V's Cup Game Day 6 - Toronto FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps

[jpg75]

The forecast says 100% chance of thunderstorm this evening...will the game even be played?

Currently there are thunderstorms in the Windsor and Sarnia area. Light rain in and around the Toronto area. Fingers crossed.

[Sam]

The interest in this match at the moment is through the roof.

In all honesty it could actually be a good match, with TFC's reserves/academy players you could see a much more open match than the past 5 have been

[Juby]

I don't suppose it's gonna be on sportnet ontario?

[jpoma]

No thunderstorms so far, but it's raining (occasionally hard), and likely to rain for the rest of the night. Even if it stops at this point, I expect an empty stadium and very sloppy game.

[jonovision]

Who is this ref? Quite trigger happy. No way that was a red, and the yellow to Luca was harsh as well. What a brutal game so far too -- the worst quality of play of the tournament so far.

The yellow to Henry seems a bit harsh, but he has been pretty clumsy in his challenges.

[Danny Boy]

The red was definitely harsh. I would have given a yellow at the most. I'll agree on the yellow to Luca as it was from behind.

[Admin]

Sucks there is a red card.

Makes it hard to evaluate the academy players.

Kudos to fans, and Zack and Lord Bob for showing up.

[Blue and White Army]

Have the B.C. boys been on the tele yet?

[Sam]

I thought the red card was the right decision. Very high tackle, studs up could have easily broken the kid's leg. Lots of refs will give yellows in that situation but the challenge really was worthy of a red, very dangerous.

[RJB]

http://www.tsn.ca/soccer/story/?id=323417

TORONTO -- Toronto FC celebrated its second straight Canadian club championship after a 90-minute coronation under stormy skies, claiming the Voyageurs Cup after slogging through the rain for a scoreless draw with the Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday night.

One player was injured, another was ejected and everyone of them was drenched as both teams did their best to manufacture a little intensity in the final game 2010 Nutrilite Canadian Championship. Toronto had already secured the title long before the opening kick, and coasted into the final minutes of the game under the happy serenade of its loyal fans.

Vancouver, down to 10 men after an ejection in the first half, finished the event undefeated, but without a win.

Toronto finished the three-team tournament with two wins, no losses and two draws, ahead of Vancouver (0-0-4) and the Montreal Impact (0-2-2). Montreal won the event when it was held for the first time two years ago, followed by Toronto's win last year.

As a reward, Toronto advances as the Canadian qualifier to the CONCACAF Champions League, where two dozen North American, Central American and Caribbean clubs compete for the chance to represent the region in the FIFA Club World Cup.

Toronto is set to host Club Deportivo Motagua, a Honduran team, in the last week of July, with the return leg of the preliminary round scheduled the following week in Honduras.

Toronto clinched the title without having to lace a single cleat last week. Vancouver tied Montreal in the tournament's penultimate game, depriving the Whitecaps their chance to remain within striking distance of Toronto in first place.

The resulting cushion prompted Toronto coach Predrag (Preki) Radosavljevic to insert no fewer than three teenagers into active duty on Wednesday. The team called up a handful of players from its academy, and started 17-year-old defender Doneil Henry alongside 18-year-old forwards Allando Matheson and Fuad Ibrahim.

Even Preki took the night off, leaving assistant Leo Percovich to babysit the young roster through a heavy downour.

It fell ferociously before the game, forcing two stadium workers to clear a pond between the tunnel and the playing field before the teams began their pre-game warm-ups.

They could not dry the field, though, which almost certainly led to the unfortunate injury Toronto defender Joseph Nane suffered before the game was four minutes old.

The 23-year-old fell awkwardly while tracking the play in his own end and jammed his arm into the turf, leaving the game with a separated right shoulder.

The rain eased as the first half progressed, in front of acres of understandably empty seats at the lakefront stadium. And after a while, the play on the field seemed to reflect the foul weather, with Whitecaps forward Marcus Haber earning a red card for a high tackle on Henry, the teenaged Toronto defender.

Haber nailed Henry in the shin with the studs of his right cleat, and his sending-off set the tone for the rest of the first half. Three cautions were issued before halftime -- including two for reckless fouls -- as both teams sought a path through the soggy field.

Toronto removed even more of its veteran presence in the second half, substituting Julian de Guzman for academy player Nicholas Lindsay. Captain Dwayne De Rosario was called off the bench in the 66th minute, but could not crack the deadlock.

[RJB]

It's worth noting in the above article, that TFC coach Preki didn't even bother to come to the game It's nice to know that he actually cares. Cue the TFC fans telling me it's no big deal, but that is pretty classless if he in fact didn't respect the competetion by taking part.

[Admin]

It's worth noting in the above article, that TFC coach Preki didn't even bother to come to the game It's nice to know that he actually cares. Cue the TFC fans telling me it's no big deal, but that is pretty classless if he in fact didn't respect the competetion by taking part.

???

Preki was there.

He let the assistant take the reigns for a game.

Makes sense to give academy and coaching staff experience.

[Cheeta]

I thought the red card was the right decision. Very high tackle, studs up could have easily broken the kid's leg. Lots of refs will give yellows in that situation but the challenge really was worthy of a red, very dangerous.

Was going to say that at field level it must have looked like Haber came in studs first at mid-shin. Only way that challenge would qualify for an ejection. Didn't look too bad on the TV replay though, not red card bad anyway. Especially after Henry had minutes earlier slid into one of the 'Cap players with a leave-your-feet Jackie Chan kung fu tackle.

[Lord Bob]

Even I - even I - thought Haber deserved a red card.

If anything, there could have been more cards handed out. That was a chippy game.

(P.S.: still wet.)

[Admin]

Even I - even I - thought Haber deserved a red card.

If anything, there could have been more cards handed out. That was a chippy game.

(P.S.: still wet.)

I wasn't sure, until I saw one of the replays. They only showed that particular one once I think, and it looked like a red.

[bgnewf]

http://viewfromthesouthstands.com/2010/06/tfc-wins-the-canadian-championship-video-blog/

As the game did not really matter too much last night I thought a video of how the fans in the south end celebrated from the first second of the match to the last would be worth seeing. It was wet and it was a foregone conclusion but it was a wonderful night. Hope you all enjoy it.

Congratulations to Toronto FC, Champions of Canada.

[Fort York Redcoat1555362293]

Even I - even I - thought Haber deserved a red card.

If anything, there could have been more cards handed out. That was a chippy game.

(P.S.: still wet.)

Good on ya for showing, man. To the stadium and the pub afterwards. I'll see you for Peru...

[RJB]

???

Preki was there.

He let the assistant take the reigns for a game.

Makes sense to give academy and coaching staff experience.

"Even Preki took the night off, leaving assistant Leo Percovich to babysit the young roster through a heavy downour."

I'm glad he was there. You can see form the quote how that misunderstanding could arise.

[gator]

The tackle for the red card looked pretty bad from where I was sitting/standing! The slippery pitch may have had something to do with it, I haven't seen a replay! I wanted to see Haber play the full 90, kind of disappointing! It was a wet sloppy match that had nil-nil written all over it!

[AvroArrow]

I wasn't sure, until I saw one of the replays. They only showed that particular one once I think, and it looked like a red.

Correct on them only showing that replay once. He came in at mid shin level, possibly with studs up (they did only show it once, so I can't say "studs up" with a 100% guarentee). After that, they only showed the one from behind Haber so you couldn't see how high his leading foot was.

[jpg75]

So what did everyone think of the kids?

I paid particular attention to Henry and Matheson, who both played aggressively and got involved. Matheson never seemed to get much going, but he looks like a handful. Henry i thought had a pretty solid first 75 minutes and looks comfortable on the ball (he's also a CM at the youth level). In the last 15 he gave the ball away twice and got beat one on one by Edwini-Bonsu so it took some of the shine off his performace. Still, not bad for a 17 year old. Lindsay looked alright too, he's got some pretty good footwork and likes to get at the defenders. It's amazing that he was almost released from the academy in the middle of last season and then made it on the field last night.

Davies i didn't really pay as much attention to, but the few times i noticed him he was working hard and getting his nose dirty. Edwini-Bonsu stirred things up when he came on and did well to skin Henry at the edge of the box. He also sent a decent driven cross in from the right side. I'd really like to see him get more PT, hope that happens when Haber goes back to the UK.

[youllneverwalkalone]

^In the darkest days of the Lynx, the GTA produced some of our best players, so I'm thinking that a half decent academy there, in Van, and Montreal should really bode well for the Nats. But last night the football was not so good. Hopefully will be able to see some improvements over the next couple years and see some kids actually getting league minutes and developing into contributing players. I agree with your analysis though. Particularly Matheson. He looks like the type of player that could be really successful in CONCACAF. How did he do in the CSL last year?

[jpg75]

^ 10 goals in a 22 game season. 2nd in league scoring behind Agourram who had 13.

[Ivan]

Strange he seems to be overlooked by our youth national teams. IIRC, he didn't make the final cut for the last U17WCQ, and wasn't called up by our U20s for the first camp.

[tfcallez]

Any download links for this match?