No cure for the summertime blues - TFC 2 Timbers 2

I have been away. I am back.
Summer travel is one of the true joys of life and I am blessed to have a partner who feels the same way as I do. When you go on the right travel adventure, time seems to almost wait for you and you learn to go with the flow of life beyond your workday routine. I would rather be back travelling than struggling with life in Toronto. Unfortunately, figuring out the condition of TFC is far more struggle than flow of life right now.
The game against Portland only increased my concerns, the prospects for two more months of TFC 2012 seem bleak. Spending time down by the lake just before the opening of the CNE might have been a worthwhile outing for the fifteen minutes in the second half where TFC seemed to come alive. That stretch also makes the dull, plodding nature of most of the game look even worse. The arrival of the new central defender Darren O'Dea might change my mind and give TFC some spine and direction. I realize that is putting a lot of pressure on one player.
This has been a very flat season. Looking back at the Winter era, it is easy to say that he painted himself (and therefore the team) into this dull corner. I thought that the early games under Paul Mariner had the players displaying greater energy. Last night that energy seems to be gone. Perhaps the full reality of their place in the standings has hit home.  After all, who was Toronto missing from the roster vs Portland? Ryan Johnson has made a full athletic contribution, but I don't think he has clicked as TFC striker. Doneil Henry is not an established starter,  Dicoy Williams has not had a post-injury place on the team.Terry Dunfield might have a bigger impact on the midfield than we realized as we watched Aaron Maund last night. That was a lightweight performance from Maund. Perhaps his holding role was designed to free up Torsten Frings, but Maund just seemed content to jog around and observe. When Toronto took the lead it would have been the perfect time for a performance of crunch and disruption from Maund.  Dunfield can go play for Canada without worrying about Maund taking his place on the TFC field.
Adrian Cann was an adequate central defender against the Timbers, but I thought something was missing. He did not seem like a guy making the most of a playing opportunity after a stretch on the bench. He seemed more a guy playing out his days and expecting a change of scenery. It is not a stretch to speculate that last night might have been our last opportunity to see him play in Toronto.
There also seems to be a smile on the face of TFC supporters that seems unconnected to play on the field. TFC had just struggled against an awful team, Portland is having a terrible season. Strolling away from the stadium you could see folks were happy. I know, it is mid-August. The CNE opens in days. Plenty of dark, gloomy, rainy days ahead to feel lousy in. Yet I also feel too much acceptance of mediocrity and failure in the air. No guts, no glory. Going to a TFC game should not be a day at the beach. I spotted a few shirts that caught my eye. "This is our house" was written on one. That is a slogan that does not apply any more. Another fan had a Brennan shirt on. I know he is a coach, but somehow the fire he displayed as a player is missing. Somebody had better grab a torch and light the flame again. Come on O'Dea. Come on somebody.....

TFC flat, field slanted

Greatest trade in TFC history - JDG to Dallas

My birthday present....

Here is what I wrote on facebook,


Not at all sorry to see him go, other than taking up a roster spot, a DP spot and demonstrating no impact in attack or defending, and managing to survive (or contribute to) how many front office shake-ups, the JDG with TFC era is finally, finally over! I will wish for him equal to the entertainment and skills he displayed for us at BMO....



Dallas is sending Andrew Wiederman to Toronto. Talk about arriving in town with low expectations, I would have been thrilled if they had traded JDG for a bag of balls.
But, oh the memories...... rare shots that seemed like attempts to reach Lake Ontario, needless, pointless yellow cards because JDG had been caught out and was flying in late, jumping out of the wall to allow a Colorado goal in Colorado, getting pushed around, sitting on the bench...
Will TFC fill the DP spot? Will these recent moves (Plata loan, Soolsma dropped, JDG traded) mean new faces in TFC red and grey?

A new wrinkle by the lake, a comeback TFC 3 Whitecaps 2

Due to a wonderful weekend travelling to Massachusetts, I was spared the bother of watching TFC stumble against Philly 3-0. So I may have had a more optimistic mindset than many at BMO Field tonight.  It seemed subdued before the game, the crowd had a lack of energy and little anticipation. It seems that shifting TFC from the team that always loses to the team that most of the time ties has yet to set the city ablaze...
So a clunky first half went plodding by. JDG gets a so-so shot on net and some easily impressed fans actually applaud. I attribute it to the shock. Frings shoots wide (although he might have been trying to get the ball into Koeverman's path for redirection) and a small ripple of appreciation is detected. Then Ryan Johnson does everything but score and you start thinking that perhaps there is a curse (or as a wise observer stated nearby, Johnson has been playing 90 minutes a game all year and has two goals to show for it, not exactly an efficient strike rate).
The goals began to flow in the second half. Frings scored off of a blazing shot, a little tarnished by the fact that Whitecaps' Young Pyo Lee was off the field having his arm bandaged during the TFC attack. I don't think either side was fully aware of it at the time.
Maybe I am too red to be a fair judge, but I thought that both Vancouver goals were dodgy. The first was due to inept TFC defending in their own goal mouth, the second sure seemed to be based on the Vancouver forward hitting his knees into the back of the TFC defender (Logan Emory's) head to knock him down and aid him with getting to the ball.
I think that it was classless that upon scoring the tying goal a couple of the Whitecaps ran over to the TFC supporters' corner and celebrated. I was cheering on the beer chuckers. I just don't understand how in a game where taking off your shirt in celebration means a yellow, why such provocation is not punished.

I guess it was punished on the scoreboard. Dunfield puts the Frings corner kick into the back of the net in the final seconds of the game and we leave the place smiling. TFC faces New England in Massachusetts this Saturday. If something is brewing with the Reds it will be a great chance to redeem the team after the last minute goal for the tie when the Revolution where at BMO.

Can we play them every week? MTL 0 TFC 3

Incredible, unexpected, overdue and overwhelming, Toronto filled the net in the second half in Montreal. They put three past Donovan Ricketts and looked like they owned the place. The Montreal fans sure hated the Toronto treatment. Make that the "incredibly rare in 2012 Toronto treatment".
Although it has taken until the brink of July to see the kind of style and determination that TFC showed us back in March with the two games against LA in the CONCACAF CL, I suppose it is better late than never. Is this progress? Is this a tougher team that has learned from recent games where wins were lost? If TFC continues to rise and thrive, do we credit new manager Paul Mariner or were things set in motion by departed Winter?
Nick Soolsma added the touch of redemption that I was hoping for on Saturday from Luis Silva. Soolsma was solid, never flashy but always finding ways to connect.
Torsten Frings sparked the game, the first goal of the game was also his first scored for Toronto. Whatever was slowing him down on Saturday did not seem evident on my television screen tonight.
Now New York...

Shocked Montreal fans burn down their town.

TFC continues to lose ties - TFC 1 New England 1

The aircraft carrying the defending skills for the second half arriving two hours late

Today was the first TFC home game with the new manager in charge.  Paul Mariner was probably hoping, as most of us were hoping, that he could bring to the home field all the energy of the first half the other night in Houston without the collapse at the end of the second half. No such luck.

I am such a fool. Take the same the players who were not good enough for the departed Winter and tweak the formation, what do you get? We saw it today,  a slightly tweaked version of the same old guys. It was great to see two quality goals in the first half, but cheering for Toronto in the second half was akin to cheering all evening for the sun not to go down.

Just some scattered observations.

Credit goes to Milos Kocic  for earning the point today, he made some top drawer saves.

Long before he was taken off, something did not look right about Torsten Frings.

How can you play the possession game when you have deGuzman on the field? In the second half he seemed to be giving the ball away every chance he had.

Ryan Johnson made a full effort in both halves. Danny Koevermans was quality in the first half and invisible in the second.

Doneil Henry looked ragged in the late going. Putting Logan Emory into the central defending role seemed to make little difference .

I thought that putting Luis Silva on in the second half was a gamble that was going to pay off in a big way. Here is a young player who has had his Houston mugshot splashed all over the media this week. Clearly there are no serious consequences as he is in uniform. Maybe I wanted the Hollywood factor to kick in, but he was a step down from Eric Avila. Silva seemed to lack anticipation.

Just how did New England manage to dominate the last 20 minutes of the game? 

I dread the midweek road game in Montreal. I will watch it, but I dread it.

Toronto shows fight and firepower Houston 3 TFC 3

The early June dawn broke and it was easy to start the day with a touch of heartbreak. No, not the heartbreak from looking at old photos. The Euro 2012 feast of two “top level” international games a day ended yesterday and what do we have to tide us over until the quarterfinals start tomorrow? TFC, with nightclub fights and arrests still in the air, visit Houston. Heartbreak starts the day and then a sense of dread starts to creep in. My sense of “All for One” came into this game all but done.

 Could you get away with saying that Paul Mariner’s TFC made their full debut tonight in Houston?  Three goals in the first half and only one defensive lapse describes the Toronto first half. Who are these guys? Danny Koevermans was regaining his star status with timely runs and excellent finish. Avila was active and intelligent with the ball. Even JDG contributed a pinpoint cross to create the third goal.

 The second half had less offensive fireworks, which is to be expected from Toronto guarding a two goal lead. Once Houston scored their second goal the tension returned and you had to wonder if TFC would return to their horrible road form. The TFC heart, the fighting spirit and the willingness to sacrifice was thrilling until Houston scored in the 90^th minute. Then Toronto was on the ropes. 5 minutes of injury time seemed to be cruel and unusual at that point.

 There has been much speculation, inspired by scandal, with the arrest and suspension pending investigation of the TFC 3 (Aceval, Soolsma and Silva). I think that if a TFC fan is outraged they are  either reacting to a negative story in a negative season or they lead a very sheltered life.

If the story that TFC allowed young Silva to stay with the team rather than attend a family funeral turns out to be true, that would be the poorest decision (TFC management’s that is) made in the whole affair. 

 So it ended with a touch of heartbreak, but bring on the Saturday home game I say.

The losses continue to mount KC 2 TFC 0

What a mess. TFC played for a new coach tonight , Paul Mariner’s debut, but the same old team wore the shirt.  A different formation as TFC returned to the traditional 4-4-2, but the players seemed keen on demonstrating that they can be beaten in any formation. The first half was hard to watch.

KC’s first goal was a case of horrible Toronto defending.  The cross from the KC left wing eluded at least two Reds and fell to an open target in front.

The second goal was a volley from as the KC defender was able saunter onto a corner kick at the far post.

The Avila shot that managed to hit both posts just might be the TFC moment of 2012.

The second half gave us a TFC with better shape, greater grit and fire, but no goal scoring ability.

If the coaching change was intended to give TFC a new direction,  a fresh start so that an element of optimism can be found before ticket renewal time is upon us, nothing new seemed on offer in Kansas City tonight.

 Paul Mariner in the post game interview on GOL TV deserves credit for not kicking his own team when they were down. However he may have been too proud and too pleased with a team that looks a long way from a road victory in 2012.

More fun ahead....