Beyond POV-FS – 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup Reviews at Waking the Red

Once more for posterity's sake, a collection of the daily recaps that went up over at Waking the Red tracking the 2015 Gold Cup.

Day One – Day Two – Day Three – Day Four – Day Five – Day Six – Day Seven – Day Eight – Day Nine – Day Ten – Day Eleven – Day Twelve – Day Thirteen – Day Fourteen
Aside from the controversial refereeing amid all the FIFA and CONCACAF furore, this tournament will be remembered for the improved performances from the Caribbean sides, as Jamaica reached the final, while Haiti and Trinidad and Tobago both put in excellent displays. It will be interesting to see if they can carry that form into World Cup Qualifying.

CONCACAF is getting better. First, in recent times, it was Panama and Honduras rising to challenge the big boys (Mexico and the USA), then Costa Rica stole the headlines with a fantastic run at the 2014 World Cup, and now it is a resurgence of the islanders that has breathed fresh life into the region – thanks in part to the drafting in of various ex-pats.

Canada struggled offensively, but a solid defense will serve them well in qualifying as they aim for the Hex and beyond.

Particularly worth noting is that for the first time in a long time a game was held outside of the US, with BMO Field in Toronto the base for a pair of matches. That experiment was a success, if not as well attended as one may like. As CONCACAF continues to grow, more matches held outside the comforts of the US will only serve to better establish the legitimacy and quality of the region.

Beyond POV-FS – Panama v Canada: Preview & Game Thread

A small preview of tonight's Friendly match between Panama and Canada is up over at Waking the Red, looking back over the recent history of the two sides and pointing out a few interesting potential-storylines as the Canadian side looks to build on a good run of form into next summer's Gold Cup and the fast-approaching World Cup Qualification for 2018 – Check it out

From a Different Point of View – The Home of Caribbean Football Previews the Gold Cup

    My friends at The Home of Caribbean Football posted the second half of their mammoth Gold Cup preview.

    An overview of each participating nation’s outlook entering the tournament and a few words from an insider on their aspirations and expectations; it is well worth the time.

    The Caribbean region and CONCACAF in general is one of the few under-reported realms in this global game - plenty of wild stories and wily characters.

    Check it out – Part One and Part Two

    And be sure to follow them on twitter

First Person View - Mariner’s Contrasting Comments

    In the space of just under a month Paul Mariner has radically changed his tune.

Upon First Glance – Canada vs. Panama

    Last night in Toronto at BMO Field, Canada defeated Panama 1-0 on quickly taken free kick from Atiba Hutchinson after Simeon Jackson had been fouled on the right-side of the pitch. Hutchinson picked out Dwayne De Rosario, sharply placed onside in the six-yard box for a simple, but ever so important, finish into the unguarded net.

First Person View – The Canada Lineup

    A few thoughts on what I’d like to see from Canada to complete the barrage of posts prior to kick off.

Beyond POV-FS – Know Your Enemy: Panama (Home Edition) at Waking the Red

    Preview of tonight’s match at BMO Field between Canada and Panama is up over at Waking the Red.

Panamanian News Rounds

    Again leaving it rather late, but here’s a brief rundown of some news snippets from the Panamanian press.

Head-to-Head: Canada vs. Panama – All-time Results

    Canada and Panama will take to the pitch twice over the coming seven days in the latest fixtures of the third round of CONCACAF World Cup Qualification.

    Somewhat curiously the two have only met on six previous occasions. Perhaps even more surprising, Canada is undefeated against the Panamanians, tallying two wins and four draws.

    Here’s a rundown of those meetings:

Canadian MLS Contingent – Weekend Review

A brief look at the recent form of the nine MLS players called into the Canadian National team.

CONCACAF IS AWESOME!!!

    There are some great club names – both historic and current - in CONCACAF, Jamaican club Humble Lions FC is a good one, as is Robin Hood of Suriname – yes, Suriname is part of CONCACAF. Robin Hood versus the Walking Boys sounds like a good match.

CONCACAF Champions League – Restructuring and Pot-Talk

    The restructuring of the initial stages of the CONCACAF Champions League has made it even more difficult for smaller teams to progress to the latter rounds.

First Person View – Umbro Centennial Kit Launch, CSA Media Conference, & the Impending Qualifiers

    I had the pleasure of attending last week’s Umbro kit launch at BMO Field on Wednesday afternoon. Doubtless by now you will have seen the celebratory kit and read up on what Stephen Hart will have had to say - there are many who report such facts much better than I, so we’ll stick to my impressions of the whole affair.

First Person View – For Country

    It's been a while since I sat down to get opinionated about something, apologies for that, but midseason torpor set in, and I did not rage against it as much as I should have. There have been plenty of causes and ideas, which will be coming forth in due time.

First Person View - Canada – Progression, Perspective, Patience, and Positivity

     Many words have been written on Canada’s World Cup campaign thus far. Some are optimistic, a few more are not; all thought Canada underperformed. Some saw value, others were disappointed in the players, the coach, the support; anything you could point a finger at really.

    Let’s break it down a bit and see how to make sense of all the noise surrounding the six matches played, and how things are shaping up for the next round due next summer and fall.

Upon First Glance – CCL Edition: Tauro FC v Toronto FC

Some initial, post-match thoughts on tonight’s meeting:

First Person View – Setting a Base

     When the CSA announced that all three of the upcoming second round World Cup Qualifiers would be taking place in Toronto there was much consternation amongst the diaspora of soccer fans across this vast nation. Petty regionalism aside there is something more important to consider.

Perspective - Luck of the Draw

    Considering all the Jabulani’s* that have been launched Canada’s way in qualifying campaigns there could not have been a better draw for the 2014 qualifying cycle.