Beyond surprise Union 1 TFC 0

Why, why, why, why?

Why do they look like they are competing, in the battle and then the inevitable fold in the end?

Why have subs if they are unable to add something to the team. I wanted to see Earnshaw added to Dike.

Facing 10 men, TFC looked like the team playing short. The inability to score is embarrassing.


TFC 2013 will soon be over. One more road game in Chicago, one more home game against Montreal.

I think that the limit for torture and misery was reached on Canada Day.

Rohan Ricketts enters, Collin Samuel exits....

The TFC line-up continues to evolve. Rohan Ricketts has been released by Barnsley in England and has signed with Toronto.
This meant that Collin Samuel was released from the roster. Ricketts has been on trial for a couple of weeks and his signing had been rumoured.

I have mixed emotions when saying farewell to Collin Samuel. As a TFC fan you wanted him to do well. You wanted him to put together his strength and speed into a smooth performance and get some results. He did score a couple of goals at the end of last season. That was a good as it got. He was brought over as a back-up who could play striker or midfield. The injuries of 07 made him a starter and the great goal drought still haunts him. The Columbus penalty miss was his last chance in many ways. Time to move on.

There is no denying that MLS has raised the bar on talent on most teams this year. Samuel was a bit player on the worst team. TFC knows that there has to be a great leap forward to compete in the East. Robert, Guevara and now Ricketts have been added in a short period. Los Angeles on Sunday has the attention of TFC Nation.

Post mortem - week two

Forgive me, but I do not have the heart to go through Saturday's 4-1 loss to DC United with what passes for full analysis around here. If John Carver is a coach with a sense of decency he would not allow his players to watch a replay of this game. Best to treat it as a game already forgotten.
That's the best strategy for allowing your players to move on to the next game, but I will mull over a few points. The heart of a fan does take strength from these low points as they make the high points to come that much sweeter. At least that's the theory..
The TFC defending needs attention. DC's attackers were free and clear in those first minutes. My replay of the first goal had Ty Marshall getting out of the way of a shot (which makes sense since you do not want to deflect and make your keeper miserable) but his action resulted in his being down on the ground, completely out of it, while DC in numbers where descending on the loose ball. Greg Sutton did make some saves sprinkled amongst the goals, but his performance still leaves the role of #1 keeper still to be determined. Brennan and Wynne have better games ahead of them as left and right back, but the Marshall and Velez central combo needs to end. A healthy Julius James will be played centrally and perhaps also fellow rookie Pat Phelan. Perhaps trades will bring in defenders. In the meantime, Brennan could come back to the centre and Todd Dunivant could retake the left back spot.
(Both Dunivant and Samuel were said to have been left back in Toronto due to injuries)
There is always a sense of reality check when TFC meets DC United. Clearly, in my seldom clear mind, they are the class team of MLS and the true measure of Toronto's progress or lack thereof. In season 1 TFC did manage to beat New York and Chicago, tie NE and Columbus but we were never close to DC. So last night one started watching the game with only a faint hope of a surprise result. A battle for a draw would have been reason for wild celebration. The total collapse in the first five minutes followed by the Kevin Harmse sending off was both a worst case scenario and something other than a shocking revelation. TFC is a team with changes ahead of it and I am not the only fan who sees the Lauren Robert signing as just the first of a series.
If we are able to add talent, the lack of finish shown by Jeff Cunningham will end his time with Toronto.
Robert showed a lot of promise in his first game. Although he did not score, his corners and free kicks and his second half give 'n go with Dichio was at least equal with what TFC was getting from Ronnie O. Sorry to bring up our traded midfielder, it does cheer me up to think of Robert on the left as the replacement for Andy Welsh. Robert is such a step up from last year's model of left side attack (Welshy). Lauren Robert is far from the answer on his own, but another midfielder or two and a striker who can find the net will all be wonderful moves. Let's just not play Harmse as a defensive answer to anybody for a while, OK ?
I think the late goal by Edu was the best thing a TFC could have asked for in that situation, After all DC was toying with Toronto for so much of the second half. Playing keep away and then coming forward whenever the mood struck them.
Now Toronto has their first goal, their first goal on the road and the prospect of only one more game before the long home stand begins. Here's hoping that they arrive in LA with at least on more player added to the squad. May this be the sound of scraping bottom with better times ahead.

Crew 2 TFC 0 Time to take it home and stay awhile.....

It was hard to gather any positives from this matchup in Columbus today. Toronto went into this game trailing the Columbus Crew by three points in the standings and needed a victory to eliminate this gap. Toronto looked flat and disconnected throughout the game. There was some individual effort, but TFC did not look like a cohesive unit. The defending needed help as the Crew was able to get in behind them a couple of times in the first half. It didn't get better in the second . The attack seldom threatened or was able to sustain pressure until late in the game when Columbus was happy to sit back and defend.
Perhaps it was due to the personal toll of watching two U20 games in the lakeside sunshine today (U20 report to follow tomorrow) but this was a dull contest. It didn't help that the Crew's Argentinian veteran (Guillermo Barros Schelotto) provided both goals. I was tired of seeing Argentinians score, I guess.

Houston Dynamo 0 TFC 0

Whew, yeah, whew, a tie on the road and a little bit of justice for TFC against a team that is supposed to be top quality (although I remain unconvinced based on their play against TFC, now both home and away).
OK I am a fan and a blogger, not a neutral observer. The quality of this game was looking shaky to begin with. TFC often struggles on the road and the Houston Dynamo is going for the record of MLS minutes without allowing a goal. So fans were not expecting a goal fest.
Houston did have the upper hand at the start, a hit post and a handful of near misses seemed to be a hint that they would start scoring, but it never happened.
Edu getting a red card in the first half turned the game into a bog. The Dynamo were throwing what fire power they had and TFC was holding their positions, marking their men and allowing Serge to make some solid saves. It was ugly, but it was efficient ugly.
Credit to Mo for some cagey substitutions. Poz for Dichio was a bit heartbreaking, but you could see the sense. Lombardo for Samuels was a wonderful move. Lombardo would keep the pressure on whenever given the chance (which was the role of Collin Samuels too, but the fresh legs helped). Lombardo's counter-attacks down the right with O"Brien and Wynne kept the flicker of hope for a goal well against the run of play alive.
Back to that red card moment. I thought the call was a bit harsh and seemed to be the result of a circus on the field. You got the feeling that TFC lost a debate. I think that Maurice Edu is a quality player, a solid rookie and a fair play sort of individual. It was a mistimed challenge and did not seem vicious or reckless.
One more road game to go and TFC now have 6 points from 5 games, which is decent and keeps them in the playoff picture. The game next weekend against Columbus Crew now looms very large as I think they hold the playoff spot that TFC covets.

PS- Houston did set the MLS record of longest streak of minutes with no goals allowed during the second half.

Chicago Fire 1 TFC 1

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

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 .

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?