Cup kept Cup raised TFC 2 Montreal Impact 1

A June evening approaching the stadium

Well, the blog is back. Due to a busy life and the pursuit of some other fine things in life (Airstream trailers and travel to Wilco's Solid Sound in Massachusetts) this blogger missed two games. The first leg in Montreal was televised and I missed it. The home game of TFC vs New England was also missed. No blog posts, but I followed along as best I could.
So I walked to BMO Field last night wondering if I had lost ground and worried that TFC would have wrinkled without my gaze upon them.
No worries at all.
The Bradley - Vazquez combination continues to make the TFC midfield a thing of beauty. Mavinga continues to be solid, I thought it was due to Mavinga that Montreal's late addition of Oduro amounted to nothing. In other years Oduro could use his speed to exploit space down the wing. Over and out with Mavinga.
It was a strange game with Montreal getting a first half goal out of a minimum of shots, chances and possession. TFC always looked the better side and just lacked finish on a multitude of chances.
The second half changes of Delgado for Osorio and Altidore for Ricketts made a big difference.

For me, the key action in the run of play leading to the winning goal is not Giovinco's finish, although mighty sweet that was, but his reaction to blatant foul #456 from a Montreal player just seconds before. If you watch the replay you see him grabbed by the shoulder from behind and taken to the ground and he bounces back up in a micro-second to follow the play into the near post channel. At that point in the game all TFC players knew that ref Gantar had lost the plot, that his calls were scattered and without pattern. 

It might only be a case of my being a cranky old man, but I have a theory that TFC lack only one player in their roster. A cranky man. Not a starter, but somebody the opposition knows is taking names and numbers all game long. No intent to injure, just a seeker of justice. For every liberty taken with or hard foul against a TFC player, that MLS refs seem to tolerate to an extreme degree, Cranky Man gives back what TFC has had to take.
I felt that Damien Perquis and Benoit Cheyrou played the role recently.  I am happy with Cheyrou's role this year and it is almost impossible for the team's elder statesman to also be the cranky justice seeker...

So weeks of road games and the Gold Cup national team departures make the first half of July a low profile time for TFC. Some travel plans will make my blogging a mystery. 
Have yourself a Happy Canada Day and remember....


All for One.