Trusting Mo - sometimes a struggle..

This is frustrating. When Mo Johnston decides to lead the MLS in saying "pass" in the latter rounds of the college draft last week, you had to wonder. On one hand, would any other sports team in this (or any) market get away with not using draft choices ? Even if he was only going to make a claim on those players fully expecting to either trade them or let them play USL and hold onto their rights, why turn down the opportunity ? Is this a form of Mo arrogance, he believes so much in the quality of his first six picks that he can say pass three times. Yet hope springs eternal. Maybe this is a sign that the overdue flood of signings we have been waiting for is just around the corner.
There must be a number of Canadians to be signed the development roster alone. I still think we have seen Jeff Cunningham play his last game for TFC. Someone is going to gamble that last year was the blip and look at his scoring in recent years and make a deal for him.
I should learn to avoid Internet rumours, remember I had Del Piero signing for us last November. The latest buzz is around Darren Huckerby and Stefano Fiore. Fingers crossed - I will wait until something is officially confirmed.

Draft day results in 5 new players

The 2008 MLS draft is complete and we have 5 rookies to start sizing up. All reports point to Julius James being a talented player and he was expected to be gone when TFC came to their first (9th) pick. So let's hope the mighty Mo's luck at the draft table is continuing. The new players are...
Julius James (pictured) - defender
Pat Phelan - defender
Brian Edwards- goalkeeper
Mike Zahar - defender
Joseph Lapira - striker
Indications are that James and Phelan will be pushing for first team roles. Edwards is hard to figure, is it possible for TFC to have an American keeper on their development roster ? The new roster rules and the Toronto exception has not been made clear. Or maybe they have been, but have avoided my limited understanding. If TFC is allowed 12 Internationals on the roster and some (2?) of them have to be Americans, I think that an American keeper is possible, but a back-up ? Is their a trade in the works ?
Zahar's chances seem small and Lapira is reported to be trying out for teams in the UK. His overseas plans seems to have scared teams and he was expected to have been chosen much earlier. Scoring talent is what you might have expected Mo and the TFC brass to have made a draft priority. Yet no complaints, there were holes at all positions. Perhaps drafting defenders will mean trades to come or signing some offensive players from wherever.

The first new face of 2008 ??

The off-season has been sparse indeed for TFC fans eager for news of player signings. The draft is just days away and the prospect of adding to the squad and possibly a trade to move up in the draft is exciting.
There is talk that Toronto is close to signing Josh Wagenaar who has been a keeper for ADO Den Haag for two years.
We are not the only ones desperate for news, the link below is The Globe and Mail quoting Soccer by Ives website on the possibility of this signing. He is young and fills one of many holes on this team.

in the bleak mid-winter..

December has been a cruel month. The TFC news has been meagre. The expansion draft took Chris Pozniak off to California. I think that his contributions to the squad have been inflated the moment he was an ex-Red, but he left behind moments to cherish. It was his pass to Colin Samuel that set up the goal in LA and Dichio's last minute/last game goal was the result of Pozniak's sacrifice. It is always hard to begrudge a move that could enhance a career.
Then there was the release of Braz, Reda and every one else way down the bench. No surprises there.

The team has given the opening 2008 dates so that the countdown can begin.
First road game vs Columbus on March 29th
Second road game vs DC United on April 5th

First home game vs Real Salt Lake on Saturday April 19th.

November Notes....

Maurice Edu has won the MLS rookie of the year award. He deserves it. It was often easy to forget that he was a rookie this year. He plays with poise. His goal against Chicago, at Chicago in July to pull TFC into a tie, was a highlight for me.

This month is the expansion draft for MLS - not sure where I read it, but November 21 seems to ring a bell. My prediction is that no TFC players will be selected by San Jose, but Mo Johnston will be looking to pull off a trade.

Too bad about DC United not getting past Chicago. I fear a NE Rev and Houston Dynamo rematch in the MLS Cup.

I miss TFC !!! Next post I will investigate possible schedule openers for 2008 and try to start a countdown.

We came, we saw, we sang

and now we dream.....
After Saturday's joyous final 2007 home game it is possible to be still on such a high that the cruel reality of "season over" may not have sunk in. TFC came, the faithful fans saw and Danny Dichio conquered.
Who expected this ?? Who thought that the beautiful game would have landed, flourished and launched something so strong, so filled with affection and celebration, so tribal in all the right ways, here in boring Toronto ?
We all fall in love in different ways, at different speeds and with different results. This cynical old grump, with his secret love for soccer, stood in the stands at the end and watched the fans dance in the middle of the pitch and understood that the "head over heels" love affair with TFC was deep and wide and strong.
Lets face it, most sporting experiences divide more than unite. Tickets tell you where to sit. Escalating prices make attending games a sporadic activity which lessens the passion of the fans. Luxury boxes basically create affluent, exclusive neighbourhoods in your midst. They are designed to convince you that someone else is having a better time than you. TFC throws that out the window. The players and coaches lapped the field at the end applauding the people in red and of course they start at the cheapest seats. The pitch invasion was filled with love. It was respectful of the team, it followed their lap of honour. It also sent a clear message, an anti-luxury box message if you will; the greatest fun happening here is in the heart of the truest, happiest fan. I hope that this feeling and the wonderful memories will carry all of us through the winter months ahead.
I want what every TFC fan wants ...no, expects ...a host of improvements:
Improved team,
Improved stadium,
Improved media coverage,
(and maybe improved recognition for little ol'me - the blogger who stuck to his keyboard and kept blogging all season long....)
Hell, I wanted improved seats in my section and price range - but you can't have everything when you are part of a movement.

I expect within a day or two I will be blogging about the off season speculation, those signings and draft choices and trades that will usher in the TFC of 2008.
So don't dream it's over. However, it is time for expressing thanks.
Thanks to family for supporting me through the season and encouraging me to give time and energy to blogging and trying to express my appreciation for the game.
Thanks to those who happily blogged for me on those handful of games that I could not make it.
Thanks to all who read the blog and double thanks to all who commented and triple thanks to those who added Mistake by the Lake to their blogrolls around the league.
And thanks to the team, players, coaches and suits, who despite the barren patches, showed a spirit that went beyond the results on the scoreboard and made being an obsessed, passionate fan a pure joy this season.
May this be the shortest winter of them all
cheers,
Still Kicking

Toronto FC 2 New England Revolution 2

On the final day of Toronto FC's first season in the MLS, the TFC Redcoats came from behind to tie the New England Revolution 2-2 at BMO Field. Danny Dichio was the hero of the comeback, looping a shot from just outside of the box past Reis ,the NE keeper, in the dying moments of the game. Toronto had fallen behind by 2 goals without really being outplayed for any significant stretch of time.
New England scored late in the first half. TFC had been playing well and Revs goal 1 was a bolt out of the blue. Michael Parkhurst was in his own half and worked himself into the clear and kicked the ball perfectly, arcing in from that great distance, catching Stamatopolous off of his line. TFC, players and fans alike, sagged. You could hardly blame Kenny S, it was a blooper of a goal, a once in a lifetime event.
Then early in the second half a bounce around corner kick made it two for the Revolutions. The goal was given to Twellman, but it could have been an own goal. Toronto has lost twice to New England this year in blowouts (4-0 and 3-0). It looked like the game was headed into that blow-out direction.
Then the Revolution was derailed (they have their playoff spot wrapped up and NY Red Bulls waiting so the game was not a complete test of relative abilities). Marvell Wynne, Tyler Hemmings and Colin Samuel began to make forays (nothing like a well made foray) down the right wing with increasing success. Wynne had scrambled for the ball in front of New England's net and got away a hard, low shot that hit the post and rebounded. Samuel won the race, put the ball away and Toronto had new life.
Dichio had been a second half substitute for Jeff Cunningham and it was his first playing time in months. He drew his usual defensive attention and was winning balls and providing for those around him. I am sure that his goal was on his first shot of the game. Overall TFC played a solid game, Chris Pozniak was a solid offensive contributor when he came on in the second half.
Next game is a friendly later this month in Portland, Oregon and then it is on to 2008.