mistake by the lake (TFC blog of hope and fog)

TFC still subtracting from roster as training camp looms...

2012-01-23T21:15:00.004-05:00

TFC training camp opens this week and it would be great to feel that anticipation for a new season rising in one's heart. New season, new faces would be a great motto for TFC to adopt. Toronto certainly seems to have roster spots available.
In the month of January we have spent more time waving goodbye than waving hello. Thanks for the memories goes out to the following players. Make that a tiny wave and a little thanks for the memories.

Mikael Yourasskowsky (released). You always felt that if he started to pursue goals the way he pursued yellow cards, he had a chance to amount to something. He joins an unfortunate group - TFC players who managed to score only one goal while wearing Toronto red and gray.
Andy Iro (contract offer declined) Sigh....I know he was a disaster. He was always a giveaway just waiting to happen. Yet he was the one MLS player that I had coveted from afar. Hope he finds a team (Andy Boyens is still playing in the MLS, so hope always remains). I hope Iro matures and turns into a player, yet reverts to his Toronto ways when he plays against Toronto.
Peri Mirosevic (contract offer declined) Some saw his potential, I can't say I was in that group. Scoring a goal in his first game was a good move, but after that he never seemed to find his spot in the midfield. Perhaps he was more suited to a classic 4 midfielder set-up. Now we await the names of signings and players on trial. Stay tuned.

going...

gone.

Plata signs with TFC

2012-01-11T15:43:00.001-05:00

There was good news coming out of the TFC universe today as Joao Plata left the loan category and signed for Toronto. The deal was described as "multi-year" and no dollar amount was mentioned.
I like Plata, you have to admire the energy and dedication that he brings to the field. I am still convinced that he should be used as a super sub more often. Adding him fresh, late in the game, has to pay off with goals.
Seems like I am overdue with mentioning some of the off-season news of recent weeks.
- TFC to play the March Champions League game inside the Rogers Centre. I thought this was inevitable once Rogers was part of the purchase of MLSE. I have my tickets and hope for the best, but that dome inspires dullness and the turf surface is never a treat.
- College and Gen Adidas draft is tomorrow. TFC have both the 4th and 12th pick in the first round. I would like to think TFC will find a player in the draft, but the Toronto record on drafting is questionable. When you cheer for a team that has only two on the roster (Frei and Plata) that were drafted by Toronto. Those two players are outnumbered by roster players who were recent drafts for other MLS teams and then found their way to Toronto through trades (Avila, Hall, Marosevic and Iro spring to mind).
- Of course there is plenty of room on the TFC training camp roster for draft picks to take since the end of last season meant the release of Martina, Omphroy, Gold, Viator, Davies, Zavarise and Griffit. Departures do not always add up to vacancies on the team. There were players with season ending injuries and that leads to an expanded roster. More tomorrow.

On the brink of a new year

2011-12-31T18:12:00.000-05:00

I have difficulty with endings. I am not sure that I would like people who handle endings with detached aplomb. Now that I have used the phrase "detached aplomb', honestly it just popped into my head, I am wondering if this means I would not like James Bond and why do words such as "aplomb" stick in my head when I have trouble remembering the names of people I see every day.
2011 was a great year for me personally. There were people and places that wove through the year that I will remember and cherish for the rest of my life (or until the memory goes totally). The TFC season was not one of the things that made the year memorable, but hope for 2012 can only grow through the off-season.
So my best wishes to everyone for a Happy New Year. It is only months until we are all back in Section 220 (by the way, if you are a reader who also knows me from the section, I have moved my seats. I have used my seniority to go down a few rows, but I will still be in talking distance).
May the winter fly and the soccer season come around the corner...and I promise to write a proper farewell to Nathan Sturgis any day now.

Bought and sold, but do new owners see beyond hockey?

2011-12-10T10:08:00.001-05:00

Well, we don’t have the Teacher’s Pension Plan to kickaround anymore. The big bad mediagiants, Bell and Rogers have married and bought MLSE. Now what does this meanfor our little TFC? I am hoping for either benign neglect or selling off the team,but not holding my breath for either. Bizarre billionaires are rare in Canada. I could get enthused about Belinda Stronach becoming ownerof TFC, but that is just me. Maybe the increased role of Larry Tanenbaum is the silver lining to the deal?

Face it, this is a hockey thing and TFC is the afterthoughtto the afterthought (Raptors). I think that the Rogers side of the ownershipwill be baseball occupied all summer long and the BCE side will be hockey,hockey, hockey all year round. If CBC manages to lose HNIC to TSN can youimagine how hockey obsessed that sports channel will get? TSN would rather cover zamboni racesthan anything soccer related.

So perhaps it is a dream that being owned by media giantswill lead to better coverage of TFC. I can have my dreams….

In another universe...or Chad goes north...

2011-11-22T12:11:00.001-05:00

Ok, I am in a strange place mentally today.

Imagine that Toronto FC had instantly become the Barcelona of MLS and everything they had ever done had turned into football gold. Expansion draft day arrives for Montreal and their leadership says we must pick up all the ex-TFC players that we can, since their castoffs might still have some of the Toronto magic to them. Here goes-
Remember Montreal is allowed to pick 10 players in the draft and only one player per team.
Andy Boyens from Chivas USA
Dan Gargan (or Jon Conway) from Chicago
Carl Robinson (or Greg Sutton) from New York
Pat Phelan from New England
Maicon Santos from Dallas
Jeff Cunningham from Columbus
Tyrone Marshall from Colorado (they protected Joseph Nane)
Hunter Freeman from Houston
Chad Barrett from LA Galaxy
Kevin Goldthwaite from Portland
(there would still be Nana Attakora or Jacob Peterson - San Jose, O'Brian White - Seattle,)
There you have it, an all ex TFC expansion draft. The chances that any of these players will be selected by Montreal ? I would have to say slim.

TFC expansion protection list 2011

2011-11-22T08:54:00.001-05:00

Protected
Avila, Eric -TFC seems high on him, not sure myself
Dunfield, Terry – on list, JDG off, suspect something
Eckersley, Richard -young, energetic, potential and skill and fan fave
Frei, Stefan (GK) - team foundation
Frings, Torsten -team foundation DP
Harden, Ty- salary cap bargain
Iro, Andy- size and left foot?
Johnson, Ryan- TFC weak in scoring, need his skill
Kocic, Milos (GK) – too young/experienced to risk
Koevermans, Danny - team foundation DP
Plata, Joao - young, energetic, potential and skill and fan fave

Unprotected
Borman, Danleigh - no surprise, TFC days numbered
Bouchiba, Elbekay - injury comeback makes him tough to pick
Cann, Adrian - injury comeback makes him tough pick or MTL=Canadian
Davies, Kyle - mystery man, never saw him play
de Guzman, Julian - I thought we had to protect DP? If MTL takes I suspect it is part of a deal…
Gold, Matt – too much bench player to protect
Griffit, Leandre mystery man, never saw him play
Marosevic, Peri he might be a worthy pick
Martina, Javier – no surprise, TFC days numbered
Omphroy, Demitrius - he might be a worthy pick, if only to trade back to TFC
Soolsma, Nick - he might be a worthy pick, if only to trade back to TFC
Sturgis, Nathan - he might be a worthy pick
Viator, Eddy - mystery man, barely saw him play
Williams, Dicoy - injury comeback makes him tough to pick
Yourasskowsky, Mikael – no surprise, TFC days numbered
Zavarise, Gianluca - too much bench player to protect

MLS Cup 2011 pre game musings

2011-11-20T20:59:00.001-05:00

Here I sit watching television and waiting for coverage of the 2011 MLS Cup to start. I am hoping that Americans have a pregame show to watch. TSN2 is showing a heart wrenching documentary about a former basketball player who battles serious addiction problems. A worthy show I am sure, but hardly designed to get your mind into a "big game" mode....Remember that a year ago we were sitting down at BMO watching Colorado defeat Dallas? I do recall thinking that 2010 would be the last time that the MLS Cup playoffs would be Toronto free. So much for that bright idea.On one hand I am critical of how low profile the MLS Cup is. Playing the game in late November does seem to be pushing the event into a season beyond soccer.On the other hand most North American sports end at an odd time. NHL and NBA collide with summer, Baseball leaves summer far behind at the World Series and then there is the Super Bowl in the dark depths of February....Mr. Muscle Arms is the ref, I am not a big fan of his. Then again what MLS ref would please me?

Season 2011 ends TFC 2 NE 2

2011-10-23T10:44:00.002-04:00

Down we go to BMO Field for season closer number 5. It qualifies, before the first ball is kicked, as bittersweet. The win in Dallas on Tuesday night puts TFC past the group stage of the Champion’s League for the first time next spring. They showed that the team can rise to the occasion and win a big game on the road has to be sweetest point of the year. Slightly sweeter than the Voyageurs Cup win against Vancouver on July 2nd due to toughness of opponent and being away from BMO. The bitter is another meaningless, out of the playoffs by a long shot, home game. Today we face a New England squad that is the only team in the East below Toronto in the standings.Bittersweet is a nicer way of saying there is something schizo about this team. TFC 2011 edition closed with a home performance that was a bit of a mixed bag. I have been trying to figure out if the game could be described as the season as microcosm- but I am still unsure (the game had an equal amount of ups and downs, the season sure didn’t).Toronto looked silky smooth in scoring the first goal. Koevermans goes deep then angles it back to the perfectly trailing Soolsma and the ball is in the net in a flash. Then they lost their momentum and Julian DeGuzman lost his man on the first New England goal. When the visitors scored their second goal it seemed that Toronto was still mentally in the halftime dressing room. Iro did not put pressure on the ball and it looked like TFC was going to collapse.Credit to the team, driven forward by Frings and Koevermans, that they fought back and tied the game. Their was enough determination in the air that you could feel that victory was always the goal…I will save my summary of the team for a future post.

Big effort in the big game Dallas 0 TFC 3

2011-10-18T22:13:00.000-04:00

They did it. Toronto FC needed to win the game in Dallas to get through to the next round of Champion's League and they did it. Danny Koevermans scored the first half goal and Plata scored 2 in the second half.It shows that real progress has been made in this latter part of the season. They looked flat in August, but now they are in the quarter-finals. Plata was a star. Yet the entire team played a part, they looked like a team.

Sometimes I have to go beyond TFC...Steve Jobs died today.

2011-10-05T21:57:00.000-04:00

As modern folk, we live our lives in the world of design. The clothing, the car, the furniture, the food and the wine, the house, the suburb, the road, the mall, the way the light falls across your face as I take your picture...I know that we can still go for a walk in the woods and shake it all away, for a while. There are days when I joke about needing to scrape all this design away and go live in a cave for the winter...But when I am not joking, when I am sitting or staring out the window, or wishing I was more able to express myself or finding a way to understand the fragments of knowledge that explode around us or thinking about how to be a better person or figure out a wiser way to wade into the future, I have been using products that were designed by Steve Jobs. I am convinced that his products were more than just aids to me, they also inspired a little faith that great things were still possible and that change could be brilliant. I never met the man, but I think that his thinking played a role in my thinking more than any other thinker that has been on the planet in my lifetime. There are some who minimize him and describe him as a maker of gadgets. They have been the tools of my adult life, so much more the stuff of dreams than gadgets. If I live to see another innovator, designer, inventor that can match him, I will be a lucky man indeed. Steve Jobs 1955-2011

TFC 1 NYRB 1 Cold thoughts about Winter

2011-10-02T11:12:00.000-04:00

It was a night to say goodbye to summery things. Weather wise we had been forced to don gloves and tuques, scarves and hoodies. Funny that around here we enter spring as hardy winter people- thrilled to see a ball on a green pitch and dressed for any weather. Six months later we encounter the first true fall night and we have been transformed into summer people, quietly wondering if we can take anything colder than this. The single digit temperatures we welcomed in April are the same temperatures that stun us in October. Sorry for a climate essay today. I write about the air to delay writing about what is happening on the ground.

New York did not look like a team in desperate need of victory (improving their playoff chances) during the first half. If Toronto proved in the end that they did not have an adequate grip on the game, NYRB sure seemed to be casual about taking hold of it. Kocic had made some top quality saves throughout the game, but Red Bulls were hardly bullish. Perhaps they were confident that Toronto would crack in the end. I suspect that Thierry Henry put more effort into gesturing and taunting the Toronto fans after his goal than he did in his play all night. I am less annoyed at Henry antics than I am at TFC’s lack of reaction. It is not the first time this year that I have wondered where Jim Brennan is. Henry seemed to be posing and posturing for the North Stand fans. Somebody please get in his face. The lack of passion about home turf (or standing up for home fans) amongst TFC players is worrying.

Protecting a late 1-0 lead, Winter chose to pack the back and had 6 defenders on the back line. It was an odd approach because it seemed that TFC still had 3 forwards (Soolsma, Bormann and Avila). At a time when it would be wise to hold the ball and kill time, Toronto either could not or would not do it. Winter’s TFC never seems to own the midfield.
I remain unconvinced that a 4-3-3 formation will work in the MLS and I am even more convinced that this squad does not have the skills needed to make it work. TFC always seemed isolated and outnumbered when it comes to finding avenues of attack. They are a team that rarely plays the overlap, too rarely have a player coming into surprise attack. I think that is due to the formation. They are switching the point of attack regularly, but then they have no other option. There is always a wide player available for a pass, but then the defenders shift, there are no options for the guy with the ball and on it goes. Attacking from the wings is a great tactic, but not when it is the only tactic.

One more home game left. I am afraid that what comes after that is a winter off-season thinking about Winter and the direction that this team needs to go in. TFC asks the fan to have faith, that work with the Academy will produce more Ashtons, Stinsons and Henrys. What if all that means is another wave of solid players capable of playing, passing and defending (but never, ever, ever scoring)? We can hope Toronto’s winter will see some changes in the roster. I see the same problem as this time last year, too many players who never or rarely score. When you add up a handful of attackers, it works with Avila-1, Dunfield-0, Soolsma-2, Yourasskowsky-0, Martina-2, and throw in Eckersley-0 and Morgan-0, and you have less TFC 2011 goals than Maicon Santos-6!

So we say goodbye to summery things. Too bad that means storage and hibernation. I want Winter to start a fire. I hope he is just saving his logs for Dallas.

Toronto shows some fight and pride - TFC 1 Pumas 1

2011-09-28T00:04:00.002-04:00

It was another beautiful September night at BMO Field Tuesday evening. As a fan, I got much more than I bargained for. The team showed some spine and some sparkle against a Mexican team that had ripped them to shreds in the first half of their south of the border (x2) game in the CONCACAF Champion's League. When you are bracing yourself for a thrashing, 1-1 with a lot of positive play is a pleasant surpriseGoing in we knew that Torsten Frings was not playing because of yellow card accumulation. If your crystal ball had let you know that Danny Koeverman would be subbed at half time (injury?) and that Richard Eckersley would have to leave the field due to injury, you would have been preparing for whatever lies beyond a thrashing. A waterboarding? Just as a bounce back from the dreadful night in Los Angeles against Chivas USA, tonight was a positive step. Just in time for the town hall meetings too.Julian de Guzman may have played his best game in a TFC uniform since his performance against Cruz Azul in the summer of 2010. He seems to clog and disrupt the midfield attack of visiting Mexican teams much more than he ever shows against MLS teams. He is still a pain in the passing department and shows a reluctance to go forward in a creative manner. TFC will never draw a foul if it was left up to de Guzman...Surprisingly strong contributions from Doneil Henry and Matt Gold. Henry threw himself into quite a few challenges with smart energy. Martina came on for Soolsma, but neither ever seemed to be a danger to Pumas' goal. Andy Iro continues to be an adventure all on his own. He deflected a shot that hit the Toronto post in the largest scare in the late minutes of play. Harden was a solid contributor. Ashtone Morgan was also active all night. If Plata and Eckersley are the top newcomers to the team, Morgan has to be their Canadian equal.

Skunks are skunked in LA Chivas 3 TFC 0

2011-09-25T10:08:00.000-04:00

I am thinking that TFC’s lack of a true nickname is a reflection of their lack of success over the years. Dan Dunleavy (announcing the game on GOLTV) was smart not to refer to Toronto as the “Reds” when playing against a team wearing red. It made me think that “Reds” will never take hold, it is just a place holder until something inspired comes along. If you were to name the team based on their characteristics in the first five years what would you have? Playoff missers, revolving doors, underachievers, sinking ships are the phrases that come to mind. If Chivas are the goats, could Toronto become the skunks?

Toronto FC in Los Angeles Saturday night showed very little in the way of entertainment or inspiration. The team may have been physically close to Hollywood, yet they instead displayed the glitz and glamour of Collingwood. No, that is unfair to Collingwood. They might have had a slim glimmer of a playoff chance going into LA, but losing has shut the 2011 playoff door for good.

JP Angel scored a first half goal that showed off his talent for creating a goal out of any half decent chance. Iro one on one against Angel was clearly only a matter of time. The Chivas second half goal was a matter of Toronto relaxing enough in their own gpal area to allow Chivas to find a way through the cracks. Morgan should have marked tighter, Frei could be second guessed for staying on his line, should have been better pressure on the player who crossed the ball to Braun(who scored) and Andy Iro was caught adrift.Then Angel scored again and buried Toronto. That phrase gives the impression that TFC were above ground up until that point.

The town hall meetings loom this week. The Saturday night loss will contribute to a sense of gloom amongst the fans who attend the meetings. I am not hopeful that the Tuesday night CONCACAF game against Pumas will lift the spirits of we long suffering Skunk fans.

A win over Tauro and a memorable evening by the lake

2011-09-21T10:12:00.002-04:00

Game notes later - atmosphere at BMO first...The weather helped to set the scene last night at BMO Field, it was a perfect Toronto in September evening. The wind never picked up off of the lake, the sky was clear and the temperature was somewhere between balmy and cool. As the sun was setting, I had made sure to pack a hoodie and a fleece vest, yet they were never needed. We were in our seats 30 minutes before game time and the sparse crowd in our section (220) was a surprise. More than half the people that entered the section, looking intently at their tickets, turned out to be lost and were actually seeking 120. The sole usher in our area was very good at sensing the hesitating folks , interceding and sending them on their way. Trout, my sidekick supreme, observed that long ago when we first signed up for Toronto FC, attendance such as last night had to be what we were expecting as the norm, not packed to the gills sell-outs. The stadium, or our corner of it, works so much better with a handful of people in it. There was no worry with a constant stream of people heading to the concourse and obscuring our view of the field. Those who are there, truly want to be watch a game. A quick break for a snack or the men's room is truly a quick break, not a huge trek.Red Patch Boys and the U-Sector must know that these nights were made for them. They must be able to snap up the extra tickets that the season ticket holders drop and bring out more of their members. They brought their "A" game last night with flags, a huge banner, constant singing and a good, rough time for the other team and the ref. I know that next week will bring Pumas north to face TFC and they could be the toughest team faced all year. Yet I want to be there, I expect another great night regardless of the score.On to the game. There was little danger from the Panamanian team Tauro FC, but also little potency from TFC for much of the first half. Johnson and Morgan down the left side, Eckersley and Soosma down the left, but not much through the middle would describe the attack. Peri Marosevic did not have a strong night. He showed flashes of his speed, but seemed to be fighting the ball. DeGuzman, Dunfield and Yourasskowsky all played, but we still watch a team with a hole in the middle of the field. It is from this hole that Pumas, next week, rips our defenders to shreds.Koevermans scored the opportunist goal that gave TFC the victory. I think that he has been a quality signing and has the potential to be a top scorer for years to come. I think that he is a wily player and needs a consistent central attacking threat from those around him to find his chances. I am not sure that this roster can supply that style of attack.Terry Vaughn, the ref, was the most entertaining individual on the field for the second half. I have seen refs buy the dives more than Vaughn did last night, but he was in danger of losing the plot last night. I would love to see the foul/yellow card on Stinson in the final minute of the game. It seemed on the screen replay that Stinson had a clear path to the ball, dove out and cleared the ball and the Tauro player fell over Stinson's outstretched leg after Stinson had already made the play. How that was either a foul or a yellow needs to be explained...I promise another blog post with my thoughts on the roster. Next game - late Saturday night in LA vs Chivas

Lost faith, lost zeal, weak comeback promised

2011-09-20T10:36:00.000-04:00

Yes, I have faltered in the blogging TFC world in recent weeks. I was so discouraged by the August home game against San Jose that I stopped thinking and writing TFC for weeks. I had relatives in town, my beloved uncle from Los Angeles. He has been a soccer fan since his childhood back in England. We talk soccer all the time on the phone and get together annually - usually to watch the big games.I had so looked forward to taking him to a TFC match. Show him BMO Field and make a big day of it. The team looked limp. The crowd has lost zip and energy. Yet another year where the playoffs are not going to happen and the team is in flux. I don't blame the crowd for losing zip. It was not a memorable event, it was a downer of huge proportions. This meant that I wrote nothing about the victory in Columbus which gave Toronto the Trillium Cup for the first time and was the first ever TFC victory in Columbus. Some years that win would have sent me dancing (well, hopping), but this year it was worthy of a weak smile.I wrote nothing about the 4-0 loss in Mexico against Pumas. A horrible showing. No wonder I had only a weak smile after the Columbus game. I must have sensed that it is a fragile sense of progress that is being built.I wrote nothing about the trade deadline deal that sent Robinson (a defender picked up from Chicago on the Dan Gargan exchange) to LA Galaxy for a young central defender Kyle Davies. TFC needs defenders.So tonight the Champions League game against Tauro beckons. Next week is a town hall meeting - I just don't know why I feel so down on the team. They sent me a book. I promise to bring it to the town hall - otherwise I don't know what to do with it.

Blame it on the Ex - TFC 1 San Jose 1

2011-08-27T23:06:00.000-04:00

I may take a few days to develop a theory that hit me tonight. The problem with TFC is the CNE. I am of baby boomer vintage and can remember when the CNE was the pinnacle of a Toronto summer. It was not just an amusement park, it was a showcase for the latest and the greatest The world has changed and we know that the old CNE has been left behind by Disney this and Universal Studios that. Amusement parks have themes and parking and a sense of destination. As for the latest and greatest, when we want to gaze at new product we peruse video presentations of them.TFC has been put together in an old CNE carnival style. New players mostly, but there is a jumbled sense to how they look together. Frings is the Horse Palace, strong and functional but nobody thinks of flashy when they are in the Horse Palace. Food Building = Ty Harden, Andy Iro as the human cannonball. Which amusement ride best describes Plata?More to come.PS fleshing out this idea will be more fun than watching the game against San Jose.

Lost in Chicago - The Gargan Released

2011-08-21T22:38:00.000-04:00

Tonight it was torture by television. Toronto FC lost 2-0 to the Chicago Fire, allowing Chicago to go ahead of Toronto in the standings. It was an odd game, TFC showed a lot of ball control and did manage to hit the post twice, but overall they lacked any finish.It was fitting that Dan Gargan scored against Toronto. It was a combination of sloppy defending and Gargan determination that created the goal.

Toronto wins in Panama - no charm, no style, no ref

2011-08-18T22:49:00.002-04:00

The final score was 2-1 in favour of TFC. The word to describe this Champion's League game between Tauro of Panama and Toronto FC would have to be brutal. The play of TFC, the way that Tauro controlled the ball but had no ability to put it away, the way that the ref was calling every challenge a foul, the way that DeGuzman lunged and fouled to give up the penalty kick that resulted in the goal, all of this and so much more - brutal. You can be pleased with the victory and feel that Toronto got away with points against the run of play and the 30 fouls that the ref threw around. You just hope that we don't have to suffer through another spectacle like that for years to come. It will be interesting to see the return match here in Toronto, there should be no excuse for TFC to not tear them apart.

Rare win, grab what you can TFC 1 Real Salt Lake 0

2011-08-14T00:18:00.001-04:00

A victory is a victory and each should be valued. At least that is what I have beentrying to tell myself on the drive home. They have been rare enough in 2011, aseason where TFC have played 26 games to reach the plateau of 4 victories.Somehow plateau does not seem like the right word. Perhaps it should be 26games to reach the doorstep of 4 victories.

On top of the joy of a victory should be the double joy ofdefeating Real Salt Lake, a team that Toronto has not had much success against.Plus the performances of Plata and Kocic were worth the price of admission, sobring on the joy…

However, I thought there was enough room for concern withToronto’s performance that the joy is restrained. They seemed to control a lotof the play, yet the lack of finish continues to be a trademark. Koevermans wasnot firing tonight and could have been taken off the field at half time, saysI.

Let me talkplayers and positions for a while. I can understand Coach Winter’s thinking inshifting Torsten Frings back into a central defender role. All year we havebeen witness to the burden the back four plays in Winter’s preferred playingstyle. There have been games in which it seems that TFC’s back four have theball at their feet most of the time. Heaven knows that Andy Iro benefits fromhaving Frings nearby and ready. My concern is the midfield hole that shiftinghim back creates.

The midfield tonight was Julian De Guzman, Eric Avila andMatt Stinson. Avila showed some skills, both in tackling and on the attack. Hispassing to Peri Marosevic was good and seemed to be one of the bright spots ofthe first half. Stinson seemed to be the odd man out and was eventually subbedby a defender. Which leaves us with JDG. I will give him some credit indefending – he was clogging up the passing lanes, covering and even showed awillingness to take on Kyle Beckerman in a tough tackle later in the game. Thetrouble is his attacking, or lack of it. Yes, he is accurate when he pushes theball out to the wings to change to point of attack. He can boot it with easeand it travels to Plata land. But where is the variety? Where is the forwardprogress? Weaving through the defenders and drawing fouls just never happens.Probing passes, forget about it? Holding the ball up and finding a way to breakinto space

We end up watching a sideline game. TFC always has the ballout on the edge. Sure, Plata’s goal was the result of coming in from the wings,but most of the time it just stays stuck out there. JDG seems to think his jobon the ball is to take it from being stuck out there to being stuck out theother there.

When you calculate how many times Salt Lake hit the crossbarand how many brilliant saves Kocic had to pull off late in the game, TFC is notgoing to squeak many more 1-nil victories from this line-up. Cherish the win.

Missed this one - How did DeRo look? DC 3 TFC 3

2011-08-07T21:51:00.001-04:00

Missed this one. A Muskoka weekend without cable and I forgot to record. When I heard that DC scored first and then Toronto ended with a tie on the road, I thought it was acceptable.
Then the DeRo hat trick and the Iro blame game took to the air.
Never dull in Toronto FC land, never dull.

Found the group stage, went through the long grass RE 1 TFC 2

2011-08-03T14:06:00.001-04:00

Nine banded Armadillo - habitat - the long grasses found within soccer stadia

Late, late last night I watched TFC handle a tame Real Esteli. It was one of those weird media nights. I watched the first half on television and then went onto the TFC chat to see what Asif was saying. Soon discovered that what I had been watching on tv was not live and that I was able to move through time rapidly. Ryan Johnson had scored his second goal and it was just a matter of time. I still watched until the end, but it is a strange tension free viewing experience.
I give Winter credit for a handful of good decisions last night. The playing of Kocic was a supportive gesture to the 2nd keeper. I would not have been big enough to do it. Giving Henry and Morgan playing time was smart and the coaching confidence in Stinson continues.
Earlier the trade of Maicon Santos to Dallas for Eric Avila was announced. I don't know what TFC has obtained, but I know that Santos' went from big cheese to man without a position on the team in a matter of months. There has been a stampede of players in and out and this could be the end of it. However I would not bet on it. The likes of Sturgis, Yourasskowsky, Soolsma could be candidates. Javier Martina was subbed very early last night and look what that did for Santos.

Road point - new guys battle back- Portland Timbers 2 TFC 2

2011-07-31T09:44:00.001-04:00

This should read....Timberrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I often complain that you won’t capture the essence of ateam’s performance when you watch the game on television. Too often you are inthe hands of some mystery tv director and strange camera angles. How often havewe been sitting at home watching a close up on some player because theannouncers want to talk about how his granny bakes cookies for the team? Thegame and the performance of the players get lost in the “show”.

I am happy to throw that criticism away when talking aboutthe Saturday night broadcast from Portland. It certainly helps that DanDunleavy handles the play by playperfectly. He knows the team, knows the game and you never feel that he istalking down to a mythical audience that has no understanding of the game. Ialso was happy with the cameraangles. You had a good view of the game, you did not feel that you werewatching through a tube.

Portland had gone in front 2-0 and had fully deserved it.The first goal was a matter of taking advantage of Toronto’ sloppy defendingand the second was a pk due to a clear cut take down by Andy Iro. I should becareful using a term like clear cut when talking about a game in Oregon. Toronto fought back all second half andgoals from very new guy Marosevic and still new guy Koevermans brought Torontoa draw on the road.

So, not only are the TFC players looking stronger asindividuals, but that team “gel” we have been wishing for seems to havearrived. I was also pleased with the substitutions. The tv crew can talk up thecontributions of JDG, but all I will concede is that his play is a step up fromthe “lost at sea and doesn’t really care” JDG and that’s not saying much. Hehad nowhere to go but up. Replacing him with Dunfield was the second step ofthe comeback. The first step was replacing Soolsma at half time with PeriMarosevic. Soolsma is alwaysmaking an effort, but Marosevic bagged a goal from open play within his firsthalf hour and Soolsma has yet to do that in half of a season.

Koevermans and Frings continue to be the spine of this team.Eckersley and Frei get to be part of this mythical spine too. Plata was asparkplug all night.

Then when Harden could not continue, the shift of Martina tothe front line, Johnson to the midfield and Frings to the back line was thefinal smart move. I must also mention that Winter’s starting of Ashtone Morganand his willingness to stick with him despite some shaky moments out on theleft. The two streams of TFC development must be bringing in superior talent anddeveloping Canadian youth. I give Winter full marks for this one.

Now it’s on toCentral America!

Plata shines Kocic boots TFC 2 RE 1

2011-07-27T23:10:00.002-04:00

What was that? This team just can't get it right. Even when they have a game under control and should be playing out a 2-0 victory, they find a way to mess it up. To be more precise, keeper Kocic found a way to come out for a loose ball and flub it. He left the RE shocked striker with the ball at his feet and nothing but net to hit. I declare that it qualifies as the worst goalkeeping moment in Toronto FC history. In baseball it would be called an unforced error.

TFC was at home to Real Estelli in the home and home portion of the Champions League competition.

Plata had been a second half substitute and he was on fire. I have observed that Plata might be a better sub than a starter, his energy and speed thrown at defenders who are tiring could be a needed attacking tactic. We all know that this team needs attacking tactics. Toronto had been dominating possession but showing the usual lack of finish.

Frings and Johnson both looked strong, but the left side combo of Stinson and Zavarise was offensively limited. Henry and Morgan both made solid contributions in the back four, Morgan showing some real flair with the ball. DeGuzman made a late appearance

I am torn overall. Part of me says that missing out on CCL would be a good thing as it would allow them to focus on league success. The other part says that MLS success is a lost cause for 2011 and that a good run in the CCL would redeem something for this season.

A week from now we will know.

Kansas City scores 4 - days later Gargan released??

2011-07-26T17:27:00.002-04:00

I do not know what to make of this team in recent days. Kansas City scoring three in the first half seemed to be part of a continued collapse. I think Luke Wileman shared the stat that Toronto FC had already reached the 2010 goals against level with three months left to play. That is a shaky first half to the season summed up in one statistic. Koevermans looked smart on his goal, beating the keeper with a downward bouncing header. Johnson played with energy and seems like a solid two way player. Frings continues to find his way, he seems to be evaluating both Toronto and the MLS while the ball is at his feet.

Then Dan Gargan was released. It must have been a roster move, perhaps opening up a spot for another signing or a trade to come. Gargan was not carrying a huge contract and you would think he was versatile enough to be worth having on your bench.

Rebuilding pains TFC 0 Dallas 1

2011-07-21T00:41:00.004-04:00

I tried to stop myself from expecting too much from tonight's game against Dallas. I suspected that whatever the individual qualities of the players, old and new alike, that developing a coherent smooth squad was a matter of time. Toronto played five new players and three of those were playing their first games in MLS. Iro has only played in a handful of games and Eddy Viator only signed today. The fact that they lost a 1 goal game and were always in the hunt could be the positive spin. The mishmash of dazed newcomers thrown in with the overplaying desperate holdovers (fighting for their jobs) might be the more negative take on the night.

I usually avoid player ratings, figure that they reveal bias and/or ignore criteria and bounce off into popularity contests. Yet since all eyes were on the new players I offer my stab at it.
Frings - except for the missed tackle on Shea seconds before he scored, he looked strong while defending and showed some patience on the ball and was willing to go forward and hang back depending on the situation B
Koevermans - showed flashes in the first half, faded away in the second. C-
Iro - seemed to be rusty and rough on the ball. He might be a strong foundation in the back, but something tells me that he and Harden will not be the partners of the year. C-
Viator - he might have been the best player wearing red tonight, smart, fast and tough on the ball whether attacking and defending B+
Johnson - He might have tried to do to much , don't understand why he had to give way to Soolsma. C+

So Saturday night in KC Toronto fans will be cheered when they see the return of Eckersley. I wonder if there will be more new players brought into town by then.

Toronto takes the Voyageurs Cup - Vancouver had them and let them go...

2011-07-03T03:36:00.001-04:00

First of all, I was one of those hundreds of people who had to line up and wait to hand in tickets to exchange for new tickets because my printed tickets were destroyed on that stormy night in May. Perhaps I was foolish to think that if I arrived with my original tickets that all would be ok. I missed 40 minutes of the first half because I had to stand in line and prove to TFC/BMO gate staff that I was legit. Yes, I misunderstood emails. Yes, I could have printed again and avoided this. I happen to be in total brain overflow as I am off to the Grand Canyon today for a 10 day adventure on the Colorado river, so my confusion is legit. But yes, TFC, in one swoop you managed to make a day one season ticket subscriber feel more like a potential fraudster than a valued customer.

So I can write about the second half with authority...
Plata and Frei are the two who drive this team. They were the reason Toronto took the cup. Sure Yourasskowsky scored the winning goal, but he was so overdue that had he missed his chance he might as well have just run off the field into the gloom that ex-TFCers go into.
I also think that credit has to go the back four of Gargan, Eckersley, Harden and Borman. Although was it the insertion of Tchani into the back four that led to the moment when Hassli was all alone and fired wide? That was a heart stopper...

So now we have the home and home series against Nicaragua's Real Esteli. Does anyone know if Torsten Frings and Danny Koevermans are eligible to play now??

One anthem, one goal, two new, veteran guys waving to the crowd - TFC 1 Whitecaps 0

2011-06-29T23:51:00.000-04:00

TFC attacking strategies of 2011 - not a best-seller

TFC wins have been rare things this year. Tonight Toronto managed to find a way to gain their third of 2011, but it was underwhelming to be charitable. There is no room for gloating tonight, Vancouver must have their eyes on Saturday's Canadian Championship game as priority one. They were always in tonight's game. Frei's steady hands were critical in the late stages
The news of the signing of Torsten Frings and Danny Koevermans as designated players was rippling through the crowd prior to the game. Shook my head with wonder to see a fan in section 219 already wearing a white TFC shirt with Frings on the back. This town is hungry for quality football and waiting for July 20th when they can take the field against Dallas is going to be tough. Now the other shoe dropping in the form of a fond farewell to DeGuzman seems even more likely to my eyes. I understand that his contract goes to the end of 2012, so a buyout would be huge.

Good News
Plata was a high energy sparkplug all night.
Eckersley can fill in wherever needed in the back four.
Something feels special about nights where we have only one anthem played.
Soolsma added scoring on pks to his skill set. Prior to that his greatest moments had been twice being brought down in the box.
Nathan Sturgis has had better games, but he remains a viable sub for JDG. Frings seems destined to replace both of them though.
A win is a win, is a win.
Am I the only one hoping that Alan Gordon and Maicon Santos are possibly in the line-up on Saturday?

Bad News
Yourassowsky has yet to display any scoring instincts. His passing instincts are nothing to write home about either. At least he stayed on his feet most of the night and banished the drama.
The crowds are feeling thinner. The atmosphere is suffering as a result.
Zavarise was not a factor in the attack while in there. Stinson replaced him and threw himself around and at least made some noise.

A chore, a bore and unable to score - TFC 0 Seattle 1

2011-06-18T23:54:00.000-04:00

The chore aspect.
The sun was shining this afternoon. The weather was pleasant, everything we desire in a June day. I was wishing that this was a Saturday without Toronto FC. A night at home, chips, dips and beverages on the deck. The setting sun and then the stars for a canopy. This last Saturday before summer solstice seemed a night for kicking back and stretching out. The entertainment value of attending a TFC game has been shrinking as the spring has gone on. The road performances have been more heartening than the home games. I dragged myself to the game. I live an hour+ out of town, so it is an effort on a night such as this, but I was there.

The bore aspect.
Coach Winter's tactics. He has some talent on the squad and they show signs of knitting together. Yet he sticks with 4-3-3 no matter what team or midfield he faces. I have been craving some flexibility, but he shows it at the worst time. 2nd half tonight and the Sounders were down to ten men and it sure seemed to me that TFC went to a 4-2-4 formation, Plata, Soolsma, Santos and Martina across the field. Trouble is that too much of the time the ball was at the feet of the back four. Seattle seemed to be content with this status way too much. Yourasskowsky had some exploratory ventures, but he never truly scared Seattle. Oscar Cordon just does not look ready for first team duty to my eyes and I felt he had very little impact. He did have a crack at the ball from distance(I think it had come out to him as a clearance from a corner)and had a deep run with the ball that ended as he held it too long. I give the back four credit for trying to launch some interesting attacks, but when you give up the midfield you end up with a front and a back that have limited connection to each other.

The unable to score aspect.
See above. See Alan Gordon missing from both starting 11 and the bench. See Toronto FC history. See the "watching this team has become a chore" section. See Canada vs Guadalope as a template. See the crying need for a designated player or two.

Another road battle - New England 0 Toronto 0

2011-06-15T22:17:00.000-04:00

Toronto FC showed up in New England and played with some of the fire that was on display late Saturday night in Los Angeles. Not enough fire to score against the Revolution, but I give them credit for some ignition.
There seemed to be signs of cohesion from Toronto. Players seemed to know each other that much more. Passes were completed and plays were made. No finish in the box, but there were positive signs.
The defending was strong too, perhaps the strongest it has been on the road this year. Frei played a superb game, but the back four of Eckersley, Henry, Harden and Borman were his equal. Borman held his own as New England winger Nyassi came at him again and again. Harden and Henry were steady and cool, shutting down the strikers and Shalrie Joseph too.
Now New England has been struggling of late, so I am not declaring anyone in red as world-beaters tonight. A good solid road point is what it was. To get back to back draws on the road has already exceeded my expectation for the month of June.
I am not sure about the two yellows picked up quickly by Zavarise... nor am I convinced that Maicon Santos coming off for Oscar Cordon was a strong move ... I think that Nathan Sturgis has played well enough to hold his starter spot and JDG can sit on the bench and reflect on his Gold Cup glory...Alan Gordon seemed to run out of gas in the second half - which is what you expect after his long injury spell ...
Seattle on Saturday awaits, it would be nice if this road energy shows up amplified at home.

Alan Gordon shines in the LA night - LA 2 TFC 2

2011-06-12T16:26:00.001-04:00

A different night, but the tune stays the same

I will admit it freely, I was getting tired of hearing about how the injury to Alan Gordon was affecting TFC. It felt like a feeble excuse. I thought he had been a very good player for Toronto, but rather than lament his loss we should be expecting others to raise their game. He was a smart acquisition, but he was not the answer to TFC's scoring woes.
Well, after last night when Alan Gordon scored twice, I have to eat my words. Gordon was the difference and his last second goal made the tie feel like a victory.
It was a game that started badly, LA scored in the second minute and how many times have Toronto crumbled after the poor start?(DC United and Philly spring to mind, to answer my own question).
I always hesitate to dwell on tactics when I have watched the game on tv. You just don't see what you need to see. The runs off the ball, who is tracking back, why the pass went astray and a thousand other things are missed as the camera zeroes in on the ball. Yet I felt that there was a tactical shift. TFC did not seem to spend the night with the ball at the feet of the central defenders stuck in their own half. Henry and Harden were the central pairing and I thought they held up well. Henry may wish that he had caught more of the ball on his attempted clearance seconds before the Angel goal, but he was part of a larger crisis at the time. Borman and Eckersley both played strong games, with Borman making the diagonal cross that resulted in Gordon's first goal.
The injury list grew. Peterson and Tchani could be serious and longer term. I think that Beckham gets away with far too much (eg. the tackle that put out Tchani). Does he have a clause in his contract that says he owns the refs? He seems to make a rash tackle, pick up a deserved yellow and then never settles down. He throws himself about as if he is sure the second yellow cannot be produced.
I thought that Nathan Sturgis continues to look useful and energetic, both on the attack and defending. Mark that down as reason number 78 why DeGuzman is done. JDG is away at the Gold Cup, trying to figure out how to break down 10 man Guadeloupe.

It is too bad that these spirited games have been on the road, but then again a tie on the road can raise your spirit and a tie at home can fall flat. Next game is on the road in New England. It would be nice if some of the sheer joy from the LA game's final seconds carries over to the next game.

TFC still playing as strangers -Toronto 0 KC 0

2011-06-04T23:35:00.001-04:00

I will start off with a collection of positives. This is an effort on my part. I arrived at the stadium feeling grumpy. I stayed grumpy throughout the game and left the place still feeling grumpy. The pounding Philly bestowed upon Toronto is a burden that fans do not shake off easily. I went to BMO Field without my joy, it was a mission to find some rays of hope. I have to give credit to TFC for going from allowing 6 goals to keeping a clean sheet in a week. Yet the talent level and the team cohesion are still blocking those rays of hope. I don't feel that the team had . Perhaps they can claim that they stopped the sinking, but when you are already under water (the TFC record is now 2 wins, 5 losses and 7 ties) holding your position does not seem

Positive 1 -Having Nana Attakora back on the field in Toronto was a welcome sight. He was competent throughout and seemed to grow more confident on the ball as the game wore on. Nothing spectacular, but the back four looked strong and the ball seemed to come out of the back without the easy give-aways that the Philadelphia Union feasted upon last weekend. The Attakora injury at the end of the game seemed to be on the serious side, but it could have been a conditioning question since his level of play has been close to zero

Positive 2 - Stefan Frei was back to his usual high standard of play. It was probably what everyone expected, but it was good to see.

Positive 3 - Eckersley continues to be a strong contributor at right back. Always an excellent individual effort, but there still seems to be a lack of "gel" when it comes to ball control and passing with Tchani and Martina down the right side of the field.

Now onto the questionable aspects of tonight's game. Why does Plata seem so isolated up front? The strategy seems to be to throw longballs in his vicinity as if he were the world's smallest target man. I am not a fan (yet) of the 4-3-3 formation and the isolation of the wingers would be one of the largest reasons. Martina did not fare much better in the first half.

Tony Tchani as the Man of the Match? I suppose that it was tough to select someone from a nil - nil game, but Tchani was a late starter in my books. His second half was much improved over the first. He developed some moves on the ball. His passes were finding Martina and later Soolsma out on the wing and Tchani did turn into the centre of the pitch and feed some through balls. Tchani and Yourasskowsky both had moments in the second half were they displayed a deft touch on the ball and were able to fool defenders with minimal, but deliberate ball movement. However this is a step or two below actually terrifying defenses with marauding, penetrating runs.
Nathan Sturgis and Yourasskowsky were both on the verge of moving into the good news category. Sturgis seemed to draw back into the defending role more in the second half

So what is ahead? Next weekend it's a road game in LA against the Galaxy, followed by a Wednesday game in New England. That seems like a cross continent jaunt designed to kick a team when it is down. Later in June we see Seattle visit BMO, then TFC isoff to Utah to play Real Salt Lake and then home again to host the Whitecaps. I would be thrilled with a point on the road in June, but it is a longshot. Stay tuned.

Making mistakes by the lake at new high in goals against- Toronto 2 Philly 6

2011-05-28T19:58:00.000-04:00

I guess that an event such as Philadelphia Union coming to Toronto in their second year and scoring a record number of goals against TFC was not a complete shock today. The question that was bouncing around my head on the way home today was a simple one, will TFC get worse before they get better? If you judge the TFC future by the post-game conference with Coach Winter saying these are not my players, my players will start arriving throughout June, you have to lean towards getting worse before it gets better.

There was little new on display for the Toronto FC fan at BMO Field today, just the bad things that we have come to expect arrived in much heavier doses and in surprising combinations. Sloppy defending and poor marking were combined with a new element, the off day of Stefan Frei. The usual inability to move the ball forward through the middle of the field was combined with a swarming Philly team that knew how to press and wait for the inevitable bad passes from the defenders. At least that was the first half tactic for Philly, the second half it was just swoop in on the rare counter-attack and have all the freedom and space you needed to score.
I know I am going to sound like a broken record - I just don't think that the TFC with Dichio, Brennan, Tyrone Marshall and Adrian Serioux on the field (just sampling from the year gone by) would have folded like a cheap suit as we saw today.

Coach Winter gets credit for taking JDG off for the second half, it was a brilliant, overdue move. JDG has been sold to Toronto fans as a skilled holding midfielder. I think the only "holding" I saw was the Philly players holding each other after scoring. I think that JDG has to go, no offense, no defense and no leadership.

I have some patience and understanding for Winter and Mariner. They took over TFC in the MLS off-season, which is the on season for many of the leagues where you would be looking for talent around the globe. So the internationals that TFC have are loans, such as Eckersley and Stevanovic and players who were without a club such as Martina, Soolsma and Yourasskowsky. In other words, if they found some gems amongst the slim pickings, give them some credit for bucking the odds.
The month of June will be interesting because there has to be some players coming out of contract that would be of interest to TFC. Winter was talking about those players in the post game conference today.
Player acquisition will involve some complicated timing. I am not sure about the dates concerning trades within the MLS, but it sure seems that TFC is looking beyond trades. As I understand it, the MLS player agreement says that if you are on a roster on July 1 you will be paid for the year. So if you are going to release a player you would do it in June. I think that players who arrive after July 1 get to count as only half season players for salary cap purposes. It would be funny if the Toronto team that plays Vancouver in late June gets an overhaul before playing Vancouver on July 2nd.
I remain unsold on Winter's 4-3-3 philosophy. I am willing to wait for changes in player talent as Winter should not be judged on a work in progress. I think he has to look at the spirit on the team, the cheap suit folding feeling is not the foundation for success no matter who you plan to bring in.

Point earned in Colorado - Rapids 0 TFC 0

2011-05-22T21:37:00.000-04:00

Toronto displayed some teamwork and effort tonight in fighting for a tie on the road.

None of the regular midfielders, JDG, Tchani and Peterson were available tonight, JDG on yellow card accumulation and the others with injuries. It should not be a total surprise to long time Toronto observers that there seemed to be little drop-off by playing Sturgis, Yourasskowsky and Martina instead.

Problems still abound with finish and attack. Toronto's attack seems to be the result of solo effort too often. If there is any passing or trying to set-up another it always breaks down. I suppose they are still strangers to a large extent (or too many lack the killer instinct in the box).
Richard Eckersley and Dicoy Williams were the defensive standouts. The contributions of Frei continue to be the foundation of success. Gargan and Cann had solid contributions, although they made you held your breath a couple of times.
This was the first point taken in Colorado since the game that Chad scored a great goal in 08. Ah memories.
Hopefully this result will be a springboard for the game against Vancouver on Wednesday. See you there.

Still sick Toronto 2 Chicago 2

2011-05-16T19:53:00.000-04:00

Some nights you wonder about yourself. It was cool and rainy Saturday night and I have been fighting flu or a cold. I should have stayed in bed.

So the fact that TFC blew a 2 goal lead makes it a little personal. It was too easy to walk away from the stadium thinking that it all went south and the attendance effort should have been saved for a sunny day.

I don't connect losing the lead with the back four and Frei. I think Toronto loses steam in the midfield, yet Winter is always tinkering with the strikers. JDG, Tchani and Peterson have to attack. If for defensive purposes you want JDG to hover just in front of the back four, then the onus on the other two midfielders should ramp up.

Still sick.

Too tired and sick to blog in a timely manner - Dallas 1 Toronto 0

2011-05-14T15:55:00.000-04:00

I came away from Wed night's fizzle of a game in Dallas more concerned and more convinced that this stage of TFC 2011 had better end soon. The soccer saying goes that you build a team from the back and allowing only one goal on the road is an indication that the keeper and back four can do the job. That the single Dallas goal was from a penalty kick on a phantom foul, further supports my view. I am not saying that there was no foul on the play (Coach DeKlerk felt it was worthy of enough complaint that he was tossed from the sidelines and he was not depending on tv cameras). I also considered it odd that the ref who awarded a penalty kick on what seemed to be a case of a Dallas player falling in the box, twice in the second half gave out yellows for diving in the box. Was he trying to compensate?
Still, adequate Toronto keeping and defending combined with inadequate reffing could not conceal the fact that TFC has an inadequate attack. The question keeps popping into my head, what are we seeing on the screen that the coaching staff don't already know? I suspect that they are way ahead of us, largely because they have input into the road ahead.
Toronto had nothing but fizzle,pop and squeak in the attacking third last night. Winter knows this, his starters Plata, Stevanovic and Soolsma gave way to his subs Martina, Santos and Yourasskowsky and the results were consistently weak. Jacob Peterson, Tony Tchani and JDG were the midfielders all night and their offensive contributions were weak, weaker and weakest.
The home game Saturday against Chicago will see these same names in the line-up and no matter how you shuffle them. Next month the Gold Cup will have an impact on the roster, but I don't think that a scoring talent is waiting in the wings...

Adding sparkle to Saturday night Toronto 2 Houston 1

2011-05-08T16:26:00.000-04:00

The next morning’s reflection blog…

I write this on the Sunday morning after a pleasant Saturday evening at BMO Field. I am finding that my thoughts and observations of the game are not coming to me in a smooth narrative flow, but I am developing an understanding for this (replace “understanding” with “hare-brained theory designed to cover for my flaws”).
After all the season, so far, has not had much of a narrative flow. This new TFC with new leadership has been a stop and start, good things and bad things, sort of a jumble of impressions process. Positions shift, Coach Winter rotates players around, only Stephan Frei has been a constant. So I am willing to allow my blogging to be a jumble too. Every blog post should start with Frei = constant, solid foundation of this gelling/frustrating TFC 2011. It is not exactly snappy writing, but it is accurate. Of course with the Winter style of everyone has a green light to play the ball back to the keeper, Frei has to be the foundation. From Section 220 there is plenty of muttering that it is only a matter of time before a team with an effective press and a lucky guess will force a goal out of the steady stream of Toronto passbacks. Enough muttering for now, I did say it was a pleasant evening. Victory #2 of the year had to be more than just Frei…

Toronto began the game with a lively look. Playing Eckersley and Yourassowsky wide at the back and Plata wide in a forward role provided some sparkle. It also stretched Houston and gave Toronto some opportunities for the central players. The best example was JDG’s shot at net in the early going that tested the Dynamo keeper. It was DeGuzman’s best chance of the night (season?) and had it not been for a great fingertip save he would have had his long awaited first Toronto goal. JDG had some energetic moments in the game as did Tony Tchani. They looked slightly more coherent than they did against Edmonton, but they still are more potential than power.

My puzzled state at not seeing Martina in the starting line-up (or subs bench) gave way to joy at the way that Plata has become the energy source for TFC. The first goal was from the penalty spot. Soolsma drew the foul, but Plata took the shot. At first, from the upper deck of the west stand, it looked too steep and seemed to be heading over the bar. It was wonderful to see the netting bulge at the top…

The second goal was a nice low shot across the keeper from Maicon Santos, sent into the clear by a pass from Plata. The fact that Houston was able to score late in the game, that the defending looked shaky in the late going and that Frei saved the win with a few solid saves indicates that this team has a distance to go before the adjustments come down to minimum tweaks. The home record now stands at 2 wins, 1 loss and 3 draws.

TFC 1 Edmonton 0 - Efficient is not always impressive

2011-05-05T10:34:00.000-04:00

So what did we learn last night? TFC is a level above Edmonton. That does not seem to be much of an accomplishment, but we will take what we can get this time of the season.
You had to wonder about the potency of the Toronto attack. If TFC can only score once at home versus Edmonton, it makes you wonder how many times we are going to see them score against MLS opposition.
I was surprised at how many first team players were in the starting line up. Really only Plata could be considered a player of sub quality who got the start.
I was not impressed with Tchani and DeGuzman's play. Toronto has a hole in the middle of their team and going forward always seems to be from the wings as a result. Plata and Peterson were ok, but without Tchani and JDG able to go forward and penetrate too many attacks just fizzled.
Saturday night against Houston will be interesting. Can TFC move their game up a dozen levels in a matter of days?

A lesson from Saturday night, Sounders 3 TFC 0

2011-05-01T09:29:00.000-04:00

Class, find your seats and start on your essay assignment here on the front board. The gap of quality between Edmonton and Toronto (as demonstrated by Toronto's 3-0 victory the other night) is equal to the gap of quality between Toronto and Seattle (as demonstrated by Seattle's 3-0 victory last night). Discuss.

That was a night to forget, except that it is an indication of how far Toronto has to go in their climb to respectability. To say that Toronto lost the battle for the midfield at Qwest Field would be the understatement of the season. Winter kept on trying new players and combinations, but nothing worked. He even went with 3 defenders at the back to try and gamble for some impact in the midfield and nothing much came of it. There might be multitudes that argue that JDG will never be the impact player that Toronto needs, but I think that last night underlines that JDG without Tchani playing alongside is a lost cause in 2011. Maicon Santos in the midfield attacker role is also a non-event.
Alen Stevanovic contributed the only bright spot in the first half, the through pass that set up Martina's break and shot wide. Stevanovic was otherwise ineffective as a winger, maybe he needs to try a game at the attacking midfielder spot?
It is always so hard to determine positional play off the ball from tv, but I thought I detected Martina playing way back in his own half to lend help to Dan Gargan. Something is wrong with this picture.
Dicoy Williams continues to make his case for a starter's role.
Matt Gold made his MLS debut.
Toronto stayed in the game, despite the Seattle lead. Martina's late chance on a pass from Peterson was tiny consolation, but consolation was welcomed.

Toronto FC starts their Canadian adventure in Edmonton - Edmonton 0 TFC 3

2011-04-27T22:24:00.000-04:00

It was a night of firsts. Edmonton's first home game. Toronto FC's first game in Edmonton. The first time in 2011 that I listened to Gerry Dobson (he was ok).

As the night wore on you started to feel sorry for Edmonton. They played an attractive style of football, have mainly Canadian players and did not seem to sag when they went down to ten men midway through the first half.

Toronto started a surprisingly strong 11. Winter named Frei,Williams,Harden, Borman,Tchani,Santos and Gordon- all starters recently. The starters who were more drawn from the bench were Cordon,Plata,Yourassowsky and Eckersley. Even though much of the squad are starting to become familiar to the TFC fan, it is easy to forget they are still mostly players new to each other. There are signs of cohesion breaking through the awkwardness. Toronto started well and had most of the early possesion. Although Edmonton had some attacking quality, they
had sections where they already looked like they were playing with ten men and then it came true- Red Card to Edm and the game shifted for good.
Plata, who had looked a little lost out on the wing, found his way into the middle and fed a ball through to Maicon Santos who scored goal 1.
Maicon Santos almost scored again, heading a ball onto the bar and Gordon tried for the bicycle kick on the rebound and only got a yellow card for his efforts.
The second half began with Dan Gargan coming into the back four, replacing Eckersley. Eckersley looked solid, moved well with the ball in the first half. I expect he will see some playing time with Martina, so I would not be too concerned that Eckersley and Plata played like the strangers that they still are.
The second half was Plata's time to shine.
It did not take long for Plata to play a ball into the box to Alan Gordon, it fell to Cordon who should have buried it, but it fell to Alan Gordon to score the second TFC goal.
Plata showed some dazzling flashes of ball control and pinpoint passing. Maicon Santos looked a little disconnected at times.Amazing that he scored two goals on what was an off night. The second was just a gift from Edmonton's keeper.
Down to ten men and three goals behind, Edmonton just struggled through.
A good result and a solid performance, we will see how rested the team looks in Seattle. Clearly Coach Winter is trying to find the balance in using the squad to get through a busy stretch of the season.

Tiny signs and baby steps - TFC 1 Columbus 1

2011-04-23T22:18:00.000-04:00

There were signs of strength and improvement today at BMO Field. Toronto FC had a sturdy first half. Perhaps sturdy is too strong a description, let's say that sturdy is what they are building towards. Dan Gargan got the job done, but he had his moments. It was sturdy compared to the floundering we had witnessed the Saturday before. Columbus Crew looked much less potent than DC had and the Toronto defenders held together. The chances of another striker dancing in front of the supporter corner seemed remote. I had complained about a lack of grit and spine from TFC last week. I was pleased to see a mini scuffle in front of the Columbus bench when the Toronto players felt that Borman had been mistreated.
Funny that it all fell apart once TFC scored. The ref gave a second yellow card to Tchani for celebrating? I missed it myself due to my own celebrating. It seemed a very ticky-tacky call, and it took the wind out of Toronto's sails. Which was a shame because we had been waiting for that wind to blow since the Portland game

I thought that the pairing of DeGuzman and Tchani was showing signs of growth. Defensively it looked that JDG had been given the assignment of covering Columbus striker Gavin and he was effective. Yet the fans will always want more from JDG than good coverage and he provided a moment of offensive touch. The Tchani goal was the result of an accurate pass from DeGuzman. I am still worried that having both Gordon and Santos in the centre of the pitch is a waste of time, but it is great if Tchani and JDG can provide attacking spark until and it is
Dicoy Williams was a starter and he looked solid throughout the afternoon. Good on the ball, strong presence when shadowing their striker, he seems to have won the job in my eyes.
With TFC down to ten men, Winter’s shifting of players followed a pattern of taking out forwards and replacing with reinforcements in a midfield/winger role. (Martina, Gordon and Santos out, Yourasskowsky, Eckersley and Plata in). Other than the brief lapse which lead to the Columbus goal, the defending plan worked.
Today was the fourth home game of April and all Toronto has to show for it is three points. I suppose it could have been worse.

Recipe for Sunday - steamed Saturday night, still steamed the next day Toronto FC 0 DC United 3

2011-04-17T08:33:00.000-04:00

I held off writing my blog on Saturday night’s game until Sunday morning. I thought that I needed time to cool off. I think we can file that idea as yet another strategy that isn’t working regarding Toronto FC and the fans. I knew there were going to be bad nights going into “Season V – the rebuild”, but I think something snapped last night. A fan to team bond is in doubt and danger.

From the beginning of Toronto FC there seemed to be an attitude, quickly forged, that I saw totally abandoned last night. Players such as Jim Brennan, Danny Dichio and, starting second year, Tyrone Marshall all had a bit of fire in their belly and attitude to spare. Add Adrian Serioux to that list. I am totally ticked that Charlie Davies (the DC United striker #9) was able to taunt and dance right in front of the supporter section after his goal and no Toronto player responded. This is Charlies’ house now? Gosh and golly, I am convinced that Jim Brennan would have invented some new swear words on the spot, got into the DC United celebration scrum and earned himself a yellow just to make a statement. Toronto lacks statement makers. If you can’t make a statement in front of your own net, where are you going to find the inspiration to make a statement down the other end?

Here’s my statement: Score more goals, prevent more goals and care, really care. Last night was a cold and rainy one and you, the fan dressed for a session on a fishing trawler, went to the game feeling special. You knew that the casual fans would not be out. You knew you were making a statement, that the red and grey faithful TFC fan will brave the elements and fly the flag. The reward for our dedication was to watch Charlie Davies dance and laugh at us. Something is truly and deeply wrong with that. Davies may turn out to be the top goal scorer in MLS this year, he has that kind of talent, but no opposing player should be that comfortable in Toronto. Ever, ever, ever.

Alen Stevanovic is indicating to me that he has been loaned to Toronto because he is a fragile headcase. Every game he’s in he suffers a terrible injury and hobbles off. Then the next game he starts and is fresh as a daisy. Last night he spent the last 15 (20?) walking around injured on the field. He essentially took Toronto down to 9 players as Harden had been red carded. Coach Winter had already made his 3 substitutions and therefore Stevanovic walked around. Maybe I am bitter and twisted, but I had an angry reaction. I suggested that since he was borderline injured, hurting but still walking, a fellow Toronto player should foul him just to push him in “agony” off the field. I don’t believe he was seriously injured. MLS is a physical league Stevanovic. Show us you are not here for the health care.

I refuse to complain about Jacob Peterson. Sure, he lost Chris Pontius of DC United and was the goat on the first goal. Yet the fact of the matter is that Winter wants a lot of offensive creation and direction from his two backs and Peterson can supply it. He may not be the long term solution at that position, but he deserves another shot at it. I think Winter's triangle midfield makes Peterson the odd man out of the midfield. If Peterson can provide depth and support for forward, midfield and right back positions, you should be happy with versatility.

I have observed over the years youth soccer coaches who have no tactical sense whatsoever and simply pound away at positional play. The result is often a team of pylons, hard to find open space against when you attack them, but easy to thwart when they attack you. I am not happy that Toronto is showing signs of this robotic pylon play. In the first half Borman passed or attempted to pass to Stevanovic, his forward directly ahead of him on the wing, or passed it back to his fellow defenders. You never see a swirl or a shift or much work from the attacking players to get into space to create options for the left back. When Borman had the ball, Santos and Cordon (the two attacking options to the right from Borman’s point of view) did not seem to exist. Surprise and overlap, you zig and I will zag does not seem to be in our bag of tricks. Heck, what bag of tricks? Instead we were treated to an entire half of watching the back four pointlessly pass the ball amongst themselves or Stevanovic getting the ball and going nowhere with it. It was “The Attack of the Pylons” no surprises and easy to contain.

TFC did show some spark and comeback intent once Ty Harden was sent off, but I was just beyond annoyed that energy and urgency arrived an hour too late. Javier Martina supplied his usual high standard of play, but it takes a team.

Questions that burn….(but only because right now, everything burns)

How many changes to the starting 11 will be made for the Columbus game?

When the transfer window opens again in July, how much do want to bet that Toronto will sign both an attacking midfielder and a striker? They might not be both designated players, but attacking down the wings works best when your opposition is terrified of who you are playing down the middle.

Bright signs in the night - TFC 0 LA Galaxy 0

2011-04-13T23:59:00.002-04:00

I am one to complain that you can't take the full measure of a game from television coverage. Last Saturday's game in San Jose would be my number 1 example of that. BMO Field was guilty of obscuring a live game, last night was the first night game featuring the new advertising screens alongside the field and someone had better look at the brightness settings. Sometimes thrown ins looked more like vintage U2 videos than soccer games. I have been convinced for months that TFC is going to splash out for a big name to add to the roster, too bad it turned out to be Bono.
It was an entertaining game, both teams were in search of a style and that was a good thing for the home side. LA should be way ahead in the department of knowing each other, although two new strikers (Angel and Barrett) might be the biggest excuse. It was funny to see the post-game reports of Beckham complaining about the ref. Was I the only one that found the LA approach ultra-cynical? They seem to feel that they can drag anyone down, anywhere they choose and then flash the celebrity excuse. Learn to take it in stride guys, sometimes you take the foul and the card to save the greater cause. I did not see a LA player ever raise their hand to the ref/opponent after a foul. You know that universal soccer signal, I fouled for tactical reasons/meant no physical harm? Hell, after Magee blatantly fouled Stevanovic and then Barrett got his best shot at the Toronto net as a result, I was yelling for a Toronto player to be cynical and blatantly foul the Chad. Test the ref I say. LA looked like a team of whiners.
Toronto looked shaky at the start but found some style and looked more and more coherent as the game wore on. I think JDG had one of his better games in a Toronto uniform tonight. The pairing with Tony Tchani seems to be a promising one. Toronto needs a more potent midfielder at the peak of the triangle than Jacob Peterson. Still JDG and Tchani covered a lot of ground and broke up a lot of attacks. Beckham was able to go over them regularly with his passing, but the pair will have more success against a less potent attack.

Beckham was a show all on his own. He runs that team, although he might have stepped up more to that role with Landon Donovan out with an injury.Chad did not score, but he came very close....he is still working hard and I am cheering for him to start scoring. Just not in Toronto.
Toronto's forward trio were interesting. Some fans thought playing Stevanovic down the left in San Jose isolated Martina too much. Stevanovic proved last night that he can ignore Martina from a central position too! He does tend to run himself into positions where he has no support or outlet. Zavarise played well on the left, although his best play was in the first half where he crossed over to Stevanovic's right and was a fed a through ball (that was then dropped back to Martina). The potential seems to be there.

Questions to ponder
Maicon Santos was ill, but I did not hear the reason that Alan Gordon was out. Does he have an injury?

Why is Toronto FC using their International spots for players clearly in a substitute role ? eg Williams and Soolsma.

San Jose 1 Toronto 1 - improved road performance

2011-04-10T00:50:00.000-04:00

I am usually hesitant to comment from a televised match and tonight that hesitation is stronger. The camera locations and angles at Buck Shaw stadium must be the worst in MLS. Tight close-ups and meaningless wide shots, followed by tight, meaningless close-ups.

Toronto tied San Jose Earthquakes on the road and that is reason for cheer. Maybe not as loud a cheer as when DeRo would tear up his old club, but you take road points when you can.

More in the morning, maybe

Questions that linger

Nana Attakora is not playing well, but Winter has substituted him twice in the last two games and that can't be a morale booster. Is Attakora going to respond with positive play or is he headed to the bench?

Peterson at right back, actually seemed to work. Who saw that coming?

TFC 1 Chivas 1 - the parts are on the floor, did anyone see the instruction manual?

2011-04-02T19:59:00.000-04:00

The Hollywood version of today’s game would have had that rag-tag bunch, the guys who had just met, suddenly reach new heights and triumph together. Music rises, credits roll and all that jazz.
Reality at BMO Field was different. TFC looked like a jittery team. They looked like it was the day after something big had happened. It could have been the opposite of the bounce you expect from a team that has just had an unpopular coach fired. It has often been observed that DeRo was a selfish captain, but he was captain nonetheless. Chivas scoring so early just highlighted the confused state TFC seemed to be in. It might have been their only true scoring opportunity of the day. Chivas fired some testing long shots at Frei in the second half, but Frei was up to the test.

You would cover most of the starters and subs if you combined the categories of “new this year” and ‘recovering from injury”. The only players not covered would be Cann, Frei, Harden, Santos and Peterson in the first half. There are moments when it feels that we are watching a sociology experiment, 11 strangers on a green field are introduced to a soccer ball.

Javier Martina continues to provide most of TFC’s offensive excitement. It also seems that opposing defenses are happy to have two players cover him in some situations, notably when Frei has the ball and is looking long.

Both of the new guys acquired in the trade played the full game. Danleigh Borman looked like klutzy trouble in the first half for a while. Passes were sprayed around and his touch seemed unsure. He found a better balance in the second half and a few times he was supplying long balls to the edge of the box or switching the attack by finding Martina out wide.
Tony Tchani looked impressive in the midfield. He is a physical player and covers a lot of ground. If he and JDG can become a smooth partnership, the verdict on the DeRo trade could swing TFC’s way.
Questions that linger

Who can they beat? The Toronto home schedule gets tougher from here on. You could argue that Chivas USA is the cellar dweller of the MLS and Toronto just could not put them away. The next opponents visiting Toronto will be the Galaxy, DC United and Columbus Crew(April), then Houston, Chicago and Philly(May). It will be interesting which, if any, of those teams come into Toronto with worse records than TFC during this stretch.

Is Toronto going to take a break from trades and signings and work with what they have or will the shaking of the roster continue? I have that gut feeling that the trading of DeRo is linked with the acquisition of a designated player, but I guess that such a signing may wait until July. Have you noticed that all of my predictions involve July.

New Feature Still Kicking’s BMO Field intake tally and gourmet review – 1 Nathan’s hotdog and a shared bottle of iced tea. Verdict- tea was fine, I thought that New York style hotdogs should have a bit of “snap” to the weiner. It was ok, but I will be happy to try something else next game.

TFC may have the passionate supporters,

2011-04-01T20:36:00.000-04:00

but New York Red Bulls must have a fantastic photoshop guy. Or is DeRo there already??

DeRo departs, traded to New York Red Bulls for three young players

2011-04-01T18:48:00.000-04:00

Farewell Captain

There had been online buzz all afternoon of Toronto FC trade of Dwayne DeRosario. Sportsnet had an online post and Fan 590 had it on their 3:20 news (hey, that is just two forms of the same source, isn't it).

Then there were reports that a legal question had arisen and the trade was on hold.
Now it is official.
DeRo was traded for Tony Tchani (midfielder age 21), Danleigh Borman (defender age 26) and a first round draft pick next winter.

I think I get to say that I saw this coming. I might have been overheard once or twice saying that I expected to see DeRo traded by Canada Day. April Fool's Day was early than I expected, yet you could argue that the wheels of this move either began with a plane ride to Scotland or a cheque-writing goal celebration last year.
There is no surprise that Toronto went for youth in this deal. That has been the trend throughout the short time Winter/Mariner have been at the helm. This is truly their team now. JDG must understand that it is time to play or fade away.

The DeRo years were turbulent. The multi goal win in Montreal will not be forgotten. He worked hard and scored often. That he scored so often when the other team knew that there were few other scoring options on the field wearing red is an indication of how hard he worked. However, in the end he was another Mo move and his attitude was soured forever by the collapse of the Mo era. As a TFC fan and as a Canadian, I feel it is best to wish him luck in New York. He may flourish and have the MLS Cup in his hands sooner this way. We all hope that he has enough gas in the tank to help Canada make it to Brazil. Maybe he benefits emotionally from not having to be the hometown hero anymore. It will be funny if he gets a pay raise.

Tony Tchani

Danleigh Borman

Back to the lake, leave out the mistake Toronto 2 Portland 0

2011-03-26T20:04:00.002-04:00

In golf terms, Coach Winter and his Toronto FC team were given a mulligan today, a chance to start over again. The opportunity was not wasted. I went down to the game today just a little worried. I am sure I was not alone in fearing that a repeat of the Vancouver result would have made for a Toronto crowd restless and cranky. I also worried that a second loss would thump the team into a crumbling spiral. Maybe the players would be swamped with worries about the direction of the team and their place on it.

It was thrilling to spend the afternoon banishing those negative thoughts. It was a day to sing in the sunshine as TFC defeated Portland Timbers 2-0 in the Toronto home opener.

(Forgive me, there is something so tempting about the team name Timbers, that your choice of adjectives when describing victories or defeats become so juicy/corny that I have decided to take the high road. Now if that high road winds through stumps of trees still smoking from being struck by Red lightning, that would be beyond my control).

Like most of us, it was my first opportunity to see TFC 2011 in person and there was a lot to take in. There was a moment in the second half when Dan Gargan ran over to the sideline to confer with Coach Winter. There might have been some confusion on the far side of the field- perhaps the two substitutes, Zavarise and Stevanovich might have been misaligned or covering the wrong players. Gargan seemed to be just relaying the message, but two thoughts hit me quickly. 1- This team is being coached, and 2- that has been a rare thing in the first four years.

DeRo seems to be a rejuvenated player. He was tracking back to defend right from the start of the game and I think that having another attacking threat (or two, three and four) takes the burden of DeRo. It would be nice if his “one man show” tendency of 2010 were retired for good. I think that the speed, skill and anticipation of Javier Martina were a large factor in putting a spring into DeRo’s step. Scoring two goals in your first game in Toronto, that hasn’t been done before, has it? I recall last year we had too many players that scored only one goal in their first season in Toronto. DeRo carried the play deep and then smartly dropped it back for Martina’s first goal. Frei was the master-mind of Martina’s second goal, sending it long and catching Portland off guard. Martina looked like a genius too, it was a pretty, perfectly timed goal.

What does Winter’s 4-3-3 look like in person? Hard to say, it seems that play is fluid enough that the shape changes based on various threats and opportunities. I still think that the central midfielder has a huge burden in this alignment. He seems to be required to be a defensive midfielder but also have rare passing and dribbling talents. Nathan Sturgis played the role in the first half and I think his growing number of giveaway passes and foiled dribbles lead to a switch at the half. Jacob Peterson had been seen shifting to play a more central defending role late in the first half, as if he were bailing out the troubled Sturgis. I don’t want to be too harsh about Sturgis, he may prove to be a solid player who started his TFC career playing a tough position in a system he was still learning. Peterson handled the role surprisingly well in the second half on his own. I suspect that playing that spot is a temporary role for anyone right now. A healthy JDG (or Bouchiba) takes that place upon their return.

It was also encouraging to see both Zavarise and Stevanovich get some playing time. Stevanovich might be jet lagged and playing amongst strangers, but he looked promising. He tried too hard a few times and was guilty of going to the “cute” move whenever he could. Of course, if one of those moves had worked, he’d be the hero. Zavarise looked comfortable in the midfield, both defensively and on the ball. I am not sure that they will both play on the same side of the field, as they did today, very often. We will see.

So it was great to be back at BMO, saying hello to friends and enjoying an entertaining match. The sky was blue, the toes were frozen and the team looks like it is taking shape. Now the next step is to welcome some actual spring-like weather for future games.

Questions that linger

Did I miss an injury? TFC not playing Nana Attakora today was a surprise. Was he hurt? Did Coach Winter sit him out because allowing 4 goals against Vancouver meant that someone had to head to the bench? Was playing the two big guys in the middle, Harden and Cann, a tactic to counter the threat of large Kenny Cooper? Will Toronto only see Harden and Cann against strong, silent types on the attack and Attakora will regain his place against faster opponents? There does seem to be a shortage of defenders on the roster.

What are those twin weird bad turf ovals in front of each goal?

Just what did Yourasskowsky say or do to earn the second yellow from the ref while walking off the field. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot, it sure seemed that Yourasskowsky had played a strong game and might have won the starting left back spot.

Maybe it was just a bad day at the office, but I did not expect Alan Gordon to have a better touch on the ball or a better view of the options around him than Maicon Santos. If they are both healthy – it looks like Gordon as the starter and Maicon Santos coming off the bench.

Stevanovic on loan to TFC from Torino Serie B

2011-03-24T21:31:00.000-04:00

The loan of young Serbian midfielder Alen Stevanovic, from Torino to Toronto, was confirmed today by Toronto FC. This was a rumour that had hung around for days like a bad cold. He plays the left side and looks mean. The length of the loan was not mentioned, nor was a schedule for how soon we will see him playing for the Reds (Saturday?).

Vancouver arrives in MLS looking polished, Toronto still a repair job

2011-03-19T21:40:00.000-04:00

It is going to be a long year. The rebuild of Toronto FC, the Coach Winter era may have better days ahead, but things look mighty shaky at the start. Today Vancouver Whitecaps opened their first MLS season with a home victory over TFC, 4-2. Dero and Maicon Santos scored the Toronto goals, each a fine effort, but only the Dero goal arrived when the result was still in doubt.

Sure, Toronto allowed four goals and there could be a direct link between Toronto defensive blunders and each Whitecap goal. Let’s see, scapegoats on goals seemed to go…

1. Gargan loses their striker,

2. Attakora hangs back instead of challenging their midfielder as he saunters just outside the box,

3. Gargan gives a gift away,

4. everybody goes to sleep on that offside trap play.

Yet my beef is with the team formation, the lack of link play, the burden of attack coming from the back wearing out the defenders.

The back five today were all returning from last year’s squad, Frei in net, Gargan, Attakora, Harden and Cann defending. I maintain that Attakora should be playing right back and the physical pounding he took today from the Whitecap striker Hassli seems to be the price he will always pay when having to bring the ball up from a central position. I know that the Cann and Attakora pairing centrally was the basis of the TFC defending of 2010, but today sure indicates that an upgrade is needed. I am willing to bet that the Cann at left back experiment has ended and next game will see the starting of Yourassowsky in that position.

I remain unconvinced that playing a 4-3-3 formation will work for Toronto. I fear that it would take 10 magicians with the ball, stunning control players, to make it work. Let’s face it, MLS is a hard knock, tough tackling league. 10 magicians? Some would argue that it would be great to have one. I am not a proponent of kick and chase, but today was either a quick loss of possession or a lot of meaningless passing around the back.

We have a midfield smothered, when they have the ball going forward they are too often in isolation. Mr. Peterson meet Mr. Martina, Mr. Dero meet Mr. Soolsma. On my screen these guys were always in their own worlds for most of the first half. In the second half they vanished. I know that Soolsma was subbed out, but what about the others. I thought Peterson had a few valiant efforts and Nathan Sturgis played a holding role with some skill. Keith Makubuya was the young Canadian who played the wing in place of Soolsma in the second half. Vancouver was able to shut everyone else down consistently, so it would be unfair to expect something from an 18 year old.

Next Satuday, in the home opener, TFC faces the other expansion team, Portland Timbers. Can Toronto become a team in a week or will the Timbers duplicate the Whitecaps success?

Nick LaBrocca traded to Chivas USA for Alan Gordon

2011-03-11T17:37:00.000-05:00

Alan Gordon - clearly a physical player

Toronto FC made a move today, trading LaBrocca (who TFC obtained in the Marvell Wynne trade last year) for Alan Gordon. Last time Gordon had any contact with TFC it involved a forearm to Adrian Cann's nose in a game last fall.
Toronto has midfielders galore and strikers are scarce, so the trade makes sense in terms of the roster. As for the talent obtained versus the talent departed, I am not rushing into a verdict. It won't be hard for Gordon to surpass LaBrocca's goal production (1). Somehow I think that further roster moves are coming, so it is hard to figure just how much playing time Gordon will get.
LaBrocca's best TFC moment will always be that goal against Chicago when he sent in a cross from way out and the wind blew it into the net. The weather never seemed to cooperate fully with him after that.
I wish him well, no hurt feelings as a fan, yet he would always be somewhat haunted by the affection we felt for Marvell...

Toronto beaten by the Battery

2011-03-09T22:01:00.000-05:00

Blackbaud Stadium
I love the weight loss doctor ad right next to the piggly wiggly ad

Ugly was the look, ugly is the feeling. We know we are watching a mixed bag of a squad. Players who may be dropped from the team tomorrow are having their last chance to impress. Players who may be fighting for a spot on the reserves are competing against the Charleston Battery (and losing 2-1).
Ugly only works when you win.
I know that Coach Winter is too wise for us, he is deep thinking and tinkering at this stage. He stated to the Toronto media that he was not happy with playing in the Charleston tournament, felt it was too close to the start of the MLS season. He is also too smart to care about impressing us. If we are faithful enough to watch the tfctv stream and chat with Asif, we are too attached. String together three good performances in April and we will be scrambling back onto the bandwagon.

It was ugly enough to make you wonder just how much more roster juggling lies ahead.

Disney Pro Soccer Classic- glimpses of the rebuilding job, so far...

2011-02-24T22:30:00.000-05:00

The first pre-season game out of Florida was streamed on the TFC website last night and it was a treat to be watching TFC 2011, Coach Winter rebuild version. The game ended with a Toronto FC loss, final score 3-2 for the Houston Dynamo.
The first half was the enjoyable one. Toronto scored twice, Peterson and Dero, but Houston scored twice too. There was some smooth Toronto ball control and midfield movement, but defending lapses were ugly. TFC seemed to have the ball too often in their back four and no routes going forward.
You would have to be nuts to read too much into this game. There were plenty of subs for both teams. You had no idea which of the new faces are potential starters and which ones are going to be saying adios. When DeRo left the game, you had the feeling that the potential for attack went with him.
Remember a few weeks ago when Coach Winter said that a designated player could be signed before the start of the season. This team needs a star, striker or winger would do.

Next game will be Saturday against Orlando City in this same tourney. I would expect that there will be the same mixture line-up approach. There are tough days ahead, but the journey has begun. Anyone feel that somebody's play caught their eye?

Three players land roster spots after Turkish training camp?

2011-02-15T19:39:00.000-05:00

There is nothing official yet, but Coach Winter mentioned that the Dutch trialists below have been signed following the Turkish training camp. Bouchiba is the veteran player, but the other two are on the young side of 25.

The other news of late was the selection of TSN as the MLS Canadian broadcaster. I hold nothing back on this one, I hate TSN. The underlying tone to their broadcasts is whatever you are watching (and in my case it is mostly Raptors basketball and PGA) you are really just a hockey fan and they will use every break to update you on the NHL latest. Listen you puckheads, I don't care. TSN, I don't think you are capable of imagining how little I care about the NHL. I just know that you are going to mess up Toronto FC broadcasts beyond description. Then you will punctuate your awful shows with the latest from testosterone concussion land. You heard it here first.

Elbekay Bouchiba - Midfielder

Javier Martina - Striker

Nick Soolsma - Striker

Dawn of a new season, new management, new era?

2011-01-30T17:46:00.000-05:00

I have reached the part of winter where the logic has gone and I have managed to develop the sense that cold, snowy, icy weather will be a permanent part of my life. Once this frigid grip has taken hold of my little brain it becomes so difficult for TFC news to penetrate. The calendar may say one thing (TFC training camp has opened in Turkey), but as long as winter vistas dominate the world outside my window, I am not ready for the new season fever quite yet.

So what Toronto FC news trickled into my igloo in recent days?
A flock of press conferences that I have sampled and have reached the following conclusions - Deguzman has a new haircut and seems to be ready for a new start. Dero is back, but is he really?

Ex- Coach Nick Dasovich seems to be gone from TFC - this was hardly a shock, there seemed to be an incredibly expanding front office with Toronto taking on new leadership and retaining most of the old supporting cast.

Houston Dynamo has been shifted to the Eastern Conference for 2011. You don't need to be a geographical genius to see that the adding of Montreal in 2012 will mean that Houston won't stay eastern long term.

Interesting that Coach Winter was quoted as hoping to add a 2nd designated player before the season started. He seems to want to build a team from the start. Hopefully the old Mo trickle through the season with a patchwork roster system is gone for good.

The Toronto FC website had a simple posting that told us who was attending the training camp in Turkey. This was a welcome development. We know that the players choosen in the supplemental draft were not invited to Turkey and will join camp when it is based in Florida. There is also talk that some players based in the Americas will trial starting in Florida rather than going across to Turkey. The on field product is still an unknown, but there seems to be a sense of order to the proceedings so far.

I think that my igloo just shifted and I can hear the trickle of melting ice.

For the record training camp roster here

2011 Supplemental Draft

2011-01-18T15:19:00.000-05:00

Toronto FC selected
Pick 8 JC Banks Midfielder University of Wisconsin - Green Bay
Pick 13 Steven Beattie Forward Northern Kentucky
Pick 26 Spencer Thompson Forward Michigan State University
Pick 44 Scott Rojo Midfielder High Point University

Scott Rojo while playing for Carolina Dynamo

I am guessing that these young men just won a free trip to Turkey where Toronto FC is opening their training camp next month. Unless the deal for the draft picks is to start them in Florida when the camp comes back across.

Chad sent packing to LA, Jon Conway dealt to Chicago and 4 draft picks chosen by TFC

2011-01-13T20:35:00.000-05:00

Chad will be firing in Southern California in 2011

Jon retaliates

Chad Barrett was traded by Toronto to the LA Galaxy today. It is not clear what Toronto has been given in return. Maybe an allocation, maybe Toronto will be paying part of Chad's salary, an echo of the Carl Robinson deal from last year. I am not happy to see Chad go. He was rough, raw and frustrating. We saw his potential, admired his work ethic and felt that he had become "ours". Remember that half time tv interview when Toronto had not shown up in the first half in Houston? Maybe it was the expanding Chad contract that Mo had saddled the team with that brought it to an end. It might have been way too much money (300 g?) for a hard worker with potential.
It is not negative to predict that he will fill the Edson Buddle role in LA and benefit from this trade to the point of becoming a true goal scorer. Happy trails Chad, thanks for wearing the red well.

The New Guys
Demitrius Omphroy is a defender (right back) who played for the University of California.
Matt Gold is a defender who played for Ohio State (although there is a description of him that calls him a defensive midfielder).
Junior Burgos is a midfielder, born in El Salvador and played his college ball at
Joao Plata was the last pick for TFC today and they had to swing a trade with Chicago to get the pick ( a future consideration). He's 18 years old, he's very short, he's from Ecuador and he scored goals at the MLS Combine.

Now the future considerations in this deal were in fact Jon Conway. The back-up keeper had a good year with Toronto. He played the Champion's League games and had one MLS start, the game against Columbus where he picked up the red card for taking no guff (see picture)from Stephen Lenhart (who was traded to San Jose today- are you totally confused??). Can you salute a keeper for wearing the red well when a keeper's jersey is never red?

TFC management group introduced or Orange meets the Reds

2011-01-06T13:44:00.000-05:00

and

In case your resolution was to avoid online chatter, here is the official TFC leadership group announced at the ACC press conference today.

There is a team approach to the new TFC leadership. So forgive me if my labels are simple. Aron Winter seems to be both coach and technical director. Bob deKlerk is his assistant coach.
Paul Mariner seems to be the player acquistion guy.

It was also mentioned that Jim Brennan, Earl Cochrane and Nick Dasovich are staying with Toronto.
Asif on the live chat confirmed that Danny Dichio stays too.

There were really no other nuggets of information that came forward at today's press conference. Player moves might have to wait for the opening of the transfer window, signings and the draft.

It does seem like a fresh start. The future starts today...

Winter and Mariner or Mariner and Winter

2011-01-03T11:37:00.000-05:00

Reasons to be cheerful.

- Leadership hirings finally completed- fans can start dreaming of the season ahead, rather than dreading another day of TFC vacuum.

- I can't be the only one impressed with a Dutch coaching hire (Aron Winter). Although I am usually dubious when nationalities are thrown around as the answer to any problem, the Netherlands have supplied the world with quality players and national teams out of proportion to their population. Ajax has been at the forefront of player development for decades.

- Combining the unproven coach (from a quality playing and development background) with a hire with years of MLS experience, Paul Mariner, seems like a wise move.

More to come

Rumours swirl - Paul Mariner leaves Plymouth and is Toronto bound?

2010-12-30T21:34:00.000-05:00

When The Globe and Mail posts a Toronto FC coaching rumour, I pay attention. They are joining the chorus of speculation concerning Paul Mariner. Mariner is the long time assistant to Steve Nicol with the New England Revolution. He left New England for a coaching gig with Plymouth Argyle, but that has not gone well.
There is also news from Sportsnet's Gerry Dobson (his twitter account) that speculates that Steve Nicol is part of the hiring deal. Stay tuned.

DeRo on trial with Celtic

2010-12-28T10:22:00.001-05:00

DeRo (and Freddie) show up in Scotland-

click here

This is a mess.
First Earl Cochrane denies that DeRo will trial with Celtic.
Then photos of DeRo in Scotland show up.
Then TFC/Cochrane say they had no idea that DeRo was going over for a trial.
How can a player under contract shop himself around like this? How can a player, the captain of your team, go overseas without permission? What happens if he gets injured in a scrimmage? What is going on?

Toronto FC says farewell to three more

2010-12-03T12:09:00.001-05:00

The Globe and Mail are reporting that TFC has not renewed the contracts of three more players ;
Nick Garcia, Fuad Ibrahim and Amadou Sanyang. The only surprise might be Sanyang, due to his youth and playing experience. Sanyang was hardly a salary concern, although that might be the case for Ibrahim. We fans have to trust that letting a young player go is based on either draft or academy prospects.
Garcia's years in the league means that he is eligible for the re-entry draft. Since the two young players have no right to negotiate with any other club besides Toronto, I am not sure what the next step will be.

Joseph Nane traded to Colorado Rapids for 2012 third round pick

2010-12-01T07:47:00.001-05:00

Toronto FC traded again today. They sent Nane, the rookie midfielder, to Colorado. I don't know what to make of this. I was impressed enough with Nane that I thought he would stay on as a bench player. Clearly Colorado was impressed enough to trade for him. Only 22, so there is potentially room for growth.

The 2011 roster is increasing to a maximum of 30 players and Toronto seems to be shrinking. My roster memory goes like this...

3 keepers (Frei, Conway, Kocic)

7 defenders (Attakora, Cann, Harden, Gomez, Gargan, Garcia, Henry)

6 midfielders (DeRo, JDG, Sturgis, Labrocca, Peterson, Sanyang

3 strikers (Santos, Chad, Ibrahim)

That seems to be 19 players. There will be 5 players chosen by Toronto in the college draft. I am not sure of how many will be taken in the re-entry draft. How will TFC get to 30?

TFC and Whitecaps trade - Nathan Sturgis for the first round draft pick

2010-11-25T16:15:00.000-05:00

Today TFC traded their first round pick in the upcoming college draft (8th pick, I think) for Nathan Sturgis. Sturgis had become a Whitecap through the expansion draft only yesterday, chosen from Seattle's unprotected list. He is listed as both a midfielder and a defender, although his playing time in Seattle this year was as a midfielder.
This move makes some sense, although it would have made less sense had TFC kept Sam Cronin. Sturgis is only 23 , but since he was a Generation Adidas pick (2006) he already has 5 years in the MLS. Whether Toronto attends the college draft with 5 or 6 picks is not a big issue. The first round choice last winter was Zac Herold, the young man whose health ended his pro career before it began.

6 players gone - OBW in the draft, 5 released with a farewell and a train ticket

2010-11-24T18:43:00.000-05:00

Today saw the selection of O'Brien White in the expansion draft. The Vancouver Whitecaps took him in a move that I have been predicting for months. It is an understatement to call him a struggling striker in his time with Toronto. May he rejuvenate his career out in B.C., but not to the extent that he scores against Toronto.
Once the draft was over TFC released five players; Gabe Gala, Martin Saric, Maxim Usanov, Raivis Hscanovics and Mista.
Gabe Gala has been with the team since year one and you knew when the team started adding Academy players to the roster that Gala's opportunity to grab a spot on this team had passed. He is only 21 years of age though, so he may find a pro soccer path one day. He retains his claim to fame, the only Toronto player to have scored against Real Madrid.
Saric, Usanov and Hscanovics' departures are also no surprise. This trio were Mo and Preki's big moves for 2010 and we all know how the season went. Saric was a tough tackler, but you felt that he was just a red card waiting to happen. Usanov showed some flair with bringing the ball forward. Enough flair that in the summer I thought that maybe he should be playing as a winger. That was also due to his habit of getting lost on defensive assignments far too often. Hscanovics had no impact and gave way to Nick Garcia at the left back position. That has to haunt him.
The departure of Mista was the least surprising of all moves today. He did score in the game against Cruz Azul. That might have been both his debut and his one highlight for the season. Economical of him. Economy was seldom a consideration when talking about Mista in Toronto. He was here on designated player money and it was a total waste of time. Adios Mista.

Toronto FC exposes a few for the expansion draft

2010-11-22T22:17:00.001-05:00

According to SBI (Soccer by Ives) Toronto FC have made the following players available to the two expansion teams, Portland and Vancouver, for the expansion draft this Wednesday.

Toronto FC

Chad Barrett, Julian deGuzman, Gabe Gala, Nick Garcia, Raivis Hscanovics, Fuad Ibrahim, Milos Kocic, Miguel Angel Ferrer Martinez, Joseph Nane, Amadou Sanyang, Martin Saric, Maxim Usanov, O'Brian White.

That means that the protected players are ;

Jon Conway
Nana Attakora
Dan Gargan
Adrian Cann
Dwayne De Rosario
Ty Harden
Nick Labrocca
Jacob Peterson
Stefan Frei (I)
Maicon Santos (I)
Emmanuel Gomez (I)
Home Grown:
Nicolas Lindsey
Doniel Henry

A few shockers and a few developments in that information. Protecting Gomez must be an indication that his health outlook is a positive one. Expose Chad and protect Peterson has me scratching my head. Protecting Nick Labrocca and exposing Amadou Sanyang is another puzzle.

On one hand, perhaps the Designated Player salary of JDG makes him a tough pick for expansion teams, yet I thought he had a no-trade contract. Remember that TFC can have a max of two players taken and once one is picked they can protect another. So lose Chad, you protect JDG or vice versa.

I think that Chad is tempting for Portland, OBW tempting for Vancouver. I am afraid that Chad Barrett is now the most likely unprotected Toronto player to be selected on Wednesday.

Conway protected and Kocic exposed seems to be a big vote of confidence in the big back-up keeper.

I would say that protecting Ty Harden is a pleasant surprise, he seemed to me to be one of the best salary bargains on the team. Keeping Gargan, Cann, Attakora makes a lot of sense.

Stay tuned, the expansion draft is only one aspect of the changes possible. Already there have been trades made as teams would prefer to get another player in return rather than the one way selection route.

Helping Herr Klinsmann take the TFC pulse or their is no there, there

2010-11-11T22:35:00.003-05:00

I watched the press conference on TFCtv of Jurgen Klinsmann's introduction to the Toronto media today. It was a touch short of inspiring, what with Klinsmann being wise enough to promise little at the outset. However, I was a little worried when he talked about finding out what style of play Toronto wants and then hiring the folks that would deliver that brand of play. I think talent drives the style and we have had the hardest time attracting the talent. I think we want Klinsmann to graft on an aura of success more than merely provide feedback and analysis. Welcome to Canada, Jurgen. Do you remember the silky Canadian style of 86 in Mexico? Thought not. We will take whatever style allows the Reds to beat Columbus by four goals.

If you really need a Toronto style, here's my stab at it.
Speed and skill, strategy and depth.
The speed and skill part is a reflection of the gap between MLS and whatever league your average TFC fan has grown up with (EPL, Serie A, etc.,). The players we watch on tv from around the world think fast, move fast and have a silky first touch. We watch Toronto field players who lack speed and skill and seem to be learning on the job.
As for the strategy and depth part, the years have rolled by and the players on the bench seem to offer little. When Toronto FC makes a substitution it always seems that it is due to the starter picking up an injury or running out of gas. It never seems that the player coming in is bringing something specific, never mind something special. We know it is a salary cap team, but it would be nice to see more talent than we can play at one time and a coach who has more to say than "try your best".

Klinsmann - the consultant chosen to steer TFC out of shallow waters??

2010-10-29T19:24:00.002-04:00

Superstar German coach and player Jurgen Klinsmann may be hired by Toronto FC as a consultant. This according to a report from The Globe and Mail . The report was written by Stephen Brunt and I am incapable of imagining that Mr. Brunt could ever be wrong.
He writes...

Though Klinsmann will not take on the role of general manager or coach himself, he will be asked to make a recommendation as to Johnston’s replacement.
But it is more than a simple head hunting assignment. Klinsmann and his company will look at the club’s infrastructure, at its academy and scouting system, will suggest a playing style, and then find someone to accomplish the goals they set out.

Klinsmann, who lives in California, brings impeccable credentials to the task.

Never before has "impeccable credentials" been this much of an understatement. When I checked the TFC site moments ago it was down, so I await full confirmation. Meantime, allow me to return to my drooling.

DC United 2 – TFC 3 Emotions, good and bad

2010-10-24T10:01:00.001-04:00

Last night’s game had everything that TFC’s entire season had, except that it ended positively. Maybe I’m a sucker for all the positive stuff that has happened this week, the Tueseday academy win over Arabe Unido, the personal nature of the town hall meetings and the victory against DC, but I feel that the my faith is restored in the club. Corporate damage control has worked, I can’t wait for next season. I hope the boys in charge don’t screw it up again.

The story of this game is the line-up. What we saw out there was a squad which represents our hope for next year. With the exception of Nick Garcia, all the players that stepped on the pitch could feasibly be there next year too. Yet, there are many of those players who might not be here or will be pine riders. All indications point to Julian de Guzman staying, as both Earl Cockrane and Jimmy B. both were apologists for his play and role this year. Also, the play of both Nick Labrocca and Jacob Peterson of late has been wonderful. The Lindsay to Peterson to DeRo goal was the best we’ve seen all season and had me up and shouting expletives of joy at my tv.

Another line-up story to be considered is the absence of Stephan Frei. My pet theory suggests that he is being rested so that he won’t pick up a knock before the January transfer window. But his absence could be that he has a knock, or that Dasovic wants to share the playing time, or that the club wants a look at the reserve keepers with an eye to next year. It could be for any of a thousand benign reasons that Frei has been out the last several games, I just prefer the conspiracy theory.

The single player story, and this has been for the past few weeks, has been Nicholas Lindsay. He seems to be the rapidly maturing winger that we expected Jacob Peterson to be. Last night he was effective on both ends of the pitch, being involved in the second DeRo goal and saving a goal as well. He is the pride of the academy, the poster boy for what could happen when things are done right and, at this point, he helps to bring all the warm feelings back.

The game contained all of the things we want to see as fans, and all the things we have come to expect from TFC. An early goal by the opposition on a horrible defensive play was typical of all the bad we’ve seen over several years. A penalty score from Jamie Moreno in his last game in the league, gaining him top scorer status again, is typical of TFC’s penchant for giving goals to famous and former players. But then the good goals arrive, thanks in large part to Maicon Santos, who’s play has been a boon for the team. His arrival may have been the only good thing Preki did for the club.

Overall the final game of the season, unlike the last few years, has left us with positive things to dream about. There will be changes for next season, possibly as dramatic as this year. Hopefully all the changes that come will build on the positive changes that have happened this week.

And, just as a parting shot, by my calculations MLSE could have paid every season seat (that’s seat, not season seat holder) $62 for the salary they paid Mista. I won’t hold my breath for my $124 refund cheque from him. Congratulations Mista, you rank with Denilson and Louis Angel Landin as one of the worst designated players in league history. Don’t let the door hit you on your way out.

Trout

2010-10-22T13:57:00.000-04:00

It was breath-taking to read the letter to season seat holders from TFC this afternoon. Wow. Unexpected speed. Unexpected news. They listened to a lot of things that were written and said. Forgive me for hurting my elbow while I pat myself on the back here, but I truly feel that they listened to ME!
I think that they understand that praising the passion of the fans came across as patronizing. It made the conversation seem more based on "us and them" than ever before in TFC history.
Sure the content of the letter was fantastic, the price freeze, a gesture of thanks by making the opener next season a freebie, the willingness to continue the town halls in 2011 all have me smiling. But more importantly, the tone was improved. The phrasing of the second paragraph grabbed me.

The Town Hall sessions were passionate, vocal and candid. The meetings were crucial to helping us understand your concerns. Toronto FC fans are unique - you love your club, you feel a part of the club, but your club has let you down on and off-the-pitch. We've now digested your feedback with the goal of identifying actionable items.

I have no evidence, just a feeling, yet I think that these words were a direct answer to my question last night "What makes this a club"? The something magical about loving this club just might be more widespread than I would have thought in that moment when Julius James scored in September. (I am reading that one over wondering if it even qualifies as a sentence. I am rolling with the words today, coherence can mosey along later).

I chided MLSE in this blog in reaction to the apology letter for many things. The apology letter was not signed I said, this one was clearly signed by all four leaders involved in the town hall meetings.

I chided MLSE in this blog in reaction to the apology letter for declaring a new era. I said it was up to others to decide that. Today's letter sure feels like a new dawn (and a new era of dialogue sure seems possible)
So, I take it back, they are not knuckleheads after all. We all have knucklehead phases in life, they get credit for getting out of theirs quickly. Tom Anselmi should not be fired. He and I can be members of the same club, passionate fans of Toronto FC.

Well I will have to postpone my second part of my town hall report until after weekend. If a timely report on the DC United game appears here it will be due to the efforts of my great friend Trout. I have a weekend away to visit my daughter who is attending Bishop's and my pvr will be holding the TFC at DC game until my return.

TFC Town Hall report - trying to find the words to reflect how big our dreams are for this club.

2010-10-21T23:36:00.003-04:00

It was tough to find the right question to ask tonight at the first (and next to last) TFC Townhall meeting at BMO Field. I have been following the reports from the Red Patch Boys and the U-Sector so I knew the questions that had been asked and could probably recite from memory some of the answers. In case you have not been following the process, TFC has been represented by Paul Beirne, Tom Anselmi, Earl Cochrane and Jim Brennan.
I was a little surprised at the general praise and friendliness that seemed to be in the room and when it was wrapped around the first question, I had to burst forth with the second question. Later, after a few more happy, happy queries, I did call out "Next year, I want to be invited to the "piss and vinegar" town hall meeting".

Let me try to capture my little speech and question.
My name is Mark Kennedy, I have had seats in section 220 since day one. I also write a blog about being a fan of this team called "Mistake by the Lake". So I have been loving this team and blogging about it for four years now.
I do want to complain first off that by having Jim Brennan up there I can't blast away at how you are all suits who don't care, because from Section 220 we know Jim cared from day one, that for him it was a dream come true and for us up in Section 220, the fact that there was a stadium and a team in this city, was a dream come true. So, my question is, when you named this you called it a football club. What makes this a club? Because from up in Section 220, and I have written this in my blog (oh and by the way, I thought the apology letter sucked. You're going to praise me for being a great fan? My dad taught me how to be a great fan. You have profited from me being a great fan, but don't praise me, it does nothing for the situation) so, what makes this a club? From our point of view you look upon it as a product with a price point, we look upon it as our pride, our dream come true, our passion. We have big dreams for this CLUB. It's not a product, it's not part of the "MLSE stable". The suspicion is that if the phone call came some of you would say "Oh sure I'll take the corporate shift and I'll go and run the Marlies now". Jim excepted.
What makes this a club?

Now my buddy's camera did an awful job of recording Tom Anselmi's answer. If somebody there has a better memory of his reply I will be glad to add it. I think that the emotional tone of my question struck a chord with Tom Anselmi, he responded with passion and fire. He spoke of being a Toronto guy too. He spoke of caring deeply for the team, that there were results this year that he was digusted with. He spoke of a common bond between fans and leadership, a common goal of success. He said that praise toward fans was sincere, that it was the fans that made this club. He made a good solid dig at me and my willingness to fire all the suits - when I replied that I had not gone that far, he reminded me that he has read the blog. (Yikes!! My section 220 Row 6 could be row 166 when I make my renewal call tomorrow).
Yes, I shook his hand afterwards and we talked briefly about the blog. I also reminded him that should things continue to be negative in 2011, I'll hold up my hand high in Section 220 and say "this is the hand that shook Tom Anselmi's hand" and then smack it with the other hand! I am a TFC fan, but bloggers need to stay out of "fanboy' territory.

Glory was the word I forgot to use when trying to describe what TFC fanatics seek. We are on a mission, not just in search of victories and championships, but in revealing to ourselves and the world that soccer is a Canadian game. It is not an afterthought or an import. It is a part of us. When Paul Beirne talked about the growing number of Canadian teams meaning greater talent being developed and a Canadian team returning to the World Cup, I felt that he did more to restore my faith than the apology letter did.
So much to blog about and it is getting late. Tomorrow I will try to add another post to give Jim Brennan's answer to my question about improving scouting and Mo's old habit of sticking to one talent agency. I was struck with how much passion and attention the four TFC leaders paid to all fans, especially when you remembered that these were sessions 6 and 7
I tried to explain later at home the spirit behind my speech and question. If TFC leadership thinks that the unhappy fanbase is some combination of John McCain and Rob Ford, ticked at every penny that is not in their pocket, they may have the pulse of some, but not all. I am proud to be in a different camp, a President Obama if you will. When I express unhappiness it is because I feel that someone stepped on my dream this year. Soccer is not the topic of discussion amongst Torontonians these days and a glorious schedule of upcoming playoff games is not etched into my mind.You want to know why I dread going to the MLS Cup? It will remind me in November of how far short my beloved TFC fell in 2010.

A quick note

2010-10-19T23:34:00.000-04:00

Wow, it is very late. I promise a longer blog post tomorrow. I do want to say that it was heartening to watch TFC play tonight. A victory is always something to embrace. It was the quality of the young players that made up most of the roster that was most impressive. Lindsay continues his energetic play. He did not have as many crosses as he did 1st half against Columbus, but he was effective in different ways.
More tomorrow.

TFC 2 Crew 2 When will we ever learn? Or will there be mistakes as long as there are lakes?

2010-10-16T20:48:00.000-04:00

I went to the stadium today expecting very little. It was TFC’s last MLS home game of 2010 and I was there out of loyalty to the ritual that is fandom as much as to the team itself. Anyone who went down to the lake today expecting a lot is either suffering from a dangerous amount of optimism or too little brain cells. There was a fear that Columbus could be on their game and TFC would show little resistance. So it started off as an event where the few positives that appeared were carefully guarded.

This would explain why my pre-game thoughts had a weather and fashion focus. A blue sky and a soft wind made it comfortable to be on the shady side of the stadium. Everyone likes a give away with real purpose and the TFC toque always becomes a part of my winter wardrobe. I could not distract myself from the game and the quality of the team for long however.

There was a strange atmosphere in the stands prior to the game. It was another low turnout. The mixture of disgruntled regulars determined to send a message and a noted wave of tourists and first timers made for a dull tone. The south end was showing enough green clothing and green banners to make a difference. The dumb greed of MLSE deserves to be called out. I think it is a sad thing in this city that in the end the corporate juggernaut swamps the Toronto soccernistas of the south end, but nothing wrong with rattling the cage while you can. I noticed that the announcing of the TFC players on the p.a. went away from the usual style of first name only so that the crowd can reply with the second name. The boos rang out when the reminder to renew your season tickets was read out. The day’s potential for ugly kept on rising. During the anthems I had a horrible passing thought- what if the Chilean equivalent of MLSE had been in charge of the miner rescue?

The game started in this sea of tension. Things did not look good when Columbus grabbed the first goal. The TFC defender Hsacanovhj should not have conceded the corner kick and the comedy of errors continued when Columbus had their headed ball hit the cross bar, bounce out and hit keeper Conway in the back and then into the net. Disaster loomed.

Then, lo and behold, Maicon Santos found a shaft of space and sent a twisting shot past the Hesmer in the Columbus net. It was a strike of bright speed and skill. The sort of screamer that has been rarely seen from the team in red this year .

We barely had time to recover from this rare moment of offensive skill when Toronto came up with another Nicholas Lindsay was playing the left wing. He had displayed some speed down the wing, was willing to take on and beat defenders and had played in a few crosses that had potential. It just seemed there was nothing happening at the business end of these crosses. Then he sent in a beauty and Jacob Peterson anticipated and put it away. TFC had taken the lead and smiles were seen all around.

I dared to think at half time that if Toronto were to score two more the margin of victory would be enough for them to claim the Trillium Cup. Clearly nobody in the dressing room was thinking about adding to the goal total.

The second half played on in a balanced way. As long as Toronto had Maicon Santos in the play there was a threat. Yet he was running out of gas.

Throughout the game I had been noting that Stephen Lenhart of Columbus was up to no good. He was playing a chippy physical game that was getting to Attakora. It was more fun from a Toronto point of view when Ty Harden began to cover Lenhart. If Lenhart wanted to wrestle, grab and bump, Harden could handle him. Then Lenhart went too far and went in after Conway , seeking to collide with Toronto’s keeper while he was focused on catching the ball. Credit to Conway for not putting up with the garbage play. A crowd soon formed around the action and credit to the ref for seeing the original cheap shot and giving the first red to Lenhart. Then Lenhart started acting all creepy innocent, oh so shocked that anyone would red card him. Conway picked up a red for retaliating and then took the high road and saluted the crowd. Maybe it is memories of Gordie Howe creeping in. but I would have made sure I got value for my red by letting my knuckles dance on the Lenhart curls a little longer.

It was not the last moment that a keeper would be the central focus of the game however. There had been an attacking drop-off when Maicon Santos gave way to OBW. It was not that Columbus had many scoring chances, it was just that they had less to worry about and did not need to keep bodies in the back. They won a late corner and their keeper Hesmer made the long run to get involved, The ball came to him and as Dan Gargan seemed to hesitate on the challenge, Hesmer buried the ball into Toronto’s net.

Stunned. I was stunned. I was a fool to think that TFC could continue to score. Double foolish me for thinking that TFC could protect a lead and finally beat Columbus in this season of squander. It was a fitting end to MLS season games at BMO. What fun does the meaningless Champions League game on Tuesday night hold for us? See you then.

Too little too late, MLSE tries to patch up their 2011 ticket hike disaster with a feeble letter.

2010-10-13T21:09:00.000-04:00

I am sorry.

For the way that MLSE knuckleheads think that they can declare “new eras”. I am sorry that an insulting email from MLSE has ruined my evening. Can I have my quiet night and the 2010 soccer season back?

Don’t suck up by telling me what a great fan I am. My Dad could take credit for teaching me how to be a fan, you have simply profited from it again and again. What a bad time to base your apology letter on feeble praise for your fan base.

What a crappy try on the apology. You say fans are angry and then drop two Champions League games? Not even close. We are angry about your jacking up the price of all tickets, so dropping two overpriced tickets does nothing for the endless prospect of price increases for bad football.

Ongoing two way dialogue? You rockheads did not listen last October when TFC stumbled so badly in New York. It seems that you have decided to talk to the season ticket buyers when all other strategies went belly up.

The most insulting thing about the TFC to the fans letter was the fact that at the close nobody had the guts to sign it. Tom Anselmi should resign. Why talk about the future with those responsible for the past.

Toronto FC fan // Fall for One

Los Angeles Saturday Night- Chivas USA 3- Toronto FC 0

2010-10-10T08:45:00.000-04:00

I was thinking of saluting that great song of the 90's by Bran Van 3000- "Drinking in LA". I was going to go with Sinking in LA, but TFC hit bottom weeks ago.
Los Angeles is a city that is a source of endless fascination for me. I have family there and I have spent more time there than any other corner of America. LA has an incredible span between glamour and grime, sometimes you are in the land of Cary Grant and sometimes you are expecting Tom Waits to come around the corner. Then you mix in the bland, but beautiful suburban sprawl and the bursts of unexpected natural beauty of sea and shore and you are forever entranced.
Last night watching the MLS game in LA I was wishing I was there. Although there was nothing on the field that was enticing, it was the California state of mind that was pulling on my imagination.

Toronto showed more fight and energy than the final score would indicate. It was 1-0 for Chivas until the final minutes of the game. Then the breakdowns came and Chivas put the game away. It is important to point out that TFC was down to 10 men at this point. Adrian Cann was off to the dressing room after Alan Gordon had hit him in the head. All substitutions had been made so Toronto had to suffer. Gordon picked up a yellow on the play, but what a cynical bargain. The ref was offering a yellow for the chance to score two? When has Toronto ever been given that option?

The full points for energy does not obscure the terrible talent and tactics of the Reds. Chivas USA is not much of a team, but Toronto makes them look good. I think DeRo picked up a late yellow and may be suspended for the Columbus game next weekend.

So what can we fans cheer for in the remaining two games? When you calculate how many players will be potentially gone from the team next year, could the games be replaced by resume update sessions for the players?

There will be a day when Toronto sends a better representative team of what Ontario has to offer to the California that I love. This season is over and it is only the ritual of attending games to ward off the winter that remains.

Toronto loses in Seattle 3-2

2010-10-02T17:47:00.000-04:00

How much bad news do you want on a cloudy, gloomy day ? Toronto FC lose on the road, again.
Nana Attakora leaves the game hurt.
TFC so close to being mathematically eliminated, you can feel it.
DeRo scored early, Chad scored late.
The end of the season looms. 3 games left.

TFC 1 Salty Lake 1 Feeble effort witnessed by the hardy few

2010-09-29T00:22:00.001-04:00

One brief flash of inspiration does not make for an entertaining evening. In the first half keeper Conway caught RSL off guard as he threw the ball deep into Jacob Peterson's path and Peterson turned his defender and buried his shot. Even as we cheered the goal, we knew that the night required an avalanche of goals. They did not arrive. Other than the first half at home against Cruz Azul more than a month ago, TFC never puts it together. They never look like a team, working together and contributing to a common strategy.
So this is the club that Mo designed. This is the club we will watch stumble through October. Unable to win at home in September, they are out of the CONCACAF Champion League now. It was painful to watch. More tomorrow, if I can take the misery.

Tough and smart vanishes TFC 2 San Jose 3

2010-09-25T20:34:00.001-04:00

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.

TFC hang tough and smart- Cruz Azul 0 Toronto FC 0

2010-09-22T00:24:00.000-04:00

"It's more than a couple of Canadian guys shutting down Cruz Azul in Mexico City. That's all I have to say about that."

Put that fake quote on a DVD and send it to a prickly former coach.

Perhaps Coach Dasovich has been able to find the heart of this team in record time. I would have argued after the loss to DC United earlier this month that there was no heart to find in the first place. I never would have equated Conway in net and Garcia, Hscanovics in the back four with a defensive struggle in Mexico City, but that is what they came up with.

It was bunker mentality all the way through the second half for Toronto. A smart tactic when you evaluate both Toronto’s striking ability and the demands of playing at altitude in Mexico City.

Conway was a giant and Cann his equal.DeGuzman continued to play well against this team (can he be hypnotised so that he feels that every opponent

Cruz Azul had a player sent off late in the game and at that point our red dreams became probable rather than just possible.

So now the post firing road trip ends with 1 win, 1 draw and 1 loss. That's so much better than what we were projecting in the second half of the collapse in Utah.

The home game against San Jose was always going to be big. Recovery from the DC disaster, the need to take points from SJ

DeRo keeps the TFC playoff fire burning - Dynamo 1 Toronto 2

2010-09-18T23:15:00.000-04:00

One of unemployed coach Preki’s favourite Canadians, Dwayne DeRosario was responsible for a TFC comeback tonight in Houston. DeRo scored twice in the second half to lead Toronto FC to victory over his former club the Dynamo. Both goals came off of free kicks, with the game winning goal coming well into injury time. Victory at the last gasp.

Toronto had been awful in the first half and they were lucky to be only one down. Chad Barrett was candid at the half time tv interview, saying that this team did not come to play. Full marks to Chad for letting loose and actually saying what he thought.

There was only a subtle change by Coach Nick Dasovich at the half, Martin Saric came in for Joseph Nane. It worked out well, Saric played a strong second half.

It was a strange night for a fan. There were moments when I was calculating how to give my remaining tickets away for the home games still to come. DeRo made sure that at the end of the night, we were all scrambling back onto the bandwagon. The goals get the glory, but Stefan Frei deserves praise for keeping Toronto in the game.

Toronto FC will not let us off the hook when it comes to making the playoffs. This game against Houston was never going to confirm or eliminate, although TFC can’t handle too many losses or ties. The road win puts a smile on everyone’s face and rekindles hope. Toronto now has five remaining games, two at home (San Jose and Columbus) and three on the road (Seattle, Chivas and DC United). Four wins and a loss just might be enough, but it is not a lock. The only way to ensure playoffs is to win all five.

Random thoughts.

-Didn’t that ref look like John Cusack’s brother?

- Craig Forrest has joined the club. The “what the hell, bench Deguzman” club. Playoffs or not, his time in Toronto is drawing to a close.

New coach, same misery RSL 4 TFC 1 (CCL game)

2010-09-16T00:09:00.001-04:00

"Although we are no longer in charge, could we still offer bizarre excuses?"

Would you or I have stayed up to watch this one with the old leadership still at the helm? Doubt it.

Toronto FC traveled to play Real Salt Lake in a Champion’s League game Wednesday night. TFC has rarely had success in Utah. I recall Collin Samuel scoring a goal there back in year 1. Nothing else springs to mind.

So the only hope was one of those magical mystery games where a new coach inspires the troops. No such luck.

TFC grabbed an early lead but RSL soon equalized. Then Salt Lake scored a second goal before half-time, a goal that the tv crew figured was offside. Then the second half was a disaster and a drubbing. Mista was a substitute who played 6 minutes before being sent off for a hard to see foul on Kyle Beckerman. Salt Lake scored on a penalty kick when Garcia fouled Will Johnson in the box. Then they put on a late sub, a guy named Paolo Jr who they just picked up from Miami a day ago and he scored too. Toronto fans dream of having a player who scores in his first ten minutes of play. Heck, they would settle for somebody scoring in his first ten hours of play.

So we have banished the wicked pair who were the masterminds of this mess. Now we notice that the ship is leaking and the sailors are still going around in circles.

Go, no goodbye, no farewell, just go - Mo and Preki fired

2010-09-14T12:00:00.000-04:00

No surprise in this news from the Globe and Mail.
It had to happen, the product was rotting on the shelf. TFC/MLSE bigwigs showed some spine and ambition, at last. Where Toronto FC would be right now had they made this move last November will always be the stuff of dreams.

DC wins on both effort and talent

2010-09-11T22:42:00.001-04:00

I have struggled for hours now on how best to start my report on today’s TFC vs DC United game. I pride myself on not rushing to judgment, I try to present the opinions of a fan, but I also try to stay aware that I am just a fan, not an expert. I know just as much as the next guy when it comes to what playing or coaching talent might be available at any time. So I try to avoid things like the “fire Mo” bandwagon or the sad Toronto tradition of picking on a random player at a lesser level of talent and acting like he is the sole reason for poor performance.

Still, Toronto losing at home to the weakest team in the MLS and dragging to four the streak of games without a goal scored has taken me to the limit. A fan has to have admiration and faith when going out to cheer and care. Today that vanished.

There is a limit to support and belief. I don’t blame the players, they can only contribute with the talents that they have. I blame those who selected them, placed them on the field and tried to sell the result to me as a team worthy of my time, money and support.

This team has a solid keeper, a defending unit that holds up well, a midfield that has no attack other than what DeRo has to offer and forwards that have not produced. But beyond that… goal droughts in season 4?? Give me a break, this team is going nowhere. Why should I go along on the non-journey?

Mo has to go. I think he should be fired today.

Preki has to go. I think he should be fired today.

His post game comments were laughable. He is complaining that 4pm game starts has something to do with his team playing poorly. After Chicago he was worried about a curse. Your team can’t score and at a critical time of the season its seems to be falling apart rather than coming together.

Julian Deguzman will go. I think he should be benched. I know that he is a defensive midfielder, but his passing is rushed and pathetic. He dishes the ball off constantly as if controlling the tempo of play is somebody else’s job. Do you think after today’s game DC United would be interested in a Deguzman for Julius James trade? No, I didn’t think so.

0-0 in Chicago - TFC sinking without a struggle

2010-09-09T06:24:00.000-04:00

TFC have yet to score in September. Their last three games have been scoreless. The same old story was on display in Chicago last evening. No attack down the wings, no danger posed by the strikers, no subs from the bench that bring a spark. Maicon Santos coming back from injury was better than the supposed healthy, but that is not saying much.
Late in the game, Deguzman takes advantage of a giveaway and darts down the right wing. He has two targets in the box and he manages to cross the ball two metres behind them.
Toronto had the ball for a lot of the second half, but then again that might have been the Chicago defending tactic. Let them have it since they do so little with it.
TFC are now 4 points out of the playoffs with 7 games to play. Saturday's game at home vs DC United will have to be an onslaught before I am willing to give them credit for turning their fortunes around.

0-0 result against R Salt Lake - August fizzle in place of pop

2010-08-29T08:04:00.000-04:00

A Saturday night game during the CNE should have been show time. I know that Real Salt Lake are defending champions and a quality side. Maybe the fact that Toronto will have to play RSL the extra two games in Champs League pushed the game to the cagey side, but it was not inspiring.
Defending was solid. It was good to see Ty Harden smoothly pair with Adrian Cann in the middle in place of the suspended Nana Attakora. The trouble with the back four, notably in the second half, was that too much attacking is relying on them. Nick Garcia and Dan Gargan must have had the lion's share of Toronto ball possesion. They both played well, passing was strong, they both made solid runs forward and each had at least one good shot at net. This suits the opposition too well. Blanket Toronto's strikers, muffle their midfield and suffer whatever Garcia and Gargan can throw at you from distance seems like a recipe for scoreless results.
Speaking of a muffled midfield,Labrocca looks better weaving through traffic in the middle of the park. Saric is a few things, but an attacking winger is not one of them. A flavour expert in my part of the stadium has branded Jacob Peterson as "Vanilla Peterson". As I am found of the vanilla flavour, I wonder if he also might be described as "unscented". He patrols his wing and gets to the ball from time to time, but nothing dangerous ever seems to happen. I think that this series of failed experiments on both wings has a direct impact on Deguzman in the middle. He is never going to be a dazzling creative force, but if everyone on the planet knows that he must forever find a way to work the ball to DeRo... a stale attack is guaranteed.
O'Brien White played the second half and he continues to be brutal. I just can't recall him taking a shot at net. He makes an effort, but with limited speed and a lack of anticipation it amounts to nothing. When can Chad and Maicon Santos return?
Frei was solid, although in the late going there were two Salt Lake shots that hit the crossbar and the post. A good keeper knows when to be lucky and it saved TFC last night.
The playoff picture has to be fading at this point. The away games in Dallas, Houston and Seattle are going to have a huge impact. It might be mandatory to win all three home games and the three away just mentioned. Plus there would be away games to Chicago, DC United and Chivas USA in the mix. It seems a very tall order this morning.

TFC 2 Cruz Azul 1 - Start strong and finish flimsy?

2010-08-18T00:02:00.001-04:00

The mixture of great promise and a touch of dread that this game presented to us tonight has my head reeling. The beauty, the majesty and the power of the first half had every Toronto fan dizzy with delight. The ball movement, the creative touches, the awareness of each other, the ability to drive forward with the ball, using long passes to switch the point of attack were all on display in abundance. I saw more zest and zing in the first half than I have seen in entire months of play this year.
Martin Saric was the scorer of the first goal. It came early and credit should go to Maxim Usanov's hustle into the corner in pursuit of the ball, Dero's quick flick and Mista's ability to make things happen.
Mista scored the second on an excellent cross from Raivis Hscanovics.
The two goal lead at half time should have been more. Toronto was flying. Every player had contributed and they looked like a cohesive team.
The second half was a slow shift into a more defensive mode. Deguzman had been superb in the first half, but his clunky passing and tendency to give the ball away too easily returned for the second. The substitutions took some energy away- Peterson for Saric and Fuad Ibriham for O"Brien White in particular. Joseph Nane for Mista was understandable as Nane brought the physical side that Saric had been providing to the midfield.
Then it went sour. Why on earth did Cruz Azul get permission to take that direct kick that resulted in a goal when Toronto had a player being tended to on the sideline. It seemed that Fuad Ibrahim had brought the injury to the attention of the ref. Shouldn't the ref have made a call on the contact earlier? Did he think the head injury was self inflicted?
The ref seemed lost at sea towards the end. Cruz Azul was going to ground anytime a TFC ankle was within a metre of them. There were elbows thrown and contact made and the ref just let things escalate.
Then in the end DeRo seemed to get a yellow card for receiving an elbow. Even the way the ref came into the corner to consult with the linesman was maddening. The play had been in that corner for minutes, what had the ref been attending to that he needed to find out what the linesman had seen? It was as if he had slipped away for a snack.
Toronto looked great for a long while. We should not be squawking too much about such a potent attack and a victory with a squad that did not include Maicon Santos, Chad Barrett, Stefan Frei and Dan Gargan. Giving out late away goals is not the way to advance from this group stage.
Oh, but before I forget- the unsung hero of the night had to be Adrian Cann. He was strong, swift and confident all night. His ability to shut down their attack , notably when he was using his head, was a joy to watch.
Repeat the first half twice against New York this Saturday and all will be sunny and wonderful. Cut out the flimsy at the end part and my reeling head can rest.

NYRB 1 Toronto 0 - grasping onto positive signs

2010-08-12T11:11:00.000-04:00

On the morning after the night before, I am strangely serene about the TFC game in New York.

Toronto was fortunate to play NYRB with Rafa Marquez off on international duty and Henry still easing into the team. Still Toronto was missing Dan Gargan to suspension, Maicon Santos to injury and they didn’t have Chad Barrett for very long. Perhaps it is in comparison to the last time TFC went to this part of the world (Oct. 09), but I felt that the team was in the game and it is possible to feel somewhat optimistic about the return game on August 21.

Still there are worries ...

Scoring – If you tally up the scoring of White, Peterson, LaBrocca and de Guzman as the team approaches the two thirds mark of the season, you come up with a total of 3 goals. The LaBrocca goal was that wind blown adventure, O’Brien White has scored two and the other two have contributed zero. My “Coach from Hell” tactic would be to gather them together to point out that last night in New York, Nick Garcia came closer to scoring. I can see the benefits of two-way contributors in the midfield, yet two-way implies some offensive results. O’Brien White is just playing his way to a deeper spot on the bench. Mista set him up in the box with a wonderful pass and White squandered it.

Defending- Preki continues to play Nick Garcia ahead of Raivis Hscanovics, the seldom seen International. It must be the advantage of MLS experience. Garcia was okay in New York. Did I mention that he had a shot at net? New York’s net? Hscanovics is 7 years younger than Garcia and he is not the first Toronto International to be more of a future prospect than a 2010 contributor. However, with the 6 CONCACAF games thrown into the mix, the days of Garcia as the only choice at left back can’t go on much longer.

Usanov in place of Gargan was a move that did not punish Toronto too much. Maybe Usanov has an upside, but to use one of your few International roster spots for a somewhat adequate back-up seems shortsighted.

Random thoughts

It was good to see Greg Sutton get a start for New York and the shut out would have been better had it not been against Toronto. Canadian considerations aside, is there a TFC fan who would still prefer Sutton ahead of Frei? Mista has a great touch on the ball, but his running seems to indicate that his role will be a late game substitute for some time to come. Mo was saying that he is about to sign a winger. He said it in July. Looking at the roster on the TFC website, there is no mention of Emmanual Gomez. Does this mean that his season ending injury (he has not played at all in 2010) is now reflected as an open roster spot? I dream of the day when Toronto FC actually communicates to the fans the roster basics. I fear I know more about the strategic considerations behind the war in Afghanistan than I do about the Toronto FC roster, trade deadlines, injury timeframes and signing windows.

TFC 2 Chivas 1 Toronto looks poised, but not yet potent

2010-08-08T00:01:00.001-04:00

Do I believe in this team? Do you believe in this team?

I feel that TFC fandom has had a strange season. I think the image that sticks with me is one of a ship (maybe those formative Argo years are getting to me). Toronto FC is the ship, but one still being constructed and tied to the dock. Some games you think the ship is ready to sail and some games you think there is still work to do.

It was encouraging to watch TFC defeat Chivas USA Saturday afternoon. Here it is August and the team is showing plenty of signs of being seaworthy, but at the end Chivas was still threatening to pull a point out of a game that they barely contested.

Maybe we wanted a goal scoring explosion after the efficient success of the 2-2 game in Honduras. It was a timely win, just not a fully convincing one. The first half had me dreaming of the Father's Day 07 thrashing of Colorado. The second half started strong but the energy ebbed away and by the end it was a matter of hanging on and grinding it out.

Encouraging Signs.

Chad Barrett, Dero and Maicon Santos’ rock ‘em, sock em adventure of a first half.

Stefan Frei continues to be the backbone of this team. He makes incredible diving saves seem ordinary. Only the very dubious penalty call got by him.
Maicon Santos and Mista bring attacking quality to the team. Could TFC go to a 4-2-2-2?
Putting Nene and JDG together
Then Dero and Mista
Chad and Maicon Santos up front?

Discouraging Signs

Maicon Santos going out due to injury.
Not converting the first half onslaught into more than 2 goals.

Joseph Nane is a surprise and a huge upgrade to Sanyang, but we are still seeing a midfield that does not generate attack in the middle of the field- except get the ball to Dero and still not much in the winger department. We saw Labrocca, Peterson, JDG and Ibrahim all have time on one wing or the other, but I don't think anyone has grabbed the job.
Dan Gargan's yellow means that he will miss the game in New York Wednesday . Here's hoping that Chicago takes a lot out of the Red Bulls in the Sunday game.

Motagua 2 TFC 2 - Toronto through to the group stage

2010-08-03T22:28:00.000-04:00

6 minutes into the game Amado Guevara scored off of a header and things looked very bleak in TFCland.
Yet that was the only score of the first half, so TFC went to the halftime break even on aggregate.

More in the am

Willing to forgive Saturday (KC 1 TFC 0) if victory returns on Tuesday in Honduras

2010-08-01T09:33:00.000-04:00

The ugliest aspect of the evening was the camera angle used for the long view at the KC ballpark. I know that Community America is a baseball stadium and the camera position must be messed up because of it. Still it was ugly, I felt that I was watching a game from the stadium next door. It is wonderful news that with the new KC stadium opening next June, I may never have to watch a broadcast from that ballpark ever again.
Ugly too was the header from Adrian Cann that Teal Bunbury scored from. It is a defensive fundamental to funnel balls away from the middle of the park, Cann has not been prone to making mistakes like that this year. I am hoping that it was a blip.
Ugly continued with the TFC midfield. The offensive spark of Peterson and Labrocca has been underwhelming this year and it was the same old story in KC. When you place Nane and JDG in the middle, you sacrifice attack for defensive strength. Where, O where is the winger signing that Mo mentioned? Dobson mentioned on the broadcast the sad fact that JDG has yet to score for TFC. Will he ever?
An ugly night. I am hoping for beauty this Tuesday.

A first step against Montagua, but was 1-0 enough?

2010-07-27T23:33:00.001-04:00

Toronto FC defeated Montagua of Honduras 1-0 in the first leg of their two game series at BMO tonight. Chad Barrett was the goal scorer in the first half, converting with his left foot a smooth set-up pass from DeRo.
TFC looked the stronger team for most of the night, but the old story of Toronto not converting opportunities into goals was the main theme.
Now TFC has to play on the weekend in KC and then down in Honduras next Tuesday. It will be interesting to see how Preki manages his squad through this.
Questions
Joseph Nane looked good in the central midfield last night. He displays more skill and confidence with the ball than what we have been seeing from Sanyang. Has Nane won a starting role or was his play last night part of a midfield rotation?
O'Brian White's performance continues to be underwhelming. The signings of Mista and Maicon Santos have to lead to White becoming a bench player, right?
What happened to Mo's talk that a winger signing was happening soon? I thought that Bas Ent looked ok against Bolton last week.

Youth and mystery - Preki plays with Bolton

2010-07-22T09:14:00.000-04:00

So, just who were those guys in red? This was a night of squinting, head scratching and wondering if TFC has found some gems or if Bolton was still three weeks from truly caring.
Coach Preki gave the night off to the following - Frei, DeRo, Deguzman, Gargan, Sanyang, Attakora, Cann, Garcia, Labrocca and the Chad. Yet the team did not suffer, mostly due to the play of Mista and Maicon Santos.
The regular players who saw some time were Usanov, Gala, Hscanovics, Ibrahim, Peterson and White, plus the keepers Conway and Kocic. Kocic had the save of the game in the second half, a twisting dive to his right.
I think the Academy players all saw some playing time. I would list them if I could find their names.
Call ups and trialists were Mirko Medic - central defender (he looked solid and capable), Drazen Vukovic - midfield, Miodrag Andjelkovic - forward and Bas Ent - winger.
There were so many players that I may be mistaken on a name or five, but if the player tearing down the right wing all second half was the trialist Bas Ent, then sign him up. He was the controlling the attack and crossing with authority. I want to see what he brings to the first team. Second half also saw some solid play from Miodrag Andjelkovic at striker and left winger Henry also looked good.
The first half play of Mista and Maicon Santos was of excellent quality. Mista was willing to come back and get involved in developing play. He could be the attacking focus of the midfield that has been missing since the departure of Guevara.
Since Saturday has an important game vs Dallas and the CONCACAF home and home starts next Tuesday, resting most of the starters was a wise move for Coach Preki. It was a fun night out, but did not compare to the Aston Villa friendly a few years ago.

Toronto FC brings back bad habits- Philly 2 Toronto 1

2010-07-17T18:13:00.000-04:00

Toronto FC were almost able to steal a point from Philadelphia Saturday afternoon. Although TFC barely deserved it from their level of play, Chad Barrett had tied the game late and it looked like a road point was in the bag. Then Maxim Usanov was called on a hand ball in the box and Philly Union's Le Toux beat Frei on the pk.

I suspect that I am suffering from a World Cup hangover. I figure that the hangover started for most footy fans during the WC 2010 final last weekend. The final was a dud as entertainment. We need a dose of the "beautiful game"

Toronto might have made some minor steps forward in the Preki era, but they are not the team you want to see if you want to avoid entertainment duds. Grind it out defending and an attack that sputters and sprays passes around the province is what's on the menu. Those old bad habits of TFC -giving up late goals and losing to expansion teams- were brought back for the game at PPL Park.

There are just too many passengers on the squad judging from the effort against the Union. Fuad Ibriham, Nick Garcia, Maxim Usanov need to spend more time on the bench. I hope that getting Mista into the squad might mean a shuffle- but more help is needed.

TFC 1 Houston 1- Midfield contributes more red cards than goals

2010-07-02T10:23:00.000-04:00

Or should the headline be "Midfield contributes more reds cards than shots on target". The scoring woes continue with Toronto FC, although they came from behind to tie the Houston Dynamo at BMO Saturday night. It was a game where Toronto's mess of a midfield continues to annoy. DeGuzman picked up his red card for throwing a punch in a tussle down by Toronto's goal. The Houston midfielder Ngwenya inspired Attakora's physical response by not stopping at a whistle. DeGuzman expressed his displeasure too. I wish I had seen DeGuzman's punch clearly, it would have been the first time he has hit a target at BMO Field this year. The central midfield of Toronto, whether they use DeGuzman, Sanyang or Saric (who did not play against Houston) is just too defensive. Sanyang continues to struggle with the ball and I suspect that it was his assignment to cover Brian Ching when he scored for the Dynamo on the corner kick. The wings, whether using Peterson, Labrocca or Gala, is unable to carry any sustained attack. The midfield is all hold and no spark.
I am not letting the forwards off the hook for the lack of potency. Chad works and works, O'Brien White chugs and struggles, DeRo holds and looks for someone to respond. The late substitute Fuad Ibrahim provided the only bright spot, it was his corner kick to the far post that Dan Gargan headed for the goal.
TFC needs a few more Dan Gargans. You know that the back four are solid when the excellence of Gargan, Cann and Attakora allow them to carry along Nick Garcia out to the left.
TFC have gained 3 points in their last 3 home games. You can look on the bright side (you know the TFC front office will) and say that a home stretch with only one goal given up is a sign of defensive and goalkeeping strength. The flip side holds my attention, three games with only one goal scored is getting to be offensive.
So this means 6 points that will have to be picked up on the road if this is to be a playoff year. If the attack looks like this after the month of June off, what does the future hold? There had better be scoring help on the horizon. July 15th, I believe, is the date where MLS summer signings are announced. It is a date circled on my calendar.

Inspired by the World Cup, Toronto takes the field with the scoring punch of North Korea

2010-06-27T00:07:00.000-04:00

TFC 0- LA 0

It was a soggy return to MLS play Saturday night at BMO.

It was annoying to see the same puzzles remain exactly where they were.

I can see the reasoning behind having Saric and Sanyang on the roster, vet and youngster playing the defensive midfielder role. Yet it seems foolish to play them both at the same time. It means that there is no attack centrally to go along with the lack of attack on the wings.

More tomorrow...

Toronto 0 KC 0 - Playing outside the final third

2010-06-05T22:19:00.000-04:00

As today's game was winding down I found myself grateful for the three week World Cup break which the MLS schedule is about to enter. Toronto FC needs the down time. It is not injury recovery time that they seem to require, but some offensive spark. Well maybe "spark" is being too kind, how about offensive firepower. TFC never looked in much danger of having KC take over the game, even when down to 10 men. They also never looked like they were going to turn being the better team into goal scoring opportunities. That is apart from the stunner in the waning minutes when Julian Deguzman sent a volley flying a mile over the crossbar when everyone in the place had expected him to bury the shot low now that he had the keeper at his mercy.

Now the wet, wimpy TFC performance could have been oddly connected to the weather today. It was the first Toronto game of the year played in hot temperatures and strong sunshine. A summer swoon as Toronto FC find ways to cool off is not what the team should be working on. They worked the ball around the field. They defended well against the counter-attack. Stephan Frei was up to every KC shot. The problem was that Frei was handling more action than Nielson, his KC counterpart. Toronto had the play, just not the shots. It was as if the KC goal area never existed in Toronto's plans for long.
I am happy to avoid finding scapegoats for any aspect of the team's performance. Yet I also am realistic. If I am noting a lack of firepower, the Toronto FC big cheeses have to be noticing this too. O'Brien White is a talent that needs tending, but he does not bring much attack with him of late. I think that a striker has been a Toronto FC need since day one (or at least since the departures of Conor Casey and Edson Buddle). Whether through trade or trial or big money player signing, Toronto has to become stronger up front. We will see.
Random thoughts
Ty Harden played the second half as left back and looked solid.
Nick Garcia's red was from a foul that I did not see, so how can I have an opinion?
Mr. Preki was livid from time to time and was unafraid to be up and about in his technical area.
Attakora and Cann continue to take care of business.
Labrocca played the whole game and Peterson just the first half. Neither have moved into the "plays well with others" category.
Gabe Gala looked like he was going to create something out of nothing a handful of times.

Who cares about being soggy when you hoist a cup??

2010-06-03T00:19:00.002-04:00

pic by Trout

The Voyageur's Cup game against Vancouver was not meant to be a contest. Everyone heading to BMO knew that the Cup had already been decided. It was a chance to brave the elements, get uncomfortable, scout out some Academy youngsters and then partake in a celebration.
Although I enjoyed myself and felt that my attendance was a badge of dedicated fandom, I truly hope that we never have to see such a game again. The teams involved should sit down again and figure out a way to have future cups finish with a deciding cup final.
Since we are talking about the future, I was impressed with Doneil Henry's play in the back four. He looked strong and confident. He spent most of the night paired centrally with Ty Harden and the combo was efficient, seldom beaten and rarely out of place. I am also aware that Vancouver was down to 10 men and had little or nothing to play for, so the potential is hard to gauge.
I also mix my dim view of Nicholas Hunter and Allando Matheson with the fact that we are talking about incredibly young players. One turned 18 in February and the other will turn 18 in September. Therefore the fact that they did not look capable of flying off to the World Cup next week should not be held against them. Patience please, they have some promise.
It is the morning after and my feet have yet to dry. Toronto had the right balance of resting a few regulars, showcasing the very young and controlling play. Too bad the scoring touch eludes too many.
See you Saturday.

SJ 1 Toronto FC 3 Toronto now owns Buck Shaw Stadium

2010-05-30T00:15:00.001-04:00

pic from Steve Rubio's Online Life

Here we sit on the brink of June and Toronto FC is on the rise. Saturday night's victory, their first win on the road in MLS play this year, puts them into second place in the East. Prior to the Los Angeles game two weeks ago, they were a team still in search of a point from their road games. Now they are undefeated in two places, north of the border and within the state of California. Suddenly my anticipation of the visit to LA to play Chivas (not until October 9th) has gone up a notch or two.

A lot of the elements of this team's play are coming together. Defending, attacking, midfield control and goalkeeping are all ahead of my expectations. Hell, even coaching is looking good as the tactic of resting DeRo and JDG for the first half which was a bust against Real Salt Lake worked like a charm in San Jose.
Before you accuse me of drinking the kool-aid, I still have concerns with O'Brien White's contributions up front. Other negatives were the Sanyang giveaways and the Saric low profile in the midfield and the vulnerability of Toronto's left side (Garcia and Labrocca) as San Jose made a rally in the late second half. For that matter the North American contribution to the team far outweighs the International component. The second half line-up had Amadou Sanyang as the sole International player on the field (Saric, Usanov, Hscanovics were on the bench). Perhaps the rumours of a DP signing or two come July are supported by the shape of the roster. Clearly, I have digressed.
My man of the match, although tempting to name either JDG or DeRo as they came on like forces of nature in the second half, would be Dan Gargan. He was patrolling his wing with crunch to his tackles and never seemed to misplay a ball all night. The continued strong play of Attakora and Cann was also notable, but Gargan seemed to be playing with something extra. The cameras at the end of the game showed him talking to folks in the crowd and it was mentioned that he is local to the San Jose area.

Stephan Frei was his usual spectacular self in the net. The goal against was off of a corner kick, with a Quake player ending up unmarked in front. Other than that split-second Frei was never a cause for worry.
Chad Barrett was a force up front and scored his goal on pure hustle. I am with Craig Forrest on the broadcast saying that it was a matter of "chasing lost causes".
We know that the Vancouver game this Wednesday will be a chance to play subs, academy players and hot dog vendors. The June MLS schedule has the utmost respect for the South Africa 2010 WC schedule, so TFC is home to KC on June 5th and then home again to LA June 26th. That is their entire schedule for June.
So that means plenty of time to rest injuries (Harden and Gomez spring to mind) and prepare for the summer schedule.
Second place!!

Toronto 1 New England 0 - Chad, Chad, Chad!

2010-05-22T19:45:00.000-04:00

I had to settle for watching the game on tv today. My role as U14 coach took me to Port Elgin for a 11 am game which made the 1 pm Toronto FC start simply an impossible conflict. This might have been the first time I was 100% in agreement with Mr. Preki. A 7pm start would have suited me perfectly ( and driven the CBC insane)

My right hand man, Trout FC did attend, so I will give preference to the insights of the fan who was there.

-I thought Sanyang played really well, bumping heads with Shalrie Joseph throughout the whole match. Sure, his passing still isn't good enough, but he really gave Joseph a run for his money. Joseph didn't really put a mark on the game and I think that's all because of Sangyang. He's a long way from being JDG, but I think opposition midfielders won't enjoy playing against him.

-Chad Barrett must have a lot of confidence, to try and chip the keeper at speed. A lot of people down there were moaning and groaning about the miss, I think it shows us a new side of him. When he puts that one in, we'll all celebrate. He really drove the team.

-Really, though, the day belonged to the keepers. Frei and Burpo were excellent. Glad TFC came out on top. Frei really seems to be

a) putting his stamp on the team, controlling his defenders and even bossing Garcia around and…

b) is gaining in confidence, just like Barrett. There's no doubt in my mind he's confident of his own abilities, and is in charge back there. The thought keeps coming to my mind 'how long will he be here?"

But, the really great thing today was the men's washrooms. By the way, this would be a higher ranked highlight and butt of more jokes if TFC had lost today. MLSE, in an effort to get beer drinkers to spend more time in the washroom has installed new mats in all the urinals. Check out http://www.theweee.com/products/soccer-the-weee . Something new and different, and it sure gave me a laugh! The ball is suspended by a little string or wire, so it moves when you pee on it! I kept thinking, it's not a goal unless the whole of the ball crosses the line. Maybe Preki put one of these in Chad Barrett's personal washroom! How else do you explain the change?

Thanks Trout.

So the undefeated at home streak continues. We must give credit to TFC for overcoming the lack of DeRo, JDG and Nana and grabbing a solid win.

When life bites, age offers no immunity

2010-05-18T21:13:00.000-04:00

Yesterday Toronto FC announced the retirement, due to a serious heart problem, of their youngest player Zac Herold. He was Toronto's first draft choice this past January and is 17 years old.
This blog has never been much in the area of medical expertise, so I will skip the name of the condition and any attempt to explain it. It must be serious when it prevents a young athlete from pursuing a playing career.
It is easy to envy the life of the pro athlete. Money, lifestyle, fame, talent and glory just seem to abound. Then something such as this medical affliction comes along to alter the life of a young athlete and the make-believe aspect of cheering for a team falls to the side.

LA 0 TFC 0 - a sweet road point both unexpected and promising

2010-05-16T09:40:00.000-04:00

Toronto FC played the top team in the MLS, Los Angeles Galaxy, on their Carson, California home turf and came away with a tie. This gave TFC their first point on the road in 2010.

Chad Barrett and Dwayne DeRosario have to be given a lot of credit for creating plenty of offensive pressure on LA in the first 60 minutes. This was done despite an ultra-defensive midfield of Labrocca, Saric, Sanyang and Cronin. The threat of Toronto stealing a goal was something that prevented LA from getting off to a powerful start.

LA turned the pressure on for much of the last half hour. Toronto defended with tenacity and some intelligence, backed by solid keeping by Stefan Frei. It was the second game in a row for the back four of Garcia, Cann, Attakora and Usanov and the the defensive consistentcy is starting to show.

Amadou Sanyang, who was guilty of passing the ball away constantly in the first half, was able to play as a central disruptive force. It was a relief to watch Saric draw LA fouls instead of recklessly throwing himself about. Usanov is still an adventure to watch as he loses his man in dangerous areas far too often.

You have to give points to the veteran Nick Garcia for a solid game at left back. Gabe Gala was the best of the subs, he provided relentless coverage and counter-attack down the left wing. Peterson was less impressive down the right.

Although you might suspect that Landon D. and Edson B. might have had their heads already on the plane to South Africa, Toronto will gladly take the point. Vancouver on Wednesday remains a very big game, but the Los Angeles game sure seems like a turning point for TFC 2010.