Make the final --- Philadelphia Union 0 Toronto FC 1

Might I be the first blogger in history to begin a game report with a pic of Chris Konopka??

Sometimes I lose track of my bloggish intentions.  If "Mistake by the Lake" is intended to be both a fan's diary and a tactical view of TFC games, the tactical side has been suffering.  I find that watching game after game on television turns this blog into a mushy collection of media observations and a lot of mystery guesses. I think things such as "what are Jackson and Findley doing on the same wing?" or "have their been enough games for Gio to have as little confidence in Jackson getting a ball into the box as the rest of TFCdom?", but I lack the context of the field and formation to determine what is accident and what is design. TV angles and camera choices are more confusing than helpful, notably when it is a stadium you only watch a game in once a year.

Maybe the technology is just around the corner where you can have a great view of the full pitch and zoom in on different players. You could pull back to get a sense of the formation and zoom in to capture the one v one battle down the touchline or in front of the net. At least I watched today's game on conventional television (oh the streaming struggles of the game in Orlando). I don't watch curling, never will. So I associate Vic Rauter's voice (and Graham Leggat too) with World Cup television coverage from days of yore. It is always great when the TSN schedule gives us Rauter calling a TFC game. He may not be the most up to date on the squad and he can repeat himself too often, but you get the sense that he is glad to be there. I dream of the game that Vic Rauter calls with Jason DeVos. I would want Vic to send J.DV home for being a sourpuss right in the midst of the second half.

But enough sports media and on to the sport. It was very pleasing that TFC squeaked through in Philadelphia (actually Chester), winning their second game in a row, not giving up a goal since the first half in Dallas and heading back to Toronto where the home opener next Sunday beckons. My newest TFC trick is to halt the broadcast of the game with my pvr and then follow the game on Twitter. That way the tension of protecting a lead on the road is reduced. Philadelphia Union is a team struggling to score this year, yet they spent the afternoon scaring me. When they put on Sebastien Le Toux and Casey Conor, two players who seem to have a special knack for scoring against Toronto, to join Maurice Edu I felt that TFC karma calls for giving up either the lead or all the points. Chris Konopka was the Toronto keeper due to a Joe Bendik injury and allowing zero goals was a welcome contribution. The back four of Morgan, Morrow, Hagglund and Perquis were fine. Your confidence in Bradley and Cheyrou in the midfield has to be strong, because you are always going to wonder at the contributions of Jackson and Findley. Altidore and Gio as the strikers have been everything hoped for and more.

For the hibernating, allow me a summary of TFC 2015 so far. Toronto FC began the MLS 2015 season with 7 road games as their home stadium, BMO Field, was undergoing an expansion. The Philly game was the last of those road games. TFC now has a record of 3 wins, 0 ties, 4 losses

The opening game victory was in Vancouver.

The Columbus game was evenly matched until TFC went down to 10 men late in the first half- loss #1.

Both the RSL and the Chicago games had Toronto pull themselves back into games only to falter in classic collapse fashion - loss #2 and #3.

The Dallas game was a case of collapse at the start, spend three hours due to a weather delay and then look a better team in the end. Loss #4 and the start of the panic concerning coaching, formation and direction.

It may have been ugly, but beating both Orlando and Philly means that TFC returns to Toronto with a sense that a corner has been turned. They have 9 points, good enough for a tie in the last(6th) playoff space. They have a goal difference of 0, scoring and allowing 11 goals and have kept a clean sheet for the last two games.

(Now, I know that TFC has a Canadian Championship game Wednesday in Montreal, but I do not want the distraction. I will watch and cheer for TFC, but I think it would be smart to play the "C" team in Montreal. Toronto needs to make a huge splash on Sunday with their new stadium. Montreal will have the loss to Club America still ringing in their ears...).

I am not the only one who will be thrilled to find myself making my way to the stadium next Sunday to see the team, finally, in the flesh.  A renovated stadium (awash in double blue colours?) awaits.

Stay tuned.

Those TFC thriving at BMO Field (and don't force those Argos on us) Blues

This morning I was a guest on the Naz and Wally Sportshour on AM740, Sunday mornings from 9-10 am. They are good guys (despite their hockey addictions), but I feel that I was unable to establish the case for TFC and the love felt for a proper home ground  for Canadian soccer fully.  The protection that soccer fans are seeking when talk of throwing the Argos into what has been for many a year the national soccer stadium - BMO Field is connected to many things. Trust, investment, awareness and pride come into play. Soccer requires a quality surface to be a quality product. It is also unfair to say that TFC requires to be a great team on the field in order to deserve a proper playing surface. Nobody ever says that about any other team on the planet. 

I have tried to fill out some of the topics that came up on the radio, but hope it is comprehensive enough that listening in to the show is not required.

Why is hiring the right TFC President important?

In recent times Tim Leiweke has been the unofficial TFC president. He has signed the big player contracts. He came to Toronto on the strength of his LA Galaxy experience. He met with interested season ticket holders in March 2014 to introduce the stadium expansion. He promised that he would protect the soccer experience, keep BMO Field a soccer first facility.

When Leiweke leaves (this June) who maintains that promise? Some TFC fans never trusted Tim L in the first place, but a new hire TFC President will take on that role. The fear is that TFC will no longer have the attention of MLSE and suffer due to internal politics

ps

When Mayor John Tory toured the facility recently (with Tim Leiweke) soccer fans listened carefully for the Tory pro-CFL bias. Tory said all the right things concerning a soccer first facility, but was that due to Leiweke? Too many Toronto politicians (Mark Grimes, Norm Kelly, and that obscure Ford fellow) have a pro-Argo bias and are too keen to trample over soccer fan concerns.

Why is MLSE not to be trusted?

They are split. The Rogers side wants a thriving Blue Jays selling tickets and strong baseball TV ratings. The Bell side owns TSN, so they want a thriving Argos because they have the exclusive contract to televise CFL games. However the Argos on their own lose money, so Bell (and/or Larry Tanenbaum) have not been in a hurry to buy the Argos.

TFC has been profitable, but spending on big contracts has squeezed that. Big name TFC is a gamble that bigger profits await with turning around the loser TFC history. TFC tv ratings have been miniscule.

Saving the Argos

Canadian football has fallen off the map in Toronto. I will gladly bet 99% of Ontario sports fans could not name the head football coach of the U of T Blues or the York U Lions. Toronto football fans follow US College and NFL. They would rather travel cross the border to tailgate than go to an Argo or Canadian university game

It has been a series of bad decisons that has constantly lowered the Argos. Putting the Argos in BMO Field is not a standalone solution to Argo fortunes. The Alouettes may play in a small stadium, but Quebec junior football and university football (Laval, UofMontreal, Sherbrooke, McGill, Bishop’s) are all thriving. It is possible to want Canadian football to both survive and thrive AND see plopping the Argos at BMO as a short sighted move.

Argos and TFC at the same stadium has the potential to be a lose - lose proposition. Wreck the playing surface (or go plastic) and you lose the purist soccer fan. Have the Argos dropped in and have to play second fiddle is not a help to them. The Blue Jays have given the Argos the short end of the scheduling stick for decades. What if they shift to this outdoor stadium and it is not the magic solution? The Argos need leadership and vision. Present Argo ownership is part of the problem - not part of the solution.

What are the big issues about CFL games in that stadium?

Length of playing field and a cheap tenant

Right now the playing field at BMO is not long enough for any style of North American football. It is 115 yards in length- NFL football needs 120 (field 100 yds+ 2x10 yard end zones) CFL football needs 150 yards (field 110 + 2x20 yard end zones).

So either the BMO Field north stands and/or south stands have to somehow make way for a larger field. Retractable stands that would keep fans close to the soccer action and pull back for CFL are a solution that has both mystery engineering questions and mystery costs.

How can you have Braley trying to sell the Argos, concerned about losing money for years AND have the same guy able to finance a huge money investment in what would be the world's FIRST soccer stadium that could also house a CFL team.

The Argos have a history of not investing in facilities. If they care little about presenting their own product in the best light (in the dome since 1989, prior to that they played in the “Mistake by the Lake), how can you expect them to care about soccer concerns?

Schedule conflicts will chew up real grass, doubts about other styles of playing surface

Internet rumours say that MLSE is trying to get future Grey Cups, the surefire CFL moneymaker, as part of a deal that sees both new Argo ownership and Argos at BMO

TFC fans see this as a field condition train wreck in the making. MLS has playoffs throughout November and the team in the finals for the MLS Cup with the best regular season gets to host. Trying to schedule an Argo playoff game, followed by a Grey Cup around two MLS playoff games and an MLS Cup in crummy November weather (actually MLS Cup shows up in early December) is going to be a huge mess. Leiweke has talked about replacing the natural grass of BMO Field with a hybrid product (plastic fibres wrapped around real grass to strengthen) and says that it has worked at Wembley in London, England. But Wembley hosts one NFL game per year and is the home ground of no club team.

Basic fairness

Why can the Blue Jays evict a tenant to protect their field, but TFC has to sacrifice their field as a result?

The X factors

TFC fans also fear that all this soccer vs Canadian football squabble is a sideshow. That MLSE will compromise both of those sports because their prime goal is outdoor Maple Leaf NHL games.

TFC fans also see the example of the Foxboro stadium in Massachusetts as a nightmare. The New England Patriots and the New England Revolution are owned by the same man and play in the same stadium. The soccer team is clearly the second class one by a mile. The playing surface is NFL friendly, soccer be damned.

Happy Birthday Mr. Hornby

Hornby at Highbury

Today is Nick Hornby's birthday. I have been aware for many a year that he and I were both born in 1957. I might have mentioned that too many times in my life.  Not my most pathetic attempt at reflected glory, but in the vicinity. (btw) The other 1957 birth that I am too fond of mentioning is Lyle Lovett, which somehow fits unless it doesn't.

I have read an awful lot of Nick Hornby and I do enjoy both his fiction and his non-fiction. A writer of humour and insight with obsessions directed at books, music and football seems to be a gift from heaven to my twisted mind. He is one of those writers that I am unsure that I would enjoy the company of. Perhaps he fits better into my scheme of the world as a magnetic force than an actual human. So it takes a bit of energy to wish him a happy birthday. It means that I am treating him like a person.

It all goes back to "Fever Pitch", his non-fiction tale of growing up and growing into and then being totally gripped by his devotion to Arsenal Football Club. I had combined writing and football from before I read Hornby, but nothing will ever weld those things together more than "Fever Pitch". I lived in England for a time in 1979 and 1980 and I entertain the notion that I might have attended a match at Highbury. That seems important to me. As if breathing the same air and watching Liam Brady at the same time means a connection. Did I mention pathetic attempts at reflected glory?

No Hornby, no Mistake by the Lake I would argue. Following a team from afar was a primitive matter in my youth and TFC gave me an opportunity (long after my youth) to be with a team from day 1 and contribute to a legacy that I only glimpsed with Arsenal back then.  (Funny too, that over the years since I have been more aware of my father's history and legacy and consider Everton the team deserving of my support from afar).
I only hope that from time to time my blogging has even a microscopic touch of Hornby in that I attempt to catch the self-imposed mental suffering and those small glimpses of glory that come with following a football team. TFC wallows in the former, might completely avoid the latter.

 Not sure that I have captured what I intended to convey here, so I will let you get back to your cake and candles.

Chicago Fire 3 Toronto FC 2 OR 2 steps forward, 3 steps back

Wipe Out

I am not hitting the panic button after the four road games that have started TFC season 2015, but I am making sure that I know where that button is located. Perhaps the victory over the Whitecaps gave us the wrong impression, had us believing that the team was farther along the process of team building than they truly are.

Vanney's TFC continues to play with a 4-3-3 formation, but using the two halfbacks as attacking wingbacks constantly puts a lot of pressure on the central pairing. In Chicago that pair were Hagglund and Morrow. Neither gave a performance of dominating defending or dazzling attack from the back. Perhaps the perfect pairing for Vanney, amongst the players currently on the roster, would be Perquis and Simonin. Two defenders who have the offensive skills to make Vanney's "attack from the back". The worrying trend is that when TFC central defenders are not dazzling us with precise passing from the back, Michael Bradley falls back to play that role. Now I concede this was truest in Chicago when TFC were down to 10 men. When Bradley is way back, the Vanney love of three forwards is at it's worst. Scrambling from the back leads to long ball desperation and all those forwards are bound to be lacking service.

Speaking of down to ten men, Warren Creavalle will not play the next game thanks to his red card (two yellows) yesterday. It takes a team to lose, but Creavalle is sticking out for all the wrong reasons. It might be difficult to find a TFC fan concerned about playing without Creavalle next game. The first Fire goal was due to Morrow losing the ball under pressure in a bad spot. Michael Bradley stuck out as watching more than defending, but Creavalle was a witness from behind the play too. The second Fire goal was a combination of Hagglund not closing down the space on the attacker and Creavalle guarding ghosts. When the ball is that close to your goal, if you are not pressing the attacker or marking a man, you are essentially a pylon obscuring your keeper. Then the third Chicago goal took place off of the free kick that followed the Creavalle open field foul that had him sent off. Just awful defending or rather replacing defending with out and out fouling.

Since I'm chattering about three forwards, time to put forth my worries about Robbie Findley. Perhaps he is suffering from poor service, often playing the same side of the field as Warren Creavalle (will his time in the hot seat never end?), but I worry that he has not contributed enough to justify his starting role. We entering chicken/egg territory for Easter here. Is the third forward a fifth wheel because it is Findley or is Findley facing the universal third forward problem?

On a personal note, I may have hurt my arm from excessively patting myself on the back. The blog post last week included my prediction that BOTH Cheyrou and Giovinco would score their first MLS goals against Chicago. The Gio goal was a fluke and he was smart enough to barely celebrate it. The combination of Gio and Cheyrou made the second TFC goal much more of a satisfying treat. As President Bush once said, Mission Accomplished. Now I am hoping that my prediction of Perquis and Simonin as the central pairing becomes my next success.

So far I have been heavy on the criticism. A road loss where moments of TFC skill and buildup were negated by amateur hour will do that to a blogger. I have to give credit to another strong performance from Ashtone Morgan. His cutback to Giovinco for his blooper goal was smart play in deep. Just as very little attack seems to come from the Findley/Creavalle side of the field, Morgan's side seemed well defended. In the first half breakaway by Chicago's Accam, not only did Joe Bendik make a smart save, but Ashtone Morgan kept the pressure on in pursuit. The Morgan of a few years ago would have tried something desperate.

The ongoing road trip is now down to three games ahead. Dallas, Orlando and Philly and something tells me that Toronto will look strongest against Dallas, despite their current strong form. The flip is that the other two games will be the ones where you think points could be had and the frustration level will continue.  Stay tuned.

RSL 2 TFC 1 - a late letdown, but positives aplenty

I think it is fair to observe that most TFC fans tuned into the Sunday night game versus Real Salt Lake with defensive fears once they knew who were starting as the back four (Creavalle, Hagglund, Simonin and Morgan).
Although both RSL goals were taking advantage of shoddy marking, it was not the TFC defensive norm for most of the game.
Toronto had a few first half moments, but they came on stronger in the second half. I need to see some replays of the disallowed Hagglund goal, I missed the foul on the broadcast.
When you consider that Bradley and Altidore were missing on international duty, Caldwell and Perquis (the vet central defending pairing) were injured and Morrow was serving his red card suspension, TFC showed some depth and plenty of battling ability.
Cheyrou and Giovinco were both solid contributors. I am sticking my neck out and predicting that both will score their first TFC goals in Chicago next weekend. Since my neck is out, I am going to look ahead and say TFC wins in Chicago and Philly, draws in Orlando and Dallas. That would give them 11 points prior to playing their first home game in May. Fingers are crossed.

Until then....sorry just too tired for an in-depth analysis. I am feeling that Coach Vanney has the team properly prepped and playing a fluid style. I could see where he was going with his substitutions. They were timely and positive.

Gantar the ref from Hell, beats TFC by two Columbus goals, "What can you say? He’s just not good enough.”

Clearly playing the ball not the man

Gantar, the ref from hell, botched another TFC game last evening. Late in the first half he red carded Justin Morrow.  Hell, he tried to red card Damien Perquis, which is a clear indication that he is not up to the job.
Yes, I have the luxury of hindsight. I have watched the video multiple times. I chose the above screen shot to underline how hopeless the assistant ref had to be to support Gantar. He is in the top of the picture with nothing between him and Morrow with the ball at his feet. He deserves to be banished along with Gantar.

You can't call a foul on a defender in this situation. He is playing the ball. It is not even a situation of one leg going for the ball and the trailing leg fouling the attacker, he had BOTH legs ahead of the attacker. Even if the back of Morrow is being kicked by the attacker, Morrow has position. He has precedence. Any contact in this spot is a foul to the attacker. If he (Ethan Finley) makes contact with the back of the defender's legs WHO IS PLAYING THE BALL and then goes to ground HE GETS BOOKED FOR SIMULATION. It is not even a 50/50 ball, not even a shoulder to shoulder situation. Morrow probably felt he could not risk a shoulder to shoulder stance as last man back, so he won the ball.

Up until this moment, it was a game that hung in the balance. I can't bring myself to dissect the TFC defensive lapses that made the Columbus goals possible, since the Gantar decision created an unbalanced second half.
It does underline the need for TFC to establish themselves early. Giovinco had some shots that were worthy. Cheyrou played well. I am still not sold on the TFC midfield as a central block and letting Creavalle and Morrow be responsible for all wing play. Having an overlapping back works best with an element of surprise. Vanney's TFC uses it as a steady diet item.
I am most worried about Ashtone Morgan, who took over as left back with the banishment of Morrow. I have been a fan of Morgan's, often attributing his mistakes to youthful exuberance. Last night he was gambling and losing balls in open field, failing to get goal side when Altidore was back helping defend Morgan's section of the pitch. Just awful.
Two weeks until TFC play away in Utah (Real Salt Lake). Hopefully the sting of this cruel outcome will fuel some fire for that next game. Stay tuned

Game 1 - TFC controls Whitecaps and parade route planning begins VW 1 TFC 3

Welcome season 2015! Fire up the television set and adjust the antenna, we are about to watch the TFC Bradleys play game 1 on the road in Vancouver.

Now this blogger has been keeping an intensely low profile. Oh yes, I watched those pre-season games from Brandenton Florida. But what was the point of blogging about mist and rain and strange camera angles, I ask you? You knew that they looked ragged. Yet, you had to expect that considering just how many newcomers were trying to fit into the squad. Sure Altidore and Bradley have had years together through their USMNT days, but Perquis and Cheyrou and Giovinco and Findley are in that crunchy mix too. 

They still looked somewhat in the crunchy mix phase as the first half in Vancouver rolled along. Whitecap newcomer Octavio Rivero missed a gift with a stutter step and you feared that it would be the only break Toronto got for the night. The home team looked like a smooth concoction and it seemed as if their plan of attack was to hit Caldwell with speedy players who could glide on by. One of those glides did result in the Vancouver goal as Whitecap Kah set up Octavio Rivero for his first Vancouver goal and the injustice of that earlier miss was put to rest.

However the rest of the story was a shocker. The Whitecaps lost control of the midfield, could not control the ball and started passing the ball as if they had just met for the first time before the game. Where did Coach Carl Robinson's cinderella run to the playoff guys go to? TFC started to play a control game, creating a slow build up and using thoughtful movement. Their passing began to take  over.

Then Osorio to Giovinco, Gio curled around a defender and fed a through ball to Altidore and Jozy Altidore had his first TFC goal. It was a statement goal. It might be too, too early to call it a "I can be a Defoe-like scorer around here" sort of statement, but you got the sense that  

Now I am not a fan of 4-3-3, at least not the way Winter's TFC used to play it.  TFC started with Altidore as the left winger (although he crossed to the right for goal 1) and tiny Giovinco as a centre forward. The midfield of Osorio, Cheyrou and Bradley seemed to start off in an unsure formation, they were bunching up and not getting their tracking back assignments clear between them.

Then once the game was tied, the cohesion of TFC just seemed to rise. The second half was all Toronto. Sure, Joe Bendik had to make some saves and the defenders were tested. Morrow was able to attack down the left wing (his run and cross created the Findley goal making it 2 for TFC), Creavalle had a sturdy game on the right. Perquis looks like a real find, positions himself well, recovers quickly and might be the best TFC central defender on the ball since, since, since ever? I think that second half Bradley was protecting Caldwell from the young lightning bolts of Vancouver, but they both played well. I like Cheyrou's style and passing. The potential power of Altidore (scored his second goal on a pk) and Giovinco has to put a smile on every Toronto fan's face tonight.

Now I know, I know - TFC started last year with a win on the road (Seattle) and we were instantly swept up. But I have a feeling that the Toronto Bradleys are a stronger team than the Toronto Bradley-Defoes of 2014. Not that they are in any way a one man team, Cheyrou allows Michael Bradley a comfort zone and the attacking options are amazing. It is just easier to call them the Toronto Bradleys than a mishmash of Gio and Jozy and Benoit and Damien and....

Going out on a limb here, but I think Columbus (TFC's road opponent next weekend) could be a touch worried. Stay tuned and keep smiling. Mother's Day (the day of TFC's home opener) is still two months away.