Posted: Thu Mar 22, 2012 11:39 am
The NMS Ministry of Morale is pleased to announce the Paladins' roster for World Cup 59 qualifiers. After successes against such powerhouse nations as Bears Armed, Queer Poco el Mono Ara and Cafundéu at the Brevity Challenge Cup, Paladins head coach Jacques-Modeste Taschereau will return the full starting XI. The bench is also (mostly) unchanged, although if the Paladins go downhill Taschereau will come under pressure to call up younger players like Hank Bay or Réjean Latendresse.
All ages are for WC59
Formation: 2-6-2
Style: Taschereau's version of the 2-6-2 plays as a +2
Coaches: Jacques-Modeste Taschereau, age 59, head coach; Ernie McGonagall, age 44, strikers; Norman Lajoie, age 48, midfield; Vincent Kent-Mercier, age 62, backs; Étienne Lajeunesse, age 46, keepers
Home Pitch: The Paladin Dome, New Montreal, capacity 120,200. Natural grass; pitch is brought indoors and set up prior to each match. The Paladin Dome has hosted the World Cup 28 and Cup of Harmony 16 finals, as well as the more recent Cup of Harmony 50 3rd-place match.
KEEPERS in 50 words
1 Édgar Thibault, age 31, FC Sandside, Civil Citizenry
91 Marcel Johnstone-Beaumont, age 25, CF Chateauguay
4 Ernie Busey, age 24, NM Patriotes
Chet Oakes has been shown the door after coughing up four goals when Thibault left the QPeMA match with a light bicep tear. Thibault himself remains as reliable and popular as ever, showing no signs of slowing down at 31, and inspiring Johnstone-Beaumont with his talk of playing in foreign climes.
DEFENSE
33 Cory Taylor, CB, age 29, Sorel Black Dragons, 1 goal
76 William St. John de la Ware, age 26, Sorel Black Dragons, 0 goals
18 Jeremy Steelman, age 25, Répentigny War Eagles
24 Hubert Séguin-Holmes, age 23, NM Patriotes
Teams and coaches circled the wagons around William St. John de la Ware after he got an early red card with a what-could-he-have-been-thinking tackle in the box against QPeMA. Jeremy Steelman, meanwhile, is in the doghouse for the lousy job he did replacing de la Ware in the 6-4 shootout; expect Hubert Séguin-Holmes to see his first action this tournament. Pay no attention to the Drew-Watson-takes-Steelman's-job rumors that have been inundating the internet - Watson apparently impressed nobody in the Paladins camp at either the BCC tryouts or the WC59 trials.
MIDFIELD
12 Jocelyn Brisebois, LDMF, age 27, CF Sherbrooke, 2 goals
8 Neil Poussin, RDMF, age 22, NM Patriotes, 0 goals
14 Joe Webb, CMF, age 26, Répentigny War Eagles, 1 goal
40 Pwim Charbonneau, LMF, age 26, City of New Montreal, 3 goals
27 Benoit Gallagher, RMF, age 24, Alliance Sportif Ville-Marie, 1 goal
49 Guillaume Ouillemet, AMF, age 28, Philemon Mariners, 7 goals
0 Hank Bay, CMF/DMF/AMF, age 21, Pride of Wolfe Harbor, 0 goals
7 Christian Ponder, CMF, age 26, Moncton Sands Coyotes, 3 goals
20 Yann Chrétien, CMF/DMF, age 23, NM Patriotes, 0 goals
12 André Vaillancourt-Bosquet, AMF/RMF, age 33, St. James Seagulls, 9 goals
11 Alphonse Bélanger, CMF/LMF, age 20, Bullets, 0 goals
29 Donald Taylor, CMF/LMF/RMF/AMF, age 22, CF Sherbrooke, 0 goals
Injured: 78 Martin Kennedy, RDMF, age 23, CF Chateauguay, 0 goals, return TBD.
The Paladins return all six starting midfielders from the BCC side, the first time that's happened since the Paladins returned to international play. Great unit chemistry, with Joe Webb doing a good job setting the table for Ouillemet and the strikers and André Vaillancourt-Bosquet embracing coming off the bench in the final 20-30 minutes. Hank Bay rumors will instantly plague any struggling midfielder, however.
STRIKERS
6 Rhéal Ackersley, CF, age 25, CF Valdemont, 9 goals
3 Loic Bacon, SS, age 26, NM Patriotes, 4 goals
10 Lionel Bonsecours, CF/SS, age 24, City of New Montreal, 0 goals
80 Shane Pritchard, CF, age 21, Dorion Poules, 0 goals
Loic Bacon was a revelation with 4 BCC goals, and Rhéal Ackersley more than kept pace with a hat-trick against QPeMA. Both players will look to go full steam ahead into qualifiers; each of them has separately vowed a 10-goal campaign during pre-qualification interviews.
All ages are for WC59
Formation: 2-6-2
Style: Taschereau's version of the 2-6-2 plays as a +2
Coaches: Jacques-Modeste Taschereau, age 59, head coach; Ernie McGonagall, age 44, strikers; Norman Lajoie, age 48, midfield; Vincent Kent-Mercier, age 62, backs; Étienne Lajeunesse, age 46, keepers
Home Pitch: The Paladin Dome, New Montreal, capacity 120,200. Natural grass; pitch is brought indoors and set up prior to each match. The Paladin Dome has hosted the World Cup 28 and Cup of Harmony 16 finals, as well as the more recent Cup of Harmony 50 3rd-place match.
KEEPERS in 50 words
1 Édgar Thibault, age 31, FC Sandside, Civil Citizenry
91 Marcel Johnstone-Beaumont, age 25, CF Chateauguay
4 Ernie Busey, age 24, NM Patriotes
Chet Oakes has been shown the door after coughing up four goals when Thibault left the QPeMA match with a light bicep tear. Thibault himself remains as reliable and popular as ever, showing no signs of slowing down at 31, and inspiring Johnstone-Beaumont with his talk of playing in foreign climes.
DEFENSE
33 Cory Taylor, CB, age 29, Sorel Black Dragons, 1 goal
76 William St. John de la Ware, age 26, Sorel Black Dragons, 0 goals
18 Jeremy Steelman, age 25, Répentigny War Eagles
24 Hubert Séguin-Holmes, age 23, NM Patriotes
Teams and coaches circled the wagons around William St. John de la Ware after he got an early red card with a what-could-he-have-been-thinking tackle in the box against QPeMA. Jeremy Steelman, meanwhile, is in the doghouse for the lousy job he did replacing de la Ware in the 6-4 shootout; expect Hubert Séguin-Holmes to see his first action this tournament. Pay no attention to the Drew-Watson-takes-Steelman's-job rumors that have been inundating the internet - Watson apparently impressed nobody in the Paladins camp at either the BCC tryouts or the WC59 trials.
MIDFIELD
12 Jocelyn Brisebois, LDMF, age 27, CF Sherbrooke, 2 goals
8 Neil Poussin, RDMF, age 22, NM Patriotes, 0 goals
14 Joe Webb, CMF, age 26, Répentigny War Eagles, 1 goal
40 Pwim Charbonneau, LMF, age 26, City of New Montreal, 3 goals
27 Benoit Gallagher, RMF, age 24, Alliance Sportif Ville-Marie, 1 goal
49 Guillaume Ouillemet, AMF, age 28, Philemon Mariners, 7 goals
0 Hank Bay, CMF/DMF/AMF, age 21, Pride of Wolfe Harbor, 0 goals
7 Christian Ponder, CMF, age 26, Moncton Sands Coyotes, 3 goals
20 Yann Chrétien, CMF/DMF, age 23, NM Patriotes, 0 goals
12 André Vaillancourt-Bosquet, AMF/RMF, age 33, St. James Seagulls, 9 goals
11 Alphonse Bélanger, CMF/LMF, age 20, Bullets, 0 goals
29 Donald Taylor, CMF/LMF/RMF/AMF, age 22, CF Sherbrooke, 0 goals
Injured: 78 Martin Kennedy, RDMF, age 23, CF Chateauguay, 0 goals, return TBD.
The Paladins return all six starting midfielders from the BCC side, the first time that's happened since the Paladins returned to international play. Great unit chemistry, with Joe Webb doing a good job setting the table for Ouillemet and the strikers and André Vaillancourt-Bosquet embracing coming off the bench in the final 20-30 minutes. Hank Bay rumors will instantly plague any struggling midfielder, however.
STRIKERS
6 Rhéal Ackersley, CF, age 25, CF Valdemont, 9 goals
3 Loic Bacon, SS, age 26, NM Patriotes, 4 goals
10 Lionel Bonsecours, CF/SS, age 24, City of New Montreal, 0 goals
80 Shane Pritchard, CF, age 21, Dorion Poules, 0 goals
Loic Bacon was a revelation with 4 BCC goals, and Rhéal Ackersley more than kept pace with a hat-trick against QPeMA. Both players will look to go full steam ahead into qualifiers; each of them has separately vowed a 10-goal campaign during pre-qualification interviews.