u/Powerful-Salary7569

I am watching England vs Mexico and can't help but feel very jealous for Mexico's #9 as a Canadian soccer fan..

Jiménez gives Mexico something different. He feels like a proper No. 9. He is not just waiting for chances. He gives them a target. He occupies centre-backs. He gives them a way out when the game gets messy. He can hold the ball, take contact, bring others into play, and still show up with a goal in a huge moment.

When Canada is under pressure, I do not always feel like we have that No. 9 up top who can slow the game down, fight centre-backs, win ugly balls, and make the back line uncomfortable for 90 minutes. With Jiménez, despite not scoring, you can see how much work opposing defenders have to do because of him, it honestly beautiful to watch.

Now I am not pretending Larin has done nothing. He has done plenty for Canada. But having goals on paper is not always the same thing as having a striker who changes how a knockout game feels. For me it's why watching Jiménez is a bit hard. Mexico have a striker who gives them presence, pressure, experience, and big-game edge.

I also think Marsch’s Canada is built around pressing, counter-pressing, speed of play, vertical attacks, and forwards who can help lead the press. I was watching OneSoccer’s tactical breakdown and they pointed out that Canada have mainly used a Red Bull-style 4-2-2-2 defensively, where the two forwards are important for initiating the press, and Marsch seem to wants pressing, counter-pressing, speed of play, and quick collective reactions. stylistically he may not be the ideal Marsch striker. But correct me if I am wrong on this.

Do you guys agree? Or am I being too harsh.

Edit: I’m honestly impressed. I wrote a post about Larin and Jiménez, and somehow some bozos who don't know how to read are here building an entire argument out their ass about Jonathan David It's honestly crazy to see. Larin is the fucking #9 I am talking about...he plays same position as Raul Jimenez of Mexico. It's not that hard to understand. Never once did I argue anything about David, that's a completely different topic and you are welcome to talk about it just don't pretend my entire post is based on that Bozo.

Even regular community soccer cost families a few hundred dollars depending on the club, and once a kid moves into competitive or select soccer, then the problem goes to whole new height. This isn’t even about private academies. There are normal club programs where house league is around $200-$300, competitive summer soccer can be around $800-$900, and select programs can be $900-$1,000. That’s before you add cleats, shin pads,travel, gas, food, and all the extra bits.

And yeah, clubs do have real expenses. Fields, refs, coaches,league fees, all of that costs money. I’m not saying every club is greedy or that the people running these programs don’t care. A lot of them probably do. But the system itself still puts too much pressure on families to pay more as their kid gets better. At some point, we have to ask if we’re actually finding the best players, or just the best players whose parents can afford to keep them in the pathway (in a sense rich)

The “soccer is cheaper than hockey” argument I always hear here doesn’t really make sense either. Something can be cheaper than hockey and still be too expensive for a lot of families. If Canada wants to build something real from this soccer boom, the legacy has to be more than national team hype and World Cup marketing. We need cheaper access, more public fields, stronger school soccer, transparent club fees, and real support for kids who can play but can’t pay. Canada has talent. I just wonder how much of it we lose before it ever gets a fair chance.

A lot of footballers came from hardship, and football became the thing that gave them hope, purpose, and a way forward. We probably have kids with that same hunger and drive here too, but the system doesn’t always give them enough reason to keep going. Instead of the game pulling them in and giving them a path, the cost can make them feel like the door is already half closed.