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Toronto FC came up short 

 

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TORONTO – Montreal Impact won the Nutrilite Canadian Championship and as a result will be Canada's representative in the CONCACAF Champions League after the Impact held on tie with Toronto FC 1-1 last Tuesday at BMO Field in Toronto.

 

With the two teams heading into the final game of the tournament and Montreal leading TFC in the standings with six points to TFC four, the Reds fell short with after opening the scoring early in a must win situation.

 

This result has to be a wake up call for TFC coach Carver and valuable lesson for those Toronto FC players who were quoted as saying that Montreal Impact was an inferior team because they played in what was preserved as a lower league. Well for all those TFC newcomers to Canadian soccer they learn the hard way that out West (BC ETC;) has been a pillar for Canadian Soccer and the East (Montreal) in my estimation has for some reason has been resilient in regards to player personal and talent pool.

 

Montreal Impact deserve credit for their performance and championship win since like most leading teams they did not fall into a self destructive defensive mode in an effort not to lose in spite of their advantage in points and on the contrary they dispel the defensive strategy theory very early by moving down the left flank and taking several dangerous shots as early as the first minute of play.

 

The Reds knew they were in a dog fight and riding their 12^th man advantage of a noisy home crowd pushed forward to get the early lead and put themselves in a good position to win by forcing Montreal defense to open up as a result.

With the game going at a vicious pace the Reds got the break they needed at the 15th minute when #10 Rohan Ricketts attack a lobbed cross at the far post and place a well timed header pass the Impact goalkeeper to give TFC a 1-0 lead. The Reds scoring play developed when from Jim Brennan running into the penalty area the left side

Montreal did not skip a beat after falling behind and equalized at the 26 minute mark to momentarily steal the crowd and momentum away from Toronto FC. Montreal maintained the better of the offensive penetration as Toronto ball movement seemed to be of a horizontal nature while Montreal vertical game seemed to be more effective.

The Reds was sputtering offensively as their 16 year striker Abdus Ibrahim seemed out of sync and a step behind the Montreal defense compared to his performance in his last game only days earlier.  TFC midfielders also struggled to find the space and the comfort that was necessary to penetrate and set up scoring chances and with the slick BMO Field pitch their over-weight vertical passes resulted in a turnover, a back pass or out of bounds.

 

TFC sensational midfielder Maurice Edu was also struggling in his return to the line-up and veteran forward Jeff Cunningham insertion in the game at the 75^th minute was also not productive nor was it very effective.  To add to coach Carver woes, team scoring leader Danny Dichio was in civilian close on the side lined with a concussion.

 

This was a disheartening situation for the Reds faithful who seemed to be louder and more boisterous than they have been all season with their chanting, singing and disruptive streamer tossing to help their team win in what was in fact the first championship final game for the Reds.

 

Toronto FC management would have to take a look at the Reds situation since the capacity crowd at BMO field is yet to disappoint their team and are presenting the Reds with an atmosphere worthy of a championship team.

 

Originally I wrote that Carver seemed to be coaches with the philosophy of “if it isn’t broke don’t fix it” and now the time has come for him to mend his defective of-fence which was a problem at the onset of his job as coach of Toronto FC. The Reds has scored 6 goals in their last nine games and has no wins to show for the offensive woes.

 

It was difficult to watch the Toronto FC fans leaving BMO Field at the final whistle, as they watched the Montreal Impact celebrate their victory. Montreal has now won all seven Voyageurs Cups since the trophy was first awarded in 2002, although this is the first year that an MLS team was involved in the competition and a Champions League berth was at stake.

 

With the win the Impact advanced to the preliminary round of the CONCACAF Champions League and will play against Real Esteli of Nicaraguan in a home-and-home format. The first leg of the series is scheduled August 27 at Montreal's Stade Saputo, while the second leg will be played at Real Esteli on Sept. 2.

 

Toronto FC head  into the All-Star break with just one win in their last nine MLS and Canadian Championship games and the will try to become the first visiting team to win at Real Salt Lake next Monday

 

 TFC extend their undefeated streak at home to 9 games

 Toronto FC extended their undefeated streak at home to 9 games after the Reds shared points with the expansion San Jose Earthquakes with a 0-0 tie at BMO Field. The Reds coach Carver was a bit disturbed after he was asked to comment on his team sluggish performance at the post game press conference. Stay Tuned for more info!

 

TFC extend undefeated streak at home

 Toronto FC extend their undefeated streak at BMO Field to 8 games after the Reds held on to  their point in a 0-0 tie with a tough Kansas City Wizards team. The Reds travel to face the league leading New England Revolution with the intent of improving their woeful 1-4-0 road record .

 

TFC reach milestone after defeating Colorado Rapids 3-1 

Toronto FC won their sixth game of the MLS season after defeating the Colorado Rapids 3-1. The six wins matches the total of the games won by the Reds in their 2007 season.  The Reds are  undefeated (5-0-1) at home but has had their struggles on the road with a 1-4-0 record thus far.

 

TFC undefeated streak ends in rubber match with DC Utd

 Toronto FC lost to DC United 3-2 in Washington after the Reds took the lead  twice on goals by Danny Dichio but could not hold on to secure the win. 

 

TFC extend undefeated streak to 6 with 1-0 win over DC Utd

  Toronto FC striker Danny Dichio capitalize on a DC defender blunder to score at the 7 minute mark  as the Reds held on to secure a 1-0 victory on a fine defensive effort by their back four and goalkeeper Greg Sutton. The shut out over DC United marked the first time that TFC has shutout opponents in back to back games in the team's history.

 

TFC extend undefeated streak to 5 in a 0-0 tie with the Crew

 Toronto FC could not capitalize on some of their scoring opportunities as Columbus Crew defense closed up shop in a tight contest .

 

TFC extend undefeated streak to 4 with 1-1 tie with KC

 Toronto FC could not extend their winning streak after the Reds blew a lead to tie 1-1 with the New York Red Bulls. TFC took the lead at the 29 minute on a header by Marco Velez from a quick free kick taken by Laurent Robert from the left flank. The goal marked the third time that TFC has scored from a set play this season.

 

In retrospect the tie was important to the Reds since it was the type of day and game that no one would have wanted to lose. The weather was miserable with strong winds and chilly temperatures that complimented a light drizzle that started falling just as the game started.

 

The game kicked off with both teams giving no room on the slick surface and with the anxiety and intensity it seemed like the outcome of the game would have been determined by defensive mistakes rather than from one team dominating the other.

 

Toronto FC goal was resultants of the Red Bulls lack of urgency in getting back to their defensive positions after questioning the referee’s call as the TFC free kick specialist Laurent Robert send a perfect cross to an unmarked Velez. The goals set off more protest from the Red Bulls players but you would have to give Robert credit for his quick thinking as he recognized the Bulls broken defensive coverage and took full advantage.

 

The New York Red Bulls eventually settled down and equalized from a direct free kick taken by Dave van den Bergh at the 39th minute.  Van den Bergh utilized the TFC wall with his grounder shot that passed to the right of the blinded TFC goalkeeper Gregg Sutton. The kick was awarded after TFC defender Tyrone Marshall was called for a hand ball to the right edge of the penalty area.

 

In the second half the level of play deteriorated as much as the weather as the rain returned and forced players to adjust their game but late tackles and frustration was the order of the day as referee Abiodun Okulaja and his assistants were kept busy distributing 13 fouls to the Red Bulls and 7 to TFC.

 

The back four of the teams were outstanding while the midfielders had to rely more on their defensive coverage since it was apparent that a mistake in coverage could turn the tables. The strikers were the most frustrated as Jozy Altidore the Red Bulls 18 year old striker lead all players with 4 fouls called against him and although the more experience TFC striker Danny Dicho was trying his best his midfielders were having their own problems with the Red Bulls midfielders. Coach Carver replaced Dichio at the 84 minute with Cunningham while Altidore had a very ineffective 90 minutes of play thanks to the TFC defense.

 

The 1-1 tie against the Red Bulls ended TFC winning streak at 3, but extended the Reds undefeated streak to 4 games.  The Reds will be up against Columbus Crew on May 17 at BMO Field and revenge will have to be a motivating factor since Columbus defeated TFC 2-0 in their season opener on March 29 and is on top of the MLS standings.

 

TFC defeat KC Wizards to set new club record 

Toronto FC defeat Kansas City Wizards 2-0 last Saturday to extend their winning streak to 3 games while going over the .500 mark for the first time in the clubs history.

 Although some may say that it is too early to determine if the Reds can be taken seriously it should be noted that TFC 3-game winning streak was against teams which were coming off big wins which started with the La Galaxy in LA and has posted back to back shut outs in their last two games of that streak.

 

Since a team is only as good as their last game the Reds will have to shut down the New York Red Bulls offense at BMO Field on Thursday (press time) to keep their record book open and maintain or continue on with a number of streaks. A TFC win against the Red Bulls will vault the Reds into a tie with Columbus Crew at the top of the MLS overall standings with 4 (consecutive) wins and 12 points.

 

The TFC pre game script remains the same as the Red Bulls is coming off a 2-0 win over the expansion San Jose Earthquakes and has a potent offense lead by striker Jozy Altidore. Altidore was very instrumental in the Red Bulls last win as he set up the Bulls first goal by drawing a foul for a penalty and scoring the insurance goal to give his team the 2-0 win.

 

 Altidore was also a stand out on the USA team at the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup tournament in Canada and could very well be the X factor in the game against TFC on Thursday. TFC Coach Carver will have to defense Altidore with his central defender (Reggae Boyz) Tyrone Marshall due to Altidore strength in the air or hope that Guevara and Edu could create sufficient havoc in the Bulls defense to limit Altidore’s effectiveness.

 

TFC has some fire power of their own since the acquisition of Honduran national player Amado Guevara.  Guevara addition has paid instant dividends to the Reds offense when you take into consideration that the Reds scored one goal in their first two games and since the arrival of Guevara has scored 6 goals in their last 3 while creating two shut out.

 

To add to his direct impact on the team Guevara has entered his name in the TFC scoring statistics after he scored two goals in the Reds 2-0 win over Kansas City Wizards and although Guevara first goal was a Johnny on the spot type of goal after he received an errant ball that had deflected of a KC defender within the six yard box, his second goal was a beauty and was selected as one of the Sierra MLS Goal of the Week.

 

The Reds first goal was a big relief for TFC Coach Carver since it was obvious at the time that Carver was frustrated with his team missed opportunities and had sent Cunningham to the fourth official to enter the game just moments before the first goal but had to hold off on the change for ten minutes to be politically correct.

 

Guevara continued his fine play and was rewarded at the 77 minute mark when he scored a 25 yard free kick from dead center, that curled over the Wizards wall and away from the outstretched hands of the beaten KC goalkeeper Kevin Hartman as the ball hit the inside edge of the upright before entering the net. This was the insurance that coach Carver needed to continue his substitution an release the pressure of his bench management.  

 

However sooner or later TFC Coach Carver will still have to look into the production of his strikers Cunningham and Dichio who have only scored two of his team 7 goals thus far. This situation may in part have to do with Carver one striker system with Dichio as the starter but I think that the Reds run of play thus far have not favoured Dichio type of game.

 

Dichio is strong and effective as a post up player up front but with TFC midfielders Edu and Guevara having success penetrating down the middle of the field, Dichio seemed to be out of the play and ineffective. Carver may have to try starting Cunningham who is much faster and might be more creative and adaptable to the present style of play of Guevara and Edu.

 

Carver is going on the theory that if it ain't broke don’t fix it, but with his midfielder playing for their respective national teams during the season it might be in his interest to get these strikers cracking soon.

 

Carver indicated that he is likely to name an unchanged side. "If I feel that somebody needs a rest, I'll decide that, but I'm not going to tinker with the team. Every game we play in every competition I will play the side that I think is the best side to win the game. It's my job to make sure the players are happy. It's down to my man management skills but players have to understand that everybody is part of this. That is the spirit that we want to generate here." Lets give him the benefit of the doubt

  The Reds game on Thursday is at BMO Field at 7pm.

 

Toronto FC start streak with 2008 Home Opener win

 

The pieces are coming slowly together for Toronto FC after the Reds defeated Real Salt Lake (RSL) 1-0 before a sold out crowd at BMO field. This was a pivotal game for TFC this early in the season since the tunnel is long and the only light they will see is based on their defensive efforts and the best defense is a better offense.

 

Based on this philosophy Toronto FC has passed the test with flying colours as they achieved their first shut out of the season and for the second straight game the Reds open the scoring in their game when Laurent Robert's scored at the 31st minute mark.

 

Robert’s goal was from a direct free kick which was taken to the right edge of the penalty area. His left footed grounder dissected the RSL wall to elude the screened goalkeeper to his left which sent the crowd into frenzy.

 

The fact that TFC scored first was vital because they gave themselves the opportunity to utilize the 12^th man advantage to the fullest which proved to be important to the outcome of the 1-0 game, since TFC was also dominating the run of play in the offensive zone at the time.

 

It could have been disastrous had Real Salt Lake open the scoring when you take into consideration that RSL disposed of DC United 4-0 before the TFC game and since RSL dominated the second half of the TFC game you would have to accept the Reds could be a different team this season in stepping up and putting forward such a valiant defensive effort.

 

The left side of the Reds team with seemed to have adequate left footed players compared to a year ago and although Ricketts (TFC late acquisition for T&T Collin Samuel) on the right side will have to improve on his fitness and vision due to his choice of passes in and around the box, I think he played ok and showed enough positive flashes for future references.

 

At the press conference after the game coach Carver was asked about his limited use of his bench players after he was boastful of his strong bench. Carver changes were Jarrod Smith 6 minutes for Ricketts, Todd Dunivant 9 minutes for Laurent Robert and Cunningham in injury time for Danny Dichio.

 

In the first half the Reds started aggressively and seemed focused on moving forward in search of the opening goal with energy and precision and with the fan support they were rewarded with a 1-0 lead at the half. Newly signed TFC Honduran midfielder #20 Amado Guevara was effective in the Reds attack as coach Carver started him as a striker.

 

 

The second half was not as fruitful for the Reds and although Real Salt Lake may have had something to do with the change of momentum. RSL pressured TFC for over 25 minutes in the second half, and some where in there I felt that the substitution of players would have been a better alternative for themental lapses demonstrated by the TFC players. All in all a win is a win and good team win ugly some times.

 

However if coach Carver team practices are any indication of what’s in store for opposing teams then I think once the team jell there is no doubt that the Reds would be more competitive this season, baring players utilization is not based on their contractual value but on the ability and performances of the players.

 

Come Saturday at 3:30pm the Reds will be up against a Kansas City Wizards team which has a hot goalkeeper in Kevin Hartman after the Wizards posted back-to-back shutouts against Houston Dynamo 0-0 and Chicago Fire 1-0 respectively.

 

Toronto FC goalkeeper Gregg Sutton is also hot and with the Reds favorable four game home stand remaining Sutton will be the man on the spot to rotate his defense to get his team the wins necessary to get over the .500 mark for the first time in the club history. The win against Real Salt Lake last Saturday placed the Reds at the .500 mark for the first time in the club history.

 

TFC head into Home Opener with a win over La Galaxy

 

The young 2008 Major League Soccer (MLS) season took a positive turn for Toronto FC after the Reds (TFC) upset David Beckham and the La Galaxy 3-2 on a late goal by Jeff Cunningham at the 88 minute.  

 

After a dismal 6-17-7 record last season and being outscored 25 to 49, the Reds seemed to be heading down the same path after they lost their first two games on the road this season by giving up six goals against Columbus 2-0 and DC United 4-1. The six goals conceded was the same number of goals gave up at the same point last season Chivas USA 2-0 and New England Revolution 4-0 before opening at BMO Field with 4 loses and no goals scored.

 

However TFC new coach John Carver would tell you that was then and this is now and by all indications coach Carver may have a point since his team scored their first goal of the season in their 4-1 lost against DC compared to their fifth game of a year ago and won their first game in 3 tries compared to 7 tries at the 15^th game point of last season on July 4.

 

The first goal scored in 2008 may not have been a big deal to new coach John Carver, but it is a huge lift to the Reds supporters who were traveling to the away games in excess of 2000 and it also takes the pressure off the backs of the returning TFC players who lived through the TFC first five games without scoring and went on to set an MLS record of scoreless streak at 824-minutes during the season.

 

The Reds seemed to be relaxed heading into this home opener at BMO Field Saturday with the start of a winning streak in sight and the support of the best  fans in the MLS. A loss or a tie against Real Sault Lake may be taken as a disappointment since TFC is a rare favourite which was certainly not the case this early last season.

 

 

Come Saturday TFC defense would have to continue to improve to the point where they would have to shut down teams to sustain and improve their offensive game. TFC came close to getting their offense in stride against the La Galaxy but after taking the lead twice in the game their defensive efforts came up short as TFC scored in the 42 and 58 minute and gave up the equalizers in the 43 and 58 minutes.

 

This is the area of their play in which Toronto FC has to improve on Saturday and throughout the season if they are going to be a legitimate contender. They have to get the 2 goal and three goal lead with preferably a shutout on the board.

 

My hunch is TFC home opener at BMO Field on Saturday at 12:30pm is going to be wild and entertaining affair and I am looking forward seeing the Red Patch Boys, and U-Sector Supporters Clubs opening performance. It was reported that these supporters clubs are collaborating with Tribal Rhythms Nation Supporters Club to compose a chant for T&T player and first round Super Draft Julius James to the Soca Warriors chant. OHEY-OH-OO-OH.

 

What ever the situation or the chant, it is safe to say that TFC supporters clubs will be on the MLS highlight reel in the upcoming week. It is also anticipated that Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Group the TFC owners would have a few surprises for the fans that could probably make things a bit salty for the visiting Real Salt Lake team.

 

 TFC Sign Honduran Amado Guevara

 A Toronto FC Report: Toronto FC signed midfielder #20 Amado Guevara on April 9, 2008. In exchange for the right to sign the Honduran international, Toronto FC traded future considerations in the 2009 and 2010 MLS SuperDraft to Chivas USA.

Guevara MLS Experience
Guevara played under TFC Director of Soccer Mo Johnston while with the New York Red Bulls in 2006. The midfielder signed with the Metrostars arriving from Motagua (Honduras) in 2003. That season he was named Red Bulls' Team MVP, after scoring eight goals and adding five assists. In his time with New York, he made a total of 103 regular season appearances, including 100 starts, over four seasons.

His most notable season came in 2004, when he earned the 2004 MLS MVP after recording ten goals, and adding ten assists. Guevara's accomplishments also included Team MVP, and MLS Scoring Champion to wrap up an incredible season. He was named to the All-Star team that season and was honoured as the MVP of the game after scoring twice for the East in their 3-2 victory over the Western All Stars that was held in Washington D.C.

Guevara followed that with another stellar season in 2005, and 2006 taking Golden Boot accolades with the team scoring eleven, and six goals respectively.

His stint on the east coast ended in 2007 when he was traded to Chivas USA. After 4 games with the Los Angeles based club, Guevara accepted a loan move to his former club in Honduras, Motagua for the remainder of the season.
International Stats
Internationally, Guevara is the captain and the all time caps leader (105) of the Honduran national team scoring 22 goals.

 

Johnston makes move to TFC front office

Toronto FC's selected Julius James and Pat Phelan in the first round of the MLS 2008 Super Draft James, who is also a Trinidad and Tobago youth international, anchored the back line for a strong University of Connecticut side, while Phelan's consistency and versatility helped Wake Forest University win the NCAA championship

Mo Johnston and his staff compiled another promising group of young talent as TFC grabbed five players with top-level college beginning with highly touted defenders Julius James and Pat Phelan in the first round,

 

"It's going to be a process, and my mind is really open," said James, who was quick to cite Toronto's large West Indian community as a major factor that should ease his adjustment to a new environment. "So I'll have to go through a very steep learning curve, and I hope the technical staff and the guys over there are going to help me with that."

 

Johnston clearly believes that both players possess the ability to make a splash on par with Edu's MLS Rookie of the Year performance in 2007. "We are delighted to have two players of the quality of Julius and Pat," said Johnston. "Both had superb senior years and we think they are capable of battling for a place in our first eleven.

 

From what we have seen and heard they have all the attributes to be solid professionals."

Phelan's college teammate Brian Edwards soon joined him in TFC colors, as the Reds sent allocation money to the LA Galaxy in exchange for the 28th overall pick and selected the former Demon Deacons goalkeeper.

 

 Edwards was delighted to join his fellow Wake product, and in light of Toronto's struggles between the posts in 2007, expressed high hopes for garnering significant playing time in his rookie season.

"As a player, you're very competitive and you always want to challenge for those minutes on the field, and I feel like this is a great situation to do that," said Edwards. "I'm really looking forward to it."

 

"I'm just really excited to play in that environment in Toronto," said Edwards. "I know they sell out all their games, and you could hear them here over the course of the draft giving some of the other fans a little bit of stick. As for me, I'm going to put all my efforts forward, just going to lay it out on the line for them, and hopefully they'll really respect that."

 

Johnston selected defender Mike Zaher, a former U.S. youth international, in the third round (30th pick overall) before using TFC's final draft selection to take a flyer on striker Joseph Lapira with the 35th overall slot.

The Notre Dame standout and 2006 M.A.C. Hermann Trophy winner holds an Irish passport and is understood to be strongly considering the European club opportunities that it opens up. But should Lapira wind up in MLS, Toronto will own the rights to a prospect worthy of a first-round pick.

 

Even more promising, TFC's fanatical fan support and cozy BMO Field home have already established the young club as an inviting destination for quality players.