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Stars Soccer Review (SSR) Match
Coverage |
TFC talent search ends at home.
Under new head Coach Nick Dasovic, Toronto FC
went into the club’s Academy team of young
talents to defeat Arabe Unido of Panama 1-0. The
Reds finished third in Group A schedule of the
CONCACAF Champions league with 8 points, behind
Real
Salt
Lake and Cruz Azul, which advanced to 1/4
finals.
The Academy call ups coincided with the return
of Captain Dwayne De Rosario who was on a one
game suspension and sat out last Saturday game
for an accumulation of yellow cards. In turn the
Reds finished its 2010 home fixture with an
important win, but before a sparse crowd of
10,385 at BMO Field.
The Reds hit rock bottom in last Saturday’s 2-2
draw against Columbus Crew, in a game which
certainly reflects their disappointing season.
The Reds fell behind Columbus from a ball that
ricocheted off the crossbar, and hit goalkeeper
Jon Conway in the buttocks and into the Reds
net.
After clawing back to take a commanding 2-1
halftime lead, the Reds gave up an equalizer at
the end of the match. In a bizarre set of
events, the Reds allowed Columbus Crew
goalkeeper Will Hesmer to come out of goal on a
corner kick to score in injury time.
In all my donkey years of watching outdoor
soccer, I can’t recall seeing a goalkeeper score
during the run of play. But judging from their
last game against Arabe Unido, all may not be
lost for the Reds after the impressive play of
their young talent.
Defender Nana Attakora, a former Academy
signing, scored the game winner in the 30th
minute with a neat header from a set piece in a
season where there are only three players in TFC
with more goals than one goal. Attakora out
jumped the Arabe Unido defense to give TFC the
1-0 win.
Another Academy standout for the Reds in
Tuesday’s win was left back Ashtone Morgan.
Unlike left back starter Raivis Hscanovics,
Morgan can actually move into the attack with
the ball under his control, and was unlucky not
to score his first goal but goalkeeper Jose
Calderon made a brilliant reflex save on his
shot.
Astone may be a chip of the old block since his
farther Wayne Morgan was a good attacking
midfielder/striker with local Clubs Soca, and
Parkdale in the Caribbean Community leagues.
Other academy players than performed well were
rookie defender Doneil Henry in the central
defense and midfielder Oscar Cordo in substitute
for Designated Player (DP) Julian De Guzman in
the 66th minute.
Recently signed Academy forward Nicholas Lindsay
and goalkeeper Jon Conway also made consecutive
starts for the Reds, abut a quick fix and
Interim coach Dasovic magic, cannot take the
Reds out of the present predicament and into the
playoffs spot.
The sad state of affairs with Toronto FC is that
the Reds faithful is on an all time low, and the
fact that Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE),
the Reds management, announced an increase to
next year’s season ticket holders, spells
Trouble.
The long awaited milestone (playoffs) cannot be
accomplished until October of 2011 and as such a
price increase is not what the doctor would have
ordered for the #1 fans in the MLS. The Reds has
now missed the playoffs fin their 4 seasons, and
is yet to appoint an official coach, G.M., and
Director of Soccer.
The bar has been raised high, since the Reds
opened the season with a 15 game undefeated
streak, and after dangling in third place behind
Red Bulls they took a yellow for diving. But in
retrospect the cookie crumbled when Thierry
Henry and New York Red Bulls embarrassed the
Reds by a lopsided 4-0 at BMO.
After the New York loss, the Reds went on a
7-game winless streak and has just one win to
show in its last 14 games heading into last
Tuesday’s contest. Toronto FC’s 2010 season has
had the most peaks and valleys of any of its
previous three seasons.
Though there were peaks, the troubling effect
was there were no good things from the valley of
Ho-ho hos as the Green Giant commercial since
the Reds was booed at home after an embarrassing
loss to Eastern Division table dwellers DC
United.
The #1 Fans in the MLS have not been vocal in
support of the team but has been waving large
green dollar sign flags for the last two games.
The friendly confine of BMO Field is a place of
unresolved tension and frustration with the MLS
Cup final slated for November 21 at BMO Field.
The reality is the supporter’s club members, is
the image of the Toronto FC and cooler heads may
have to prevail for the MLS Cup to be
successful.
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