Motagua vs. Toronto FC - Aug 3rd

[yomurphy1]

I love you Chad Barrett!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I thought we were fu**ed

[Moldy9]

Barrett! they're in for sure now!

[Razcle]

I am quite suprised by this game. We could have been screwed over if the Hondurans were in form. But we will take it. It is not our problem that their season starts in August.

[Razcle]

ANyone else remember if L'impact got this luck during any of their legs to advance as far as they did?

[Moldy9]

ANyone else remember if L'impact got this luck during any of their legs to advance as far as they did?

if you mean luck as in a unforgiving schedule, with CCL games and reg season games, the answer is yes! Will be interesting to see how TFC manages through that once the group stage gets going. Will be nice to see games played in Toronto in the fall.

[dyslexic nam]

Job done. Not always pretty, but the desired result.

[jasonm]

ANyone else remember if L'impact got this luck during any of their legs to advance as far as they did?

No, the way I remember they just worked hard every game.

I am happy for that Toronto is in the next round. But this is great for CANADA. Hopefully we can get another spot next year but doubtful because we will have only four teams.

[Moldy9]

Cruz Azul, Real Salt Lake and some other club I didn't catch, but regardless, sounds like a tough group!

[jonovision]

To be honest, this game could easily have been a 2 goal victory for Motagua, as they had 6 or 7 gilt-edged chances. If lapses like this continue they will have trouble advancing past the group stage.

Hopefully Preki has learned his lesson about throwing out vastly inexperienced players like Henry in an important match. Gargan was toyed with also, but at least didn't make such elementary mistakes.

[jonovision]

By the way, I thought de Guzman was excellent and looked very comfortable in a hostile environment. Good omen for WCQ?

[canucklefan]

TFC may have won with a lot of luck, but that doesn't change the fact that team did SUCK big time tonight. Anyway, I hope they don't play like this in the future.

[Moldy9]

To be honest, this game could easily have been a 2 goal victory for Motagua, as they had 6 or 7 gilt-edged chances.

yeah no kidding, whoever that player for the Hondurans that squandered that 2 v 1 is going to make front page news for being selfish and for getting murdered by some crazy fan.

[jasonm]

Cruz Azul, Real Salt Lake and some other club I didn't catch, but regardless, sounds like a tough group!

Arabe Unido from Panama is the other team.. Just have to finish ahead of them and Real Salt Lake

[Free kick]

I am quite suprised by this game. We could have been screwed over if the Hondurans were in form. But we will take it. It is not our problem that their season starts in August.

But they had 5 players at the WC. So not all their players were in off season form

[BuzzAndSting]

Add 6 more games to the sked... Depth is really going to come into play now.

[foreverthursday]

For TFC fans you all seem very self loathing and down on your team. Are the jerseys red to symbolize the fans slashing at their wrists?

I thought they played very well, and I thought the two goals they got were well played and well executed.

[Varsity Tyler]

TFC may have won with a lot of luck, but that doesn't change the fact that team did SUCK big time tonight. Anyway, I hope they don't play like this in the future.

Say what? We went down and scored two away goals against half of the Honduran World Cup side. Hell, our own national team couldn't break them down on neutral soil in the Gold Cup ...

Say what you will but TFC took its chances while Motagua didn't. That is exactly what's needed when you're in a game you're not expected to get a result from.

[Varsity Tyler]

The Dobber reports that TFC were not allowed to land in Tegucigalpa and instead landed in SPS which is a 5 hour bus ride away:

http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/2010/08/02/dobson_heading_south/

In case everyone was not aware, it is currently the "rainy season"/winter in Honduras so it will not be "sweltering hot". The day time high for tomorrow is forecast to be 27C and going down to 20C overnight. The game starts at 7pm CT so it will be somewhere in the mid-20's during the game and with rain throughout the day the pitch might be a little wet...

heh, it was warmer in Whitehorse today ...

[loyola]

For TFC fans you all seem very self loathing and down on your team. Are the jerseys red to symbolize the fans slashing at their wrists?

I thought they played very well, and I thought the two goals they got were well played and well executed.

I agree. It was always going to be tough for TFC and they got the result they needed. Congrats.

DeRo had an excellent game but if there's one critic you can make of his play it's his tendancy to keep the ball to long, he should release more rapidly sometimes.

JDG and Nane were good in the middle. I'm surprise by Nane TBH, he looks like he has some talent.

Mistake by Preki to start Henry in such a game. I hope the kid will keep his confidence and will get some more PT soon.

Frei excellent. That save in the first half where he cut a through pass at the edge of his box, world class!

Barrett has 8 goals so far...proving many of his critics wrong.

[tmcmurph]

For TFC fans you all seem very self loathing and down on your team. Are the jerseys red to symbolize the fans slashing at their wrists?

I thought they played very well, and I thought the two goals they got were well played and well executed.

Funny guy

Yea I sometimes think some TFC fans are expecting Barca type domination but having fans with high expectations is a good thing. It will keep the lazy sots at MLSE on their toes. As to the game not great but considering the travel (especially Dero), a slew of games in short order, 24 degrees plus 90% humidity they did what they needed to. They made the most of their few chances whilst their opponents didn't. On to the next round.

[TFCRegina]

I loved the game to be honest. I was crapping my pants half the game...knowing full well how badly we can play sometimes, but we came through.

Felt good, not quite as good as the Miracle did, but good nonetheless.

[Gian-Luca]

I think Henry is being hard done by, both by the comments here and the disappointing analysis from Jason De Vos on the play. As a 17 year old playing his first pro game that actually counted and being started out of position in such a hostlie environment going up against one of Honduras'World Cup players he did okay. He can be partly blamed on the goal for not having the wherewithal to cover someobody else's man, but surely the midfielder that should have been marking Guevara's run from central midfield needs to get a bigger share of the blame, along with the nowhere-to-be-found Nick Garcia who left acres of space for the Honduran winger to take all day to get in his cross. Note that Cann had to come over out of positon to try to close down the winger, Attakora had to move over to mark the lone striker, leaving the gap for Guevara to run into. Henry didn't pick up Guevara's run from central midfield because he was preoccupied with marking Izaguirre, the player whom Preki had brought Henry in specifically to mark (since Usanov made it abundantly clear last week that he couldn't cope with him). Guevara isn't the quickest player in the world at this stage so somebody in central mid (either De Guzman or Nane - probably the latter) should have been tracking his run. The kid recovered well, making some excellent tackles after that and only once letting his tricky player get past him. Taking him off was definitely the right move because we needed a goal at that point, Barrett wasn't holding the ball up at all and we had a more experienced right-back on the field already - but I don't agree that he was primarily at fault on the goal, and certainly the only reason why De Vos should be feeling sorry for Henry is because he's getting blamed by De Vos for a goal that is mostly the fault of at least two other older and experienced teammates.

Man of the Match for me was Maicon Santos, the player who came in for Henry (another reason why it was a good sub, but little to do with Henry in my view). Set up both goals and very importantly held the ball up when he got it unlike Barret (who until he scored, did nothing, but he got the goal so I'll give him credit). Credit all around to TFC and the coaching staff and hell, even to Mo Johnston as the pick up of Santos (even if it was Preki's idea) has reaped benefits, providing some extra skill up front that's been badly needed. I honestly have to wonder why Chivas dropped him. And we still haven't seen the best of Mista yet, though we'll have plenty of opportunity to do so in the games ahead with the extra 6 games that have just been added to TFC's schedule. Woo hoo!!!

[TFCRegina]

Arabe Unido from Panama is the other team.. Just have to finish ahead of them and Real Salt Lake

It's the toughest group in CONCACAF...MLS Champions, Panamanian Champions + Quarterfinalists of last year, and Cruz Azul...

That's gonna be hell to get through.

[TFCRegina]

I think Henry is being hard done by, both by the comments here and the disappointing analysis from Jason De Vos on the play. As a 17 year old playing his first pro game that actually counted and being started out of position in such a hostlie environment going up against one of Honduras'World Cup players he did okay. He can be partly blamed on the goal for not having the wherewithal to cover someobody else's man, but surely the midfielder that should have been marking Guevara's run from central midfield needs to get a bigger share of the blame, along with the nowhere-to-be-found Nick Garcia who left acres of space for the Honduran winger to take all day to get in his cross. Note that Cann had to come over out of positon to try to close down the winger, Attakora had to move over to mark the lone striker, leaving the gap for Guevara to run into. Henry didn't pick up Guevara's run from central midfield because he was preoccupied with marking Izaguirre, the player whom Preki had brought Henry in specifically to mark (since Usanov made it abundantly clear last week that he couldn't cope with him). Guevara isn't the quickest player in the world at this stage so somebody in central mid (either De Guzman or Nane - probably the latter) should have been tracking his run. The kid recovered well, making some excellent tackles after that and only once letting his tricky player get past him. Taking him off was definitely the right move because we needed a goal at that point, Barrett wasn't holding the ball up at all and we had a more experienced right-back on the field already - but I don't agree that he was primarily at fault on the goal, and certainly the only reason why De Vos should be feeling sorry for Henry is because he's getting blamed by De Vos for a goal that is mostly the fault of at least two other older and experienced teammates.

Man of the Match for me was Maicon Santos, the player who came in for Henry (another reason why it was a good sub, but little to do with Henry in my view). Set up both goals and very importantly held the ball up when he got it unlike Barret (who until he scored, did nothing, but he got the goal so I'll give him credit). Credit all around to TFC and the coaching staff and hell, even to Mo Johnston as the pick up of Santos (even if it was Preki's idea) has reaped benefits, providing some extra skill up front that's been badly needed. I honestly have to wonder why Chivas dropped him. And we still haven't seen the best of Mista yet, though we'll have plenty of opportunity to do so in the games ahead with the extra 6 games that have just been added to TFC's schedule. Woo hoo!!!

Agreed.

Henry looked freaking exhausted. I bet the kid didn't sleep all night. Wrong game to rotate him into the lineup, absolutely wrong to do so.

ALSO, Garcia screwed up on that, and it caused the entire shape to shift and left gaping holes, as noted. This ultimately lead to a breakdown in coverage.

For a 17 year old coming into a big match on the road, that's a lot of pressure. Felt bad for Henry I did.

[loyola]

Man of the Match for me was Maicon Santos, the player who came in for Henry (another reason why it was a good sub, but little to do with Henry in my view). Set up both goals and very importantly held the ball up when he got it unlike Barret (who until he scored, did nothing, but he got the goal so I'll give him credit). Credit all around to TFC and the coaching staff and hell, even to Mo Johnston as the pick up of Santos (even if it was Preki's idea) has reaped benefits, providing some extra skill up front that's been badly needed. I honestly have to wonder why Chivas dropped him. And we still haven't seen the best of Mista yet, though we'll have plenty of opportunity to do so in the games ahead with the extra 6 games that have just been added to TFC's schedule. Woo hoo!!!

I don't know why but I forgot about him, Santos. How could I do that with the kind of game he had, superb pass on DeRo goal! The way he can hold on that ball is impressive, very nice player.