Okay. Time for a bit of quiet reflection.
The decision that ultimately killed Toronto FC 2010 was not made by any player, coach or general manager of Canada’s soon-to-be-not-only Major League Soccer franchise. Nor was the fatal decision made in 2010.
Ye goode shippe TFC IV was delivered to the port pre-sunk – thanks to the 2009 decision by owners Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment to retain Mo Johnston as admiral.
… And I am so bleepingly tired of being right about this.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK] Mo is little more than a glad-handing snakeoil frontman, who’s been consistently able to sell himself as a soccer impresario to a highly successful sports organization that has always been painfully naïve and deeply unaware of what it takes to succeed in any professional sport.
I don’t blame Mo for any of that. Paycheques are scarce in this world. Good luck, and go for it!
But can we all please – finally and unanimously – drop the optimism?
On August 11, Toronto FC was two points back of second-place New York Energy Drink, entering a home-and-home series that could have lifted them out of the wild-card free-for-all, setting the table for the team’s MLS playoff debut.
Since then:
TFC 0 @ NY 1
TFC 1 vs NY 4
TFC 0 vs SLC 0
TFC 0 @ DAL 1
TFC 0 @ CHI 0
TFC 0 vs DC 1
That’s your team, kids. More to the point, that’s Coach Preki and the helm of Coach Preki’s team. By any fair definition, this was a six-game make-or-break stretch by which all concerned can be fairly judged.
And sure, the schedule sucked. But the schedule always sucks. And sure, the CONCACAF Champions League didn’t help. But the CONCACAF Champions League never helps.
A lot of fans are piling on the newer players, saying Nick LaBrocca and Dan Gargan aren’t as good as Amado Guevara and Marvell Wynne. Well, Guevara wasn’t coming back anyway, and I’ll take Gargan over Wynne anytime, anywhere.
Toronto FC isn’t freefalling out of contention because of Nick LaBrocca. The team is dying because no one on the roster is scoring any goals. Certainly, there have been injuries – but there are always injuries.
In these six brutal games, Toronto has shown virtually no creativity in attack. TFC’s Big Play right now is Dwayne de Rosario hoofing one over the crossbar from twenty-something yards out. Opposing goalies don’t even have to guess right on this one – or even be standing on their feet. The ball is gonzo over the bar. There is no chance of scoring.
At BMO Field, there is a strong, prevailing wind that lifts shots high into the air – particularly at the south end. Everyone knows this. DeRo’s hoof-jobs have done a decent enough job of reaching out and touching TFC fans in the supporters’ section, but far too few have found the net.
Yes, the defence is better, but the hopelessly slow Nick Garcia is still getting lapped out there. Young Canadians Adrian Cann and Nana Attakora have calmed things down nicely, but Nana had a dreadful game against DC United. In the first half, a bad Nana clearance immediately got rung off Toronto’s goalpost. In the second, he mis-kicked himself right out of the play on DC’s winning goal, leaving an easy sitter for former TFC high draft pick Julian James.
Why can’t this team attack? Can’t Preki convince them that having attacking options is a good thing? What the heck is any coach good for if the team scores just one goal in a critical six-game stretch?
How odd that an injury to improving striker Chad Barrett is being cited as a key factor in TFC’s surrender. A year ago, an internal dispute over the chronically under-achieving Barrett’s playing time ripped the team apart.
And the common denominator – in all of this – is Mo Johnston.
Yep, he tried something different. A name coach and a new roster. But here it comes showtime, and everything turns into blu-uch.
They’re not good enough – again. And Mo Johnston is the man in charge – again.
Right now, there is a nasty divide among supporters’ groups about whether it’s okay to turn on the team in the stadium while the games are going on:
Thousands of people – in all the groups – have invested time, money, dreams, love, faith and optimism in this team. As far as I’m concerned, after this much time, anyone who’s done all that can react any blessed way they want to. I’m a fan, too, but the TFC side that face-planted against the last-place DCers on Saturday deserved to be booed off the pitch.
It’s over, Mo. At least the team lost for different reasons this year. But shouldn’t that just clarify – once and forever – that a change has to be made?
Right now?
Dear MLSE: There are plenty of people out there who know soccer better than Mo Johnston. This was made clear to you from thousands of voices and directions a year ago, but you chose to stand by your man. And while all concerned are eternally grateful to have this team – and fully acknowledge how much you guys did to make that happen – The Support is achingly tired of The Suits not getting the message.
So, just to clarify: Toronto FC fans are NOT Toronto Maple Leaf or Raptor fans. That stadium isn’t two-thirds empty at kick-off because of chronic holes in the GO-Train schedule.
The fans won’t follow Mo. If you don’t drop him – hard and quickly – why should any of us follow you?
Onward!