Eke! - road point taken NE Rev 1 TFC 1

A close contest.

I'd rather have a point or 2 from the two better defended away games ahead of today, but I also am aware that taking points from New England has been a rare feat in recent years. TFC will gladly take the point. 
As a tortured fan, trying to balance out the despair of the first half AND then accept the sheer fortune of the second half, you can force me to gladly take the point too. I would be tempted to explore the concept of karma after the game today, but dare not tempt fate.

I mentioned despair.
It was horrible to see TFC go down a goal early in the game. One positive from season 2016 so far has been the stingy play of the back four (and the dependable play of new keeper Irwin). I was not a fan of Steven Beitashour's reaction, after the goal was scored, to his own team. Even if it had been Marky Delgado's role to mark Rowe on the play, don't show the guy up. Makes you look less like a pro and puts team turmoil on television. The tougher part to swallow, after going down a goal early, was how ineffective TFC looked on the ball in that first half. Bad passes, cheap give aways and a general lack of ideas. You know it is tough when you start thinking "I could be watching the Masters" during a TFC game.

I mentioned sheer fortune.
Perhaps the displeasure at calls going against TFC or fouls against us not being called finally registered somewhere, but TFC had a lot of luck today. Both Moor and Bradley COULD have been called on fouls in the box. They might have been borderline, but most times penalties would have been given. In the very late going New England scored a goal that the assistant ref had spotted was the result of passing the ball back from over the endline. That was a close one.

I was not impressed with the play of either Marky Delgado or Jonathan Osorio today. Just because TFC without any attack down the wings has been a feature for years, doesn't mean that we fans have to like it.  Johnson and Bradley both raised their games in the second half, but action down the middle of the pitch is going to need better threats on the wing. Endoh, a rookie, seems to be a better choice for a starting role than either Oso or Delgado. A summer signing? A trade? 

I know he has his critics, but there are too many times when Jozy Altidore plays more like a prospect learning the game than a cagey vet earning the big bucks. His pass to set-up Giovinco's goal was vet stuff, his heading the cross high late in the first half was prospect stuff.

The road show continues for three more games. May I strongly state my plea that the TFC blue shorts be shelved, notably for the game in Montreal? Thanks for reading...