TFC inadequate again as season 2014 ends - New England 1 Toronto FC 0

....lingering headache.

What a stinking mess. I am afraid to find out what the tv ratings for this last TFC 2014 game were. I did wonder a few times who else was foolish enough to be watching this...

It was typical TFC that the New England goal was scored when the assistant ref flagged for offside, a clear offside, and the ref did not call play.

Yet did the injustice inspire TFC to get back into the game? Not a chance. This is a team that had ended their season weeks ago. Look at the squad and their dynamic for the final month of the season. TFC had five games in October - 4 losses and a tie - allowing 9 goals and scoring 2.

Even falling behind by one fluky, undeserved goal was enough to sink TFC. Look at the individuals on the field trying to score a goal.
Collen Warner did not score a goal all year. Kyle Bekker did not score one either. Sure Daniel Lovitz is a rookie, a call-up from Wilmington in May, but he did not score a goal in 2014 in MLS. Gilberto and Bradley seemed disconnected. Oduro and Bloom have yet to become a cohesive pairing.

No wonder New England was taking it easy, avoiding injuries, subbing off their stars and thinking about the playoffs ahead. TFC spun their wheels, Bradley distributed from a distance and his accuracy was poor. At least he was passing better than Caldwell and Henry, but the fact that they had the ball at their feet for any time at all is an indication of how little attack was being generated

The announcers (Nigel Reed and Greg Sutton) danced around the concepts of "wholesale changes" versus "keeping a core together" as the recipe for TFC 2015. I feel their pain as they had to fill the airwaves with something, but what a pointless debate.
If keeping a core is the expected return of Bradley, Bendik, Morrow, probably Gilberto and Caldwell, possibly Luke Moore, then a core will be kept.
If wholesale changes is using your four first round draft picks, filling all of your vacant International roster spots and replacing those you lose and those you send away, then wholesale changes it is.

Coach Vanney tried to play a 4-3-3 and deserves some credit for the effort and energy shown in the first half. That alone does not make him my choice for coach in 2015.

So the season is over and the long offseason begins. TFC are my team, but they are still a stinking mess. I feel that the way to retain some hope is to salute the fans. Watching the game on tv reminded me of one thing - they play that Bacardi commercial enough that it sticks in your head...

Fate threw everything at the TFC fan base.

The firing of Ryan Nelsen in 2014 couldn't stop us.

Nor could a series of earthquakes.

From Prohibition in the 1920s

and then the Cuban Revolution in the 1950's.

The TFC fan base did not just survive, we thrived

Perhaps I got some of the script wrong. This is not goodbye. I expect that the days ahead will provide plenty of material. I have yet to write even a sentence about Jermaine Defoe's mother!!!