Montreal Impact on television, playing my viewing part but not with my heart

My take on this, for what it's worth.
Last night I watched the CONCACAF Champion's League between Montreal Impact and Santos Laguna on CBC Bold. I suppose it was the correct "CBC" thing to say, but when commentator Jason DeVos said that no matter what team you cheered for in Canada, tonight was a night to cheer for Montreal because they are Canadian, he left me light years away.
First of all it is a club championship. The Impact have a mixture of nationalities on their team, as is the norm in this global game. The Impact strikers were Panamanian and Cuban, the keeper American, one defender French and I think an Argentinian in the midfield. Plenty of homegrown talent too, but to their credit they present themselves as Montreal's team, not Canada's. (They do have Quebec government sponsorship on the back of their uniforms and wear the provincial colours of bleu et blanc, but I think I can make my point without dragging sovereignty vs federalism into the fray.)
I was also not happy that the CBC coverage called Santos 'the Mexicans' too many times. I know that their striker is Ecuadorian, but besides that I still do not know what city or region they hail from. It is a club championship, CBC.
I cheer for Toronto FC. Maybe because of the blog or having season tickets or even an internet addiction, but I probably think about TFC every single day. OK, I take holidays and other active days off, I am not confessing to anything unhealthy here. I heartily cheer for Toronto FC.
The Impact have no place in my heart. I watched last night in the same spirit that I watch many UEFA Champions League games, I enjoy the game and spectacle and want the best team to prevail. I love the game and want to be entertained. I would no more cheer for Montreal because I was born within Canada, than I would cheer for Man U because my parents were born in England.
Do I want CBC to have great ratings for their coverage ? Yes, but only to prime the pump for the even higher ratings to come when Toronto is in this spot . I also feel that the better Montreal does in the competition, the more fun it will be to watch TFC beat them in the 09 qualifying come May and June.
There may be some who value the Canadian Men's team higher than I do and therefore cheer for Montreal's homegrown players more than I would. They may be better people than me, but I know where I stand on the club or country debate. So, I will watch the return game next Thursday. I hope to be entertained. I hope that Nigel Reed and Jason DeVos devote more time to educating the audience about the hometeam. After all, I want to learn more about teams in the Mexican league. To enhance my future pleasure when Toronto FC gets to beat them.

De Ro in TO, but hold the parade ...

Yes, you have to be pleased with the December 08 trade that brought Dwayne De Rosario to Toronto FC. A hometown athlete who has won the MLS cup four times and has been a strong player on this continent for years, De Rosario could be a key contributor to a much improved team in 09. TFC introduced him to the city today (Jan.22) at a media conference.
De Ro seems very happy to be in Toronto and I have not read or heard a negative word on this important acquisition. However, I do feel the need to rain on the parade just a little.
Some fans/bloggers/pundits are willing to hand out the keys to the city and declare De Ro potentially a new top sports figure in town. The dream is that he will be a part of the breakthrough, the full arrival of TFC as a player, not just a novelty, in the sports landscape.
Of course, that dream links the rise of TFC to the acceptance of soccer in Canada. The awful prospects of the other Toronto teams encourages hope for the footy fan. It was great to hear De Ro stating his confidence that TFC was playoff bound in 09. That level of confidence is scarce amongst Toronto athletes wearing other uniforms.

I will cheer his onfield success, but De Ro should not be burdened outside the stadium with these grand breakthrough hopes. It will take a player capable of winning (qualifying for ?) the World Cup (a goal that slipped away from De Ro in 08) to take on that task.
Time will change this, but I say that Toronto is a bigger media town than sports town. The established media in this market will continue to support the franchises that have historically had the big viewer ratings (hockey and baseball). They are the old guard media catering to the old guard fans. It is considered Canadian to put those two at the top of your list. The winter sport and the summer sport locked into their own universe.These old guard millions either does not know or care that TFC or MLS exist. They are not very receptive to change no matter how many games are won at BMO.
The CFL, which is just about off the map in Ontario, will see themselves as having the most to lose to soccer, so expect a fight for their turf. TSN = CFL, so don't expect much there. The CBC have been good to TFC as they provide sport in the hockey off season. If a TFC playoff game ever lands on an October Saturday night, do you think Hockey Night in Canada will even mention it ?? A Raptor fan is most likely to either be a TFC fan or be receptive to soccer. The two sports share the same young and diverse demographic, but that does not translate into ratings.
So accept the arrival of De Ro as a gift to the faithful and that perspective will help. Don't expect him to do it on his own, but his contributions could be a huge factor in the season ahead. I can't wait and you can't wait, but the neighbours have no idea what we are talking about. Their loss.

Toronto shows perpetual offense, defeats KC 2-0

There is something sweet brewing down by Lake Ontario. That once wonky home team is showing signs of coming together on a fast-track schedule that not even the crazy optimistic few were ever predicting. We fans spent the winter complaining about the lack of ingredients going into the stew-pot, but if this continues who cares about the slow cooking method that got us to this point ?
Toronto FC won their second home game today, defeating the Kansas City Wizards 2-0. Amado Guevara scored both goals and if the first one was just taking advantage of bad KC defending, the second was brilliant and inspired. He curled in a high free kick, over the wall and under the crossbar. The build-up to that goal was worth the price of admission. Robert and Guevara both over the ball and deliberating to the point that Robinson ran back with what seemed to be an offer to mediate. No need for intervention, it was just part of the drama.
TFC have yet to allow a goal in two home games and have created their very first three game winning streak. Greg Sutton in goal and the back four are working together smoothly. Although you were always aware of KC’s ability to counter-attack, even the eventual Marco Velez mistake was corrected and countered. It is unfair to mention the Velez scary moment, he has looked strong and steady at BMO Field to my eye.
Every midfielder made a complete contribution. I am willing to give a huge salute to Carl Robinson who may have played his best ever game in a TFC uniform that I have witnessed. He was everywhere, tracking and disrupting the KC attack and distributing the ball crisply and smartly when Toronto had the ball. He seemed to know the Wizard attacking strategy better than they did. Lauren Robert had a productive first half as Toronto did everything short of scoring. Robert does tire in the second half and I am hoping that his stamina can improve for the hot months to come. I was silently willing John Carver to sub Robert for at least 15 minutes before he did. But Carver's delay meant that Robert was there as a free kick threat/decoy on the spectacular second goal. There is no doubt that the burst of energy that Jarrod Smith brought to the left flank was startling and we should see more of him, possibly earlier.
Maurice Edu played well,, but he seems to be still adjusting to the new trio around him (Guevara, Robert and Ricketts). Speaking of adjustments, Ricketts and Wynne seem to be on different pages. The potential to be mined there is considerable. I liked that Carver switched his wingers, Ricketts and Robert, from time to time.
Danny Dichio continues to work hard, but looks surrounded by defenders most of the time in this new alignment. Guevera seems to play a fluid role, but I think he is more connected to the midfield than he is to Dichio. Danny Dichio is still a big part of this team, but if the rumours of a summer Designated Player striker signing have any truth to them, his days as a starter may be numbered.
PS- I have to share my bleat on the release of Tyler Hemmings. You have to hope that it is a situation where he goes somewhere to get playing time and a bigger paycheque. The TFC record on developing Canadian talent is crappy and needs some attention.

TFC at DC United road trip wishes

After watching TFC in Columbus last Saturday, my expectations for tonight are on the small side. Looking a little more coherent while defending, particularly in the centre of the field would be nice. Creative attack from the wings and Edu taking control of the ball and directing the tempo of the game would be nicer. Scoring a goal would be a relief. If Lauren Robert looks only half-decent I will be thrilled. Let's face it, we TFC fans are hoping to catch DC in an early season fog, but a tie on the road is the honest target for tonight.
I dare not call this a preview. I have not seen DC United play this year and I know that they made quite a few changes in the off season.

My hopes/dreams/delusions for a TFC line up tonight.

Edwards

Wynne Brennan Marshall Dunivant

??? Edu Robinson Robert

Dichio Cunningham

Edwards is my pick as keeper because I think that the fans want to see what John Carver saw in training and pre-season. We are not sure after Columbus, but I was impressed with the confidence and ball-handling of Edwards . Getting a rookie some starts while the team is still gelling is not a bad idea.
The back four would get Jim Brennan back in a central role. Velez did not play badly in Columbus, but he did seem as if he had never met Marshall until game time. Brennan and Marshall do work well together. Maybe that is because Marshall has less to do with the ball when Brennan is there. I think the idea of Brennan out in the left back slot is if you are working towards a central unit of Julius James with either Velez or Phelan.
I put Edu and Robinson central and Robert on the left. I am stumped on the right side, Samuel maybe. I think TFC should be more patient with Tyler Hemmings. I don't think that out on the wing is his spot in the midfield. I think that he should be working towards being Edu's replacement come the Olympics. After all that was his role with U23 Canada and he looked strong. I think that there are changes to come in the midfield ( Guevera ?? Ricketts ?? ) so the lack of right side attack is short term.
Dichio and Cunningham go up front. I think that Dichio's role on the team is going to change. When you develop a team with depth , you have the luxury of playing to your strengths. After wearing DIchio out last year, it would be wise to have flexibility and not start him every time. I am already looking forward to a rested, healty Dichio playing in Montreal against Adam Braz in May. My willingness to trade Jeff Cunningham has been around since last fall, but it is always easier to move a player for something of value in return in they are starting rather than sitting on the bench.

Colorado Rapids 1 TFC 0 O must we suffer...

The first half tonight was typical TFC. There were no scoring chances of any type from them. The Samuel and Cunningham combo up front continues to fizzle. A defensive shell is all they had to offer.
Colorado was able to move the ball around the field without really penetrating into scoring territory. They were well spaced, and if not dangerous, they were at least cohesive.
Then the moment of hope. A nasty injury could have resulted from the rash two footed slide tackle launched by Belouchy. The red card was given without hesitation and TFC has the man advantage at the 36th minute. We have seen this story before (Real Salt Lake in September) . Carl Robinson was the player who managed to avoid injury.
After the moment of hope comes the moment of reckoning. In a corner kick set-up Chris Pozniak gets his hands on a Rapid player in front of the net and sends him flying. Perhaps it was just getting his hands on somebody and they made sure that they went flying, but a penalty kick awarded no matter the sequence. Goal scored by Colorado's Jovan Kirovski in the 44th minute.
The second half settled into a snore, You would never have known that TFC had a man advantage. The Colorado announcer said it best. "Toronto is not good enough in possession to take advantage of being a man up".
Give credit to Mo for switching things up at the half. Braz out for Tyler Hemming, Gabe Gala out for Miguel Canizalez. This was followed shortly after with Chris Pozniak off for Joey Melo. Although these moves did not have much of an impact, at least the young players are getting some playing time.
Marvell Wynne's speed continues to amaze. In the 65th minute he was able to get from a beaten position just outside the box and come back to win the ball from Clark inside the box.
The ref tonight, Kevin Stott, was excellent in this blogger's opinion, although the yellow card to Carl Robinson could have been avoided by a quicker call just seconds before.
Pablo Mastroeni of Colorado gets ejected in the final minute or two. WIth a two man advantage there is a real shot on net saved by a diving Rapid keeper, Bouna Coundoul.
The lack of attack is frightening. The same squad that had something happening at home against the Red Bulls returned to their punchless form. LA Galaxy next and they have something to play for.

TFC 0 Real Salt Lake 0

It was pathetic today. I deserve better. Well, I mean all fans deserve better, but I am taking this miserable play personally. Must have been the cold winds off the lake that soured me. TFC needs to find a half dozen players for next season. The goal scoring drought has taken on a life of it's own. Yes. there is an element of rotten luck, but there is also a lot of flaws being exposed.
Real Salt Lake was reduced to 10 players late in the first half. It had been a close, but chippy game. Esky went down like a ton of bricks to trick the ref into the yellow on Boyens. The Real Salt Lake players spent a lot of time talking to the ref and he was putting up with it. You felt they were reviewing their take on the laws of the game and all the ghastly (ghost) fouls that he was missing. In the early going with the man advantage, there were some close misses, but somehow there was a lack of optimism in the air going into half-time.

The critical exposure of the TFC lack of depth started with the second half when a half-time injury to Marvell Wynne meant that Adam Braz was put into the game at right back. Perhaps the Wynne injury was connected to the foul on him from behind that led to the red card? You can go ahead and tease me, I did name Braz my man of the match last week in Dallas, but you got the feeling that Salt Lake's defending stategy was leave Braz unmarked because they wanted him to have the ball. Braz would work the ball up to his winger Miguel Canizalez who would look scared with the ball, go nowhere and manage to lose the ball or scramble it back to Braz. Maybe I am too harsh on Canizalez, the TFC roster on the website lists him as a defender. If that is true, what was Mo thinking ??
So instead of dominating the midfield, Carl Robinson was playing way back to give Braz an option to pass to. If he was needed back there to anchor the d, maybe Andy Boyens should have been sent forward. It seemed defeatist to be playing with five in the back.(Did Caninzalez make it 6 ??)
Hey, how about an overlap Carl Robinson ? He could have been penetrating the right wing, but instead he seemed to be a central gatekeeper, always channeling passes from Braz to Brennan or Brennan to Braz. If a Robinson supplied a pass forward to Edu he was always surrounded by the Salt Lake midfield. How about a give'n go Robinson ?? Follow your pass or make a run. I think I saw Robinson come forward once and that was when Braz came up a with a power pass that flew over everyone into the stands.
The TFC attack down the left (Brennan and Dunivant) did break through and supplied some hopeful crosses. This duo work very hard and try to come up with something- but they are defenders playing out of position.
Andrea Lombardo either has incredible bad luck or has no touch around the net. He does seem to head goalward with the ball, showing little awareness of Colin Samuel or anyone else for that matter. RSL did have veteran Eddie Pope covering Lombardo a lot of the time, so that there was little room for vision. When Jeff Cunningham came on there was more interplay between he and Samuels in a few minutes than we had seen all day between Lombardo and Samuel. A healthy Cunningham must pave the way for Lombardo to spend the rest of the season on the bench.
So a tie and another non goalfest for TFC. The air has gone out of this season. It started leaking in July, but it is gone now. It is next year's squad that is being formed now. I wish that TFC players would stop playing themselves off of that squad, but that is the nature of growing pains.

TFC 0 LA Galaxy 0 - Tonight the galaxy, without their big star, did not shine

It could have been worse, but it should have been better.
This was supposed to be the glamour match of the season. It was a fine TFC effort, but it was a let-down as an event. As a game, it was ok. The patchwork TFC had all of the chances of note, but could not put the ball in the net.

Injuries have clobbered TFC. Ready? Here goes the long list - Dichio, Cunningham, Wynne, Sutton, O’Brien, and Boyens. So it was opportunity time for players who have been way, way down the bench tonight. Marco Reda and Adam Braz were in the back four, Chris Pozniak was in the midfield and Andrea Lombardo played the entire game at striker.
All four of them contributed fully. Adam Braz played his best game yet for TFC. Marco Reda made no mistakes, worked hard and covered well, but his failure to score on a header off a corner kick in the first half was perhaps not the best career move. Pozniak was more active in the first half, but he had a wonderful first touch in the second half . His shot was stopped and he then tried to get the rebound over to Lombardo. Close, but no cigar.
Andrea Lombardo had a chip shot cleared off the line in the first half. It was his finest moment. He was constantly covered by Abel Xavier and you could see the battle going Xavier’s way over and over again as the second half wore down. Lombardo should have thrown more into the attack. He was being played as the only striker, but as the game went on he was playing the ball back to the midfield to readily and nothing was coming of it.
The new keeper, Kenny Stamatopolous had the night off for all intents and purposes. If TFC can keep him this idle, he will love playing here. But you can’t play LA every night.
Toronto looked one step off from connecting all night. A healthy TFC would have had this game in the bag by half time is my verdict. Amazing moment of trivia - up to this point in the post - every TFC player discussed from tonight's game is Canadian. I could mention that Jim Brennan gave his all, but is that only to keep the Canuck comment string going ??

Los Angeles looked horrible. I know they were on the road and you have to defend first on the road, but they had no counter attack to speak of in the first half and little better in the second half. This is a team that won the MLS Cup in recent years (2005 ?). Hmmm....
The Beckham sideshow was a no-show. He watched the game from the bench and was wearing a suit. A nice suit. I think it was a dark suit. He made a brief appearance on the big screen. Neighbours of mine used their binoculars to spot Becks on the bench. I did not have a peek. Peter Mansbridge was also there. At BMO field that is, not on the Galaxy bench. I will not spend a lot of time giving suggestions for improving the Galaxy. That will be on another blog devoted to tall orders.You have to wonder what difference Beckham when healthy will make ? Maybe this was just an off night for LA, or their building a team around Becks is a multi year plan.
I would have given the Man of the Match award to Carl Robinson. He was dominant in the middle defensively and moved the ball around intelligently when on the attack. His free kicks and corners were quality contributions, but fell short. However he must shake the habit of being a pass first, pass only midfielder. He has to make some runs himself to worry the defence. With Lombardo covered like a blanket, feeding him the ball was not the answer. LA was going to allow passing out on the perimeter all night, it was attack and penetration that was required.

Now a personal note - Vacation beckons. I am heading south of the border and will spend time in California and then head off for a Grand Canyon trip down the Colorado River along with my son. So my TFC fandom will be hard to maintain in these next few weeks. The blog must be fed, so I have arranged for friends and family to fill in the game reports and keep this space thriving. Wish me luck on the river and I hope to return to a repaired and rejuvenated TFC. Cheers.

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?

Canada sails into Gold Cup Semi-Finals

Canada defeated Guatemala 3-0 Saturday afternoon in Foxboro Mass. in a Gold Cup quarter-final game. It was a thrilling game and it was a rare opportunity to see on television the Canadian talent that many Toronto FC fans covet and mention on the various message boards.
Dwayne DeRosario is well known to MLS fans. Paul Stalteri shows up on our EPL Saturday mornings playing for Spurs.
But
J DeGuzman
Atiba Hutchinson
Ali Gerba
and Patrice Bernier
all play in Europe and were a revelation. The Canadian teams that I grew up with were able to defend all day and were backed by a solid keeper, but had nothing up front. This new generation Canada has attacking talent in the players mentioned above and more.
These guys might be financially beyond Toronto FC, but I hope not...I really hope not. I know that MLS teams have salary caps- but this Toronto team has a sold-out season and the potential to break very big in both TV ratings and merchandise sales. Splashing out some money on a talented young Canadian would be a brilliant move.
I admit that there has been more than a hint of jealousy in my introduction this year into the world of US soccer. I read the blogs and I watch the MLS teams that play in Toronto. The fact that the American soccer fan knows their MLS players in both the local club and national team context is a luxury.
I don't think American soccer fans understand how little American national team soccer gets televised in Canada. The years and years of constant failure in international soccer for the Canadian team has meant almost no CONCACAF coverage at all. Even on the channel which covered the game today followed the game with their sports news show. Top story was the trading of a hockey player. In June they pushed back the Canadian soccer team, US open golf, baseball - including a game in Toronto and made the trading of a hockey player their top story. All I can say is the Canadian sports media inhabit a different universe than myself and those I value.
But enough bleating, Go Canada in the semis on Thursday in Chicago !

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 !!!

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.

"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.

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.

KC 3 Toronto FC 0

Got home from the Open House in time to catch the second half. This TFC continues to struggle and wiggle and shake in their defense. I understand the need to be patient and positive. Playing both Wynne and Goldthwait meant there were two new faces trying to find their places - adding to the chaos of it all.Just felt sorry for Sutton, sometimes he looks too lonely out there.Thought Edu showed some speed and looked ok. Esky was the determined dynamo late in the game and I thought he was going to be rewarded. Welsh made some runs down the left and seems to be making progress. I thought the general scrappyness of Toronto FC towards the end was a good sign.I am not looking forward to seeing Buddle play live. I am looking forward to seeing him on the bench. Paul James on The Score said it straight - there are some players who look out of their depth. I guessed that Buddle was in that category. Expansion team and job security don't often stick together much.Boyens as a second half substitute seemed to play much better than last time, but then he had nowhere to go but up.

The Score begins at a disadvantage with their score band across the bottom of your screen. Then when you throw in the supplied Kansas City commentary...I can't decide whether to turn off the sound or just sit back and enjoy the spectacle.
Have you ever seen a television broadcast of a sports event where they informed you of the location of the aftergame party ?
Have you ever seen sports on tv where the broadcast team and the home team coaches are wearing the same uniform warm-ups ?
Were you surprised after seeing the broadcasters in uniform to hear them use the term "we".
See you Saturday for the home opener.

New England 4 Toronto FC 0

Yuck, that was a thumping.

Hard to pull something positive out of such a night. Don’t want to hang the loss on any one player when it was a total problem. A reminder was sent out clearly tonight - this is an expansion team. I repeat - this is an expansion team.

Too bad it came on the heels of getting the season ticket package. That was fun. The idea of wearing your scarf with ticket attached to the first game is a great one. It promises a sense of fun and an awareness of futbol tradition.