household names,
people are still talking about Ronaldo and Messi,
and I think it's time for someone else to step in and
really use this stage to announce their burst onto the.
Onto the scene as the.
The next elite level player.
So how can you say Messi is on his leg?
He plays in the biggest league in the world,
according to Americans, the biggest league in the world.
So he's. He's at the pinnacle of his game.
I don't know I don't know what you're saying Chappie.
No stadium issues down there.
Let's say that. All right.
We better wrap this up now.
Thanks. Yeah yeah. Thanks you guys.
Um, thank you all for watching and listening.
Um, you can get great coverage on all the,
on all the post media sites,
uh, starting now and going through the World Cup.
So we hope you follow our journey along along the way.
And, um, yeah, let's hope Canada gets it done.
Please send any hate to
my email at p johnston@postmedia.com.
That is where you can send it. Thank you very much.