Tragic event strikes Chapecoense and wounds us all

Being a fan of this sport puts you into a global village. The joys are understood and embraced, but the sadness must be shared too. Today the global village has sadness indeed.
On a flight to Colombia to play in the final for the Copa Sudamericana (described as the South American club competition similar to the Europe League) the Brazilian club team Chapecoense experienced a fatal crash.
According to the BBC report 81 people were on board the plane and reports state only 6 people have survived.
I join all expressing condolences and deep sorrow at this loss.

TFC stumble early, but leave poised - Impact 3 TFC 2

On the morning after the game in Montreal, I am struggling to get a grip on the Impact -TFC game last night ( leg 1 Eastern final for the Audi MLS Cup, if you need the full title).

I watched it on tv. It was a game that sometimes seemed to be played on an icy parking lot painted green (and only Dominic Oduro had shoes with any grip to them).
I am always hesitant to blame a player based on the narrow vision presented by tv cameras, but I have a hunch that Nick Hagglund wishes he could replay both early Montreal goals. He slipped as the through pass went by to Dominic Oduro and I felt he was caught napping on the cross coming at him that became the second goal. I still had faith, courage and perspective after that second Impact goal. Plenty of time in the game, two goals against early is not insurmountable...

I think every TFC supporter felt an incredible sinking feeling on the third Montreal goal. The Impact defender Oyongo strips the ball (from Giovinco?) and proceeds to push into the Toronto half as if he had been granted diplomatic immunity for the night. Nobody challenges and with all the time in the world he shoots and he scores. Montreal scoring three goals against TFC in the playoffs was a return to nightmare territory.

From those depths came first the Altidore goal (and I was so ready to sub him for Ricketts at halftime) and then the Bradley goal (after I had complained that he had become as predictable as Osorio in the "never take a shot at goal" category).

By the end of the game, I was so rejuvenated by the two goal comeback it was hard to feel that TFC had lost.

I ended the night feeling INCREDIBLY optimistic about TFC at home next Wednesday night. My reasons for optimism include:

1.  The critical leg 2 game will be played on grass, not that substandard green stuff that the Big Owe uses. A playing surface that hopefully (more than fingers crossed) survives the Grey Cup Sunday. I will watch the Grey Cup on tv with a startling new perspective. I will care very little for the humans in helmets and will cheer for every blade of grass. Hold your breath, field of ours, it will soon be Wednesday night!

2. The following players will rebound from their wonky ways in Montreal - first half Altidore, Osorio ( I would start Osorio and give him the first half for his confidence, but sub Will Johnson for him at halftime), Clint Irwin and Nick Hagglund.

3. Sebastian Giovinco is right where we want him, taking the field in Toronto with something to prove and a bit of fire in his belly.

4. The cloud of a second yellow in the playoffs meaning a subsequent suspended game is now lifted. That let's Toronto play a tougher, no goals against style of game.


And the last reason for optimism is more emotional, more spirited, more hope than tactic.

I blogger and fan, we fans, we brave and hardy souls, those who have raised their voices and opened their hearts over the decade to such as Adam Braz, Mista, Nick Garcia, Marco Velez and multitudes lesser and greater, now stand one game, one resounding victory short of playing for the cup. After watching Seattle- Colorado late last night, I have resigned myself to the probability that Colorado will win the second leg and put themselves in position to host the MLS Cup. We will know on Sunday as that is when they play their second leg. Whether we stand in our stadium with the chance to host Seattle on December 10th or knowing that we travel, it could be the greatest ending to TFC's already greatest season.

Until then, TFC!

Salute Montreal for support, but image of painting delay is just too painful/delightful for me to avoid

Make Montreal Moribund

What a strange gap in the playoffs for TFC. They last played on November 6th., weeks ago. November has snapped from warmth to winter. 

Tonight they play game 1 of the MLS Eastern Finals in Montreal. 

It seemed that Bradley and Altidore had dropped off the Canadian sports radar. I focus on them because they were the only TFC members that have been kicking a ball other than during practice. Now we find out that they were off playing for Jurgen Klinsman .... for the last time (he was fired from his US coach post yesterday).


I fear that the 5-0 thrashing of NYCFC weeks ago might have created a monster of expectations tonight in Montreal.

I think that the game should be looked upon as one of those World Cup games where it is the last of the group stage and playing in the next round is already a lock. The TFC next round is the second game in Toronto.
Victory or a draw would be nice bonuses, but TFC can bounce back from a loss. It might even be a bigger motivation for next week in Toronto if TFC have to come back from a deficit (within reason).
1. An away goal or two should be top priority. 
2. A game free of yellow cards for those TFC already carrying one.
3. A game free of significant injury from the playing surface 

Full backing to those who are travelling... I do not want to dampen your spirits and I salute your dedication. 
So perhaps I am crossing my fingers for a Montreal muted or muddled in game 1. I have little regard for Montreal's ability to weather adversity. Should Toronto continue to play as dominating as they did in Yankee Stadium, the Impact will not tone it down.

But I do look at the second leg as the night where our TFC dreams come true....

Yankee Stadium Ownership NYCFC 0 TFC 5

Toronto FC went into Yankee Stadium Sunday night and played through NYCFC as if those sky blue shirted players were made of swiss cheese. Score early, score often, keep a clean sheet, avoid injury and yellow cards. We TFC fans are just not accustomed to having everything go precisely to plan, but that is exactly what Toronto FC served up.

This morning I find the sun shining and my smile broadening and I confess that it is a strange state to be in. I don't think I was alone in looking towards the Yankee Stadium game with secret fears. It is glorious to be flying when you are so used to crashing.

I had a dream, an anxiety dream the night before TFC played this East Conference semi-final MLS Cup playoff game at Yankee Stadium.
In my dream things were bad and kept getting worse. First Michael Bradley was red carded early in the game. Then a second red card was issued to Aron Gunnarsson (yes, I am aware that he plays for Iceland as captain and Cardiff City, but my dream team TFC has flexibility).
Then for some reason my dream allowed me to be on the TFC bench and I was substituted into the game. Either, I then spent all my time trying to keep players from getting involved in altercations or they spent all of their time preventing me from picking up a red card. Then as dreams do... it faded into something else.

By the time I was sharing my recall of this dream with my family, TFC was already up 3-0 and laughing.

I have supported, faithfully attended games of, loved, blogged and thought about this team for 10 years now and the culture of things going badly must be woven deep into our fandom by now.

The final game of 2009 came to mind last night as Giovinco's hat trick brought the TFC total to 5. Season 2009 was Toronto FC's first chance at a playoff game. New York Red Bulls were the worst team in the East of MLS that year and it happened to be the final soccer game at Giant's Stadium. All Toronto had to do was win in New York and they would qualify for the playoffs.

Instead they lost 5-0. 

So when Giovinco scored late, not for a second did I feel that TFC were running up the score or making NYCFC look bad. It all made sense that a 5-0 score would put at least one aspect of TFC's haunted history to rest.

Now Toronto are to meet Montreal for the two game Eastern Final to qualify for the MLS Cup.

Am I still dreaming?

Michael Bradley played the entire game!?
Shocked that Aron Gunnarsson appeared to not be in uniform last night!?

Two goals ahead, Yankee Stadium Sunday looms large TFC 2 NYC 0

It is possible to be riding along into the day after on the elation and explosion of joy that the late two goals for Toronto FC brought to team and fans last night.

I prefer to chew a bit on the foul mood and frustration that dominated most of the night prior to Altidore's breakthrough. Tension, anger and frustration are the elements that were swirling around me as TFC took on NYC. Toronto always looked the better team and NYC hardly looked like second place in the East finishers.  I am going to avoid adding football club to New York's name as I am of the opinion that fouling club would be a better tag. It was not the first time that I have felt that the New York group went into a contest with a "mug Giovinco "strategy and not much else.

Sebastian Giovinco had an off night. First the fouling throws him off, then the lack of calls protecting him and then when he gets the calls (well into the second half, by my recall) he compounds the frustration by firing wildly on free kicks. Vanney was wise to sub Giovinco off in the late going. The attempt of the NYC player to start something with Altidore at the final whistle might have been what Vanney was saving Giovinco from.

Ref Silviu Petrescu was the wrong man for the job. He is just too lenient, too willing to listen to players and never seems able to establish a firm sense of justice to his calls. The wrong guy to take the steam out of a "mug Giovinco" strategy. 
When David Villa, who had kicked out at Armando Cooper's legs after a collision, refused to back off and was standing over the prone Cooper and lecturing him, I thought Petrescu had lost control of the game and it was still fairly early in the first half. Petrescu was practically pushing Villa away from the confrontation and Villa was still eluding him and getting back at Cooper. 
Sorry, but Villa was showing a shocking lack of respect for the ref, plus a lack of respect for a Toronto player here in Toronto. I am so pleased that Villa was kept off the score sheet and left the field to a chorus of boos.

Can you tell that I am still steamed?

I want TFC to bury these bums. Unleash Giovinco from the start and push for the early goals, the away goals that will build a mountain that NYC lacks the guts to climb.  I am convinced that Giovinco can score a hat trick in the first half. I am also convinced that Clint Irwin can make more saves at the Toronto end than NYC can even if they are allowed to have double goalkeepers.
Shut them down, fill their net and send them to the offseason they so richly deserve.
And make sure that David Villa gets a message, if you are not going to give respect, TFC will extract it from you.


I will now pull myself together and try to end on positive notes.

Michael Bradley. The man was fantastic. A true star. He abandoned the hang back with Moor approach and was a full box to box midfielder. His passing was superb, his moving forward with the ball at his feet even better than superb and there was no let up in his defensive positioning and tackling.

Nick Hagglund. A rough start was worrying. He and Moor just seemed to be unable to complete a pass to each other. Hagglund's plays forward were just as shaky. 
Then he found another gear. It is fitting that the second Toronto goal was from a ball sent into the goal area by Hagglund. He was solid.

It does not show up on the highlights, but I think special mention needs to go to Marky Delgado for his role in the second goal. He had just been subbed into the game and suddenly he was bossing the midfield. The ball just seemed to be drawn to him. When Hagglund sends in that wonderful diagonal cross, Delgado has left the midfield and he almost gets his head to the ball in front of the net before it falls for Ricketts. Ricketts scores off of his own rebound, but Delgado contributed to the energy that made that goal happen.

Still kicking MLS Cup playoff edition TFC 3 Philadelphia Union 1

I tell you, it felt strange walking down Atlantic Avenue towards the bright lights of BMO Field pre-game last night. TFC hosting a playoff game had never happened before. For a decade TFC soccer games in this city followed, for the most part, a simple schedule pattern. Night games were reserved for the hot weather months, afternoon games for the spring and autumn dates. In 2010, we got a sneak preview of cold, dark soccer by the lake when the MLS Cup was played in Toronto (Dallas vs Colorado - I would have to dig into the research to recall why we had two western teams in the final..). The Cup setup has changed since then and the only way for BMO Field could host the Cup was if TFC were the top seeded team of the the last two standing.
May I live to see that day...

Last night was crisp, cool on the brink of cold. Since TFC came into being, when the weather got this cold, we were at home. Sitting by the fire, under blankets, slippers on, reading a book and dreaming of spring. It was rare to continue following MLS Cup playoffs since sports tv in these parts would make the MLS vanish...

TFC reached this round last year in Montreal. It was the dreaded knockout round. TFC had me nervous and worried. They have not been world beaters for the past two months and what if they started slow and fell behind early? Could team and fans combine and put the haunting collapse in Montreal alone in the history books?

All night long the team put my worries to rest. They can score. They can defend. Irwin is ready to make the solid saves. They can put teams away. Coach Vanney still drives me a little crazy with his 6-2-2 formation, but if that is the recipe for playoff success, I can live with it.

I have been less than thrilled with Michael Bradley of late. I still feel that he plays as if paired with Drew Moor as central defender and thereforeTFC requires a midfielder that can play in front of him. Yet Bradley had a big game last night. His passing was good, he held the ball well and his tackles (except for the one that drew the yellow card) were hard but well aimed. I thought that Osorio and Cooper played a strong game in the midfield to make TFC's attack still viable and Altidore and Giovinco supplied.
So TFC now face NYCFC, in Toronto this weekend, off to Yankee Stadium the next.
The time of the Sunday game in Toronto has not been determined, but peeking ahead at the next round and the MLS Cup, it seems that night games are what lies ahead. May we walk down Atlantic Avenue on cold nights a few times more in the weeks ahead...

Win taken, outlook foggy TFC 3 Chicago Fire 2

It was beautiful late October afternoon. Late in the game, when the rays of the setting sun were falling across the south end, your eyes were drawn away from the pitch. You just had to gaze at that sea of red basking in the last gasp of the day's sun. The pitch only suffered in comparison to the sunset glow, it was in solid shape. A rich green carpet of real grass that is putting a lot of stadium share fears to bed.
 I would have been the first TFC fan to bleat and complain if the (beyond an afterthought) Argos had hurt the playing surface this season. With only the Grey Cup to schedule around as TFC trundle into the playoffs, it seems that throwing a CFL team onto the playing surface worked for year 1. A schedule that keeps the games apart was always going to be the way to go and a November when the weather turns and playoffs could prevent spacing has been avoided with the Argos failing to reach CFL playoffs.

a glimpse at October sunset glow

I do prefer the 4 pm starts, it allowed for a family meal in Parkdale after the game yesterday.



The game did not match the beauty of the sunset or the autumn air . TFC fell behind fairly early, tied it up before the half, played well and took a 3-1 lead but could not hold it and allowed Chicago a late goal. TFC = Fire beaters. More on that later.

Back to the beginning and the formation. Vanney went with a 3-5-2.
A back three of Hagglund, Moor and Zavaletta
Morrow and Beitashour as wingers.
 Cooper, Bradley and Osorio in the middle.
Giovinco and Altidore up front.
The second half subs were Ricketts for Altidore and then both Johnson and Cheyrou for Cooper and Osorio (after Osorio had scored his goal).

I found plenty not to like in this formation. TFC is known to be vulnerable to a high press and it is even worse when Hagglund and Zavaletta are forever with the ball at their feet. Morrow and Beitashour, notably in the first half, were always wide and forward. Those two young defenders (H+Z) were stranded with a Chicago player coming right at them time after time. I feel that Michael Bradley is just as likely to assume that they can't move or pass their away out of the pressure and rather than creating a forward option, he is poised to get back and defend after the give away. Another reason why I see Bradley as our future central defender paired with Moor (or is he Europe bound?).

Jozy Altidore was not contributing at the same level that he had displayed in Montreal last week. No surprise he was the first player subbed.
Giovinco scored on a pk, but it was his assist on Justin Morrow's goal that was the highlight. Control, persistence and awareness. He had it all.


And so ends Season 10 and a knockout home playoff game versus Philadelphia Union awaits Wednesday evening.
I am a fan and truly hope that TFC can find another gear, another mode and roar through the playoffs and win the Cup. Yet, beating Chicago, the worst team in the MLS this year, by one goal in your final home game of the season is not exactly setting the world on fire, it it? Since losing to Montreal here in Toronto at the game during the CNE, just what has TFC accomplished? They lost Giovinco to injury that night and they struggled since, drawing (4 games) and losing (2) and only beating Chicago twice in September and October. They were in the hunt for the Supporter's Shield and first place in the East going into that Montreal game. They finish in third, a point behind NYCFC and four points behind NYRB. By holding themselves to two months only defeating Chicago (twice) they left 14 points squandered. Playoff power is truly needed now. Bundle up...