So, will the young Ismaël Koné go to the World Cup? Its performances this week, and especially its use by John Herdman, tend to predict yes.
Posted at 5:52 p.m.
Tuesday, against Uruguay, the 20-year-old midfielder from CF Montreal entered the 55e minute to replace Samuel Piette. During the next 35 minutes, Koné showed undeniable composure, and a very positive forward projection. His coach has indeed noticed.
“Young Koné showed calm and control,” John Herdman said on OneSoccer. We are still talking about Valverde and Bentancur in front of him in the center of the field. »
Federico Valverde comes from Real Madrid. Tottenham’s Rodrigo Bentancur. But for Koné, it does not change anything, according to Stephen Eustáquio.
“He is not afraid to play against anyone,” said the Canadian midfielder FC Porto. He doesn’t care about the name on the back of the jersey, he’s just getting started. He is a very good player who will help us a lot in the future. »
Herdman lamented that Koné didn’t get a chance to “celebrate a goal”. “But they are difficult to get at this level. This is what Canada must learn as a lesson. We won’t give you a gift. You will have to deserve it. »
It was a second participation in as many friendly matches for the Quebecer. Friday against Qatar, he entered for the last 30 minutes. You can feel Herdman’s confidence in him.
With his unique attacking profile, not only could he take flight to Qatar, but he could also be an active part of that team’s journey there.
“We now know where we stand”
Three other CF Montreal players also have the confidence of the coach. Along with Piette, Alistair Johnston and Kamal Miller are Canada’s mainstays in defence. They played every minute of those two games.
Yes, Kamal Miller got the foul that led to Nicolás de la Cruz’s free-kick goal early in the game. Yes, Alistair Johnston was beaten by Darwin Núñez on the second goal of the match.
But otherwise, “they managed well” the opposition offered by the great players of Uruguay, according to John Herdman. The latter recalls that Núñez, who plays for Liverpool, “has been recorded as the fastest player in the Premier League”.
“In the transitions, we were sometimes hanging by a thread”, he analyzes.
Miller meanwhile underlined “the good work of Alistair”, his teammate at the Montreal ramparts.
“There are a lot of positives to draw for our line of defense, he adds. We dominated and held off world-class players. There is a lot to learn. We have to build on that. »
“For us MLS guys, as well as those who play for smaller clubs in Europe, [ce match] was super important. We now know where we stand. There are critical things to work on, but we have time to do it. »
Only downside for Montreal fans: Joel Waterman did not walk the field this week. It’s the second time in as many recalls that he hasn’t taken off his reserve tank top.