Visiting Toyota Park for the first time in the MLS, TFC was able to gather a point on the road in a strange game. Toronto was a mixture of misfiring and relentless. It was hard, sometimes, to decipher which was the home team. During the second half except for a call on Marshall in the box (which lead to pk Fire goal by Chad Barrett) and then a near-miss mess-up late in the game, you would have sensed that TFC was playing for the win and Chicago was settling for the tie. That statement might be misleading, the Fire were dangerous from time to time. However the growing number of missed chances from TFC held your attention overall.
The first half was a stalemate and ended scoreless. Carl Robinson and Ronnie O'Brien both looked off their top games. There was a constant parade of knocks and minor injuries that kept the game from creating a flow or energy. Edu and Andy Welsh were both slowed by collisions and contributed little. Dichio and Samuel were ok, but with little on offer from the midfield they did have to fend for themselves.
Jeff Cunningham did not start and did not see the pitch. Andrew Boyens also was not playing. Considering the revolving doors of trades, call-ups for U-20, Gold Cup and Copa, it should be no surprise that TFC's starting 11 was a new variation.
The parade of new faces was not as dramatic as would appear at first. Left back Todd Dunivant would have played with Marvell Wynne last year in New York and prior to that would have played some time with Marshall for the Galaxy. Collin Samuel was playing with Wynne for the first time, but with Samuel's spectacular lack of finish, Marvell could have easily thought he was still playing with Jeff Cunningham.
The TFC goal was a brilliant bolt out of the blue. Marvell Wynne sent the ball long from around the halfway line, Maurice Edu controlled the ball off of his chest and , while falling, fired the ball into the net. Wynne and Edu had strong second halfs and Ronnie O' Brien came along with force. Collin Samuel was active and maddening, he has the potential to score hat-tricks based on last night's performance. He has to finish.
So it was a turbulent ride tonight. Willing to settle for a tie, mad to see TFC fall behind, thrilled to watch them even it up on a brilliant goal, willing to settle for a tie and then at the final whistle convinced that a win was there for the taking but for some finishing, pretty well sums the game up.
A couple of Still Kicking observations
-Calen Carr of Chicago had an impressive headband. It looked so wide that it probably was bought with matching mittens.
-The TFC need for depth on the bench is still there. It would have been nice to see another substitute with goal scoring potential come on late in the game, but Cunningham is being saved to ensure recovery and who else was there ? Andrea Lombardo would have fit the bill.
Summary
Chicago - Chad Barrett (pk) 70
Toronto - Maurice Edu 78
Cards
Chicago- CJ Brown 31
Toronto - M. Edu 34
Toronto- Jim Brennan 69 (arguing the pk call)
Toronto - Chris Pozniak 76
cheers and maybe more in the morning
Next game - Houston on Sunday July 15th evening game
Showing posts with label footballblog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label footballblog. Show all posts
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Monday, July 2, 2007
KC Wizards 1 Toronto FC 1
TFC landed in Kansas City on Canada Day looking for rare points on the road and a sense of recovery from the blasting they suffered in New England last weekend.
Mo Johnston, no doubt trying to find a new road game success formula, made four changes to his starting eleven. Sam Reynolds was new in net, Chris Pozniak played right back in place of Marvell Wynne (off to the Copa), Collin Samuel started on the left side of midfield in place of Andy Welsh and Todd Dunivant played left back in place of Kevin Goldthwaite, the man who was traded for him. For a team with so many new faces, the TFC held up very well in the first half, with the exception of a few seconds and that was all KC needed. TFC had the majority of possession and a strong advantage in scoring chances in the first 45, but it was Kansas City who had the only goal on a quick counter attack and an accurate shot from Michael Harrington.
Reynolds might have been a shade out of alignment on the goal, but his troubles really began with a scrambling defense trying to get back from a corner kick down the other end seconds earlier.
Cunningham. O’Brien and Dichio all had chances to score throughout the first half and at halftime it was possible to have a touch of optimism about TFC’s chances.
The second half started brilliantly for TFC. Some smart ball movement sprung an attack down the left side and then the ball was swung out to the right finding Ronnie O’Brien. He was able to send a great cross into the box and Danny Dichio headed in the equalizer. Dichio was able to elude the two central KC defenders with the simplest of moves, one step forward, then two steps back. Allow Dichio to be loose in front of the net like that and it will cost you.
The game was pretty much in balance for a while until Andrew Boyens picked up his second yellow card of the night and TFC was down to 10 players. Dichio dropped back into a central midfield role for only a few minutes before being substituted for Marco Reda to shore up the defence. Andy Welsh came in for Collin Samuel to add fresh legs (and perhaps to show Mo’s continuing faith in him- is he the super-sub off the bench that has been lacking ?).
Kansas City kept up the pressure with their advantage for the remainder of the game. Sam Reynolds made some excellent saves, a couple of them from close enough that the Wizard shooter was breathing on him. I think that Reynolds has played his way onto the squad tonight (was he the reserve keeper we borrowed from Chivas USA or what ?)
Andy Welsh was able to both help out defensively and provide some counter-attack speed right to the end. He had a last second shot at net that looked like the real deal. Jeff Cunningham was able to keep the KC defenders threatened from time to time and that was a useful safety valve to help the Toronto defending pack. TFC held the tie and got the point.
I have harped on this before, but here it goes again. I am driven crazy by the extreme homer announcers in Kansas City. The play-by-play guy’s voice goes haywire with excitement when KC is developing an attack. He stated late in the game that it was an “absolute joy” to commentate the games of this team since they never play for a tie. The analyst is worse. In the middle of the second half on a wide shot taken (I think) by Movsisyan, the fellow giving the analysis of the game said “ That’s ok. That’s alright, just keep going”. Buddy, that is not analysis, that is cheerleading. I know to go easy on The Score, the commentary and the fuzzy picture quality are not their fault and without them I would be watching this game on my computer screen, but it was a dreadful product. I expect the KC crew to know little of the visiting TFC. That is forgivable, but their cheering drives me batty .
Mo Johnston, no doubt trying to find a new road game success formula, made four changes to his starting eleven. Sam Reynolds was new in net, Chris Pozniak played right back in place of Marvell Wynne (off to the Copa), Collin Samuel started on the left side of midfield in place of Andy Welsh and Todd Dunivant played left back in place of Kevin Goldthwaite, the man who was traded for him. For a team with so many new faces, the TFC held up very well in the first half, with the exception of a few seconds and that was all KC needed. TFC had the majority of possession and a strong advantage in scoring chances in the first 45, but it was Kansas City who had the only goal on a quick counter attack and an accurate shot from Michael Harrington.
Reynolds might have been a shade out of alignment on the goal, but his troubles really began with a scrambling defense trying to get back from a corner kick down the other end seconds earlier.
Cunningham. O’Brien and Dichio all had chances to score throughout the first half and at halftime it was possible to have a touch of optimism about TFC’s chances.
The second half started brilliantly for TFC. Some smart ball movement sprung an attack down the left side and then the ball was swung out to the right finding Ronnie O’Brien. He was able to send a great cross into the box and Danny Dichio headed in the equalizer. Dichio was able to elude the two central KC defenders with the simplest of moves, one step forward, then two steps back. Allow Dichio to be loose in front of the net like that and it will cost you.
The game was pretty much in balance for a while until Andrew Boyens picked up his second yellow card of the night and TFC was down to 10 players. Dichio dropped back into a central midfield role for only a few minutes before being substituted for Marco Reda to shore up the defence. Andy Welsh came in for Collin Samuel to add fresh legs (and perhaps to show Mo’s continuing faith in him- is he the super-sub off the bench that has been lacking ?).
Kansas City kept up the pressure with their advantage for the remainder of the game. Sam Reynolds made some excellent saves, a couple of them from close enough that the Wizard shooter was breathing on him. I think that Reynolds has played his way onto the squad tonight (was he the reserve keeper we borrowed from Chivas USA or what ?)
Andy Welsh was able to both help out defensively and provide some counter-attack speed right to the end. He had a last second shot at net that looked like the real deal. Jeff Cunningham was able to keep the KC defenders threatened from time to time and that was a useful safety valve to help the Toronto defending pack. TFC held the tie and got the point.
I have harped on this before, but here it goes again. I am driven crazy by the extreme homer announcers in Kansas City. The play-by-play guy’s voice goes haywire with excitement when KC is developing an attack. He stated late in the game that it was an “absolute joy” to commentate the games of this team since they never play for a tie. The analyst is worse. In the middle of the second half on a wide shot taken (I think) by Movsisyan, the fellow giving the analysis of the game said “ That’s ok. That’s alright, just keep going”. Buddy, that is not analysis, that is cheerleading. I know to go easy on The Score, the commentary and the fuzzy picture quality are not their fault and without them I would be watching this game on my computer screen, but it was a dreadful product. I expect the KC crew to know little of the visiting TFC. That is forgivable, but their cheering drives me batty .
Saturday, June 23, 2007
New England Revolution 3 TFC 0
Do you remember April?
Do you remember watching TFC on television back in those winless/goalless nights? A struggling team that did not seem to have had enough time together to gel and had new players arriving every game?
It was a convincing arguement for time travel Saturday night as the TFC went from the Father's Day world-beaters to the team of April right before your very eyes.
Dobson and Forrest on Sportsnet were able to comment a million times that nothing was going TFC's way (was it foreshadowing when Forrest called TFC "Canada" in the early part of the game?). It was a combination of ugly and listless for most of the night. Then towards the end it threatened to turn chippy as the frustration level increased. It is hindsight talking, but I think that some late substitutions would at least have given some players a rest and made it look like TFC was not throwing in the towel.
Rather than report all the gruesome details and write something that I may later regret, I leave you with...
The Still Kicking Questions
1 What is the health of Greg Sutton? The Mo Johnston interview seemed to indicate that there is real concern that Sutton's season may be at an end. OMG - what happens now?
2 What is it about the New England Revolution that allows them to own the TFC ? Accumulated score is now NE -7 TFC -0. They were missing Twellman and more to Gold Cup duty. They seem solid in every position and have an ability to finish in the box that allows them to make something out of nothing or close to nothing.
3 Am I the only one who thinks that Mo Johnston and NE Revolution coach Steve Nichol look very alike. I am suspecting that Nichol wears glasses just to ensure that viewing audience knows which brother they are looking at.
4 Why is the team so thin? Where is the player who can come off the bench- the super sub? When things seem listless and ugly TFC turns to?
5 Is this an omen for the road trip? There has to be a way to shake things around and change the TFC road story. Does TFC have a third jersey yet? Order one.
6 Did Jeff Cunningham take the night off or was he just waiting for Andy Welsh to cross the ball?
7 Watching that motley militia behind the advertising signs fire their muskets convinces me all the more that the TFC nickname should be the Redcoats so that we have the opportunity to fire back. One day. Who would want to throw a seagull at a revolutionary?
8 It is wonderful that Mighty Mo has been clear about the goal being the playoffs, but man, that is hard to dream about after tonight.
9 Shouldn't the TFC game have been the antidote for that Canada-US robbery?
PS - Cheers for Marvell Wynne being called up to the US team for the Copa America.
10 Can we go back to Father's Day now?
Do you remember watching TFC on television back in those winless/goalless nights? A struggling team that did not seem to have had enough time together to gel and had new players arriving every game?
It was a convincing arguement for time travel Saturday night as the TFC went from the Father's Day world-beaters to the team of April right before your very eyes.
Dobson and Forrest on Sportsnet were able to comment a million times that nothing was going TFC's way (was it foreshadowing when Forrest called TFC "Canada" in the early part of the game?). It was a combination of ugly and listless for most of the night. Then towards the end it threatened to turn chippy as the frustration level increased. It is hindsight talking, but I think that some late substitutions would at least have given some players a rest and made it look like TFC was not throwing in the towel.
Rather than report all the gruesome details and write something that I may later regret, I leave you with...
The Still Kicking Questions
1 What is the health of Greg Sutton? The Mo Johnston interview seemed to indicate that there is real concern that Sutton's season may be at an end. OMG - what happens now?
2 What is it about the New England Revolution that allows them to own the TFC ? Accumulated score is now NE -7 TFC -0. They were missing Twellman and more to Gold Cup duty. They seem solid in every position and have an ability to finish in the box that allows them to make something out of nothing or close to nothing.
3 Am I the only one who thinks that Mo Johnston and NE Revolution coach Steve Nichol look very alike. I am suspecting that Nichol wears glasses just to ensure that viewing audience knows which brother they are looking at.
4 Why is the team so thin? Where is the player who can come off the bench- the super sub? When things seem listless and ugly TFC turns to?
5 Is this an omen for the road trip? There has to be a way to shake things around and change the TFC road story. Does TFC have a third jersey yet? Order one.
6 Did Jeff Cunningham take the night off or was he just waiting for Andy Welsh to cross the ball?
7 Watching that motley militia behind the advertising signs fire their muskets convinces me all the more that the TFC nickname should be the Redcoats so that we have the opportunity to fire back. One day. Who would want to throw a seagull at a revolutionary?
8 It is wonderful that Mighty Mo has been clear about the goal being the playoffs, but man, that is hard to dream about after tonight.
9 Shouldn't the TFC game have been the antidote for that Canada-US robbery?
PS - Cheers for Marvell Wynne being called up to the US team for the Copa America.
10 Can we go back to Father's Day now?
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Toronto FC 1 Houston Dynamo 0 (May 16th)
Sometimes a team has to eke out a victory with a minimum of force and style and tonight the TFC did just that. It was a wet and windy night and although some of the sellout were there disguised as empty seats,those who were there were in finest voice.
Andy Welsh got his head perfectly to a ball off of a free kick in the first half and the goal had to stand up for the duration. Houston were neither dominated nor dominating, if you know what I mean. They always retained a sense of danger when they were on the ball, but the Toronto defense was able to bend (and slip and stumble) but did not break. Canadian MLS star Dwayne DeRosario looked average for want of a better term. Watching his team had me questioning the team name - Dynamo. They did not seem dynamic. More of a chippy team that flopped at every passing wind and benefited from a ref who could have been auditioning for the role of Mayor of Houston.
The Esky and Buddle combination up front looked rusty. They do not seem to be on the same page often, if at all. Buddle was a force going forward and Esky displayed his usual high energy - but as a pairing or individually they never had that sense of lethal finish. When Andrea Lombardo came on for Esky he was able to stay active and keep the Houston defenders from joining the attack. Lombardo was furious with Buddle when the best scoring chance of the second half went awry. Buddle had a clean break at goal and Lombardo had worked his way in the clear trailing at the far post. I think the anger was a little after the fact, Buddle had every right to take his shot in that situation. But I think Lombardo's annoyance might reflect a touch of impatience that is growing both on and off the field.
The slippery conditions were not doing any favours for Greg Sutton. He might have had moments where the handle was hard to find on that slick ball. To keep a clean sheet in those conditions was worthy of a salute.
Maurice Edu remains one of my faves and had a solid game. Robinson was involved in some tackles and did the unsung work in the midfield, but did not look as strong as Saturday.
So happy to report that no projectiles were thrown, no showboat drunks on the field and the south enders were at a new height in their musical performance. The songs were clear. the clapping and the coordination thereof was top quality. From the west stand you can see the support spreading and it seems to have started jumping the gaps- in other words the fans in the sections(both east and west sides)that are closest to the south end are starting to participate in clapping, singing and chanting along with the Red Patch and U Sector. No tribal drum group tonight and I think that was a good thing. Oh and the TFC Superstar song seems to be really catching on. The one to the tune of Jesus Christ Superstar that goes T O R, O N T, OOOOOO TFC. It sounds beautiful ringing out on a night when beauty was in short supply. But that is a weather comment - we have our first winning streak so rejoice !!!
Andy Welsh got his head perfectly to a ball off of a free kick in the first half and the goal had to stand up for the duration. Houston were neither dominated nor dominating, if you know what I mean. They always retained a sense of danger when they were on the ball, but the Toronto defense was able to bend (and slip and stumble) but did not break. Canadian MLS star Dwayne DeRosario looked average for want of a better term. Watching his team had me questioning the team name - Dynamo. They did not seem dynamic. More of a chippy team that flopped at every passing wind and benefited from a ref who could have been auditioning for the role of Mayor of Houston.
The Esky and Buddle combination up front looked rusty. They do not seem to be on the same page often, if at all. Buddle was a force going forward and Esky displayed his usual high energy - but as a pairing or individually they never had that sense of lethal finish. When Andrea Lombardo came on for Esky he was able to stay active and keep the Houston defenders from joining the attack. Lombardo was furious with Buddle when the best scoring chance of the second half went awry. Buddle had a clean break at goal and Lombardo had worked his way in the clear trailing at the far post. I think the anger was a little after the fact, Buddle had every right to take his shot in that situation. But I think Lombardo's annoyance might reflect a touch of impatience that is growing both on and off the field.
The slippery conditions were not doing any favours for Greg Sutton. He might have had moments where the handle was hard to find on that slick ball. To keep a clean sheet in those conditions was worthy of a salute.
Maurice Edu remains one of my faves and had a solid game. Robinson was involved in some tackles and did the unsung work in the midfield, but did not look as strong as Saturday.
So happy to report that no projectiles were thrown, no showboat drunks on the field and the south enders were at a new height in their musical performance. The songs were clear. the clapping and the coordination thereof was top quality. From the west stand you can see the support spreading and it seems to have started jumping the gaps- in other words the fans in the sections(both east and west sides)that are closest to the south end are starting to participate in clapping, singing and chanting along with the Red Patch and U Sector. No tribal drum group tonight and I think that was a good thing. Oh and the TFC Superstar song seems to be really catching on. The one to the tune of Jesus Christ Superstar that goes T O R, O N T, OOOOOO TFC. It sounds beautiful ringing out on a night when beauty was in short supply. But that is a weather comment - we have our first winning streak so rejoice !!!
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Mr. Paul Beirne gets it right
Today Paul Beirne, Director of Business Operations for Toronto FC, did the right thing and sent an email to all TFC fans. While praising to the skies the energy of the crowd at BMO, he also made it clear that fans at future games must be aware of their limits.
I love a rowdy crowd, but the energy has to be positive and the three rules above have to be considered fundamental. We can be great supporters of a great team. It is the beautiful game after all.
"In only two games, Toronto's BMO Field has been established as one of the most difficult and intimidating places for visiting teams to travel to, but it must be everyone's responsibility to ensure this reputation is for the right reasons. The Stadium and Club will be taking a very hard line on the following infractions:
- Throwing projectiles of any kind onto the playing field
- Fans entering the field of play
- Any action that jeopardizes the safety of the players, officials or fans"
I love a rowdy crowd, but the energy has to be positive and the three rules above have to be considered fundamental. We can be great supporters of a great team. It is the beautiful game after all.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Toronto FC 0 KC 1
That was fun. As a starting blogger, you are aware that the two large traps to fall into are either becoming a relentless fanboy or a perpetual grumpy griper. I think my thoughts about the stadium, the atmosphere and the total experience transcends the fan level. I had moments today when I was dealing with that rare state, what do you do when you find a dream coming true? The game I love being played in a place designed for it, in my home town, by a team that wants my support. Who would have predicted this?
A bitter result; we were not outplayed and KC did not deserve the points, but they did take their opportunity and exploited it. It happened so quickly, I'm not sure where the breakdown came from.
ps. cheers to the fans who threw their beer at the celebrating KC Wiz. Why were the players trying to get as close as they could to the crowd? I saw Eddie Johnson gesture towards the crowd. Considering the price of beer, the shower was of a quality he did not deserve.
Now that I have seen them in the flesh - allow me to throw around some TFC verdicts.
Sutton played well and it was wonderful to see him go down field twice in the final moments. Thanks MoJo for showing that this was a big game in your eyes too.
Robinson and Edu are gems, tireless workers, confident with the ball. They were the heart of the team today.
Danny Dichio and Esky were showing signs of figuring each other out - stick with them, I say, and the goals will come.
Wynne and Boyens had their shaky moments moving the ball for sections in the first half, but Wynne started finding his space down the wing more and more as the game progressed. Where was his link to the midfield in the second half ? Nagumura seemed to go missing in action and poor Wynne would find himself surrounded by a horde of KC defenders.
Welsh was moving down his wing and was a positive force all day. I was not happy to see him come off. I wanted Nagamura off. When finally he gets pulled, I have to groan because on comes Buddle. Where does Ronnie O'Brien fit into this midfield when he gets healthy ? Maybe Nagamura is best in a central role ?
We need some attack down the right side !
Boyens and Brennan were a solid pair in the middle.
Overall the team did seem to tire in the second half. Wonder how the ref enjoyed the game seeing as there were moments when he seemed to have never encountered the sport before in his life.
A bitter result; we were not outplayed and KC did not deserve the points, but they did take their opportunity and exploited it. It happened so quickly, I'm not sure where the breakdown came from.
ps. cheers to the fans who threw their beer at the celebrating KC Wiz. Why were the players trying to get as close as they could to the crowd? I saw Eddie Johnson gesture towards the crowd. Considering the price of beer, the shower was of a quality he did not deserve.
Now that I have seen them in the flesh - allow me to throw around some TFC verdicts.
Sutton played well and it was wonderful to see him go down field twice in the final moments. Thanks MoJo for showing that this was a big game in your eyes too.
Robinson and Edu are gems, tireless workers, confident with the ball. They were the heart of the team today.
Danny Dichio and Esky were showing signs of figuring each other out - stick with them, I say, and the goals will come.
Wynne and Boyens had their shaky moments moving the ball for sections in the first half, but Wynne started finding his space down the wing more and more as the game progressed. Where was his link to the midfield in the second half ? Nagumura seemed to go missing in action and poor Wynne would find himself surrounded by a horde of KC defenders.
Welsh was moving down his wing and was a positive force all day. I was not happy to see him come off. I wanted Nagamura off. When finally he gets pulled, I have to groan because on comes Buddle. Where does Ronnie O'Brien fit into this midfield when he gets healthy ? Maybe Nagamura is best in a central role ?
We need some attack down the right side !
Boyens and Brennan were a solid pair in the middle.
Overall the team did seem to tire in the second half. Wonder how the ref enjoyed the game seeing as there were moments when he seemed to have never encountered the sport before in his life.
Friday, March 16, 2007
countdown....and introduction.
First, the history behind the blog name.
I was born and raised in Toronto. One of my earliest memories was walking with my dad from our place in Parkdale to Exhibition Stadium. It was the sixties, so the stadium was home of the Argos. It might not have been the world's best football stadium (CFL or otherwise), but it was our football stadium, home of our team. Having a stadium right in your neighbourhood was special and my life as a fan was begun. To me it was the heart of the city.
Later a baseball team was brought to Toronto and a baseball design was grafted onto the place. I don't know which writer coined the phrase "mistake by the lake", but it became associated with Exhibition Stadium. It was ugly alright, but it was still home turf for the fan. The mistake atmosphere extended around the stadium as we had neither the gathering atmosphere of the stadium in a neighbourhood or the tailgate party version where the party is in the parking lot.
Building a domed stadium downtown finished the Exhibition area for outdoor sports. The mistake by the lake was torn down. The CNE (Canadian National Exhibition, the annual fair on the grounds) continued but has been in serious decline.
So mistake by the lake is a salute to the history of the location. The arrival of Toronto FC and the building of BMO Field is not the mistake. This blog hopes to be part of a new chapter in these parts. Welcoming a new team in a new stadium by the lake is hopefully the long overdue correction to those old mistakes, bringing us full circle to what once was and what could have been.
I was born and raised in Toronto. One of my earliest memories was walking with my dad from our place in Parkdale to Exhibition Stadium. It was the sixties, so the stadium was home of the Argos. It might not have been the world's best football stadium (CFL or otherwise), but it was our football stadium, home of our team. Having a stadium right in your neighbourhood was special and my life as a fan was begun. To me it was the heart of the city.
Later a baseball team was brought to Toronto and a baseball design was grafted onto the place. I don't know which writer coined the phrase "mistake by the lake", but it became associated with Exhibition Stadium. It was ugly alright, but it was still home turf for the fan. The mistake atmosphere extended around the stadium as we had neither the gathering atmosphere of the stadium in a neighbourhood or the tailgate party version where the party is in the parking lot.
Building a domed stadium downtown finished the Exhibition area for outdoor sports. The mistake by the lake was torn down. The CNE (Canadian National Exhibition, the annual fair on the grounds) continued but has been in serious decline.
So mistake by the lake is a salute to the history of the location. The arrival of Toronto FC and the building of BMO Field is not the mistake. This blog hopes to be part of a new chapter in these parts. Welcoming a new team in a new stadium by the lake is hopefully the long overdue correction to those old mistakes, bringing us full circle to what once was and what could have been.
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