National Soccer Stadium vs the Double Blue

My opinion about transforming our stadium, the National Soccer Stadium into a two sport stadium is irrational and negative. If it is inevitable, that does not make it any better a decision.

I am convinced that even if Tim Leiweke has the perfect plan, one that preserves 100 aspects of the soccer experience at the stadium and adds another 100 improvements, even if he negotiates with we diehard TFC fans in good faith and ensures that his perfect plan becomes perfect reality, in the end the door is being opened to disaster simply because disaster and decline wear a uniform in this town. The Double Blue.

I have been trying to craft a heart warming story about my life as an Argo fan (1957 to 1992) to
prepare for the stadium change meeting today.
I have always said that the first Argo game I can recall from youth was when the Calgary Stampeders came to town and beat us 55-0. It was love at first sight. I think I was ready to suffer as a TFC fan because my youth was dedicated to the Argos.
I was an Argo fan because of my Dad. My father emigrated to Toronto in 1952. It is in the family dna to support ONE team with all of your heart. Dad was born and raised in wartime England. His soccer roots would reappear every four years when the World Cup was on.  Dad's one team became the Toronto Argos. He bled double blue. He died in 1992. I miss him greatly, yet I am happy that he has been spared watching his Argos fade.

Everything that could be done to squander and downgrade Canadian football in Toronto has been done.
Rotating cheap skate owners

Generations raised by American TV and therefore adopting the NFL as their football league

Decades as second fiddle in a crappy stadium for football

University football crowds in this city  shrunk down to parents and the lost.

It has been sad.

So put your stadium plan aside. The Double Blue will find a way to shrink and lose colour in the wash. The Boatmen moving back to a place by the lake will only make it easier for them to sink.

Seattle sees Red, we see Reds like never before - Sounders 1 TFC 2

We could get used to this...

Ok, I take it back. My preview blog post was a case of shading my optimism with the bitter reality of memory. Memories built around a team that has always started their season on the road and has never begun with a victory. Memories of always struggling against Seattle. Yes, memories of Torsten Frings going down injured in Seattle and the optimistic start to 2012 sputtering into disaster after disaster.

Bad things have happened to TFC in Seattle, but yesterday proved that good things can happen too. Great things, those jump out of your seat cheering sort of things. We had friends over, from those barely aware of the sport/team, those who have a deep love for the game and have long supported greater teams than TFC and those who have suffered through TFC love as much as we have. I dare say that everyone left happy and optimistic about TFC 2014, a new state of mind.


So Toronto FC began season 2014 with a win on the road in Seattle. They were magnificent at times, shaky a few other times, but overall the impression was one of establishing connections and room for more growth than usual. I stated my fear before the game that we were about to watch a shiny new coat of paint on a rusty car. The contributions of Osorio, Henry and even minutes at the end from Morgan had me thinking that perhaps the structure under the paint had merit.

Y'know by now that Jermain Defoe scored both goals. You don't need me to tell you he is a lightning fast finisher, the sort of player our team has been without for too, too long. If this is what he can produce in his first week, his first game in red, surrounded by guys he probably does not yet know the names of, wow.

If Defoe created the highlights, Michael Bradley was the minute after minute creator and destroyer. Solid enough on the ball, the pinnacle was his swift, merciless tackling. He was everywhere in the first half. For the first time as a Toronto fan I would actually chuckle when we lost the ball in the midfield. Losing possession used to be the gateway to confusion and fear (and then picking the ball out of the back our net). There is such a Bradley confidence, he wins the ball back with swift tackling and a domination of territory. It looked like a huge territory on tv. I just can't wait to see him on home ground next Saturday.

Julio Cesar was strong. The goal against was on a counter attack and too many players down our left side were adrift. It was not Justin Morrow's finest moment.

I am not sure that Jackson and Rey are TFC's pure wingers that the formation seems to require. I think that DeRo takes on central runs that mess up the new guys. Jackson had a rough first touch that I am willing to blame on the cold turf. Rey seemed to slow down in the box and Seattle would have a wall of defenders come at him. Rey having no support in behind him or out on the flank made him look indecisive. I think that a healthy Gilberto should be encouraged to flank his midfielders, given their tendency to move inside.
So now the countdown to the first game in Toronto begins.

Step 1. Look at weather forecasts and shake your head at schedule maker.

Step 2. Look forward to seeing friends and familiar faces that get banished from your life by winter.

Step 3. Smile


See you Saturday.

TFC 2014 - New season, big dreams, reality reminders

 I am counting the hours until Saturday afternoon arrives and we TFC fans/fools gather around our televisions. I am also marking the calendar until the following Saturday. March 22nd means I climb those slippery steps to Section 220. Yes, the mounds of snow in every direction makes me wonder about field conditions for the home opener, but if it turns into a day of snow soccer I will still be so happy to be back for this brave new season.


 However I am worried that in our rush to embrace the new, somehow the old will be forgotten. I chose this bad memory pic for that reason. It was only two years ago when Torsten Frings went down injured on that Seattle field and the unravelling began. We fans should hope for the best, yet prepare for a slow and careful construction of TFC 2014.

 I think Ryan Nelsen has done a solid job of managing expectations for game 1 in Seattle. He has planted plenty seeds of doubt concerning the health and starting potential for a few players. We will be happy with seeing some rather than all of the new faces. A team of players starting to adjust to one another and a complete absence of stretchers will be an excellent starting point. Goals and points will be a bonus.


ps - Getty Images is now allowing the use of their pics in blogs and social media. This is fantastic for all. I won't have to worry about my feeble photos and you will see pics of quality.

Now bring on Saturday afternoon!

TFC 0-0 with Philly Union at Disney Tournament / strained Laba departure

The past 24 hours have been an emotional roller coaster for TFC fans.

I have been concerned with the quality of play in TFC's preseason games, but yesterday's game against the Philadelphia Union allowed those concerns to vanish.

First of all, the performance of Michael Bradley was excellent. His passing may not be pinpoint yet,  but his coverage of the field and his control of the ball was top notch. He played 90 minutes and whether paired with Osorio or Bekker he was TFC's dominating player.

When you add the flashes of offensive play that were displayed by Rey and Jackson, it was possible to end up drooling at the prospect of Gilberto and Defoe as forwards out in front of this midfield.

I was also impressed with the play of Justin Morrow at left back. His attacking skills, his defending and his overall awareness were well ahead of what TFC has come to expect from Ashtone Morgan. Morgan had some playing time, but the drop in dependability was notable. 

Henry and Caldwell looked solid in the middle. They both seem to benefit from Bradley playing well back in the midfield when defending. The rookie Nick Hagglund played right back and did not look out of place. He has energy, size and looked confident when on the ball. It made me wonder if he will be kept with the team for the season rather than being loaned to Wilmington.

DeRo and Weideman at forward were ineffective and their contributions (or lack of) just underlined how sad the Bright Dike serious injury is for Toronto.  Hopefully in a matter of weeks we are watching Defoe and Gilberto as TFC forwards and the depth concerns will fade a little. It seems likely that DeRo will be making short appearances as a super sub and will be contributing more for V-Cup games.

Saving the keeper for last, Julio Cesar had little to do for most of the game. He looked strong and confident. His distribution of the ball was everything a fan could hope for. Then late in the game when Philly tried to take advantage of the TFC traditional defending fade, Cesar made two stops that made his arrival as Toronto keeper official. Google Translate gives me both "parede" and "muralha" as Portuguese versions of "wall". Somebody help me with the Brazilian....

Then the roller coaster began to drop.

At first the news seemed to be that Laba had been loaned to Vancouver. Then later it was officially announced as a trade for future considerations.

Howls from the fans in the forums, the twitterverse and everywhere else you can imagine was the first response.

Part of me wants to howl too. TFC being fleeced in trades has been a constant background story throughout their history. I understand that having too many designated players put Toronto in a tough position. It is also important to provide context to the howling unhappy fans. TFC fans know the game well and we have been mistreated too many times. Remember that not too long ago we were subjected to the sight of Aaron Maund attempting to learn the holding midfielder role. His positioning was shabby, his anticipation non-existent and both his touch and tackling were woeful. There were many TFC 2013 critics of Justin Braun, but I thought that the clinching argument in his favour was that the team had traded Aaron Maund for him

 So when young Matias Laba arrives it is as if the soccer gods have rewarded us for our patience. Of course we are going to be out of proportion attached to a player who does so many small things right and seems to have the potential to become even greater. A Laba and Bradley midfield seemed to be a reward beyond our wildest dreams. Now, with the trade, it seems that dream has been shattered and the memories of horrible trades have flooded back in.

Time may heal this one. A strong start for Gilberto seems a requirement for success. 

How many days now until that first game in Seattle? I should find a countdown clock for the blog. Bring it on.....

Disney pre-season tournament Crew 3 TFC 1

TFC needs time to gel, time to connect and iron out the creases. I missed the first half so I am unable to give you an impression of Jackson, Gilberto and Morrow.  Bradley looked strong in his part of the second half. However he was not strong enough to drag the others into smart plays and passes.
I am capable of putting this game into perspective. It seemed that everyone on the roster was going to get some time on the pitch.
It is just that losing to the Crew is never a good way to get the ball rolling. Remember last year? The Crew game in the Disney tournament is when Frei was kicked in the nose. This time the entire team was kicked in the pants.

TFC win first preseason game 1-0 over DC

This was the moment where my screen froze

It has been a long winter. Although the conditions were foggy, the commentary was limited and the stream was jerky - it was great to see a TFC game.
The twitter feed informed me that Dike scored a late goal to give TFC the win. The stream ended when it was still 0-0.

Each half saw a different 11 for Toronto. No Jackson or Gilberto yet and of course Defoe does not arrive until the end of the month.

I am not sure of the next preseason game, but I hope the weather clears.

Toronto FC 2014 : Defoe and Dero

Winter is a lonely time for a TFC fan.
Day after day you pursue Toronto FC news through the web as the winds howl and the snow falls. Those long, long winter nights match your dark mood of worry and despair. Rumours and echoes of rumours shimmer everywhere. The promise of 2014 and the bold vision of Tim and Tim seem as distant as autumn leaves. TFC fans have been burned before, so I kept the blog quiet and continued to wait.

Today seems to be the day that the bleak midwinter ends and impatience for season 2014 begins.


The word seems to be that De Ro will return to Toronto this week and Jermain Defoe will be brought on board early next week.

Big news indeed. No big is not big enough a word to describe it.



Dwayne De Rosario
If he has anything left in the tank, DeRo has two powers within him. One is the ability to put the ball into the net and the other is to tear the team and fans apart. If he can contribute without needing dollars and glory, if he stays healthy and is content to play a reduced role - this could be a great way to end a career. I hope this

Jermain Defoe
He needs time and luck. A top level player on a top ten team in England lands here and I fear the view of the media and the casual soccer fan in these parts it that he should hit the ground running. Tear the league apart. Too easy to forget that his own team is new to him. Then add the league, the opposition, the refs....

Then while I was writing this, twitter went into overdrive with the rumour that Michael Bradley would be leaving AS Roma for Toronto. I am superstitious about posting about things yet to be confirmed....