Welcome everyone to Post Media's World Cup coverage here. I am joined by JJ Adams and
Patrick Johnson who will be covering the World Cup for us here in Vancouver. Gentlemen, let's
start with Canada. We know there's big questions about Alfonso Davies but JJ, before we'll
talk about him later in the impact that he could potentially have if he can get healthy,
even without Davies, what are you expecting from Canada this tournament?
Well, Jesse Marsh has already said, he said the identity isn't going to change even if Fonsi
isn't around. So I don't think, you know, as much as we are 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 DC Place,
just historically. I know I'm going to get the daggers, I'm going to get people, you know,
leaving nasty messages on this video but I'm not sure we're going to see Canada in the knockout
round at DC Place, maybe in the knockout round but I don't think at DC Place. PJ, what do you have to add?
Yes, I say, not taking the win the pool. I mean, it's hardly a group of death, right? No.
So Patrick, what are you expecting from Canada?
I'm expecting bigger things than JJ, that's for sure. Jesus Louise. JJ, you picking the finished
third? What are we doing here? They're going to go to Foxbro? Like, oh my God.
You know, the lucky guy in the group, Qatar is a monster.
No, I'm kidding. I'm kidding. I'm kidding. I just I just look at how the the groups lines up for them
Right like the home the big home game like listen boss great good for Bosnia knocked off Italy my god Italy what the hell?
But but seriously no like Canada's 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-to-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
win the group
You got to win the group
There's no doubt about it and and obviously all the questions about injuries and what have you like yeah
Like it is a team that is under pressure
And and I found it interesting that they decided to do their pre-serve first week pre tournament in the US
And not in Canada and avoiding a bit of a big show as an unveiling I buy over me
I would have been like let's get right at this yeah
I mean shouldn't you get a climatized to the hoopla the whole like you're playing 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
They're gonna face
That hot weather that they're never gonna play in because the because the only outdoor stadium that they might end up is in is in
New England and that's only if they everything goes wrong so you're you're ruling them out of the final in New York
Already then I am ruling out of the final New York. I'm gonna be honest. I don't think they're gonna go quite that far without us being cynical
you know the
Play that role of the cynical journalists who who are you hopeful of J?
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 Jonathan David,
of course, 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.
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 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 kind of saying there,
you know, that there is a touchdown
when the catch is the ball and the end is up.
If you don't score, you don't win.
Canada needs to score.
You know, and the other person I really want to see,
and you know, this is just a homerame, is Ali Ahmed.
You know, we saw him in Vancouver.
We saw what he went over to England
and had great success proving that he is,
you know, a top tier player.
I'd love to see him come in here
and just absolutely ball out.
I think he's a very skilled player.
He can't score as we've seen in England.
So I think he's another, you know, possibly unsung hero,
possibly for this team.
Patrick, I feel like they don't have Pat,
they don't have Pat.
have captain's sweatpants and goal anymore. You know, and if typically as JJ has highlighted,
Canada's struggled 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
goal. You talk about people like Jason DeVos or certainly Paul Dolan or Craig Forrest. How do
you see Canada's defense lining up in this tournament? Well, I mean, there is the question
of defense. I mean, there's also the question of midfield. Like, you know,
look at how important Stephen Yostaki was going to be, right? 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
defense. Because of course, obviously, there are injury questions there. I just want to see how
is the midfield going to be run because like, you know, you lose, I mean, obviously, we're now,
we're now well past the Tiba Hutchinson era, but like think about how important he was for that team.
You know, managing all that is going to be a huge question. I've got huge, I mean,
can can Bumbito get back, right? Like he's supposed to be getting back to fitness right now.
Is he going to be ready to go? You know, like, can we make all these things work? Ralph Prizo. I mean,
we love Ralph Prizo. Great local story. I don't think he's the answer, but you never know, right?
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
those goals. Health. So JJ, you have covered Alfonso Davies since the start of the tour or since
the start of his career. 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.
But when he comes back, there's not another player on Canada like him, right? 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. If we get that version of Fonzie, then it makes Canada a much more dangerous team.
Will he come back? I think we talked about this before with his injuries and who is to blame.
Is it Canada's fault? Is it Bayern's fault? Is it the player's fault? I don't think it's the player's
fault. But, you know, I'm very curious to see, you know, what his sort of relationship is with
the Canadian team and how Bayern views him with the Canadian team. But I digress. For how he fits
in with his team and makes an impact, I mean, it can't be overstated how important a player
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. Patch. Well, let's
Let's wrap up with that guys. Give me a prediction of how you think Canada will do
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 gonna win the group. I know I think if they've said that already
I think I'm gonna win the group, you know decent chance of winning their first knockout round match
Just given that you're playing a third place team
The rest I mean it's gonna be interesting
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
You look at Germany, right like Germany's playing or across, you know, Germany's playing in Houston and Toronto
and New York
I I they have a relatively easy group. I suppose but like
Like there's gonna be some real surprises in this one. You look at group F like group F. Holland Japan Sweden Tunisia
Like that's gonna be there's your group of death right there
um
I
There's gonna be some really challenging stuff Paul. You want me to give a prediction on England is that what you're asking?
No, you can give a prediction on anyone. I think we all know what's gonna happen in England
They scrape through the group stage and then they go on a panel in the group. They'll finish for
No, no, they'll go through. In a 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 at singlin'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 gonna be interesting with Iran, Egypt and Belgium. Like there is something there.
And and not through 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 looking forward.
I'm really looking forward to to see in New Zealand, Belgium, see in New Zealand, Egypt. Like I think
those are gonna be fun some fun games. Do I have a hot take here? No, I don't think I do. I think
other than the fact that, you know, could the US drop to Paraguay? I don't know. I wonder about that
one. Are you guys, are you guys Cubas, you know, right in the show? No, I it's it's it's it's an
interesting World Cup. It's gonna be wide open. The way the travel is going to work is going to be
such a factor. And like to come back to the Jesse March thing, we need to be ready for hot weather.
Like great. But like if there's a team and you're ready for hot weather, I mean, I do wonder about
Germany having to handle going to all these different places. 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 and the rest of the world. Like I said, I see them probably coming in
second in this group if they if they play well. That's just my my gut feeling at the way,
you know, the group was Bosnia wins the group.
I would I wouldn't I'm leaning actually more towards Switzerland actually winning the group
okay
and hot take and I say this as a passport carrying American they're not getting out of
the group stage there's gonna implode Canada will have the the greatest sense of Shad and
Freud you will ever see as we watch the American fan base just disintegrate into chaos it's
gonna be wonderful and Patrick you actually brought this point up before something is
gonna happen with Iran off the field there's gonna be something that happens with either
fans or you know certain presidents holding a team hostage something is gonna happen mark
my words and it's gonna be a story and maybe that peace prize that somebody got might has
to get taken away too too many too many sites and too many teams for something like that
not to happen I am one thing I'm curious about in this tournament is who the breakout stars
will be because there's an over reliance 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 where
there was on his last legs and they happen to win it and obviously you've got France
and Bapé but there seems to be an over reliance on some of the older names we'll see Mosala
here in Vancouver clearly had a terrible season he's still in amazing shape but had
terrible club season in the EPL. But
There seems to be an over-reliance 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 they're 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 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, Chappy.
No stadium issues down there.
Let's say that.
So we better wrap this up.
Thanks. Yeah.
Yeah. Thanks, you guys.
Thank you all for watching and listening.
You can get great coverage on all the work on all the post media sites
starting now and going through the World Cup.
So we hope you follow our journey along along the way.
And 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.