MLS IN REVIEW, MATCHDAY 4: John Herdman & the Big, Dumb, Goofy Thing Called Belief | Ahmed, Choiniere shine as CanMNT calls loom
Major League Soccer Matchday 4 saw Canadians thrive from coast to coast, with Toronto FC, CF Montreal and the Vancouver Whitecaps all picking up big wins.
Here's your Matchday 4 wrap-up, with a Canadian flavour:
John Herdman and The Big, Dumb, Goofy Thing Called Belief
Watching MLS circles discover the je ne sais quoi that John Herdman brings to his teams has been incredibly validating if you've supported the Canadian national teams over the last decade. This week, MLS analysts saw first-hand how and why Herdman is all about relationships – chiefly, these days, the one between himself and his new texting buddy, Lorenzo Insigne.
The image of the diminutive Italian jumping into Herdman's arms after scoring a worldie will come to define Matchday 4 of the 2024 MLS season, for good reason: The goal itself? Incredible, yes. But this moment is about togetherness. Some might even call it... brotherhood.
WORLD CLASS.
— Toronto FC (@TorontoFC) March 9, 2024
THAT'S WORLD CLASS RIGHT THERE. https://t.co/bQbJd0HqK8 pic.twitter.com/SrajkJBvVV
Said Herdman of Insigne, post-game: "He's a top player and I'm willing to listen to him. He has his ideas on tactics. The guy's seen more football matches than I have. He's forgotten more than I know about football, so I've tapped into that. I'm really enjoying the relationship. At times it's intense; he doesn't give you a minute, a second. You have to be at a top standard, and if you're not, he lets you know.
"I've built that trust where I can let him know as well."
I think this quote is telling, for a couple of reasons: It implies, I think, that Insigne wasn't getting that from Bob Bradley, for whatever reason, and that does track with Bradley's general approach which tends to most greatly benefit players 4 through 15 (sometimes at the expense of the top three). But, more than that, it's a sign that Herdman will suffers no fools; he is well-aware that he is asking former Napoli and Juventus stars to trust in the word of a manager who's never managed a club before. But wearing that plainly and openly and earnestly is the smartest play to make in his circumstance, because Herdman is also not a nobody.
He has accomplishments, and they are worth being proud of. He has his own ideas, and they have worked to great effect. And he has the curious ability to draw out something very, very important from every group he's managed: This Big, Dumb, Goofy Thing Called Belief.
Belief requires you to be a little bit silly. The rah-rah chest-thumps of brotherhood, the brandishing of swords and spinning of eloquent speeches and the like? At its heart and core, it's a child-like love of the beautiful game, being kept alive. It's playing pretend, of warriors and lions and super heroes and the like. It's why the very best teams and players in the world are all Very, Very Serious when questioned about their belief. To Zlatan, no one is better than Zlatan, ever. His conviction is called arrogance. But I'm not so sure. Belief like this requires unwavering confidence. It requires trust and faith. (And it requires a touch of delusion, too). It's Big. It's Dumb. It's Goofy. But it works.
So while Herdman smiles his trademark smile all the way to an undefeated, no-goals-conceded start, don't get lost in the woods on this: Behind the jubilation, the celebration, and the Big, Dumb, Goofy Thing Called Belief, there's a tactician diligently planning, learning and growing, keeping an eye on every detail, and, most importantly, building trust with his players, by giving it back in return. It's proven enough to secure results, and in a long season, I'm willing to bet that Big, Dumb, Goofy Thing Called Belief will get them through just about anything.
Come to Canada, Stay a While
Tell me if I'm wrong on this, of course, but there's a funny thing that happens when footballing brass spend extended time in or around Canadian soccer circles; the door swings open, the curtain, revealed, and the truth emerges at last:
There are good soccer players in Canada, eh!
Case in point: New Porland Timbers head coach Phil Neville spent some time in the Canadian national team camp, and a few months later? Max Crepeau and Kamal Miller call Portland home, and they, along with Zac McGraw, stood solid and survived an NYCFC barrage to walk away from the Big Apple with all three points in a 2-1 win this week. Neat!
Meanwhile, Nashville SC got a taste of Canadiana with the Jacob Shaffelburg trade out of Toronto, loved it so much they came back for seconds with Lukas MacNaughton a year later, and now the two of 'em are doing work on Lionel Messi and co. in Concacaf Champions Cup action.
Shaffelbrace, Shaffelbanger 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/qmXJnp1Hfk
— Nashville SC (@NashvilleSC) March 8, 2024
That was his second goal of the night, btw – also, shout-outs to to MacNaughton for this one:
From #CanPL to laying out Lionel Messi in less than five years my word what a journey https://t.co/AoK9AWkxEe
— Armen Bedakian (@ArmenBedakian) March 8, 2024
So beloved are Canadians that Nashville went in for a third this season with Woobens Pacius. Speaking of which... are we gonna get him on the roster anytime soon, guys?
And finally, Tim Bezbatchenko spends a few very successful years in Toronto, and he and former CF Montreal head coach Wilfried Nancy take that appreciation back to Ohio with the Columbus Crew, plucking Jacen Russell-Rowe and Mo Farsi out of the lower leagues and orchestrate a one-two punch against the Chicago Fire this week.
The Final Touch 🔥#Crew96 ✘ @MillerLite pic.twitter.com/LT9yze1d6m
— The Crew (@ColumbusCrew) March 10, 2024
All across Major League Soccer, clued-in coaches and managers are thriving, in part, because of their Canadian contingents.
So if you're an MLS GM and you don't have any Canadians on your roster, I have to ask... why not?
The CanMNT midfield has options
Ali Ahmed vs. Mathieu Choiniere for a starting spot in the CanMNT midfield wasn't a battle many were expecting at the end of the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifying cycle, but that's how fast things change in the world of soccer, and for good reason; the Vancouver Whitecaps and CF Montreal maestros have been lighting it up for their respective clubs to kick off their 2024 MLS seasons.
Choiniere was instrumental in securing a 3-2 win for Montreal over Inter Miami:
This is premium set piece service from Mathieu Choinière, who drops a dime on Matías Cóccaro’s head for his 1st MLS goal
— Alexandre Gangué-Ruzic (@AlexGangueRuzic) March 10, 2024
After a big 2023 campaign, nice to see Choinière get his 1st goal contribution, as he’s been solid to start 2024#CanMNT
pic.twitter.com/JVpCRoEDUR
While Ahmed did this to the San Jose Earthquakes for the 2-0 win:
Take a bow @aliahmed51_ 🤌#VWFC | #SJvVAN
— Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) March 10, 2024
Poor Mauro Biello's gonna have a midfield conundrum on his hands come March 23, when the CanMNT take on Trinidad and Tobago in a crucial, must-win, one-and-done match for a spot in the 2024 Copa America – but we'll take an in-form selection headache over out-of-form consolation picks any day of the week, thank you very much.
