Tough and smart vanishes TFC 2 San Jose 3

Now if I score, my celebration involves pretending to take cash from my shorts and running it over to the captain.

  I was a hopeful fool going into the Saturday game against the San Jose Earthquakes. The recent games in Houston and Mexico City were positive indicators, I thought. Toronto FC back at BMO would want to come on strong, win back the home crowd, grab points from a playoff spot holder and gather some strength and momentum. It was not to be.

Instead we watched the second home loss in a row and a team that is sinking. The team had moments of fair effort and a never say die element to it. Yet it also showed TFC to be more than a touch ragged under Coach Dasovich. The substitutions seemed to add confusion and a lack of shape. You were wondering who was playing striker and where was the midfield?  Toronto had to chase the game and lacks the firepower for that sort of situation.

The critical difference today was that a single Quake midfielder, Chris Wondolowski scored more goals (3) in this game than Julian DeGuzman, Jacob Peterson, Nick Labrocca, Joseph Nane, Dan Gargan (which is almost all those who has played in the midfield for Toronto, outside of DeRo) have scored combined for the entire season. Hold on, I am cheating a little with that stat. If you throw in Martin Saric, then the TFC midfield has managed 3 goals in 2010 from their non-DeRo players. It was great to see Toronto throw everything, including kitchen sink, Adrian Cann and Tyler Harden, into the attack. Yet it is both desperate and ineffective. San Jose has wingers, TFC does not.

The fact is that Toronto’s attack scares no opposing team, at least no playoff caliber team. Guard DeRo, triple team him and you shut down Toronto.

The more the team needs an attack, the further back DeGuzman plays. If TFC will not bench him, at least let him play left back. Time and time again DeGuzman’s only move was to pass to Nick Garcia. From the San Jose perspective this is happy time. JDG to Garcia to Peterson was a triangle that they were able to contain most of the game

Should you counter that Deguzman is a defensive, holding midfielder and should not be judged by his timid ways with the ball, I would counter that Chris Wondolowski scored 3 goals.

There still remains a mathematical chance for a playoff berth. They could win their remaining 4 games and find a way to squeak in. I will be there to cheer and squirm for the remaining games. Hopeful fools can suffer, but they bounce back and put on the red.