Victory in New England?

[Unnamed Trialist]

I am a Caps fan who would prefer to see TFC do very well, this year at least. But if you are going to play like that, then go screw yourselves, I could care less. The real problem in Toronto is MLSE, they are a losing organization, a losing mentality, they are poor sport club managers. Money is not everything boys, if you don't have product knowledge. Take aim at the front office for once, TFC fans, and stop pandering, because these guys need a major boot in the butt.

[leftcoastkicks]

Are TFC even favourites in the V-Cup if they keep playing at this level?

Quick answer--no!

On top of their obvious woes, Preki doesn't appear to care much about the V-Cup (judging by the Nutrilite press conference) just like he didn't care about the US Open Cup while at Chivas. Wouldn't expect much from TFC this year.

[Cheeta]

^ Could look a very different team in a couple of weeks and with the Vs Cup so early this year that might be an advantage. If you're starting to hit your stride you want to play as many matches as possible. But, no I don't think so. Two matches into the season and I already think they're in tough. The matches come fast and furious from here on so things will have to get sorted on the fly. And good luck with that, especially as you add fresh faces out of the blue and try to work them into the program.

Can't wait to see the pitch at BMO Field though!

P.S. Thought Hsnaovics showed well, if a bit adventerous (and reckless) on occassion. Need more minutes to make a more accurate judgement.

[Cheeta]

Here's what Paul James made of the game:-

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/soccer/james-on-soccer/some-hard-lessons-for-toronto-fc/article1530504/

Nick LaBrocca has good technique, has a football brain with a great work ethic and attitude. With a more balanced team he will be useful. Playing LaBrocca with Saric and Julian de Guzman off the front target player could be the answer for injecting some attacking momentum

PJ nails it sometimes, and other times has me scratching my head, but think he read my mind on this one. If yesterday was LaBrocca's usual fair he could be key to getting to see the best of The Guz yet (which is badly missed). Especially if DDR can be kept wide right.

[canucklefan]

Quick answer--no!

On top of their obvious woes, Preki doesn't appear to care much about the V-Cup (judging by the Nutrilite press conference) just like he didn't care about the US Open Cup while at Chivas. Wouldn't expect much from TFC this year.

If what you think about Preki is true, then this guy doesn't know at all what's really at stake here. There's no domestic league, nothing in North America that is above Concacaf CL and the Voyageurs Cup is the road to best tournament in North America. Anyway, with a team like that I can't see TFC winning the Voyageurs Cup, if it happens it would be a real shame.

I don't even know why do I bother watch TFC play, everyone knew before the first game they would play like this...

[Gian-Luca]

Nane Joseph

Actually he was the goat on the 4th goal - it was Garcia who was the goat on the 2nd goal, and the Latvian on the other two. Garcia tried hard to be the goat for at least three other gilt-edged scoring chances for New England, but Frei bailed him out on those occasions.

To think Jim Brennan retired to make way for two left backs that played like that........

[Admin]

Actually he was the goat on the 4th goal - it was Garcia who was the goat on the 2nd goal, and the Latvian on the other two. Garcia tried hard to be the goat for at least three other gilt-edged scoring chances for New England, but Frei bailed him out on those occasions.

To think Jim Brennan retired to make way for two left backs that played like that........

Thank you! You are the only other person so far who thinks New Guy blew the 1st and 3rd goals. Not to mention getting cleanly burned several times before that.

[ag futbol]

I'm willing to pass on calling out the Latvian for this game, but it's hard to say that performance was anything but putrid. He leaves his feet to slide in way too much, got beat a couple of times in the first half but wasn't made to pay for it. New England saw he was weak and kept attacking his side, eventually he cracked and they got two good crosses in for goals. Maybe he'll adjust over time, but what we saw there was completely terrible. I'm shocked that anyone could say he had a good game.

TFC simply has no width or speed in the midfield. Add in OBW up top who's top speed seems to be 1st gear and you can understand why this team doesn't get much respect going forward. They're entirely dependent on Dero, who is consistently surrounded by 2-3 guys.

Preki and Johnston can bring in all the grinders they want, but until this team gets more skill, it's going nowhere.

[RJB]

Thank you! You are the only other person so far who thinks New Guy blew the 1st and 3rd goals. Not to mention getting cleanly burned several times before that.

But isn't that what happens when you get dropped into the lineup so soon after signing?

Those two give-aways are embarassing, and inexcusable. This losing isn't going to end any time soon.

Also, doesn anyone else find De Rosario's goal celebration a little old and contrived? It reminds me of Peter Crouch doing the robot.

[Admin]

But isn't that what happens when you get dropped into the lineup so soon after signing?

Those two give-aways are embarassing, and inexcusable. This losing isn't going to end any time soon.

Also, doesn anyone else find De Rosario's goal celebration a little old and contrived? It reminds me of Peter Crouch doing the robot.

Perhaps I am being harsh... but I was saying it about him after the first half when we were playing well. I wasn't the only one who noticed, apparently the Revs did too.

I can see things being confusing first time out with a new team, but no matter what team you are on you never stand and watch the ball while they guy you are supposed to be marking takes off. He wasn't even close.

[Tuscan]

Don't flatter yourself, I enjoyed every minute of your crushing defeat

Garcia for PM !!!

Haha my first reaction was "hey, I'm not a hardcore TFC supporter, don't label me with your comments"

Well, let's hope that a potentially horrible season won't result in any type of decline in interest or any negative set back for soccer in the country. My fear is that a lot of kids all around the country who know who TFC are (saw a girl in our U12 program wearing a TFC jersey to player evaluations) are going to get turned off from watching them because of their lack of winning ways. I'm sure that's way over the top, but I'm paranoid like that.

[Tuscan]

Perhaps I am being harsh... but I was saying it about him after the first half when we were playing well. I wasn't the only one who noticed, apparently the Revs did too.

I can see things being confusing first time out with a new team, but no matter what team you are on you never stand and watch the ball while they guy you are supposed to be marking takes off. He wasn't even close.

Hey, I'd rather see DeRo do that 5 times every game if it meant he scored that much.

[BearcatSA]

Actually he was the goat on the 4th goal - it was Garcia who was the goat on the 2nd goal, and the Latvian on the other two. Garcia tried hard to be the goat for at least three other gilt-edged scoring chances for New England, but Frei bailed him out on those occasions.

To think Jim Brennan retired to make way for two left backs that played like that........

Yeah, when I watched Nyassi blow by the Latvian guy twice in the first half I thought it was Martin Nash doing the defending! I wasn't convinced at all by his performance but, like ag futbol, I'm willing to cut the guy some slack. Not much, but some slack.

I would add that the third goal started with a poor midfield turnover when Sanyang couldn't control a basic pass from the Latvian guy and then the LB got caught ballwatching as Shalrie Joseph struck a crisp ground pass to Nyassi. Both players were duly replaced soon after that goal.

Edit: pass from Joseph went to Dube, not Nyassi, for the third goal.

[VPjr]

Shalrie Jospeh and Nyassi are a pretty good 1-2 combo. Joseph made some lovely passes and Nyassi used his speed to make a mess of TFC's D.

Transfer window closes on Wednesday. if they don't get some help and get some soon, it is going to be a very long Spring/Summer until the July window opens.

Nane Joseph is not good enough for this level. Forget the embarrasing giveaway....he is simply not good enough for MLS and that was common knowledge even before he was drafted.

LaBrocca is ok. Between him and Saric, maybe JDG has something to work with but right now, I don't like the looks of what he has to work with.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

Did Joseph Nane do any worse on Saturday than Cronin and Gala did out wide in Columbus? Thought he showed enough to make it obvious why he is viewed as a "project", who merits a development roster spot at this point and the fact he's a natural left-sided player has to be kept in mind. They are more difficult to find than right-sided players. On the fourth goal Frei was watching the whole situation develop. I wonder if there was some breakdown in communication. There is plenty of scope for player moves after the transfer window closes. Trades can be made within the league and there are still some out of contract players can still be signed.

[jpg75]

I don't know why people are ripping on Gaba Gala, the kid was atleast trying to make something happen offensively against Columbus unlike most of his teammates...and he certainly didn't gift the opposition a goal. Why Joe Nane is on the team is clear, his agency is the de facto GM of this team.

[canucklefan]

I don't know why people are ripping on Gaba Gala, the kid was atleast trying to make something happen offensively against Columbus unlike most of his teammates...and he certainly didn't gift the opposition a goal. Why Joe Nane is on the team is clear, his agency is the de facto GM of this team.

It's Gabe, Gabe for Gabriel.

[jpg75]

It's Gabe, Gabe for Gabriel.

It's typo, typo for typographical error.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

I don't know why people are ripping on Gaba Gala, the kid was atleast trying to make something happen offensively against Columbus unlike most of his teammates...and he certainly didn't gift the opposition a goal. Why Joe Nane is on the team is clear, his agency is the de facto GM of this team.

Trying to do something isn't enough at the pro level. Gala, Cronin and Attakora did not play well against Columbus so two were dropped for the New England game and the other was moved to a different position. Gala probably only played because Nick LaBrocca was a last minute signing prior to the Columbus game and Attakora at right back was never likely to be a permanent fixture. The real surprise so far has been Cronin's fall from grace as a regular starter. The last bit reads a bit like an Alex Jones conspiracy theory to me. Is there any concrete evidence that Joseph Nane was a client of First Wave prior to the league combine and Superdraft? Seems to me that he could easily have been pointed in that direction by TFC management after being drafted.

[Gian-Luca]

Did Joseph Nane do any worse on Saturday than Cronin and Gala did out wide in Columbus?

An absolute firm, resounding "yes" to that question from me. They may not have had a great game but they were also both playing out of position. Cronin was quiet but Gala at least had a couple of nice runs in the first half that created TFC's only offensive forays worth noting. Neither hurt the team anywhere near as badly as Nane did in New England.

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

Then we will clearly have to agree to disagree.

[loyola]

From what I remember, Gala had a good game against Colombus making a couple of good runs on the right side. He probably isn't a starter material yet, but he didn't looked out of place at all.

I thought Nane was OK in the first half but his mistake when he was playing LB looked really poor. BTW, his mistake was on the 4th goal and I don't think it change much in a game TFC had almost certainly lost at that time. Garcia mistake is the one who killed the team. I'm ready to give Nane more time before making a clear judgement on him.

I'm curious to see Cann playing, I hope he is an improvement on Garcia.

[Gian-Luca]

I'm curious to see Cann playing, I hope he is an improvement on Garcia.

Difficult to imagine anyone being worse at the moment, but my recollection of Cann is that while he's athletic and good in the air, not the best with the ball at his feet. A bit like Ty Harden I suppose, but neither strike me as ideal partners to Nana at CB.

It does seem that TFC have an over-abundance of CB's now, there's still Emmanuel Gomez who has been injured thus far this year. They are still short at striker, so I think someone must be on his way out from the CB's, and I know where my current vote would go.....

[canucklefan]

It's typo, typo for typographical error.

Sure, of course.

[ag futbol]

I thought Gala was ok.

He was one of the few to actually get involved offensively and made some nice runs.

The problem was that for the most part he was a passenger and didn't impose himself enough on the game. He just kind of floated around a lot without taking his opportunity.

But i definitely thought there were a lot worse players going forward (namely: everyone except Dero).