MLS Cup 2016 - Toronto FC vs. Seattle Sounders

[Ansem]

8 minutes ago, DoyleG said:

 

Truth hurts

[Ansem]

Cheers up guys, TFC going to next year Champions League... 

Yay?

[dyslexic nam]

11 minutes ago, DoyleG said:

 

Seems fairly premature (and douchy) to jump to that conclusion.

[Ansem]

Just now, dyslexic nam said:

Seems fairly premature (and douchy) to jump to that conclusion.

It's actually accurate.

Jeff Blair gave an hour on TFC and MLS on his show on Friday. (11am 590 sportsnet)

TFC and MLS as he correctly pointed out is a very regional thing. MLS have no support outside the 3 markets...

West, Prairies, Most of Quebec and Maritimes are not on the bandwagon, even less regarding TFC.

He says the only thing that would make an impact would be a successful men's program, more so than a TFC MLS cup win.

I like to think that CPL could be an in-between but he's right

[jpg75]

8 minutes ago, dyslexic nam said:

Seems fairly premature (and douchy) to jump to that conclusion.

Actually more like most of the ROC relishing Toronto's pain. As a Torontonian living out west i can confirm that petty regionalism is alive and well and that western rednecks love to cheer against Toronto.

[matty]

12 minutes ago, Ansem said:

Cheers up guys, TFC going to next year Champions League... 

Yay?

As Reddit pointed out NYCFC are officially out of the CCL. Toronto may have lost but they fucked up NYCFC hopes and dreams again

[jonovision]

Even before it was decided in penalties that was kind of a garbage final. Neither team was sharp, and despite their shot advantage Toronto never seemed to me like scoring. Even Frei's save on Altidore seemed like it should never have been that close as it was a very slow looping header.

Ricketts should have been on earlier, even for Cooper. 

[Copes]

So, a couple of thoughts. I'm just getting back from the game and sipping on some bourbon. I'm in Toronto for 24 hours, I flew here from St. John's specifically to attend this and hopefully watch my favourite Canadian team life the cup. I love TFC, but I love Canadian Soccer primarily and want to see the sport grow here. Crossing my fingers to one day have an Atlantic Canadian team.

Anyway...

 

The game was TFC's to lose from the opening whistle. They had the crowd. They had the home field. They played the better game. Seattle had 3 shots, Toronto had 19. Seattle didn't have a shot on target. Altidore wasn't as vicious as he has been in the playoff run. Giovinco, who is still my hero, was pretty fucking invisible. Bradley, who I think had the best 120 minutes out of anyone, blew it in PKs. It was just a standard Toronto FC disappointment.

However, despite this result I think that this game and TFC's run (particularly the Montreal series) is pretty big for Canadian soccer. Maybe it's just my bubble, but I had a lot of friends interested in this series. I was communicating during the game with my Ecuadorian buddy who was at a viewing party in Calgary, my best friend from high school in Nova Scotia, and two coworkers who live in Newfoundland. All guys who historically have been premier league fans, but have come around to MLS this year. All of them were pulling for Toronto, and were pretty disappointed. 

The sport is growing here. Toronto had a phenomenal season and as disappointing as tonight's result is, that season will help grow soccer in Canada. Even if its just a little bit, it counts.

TFC will come back next year, they'll make the playoffs next year, and hopefully win. It's a tough night, I have to fly out in six hours and I have a rock in my stomach, but fuck it I'm happy I was there. I'm gutted, but god damn it was a fun run.

[Copes]

12 minutes ago, jonovision said:

Even before it was decided in penalties that was kind of a garbage final. Neither team was sharp, and despite their shot advantage Toronto never seemed to me like scoring. Even Frei's save on Altidore seemed like it should never have been that close as it was a very slow looping header.

Ricketts should have been on earlier, even for Cooper. 

Pretty much all of this, as well. The game was disappointing, I wonder if the players were effected by the cold?

[Macksam]

2 hours ago, dyslexic nam said:

I normally like what KJ has to say, but it is BS to immediately put some of the blame Vanney for subbing Gio.  He brought on Ricketts who was involved in multiple opportunities that easily could have won it in extra time. TFC didn't lose because Gio wasn't there to take a PK.  

KJ is very English in that he is only knowledgeable on formations, "tactics" and getting "stuck in". However, he doesn't know jack shit on the individual player, and what makes him tick. 

1 hour ago, DoyleG said:

I'm sure they didn't give a f*** as they stayed glued to their TV sets.

[Moldy9]

Hail Caesar! What a gladiatorial performance!

 

[Grizzly]

4 hours ago, Gopherbashi said:

Yeah, looked like he wasn't mentally in it after the 75th when he got run over and it wasn't called.

Did he actually get run over and it wasn't called or are you talking about the time the guy touched him lightly on the shoulder and he flopped like he had been shot and then as usual whined like a little bitch and it wasn't called? I think he is the best player in the league but he also has a piss poor attitude and is the worst diver in the league and MLS refs usually buy it. The ref today bought it most of the time too but a few times it was just too much and he did not call it. Loved his reaction when he got subbed out, he doesn't deserve a championship.

[Grizzly]

3 hours ago, jpg75 said:

Actually more like most of the ROC relishing Toronto's pain. As a Torontonian living out west i can confirm that petty regionalism is alive and well and that western rednecks love to cheer against Toronto.

Exactly! Giovinco's salary is more than most MLS team budgets and that is not even counting the extra 6.5 for I can't score on penalties Bradley or the 5 million for Altidore. I guess money can't buy you love or championships!

[Unnamed Trialist]

It was a mediocre game but many finals are. At least TFC took it to them and probably deserved to win. You could say they were unkucky, and Gio substandard. The ref was poor and for me letting play made the game chippier: I know he didn't want to get players in card trouble but he favoured defenses.  Bradley in his face was terrible that was abuse of hierarchy. 

I wanted TFC but as the game progressed it mattered less to me I found. Maybe now Caps will realize they are being outsmarted by Canadian and Cascadia rivals.

[Alex D]

What a terrible way to end a season. Yet, for TFC this type of heart break is almost perfectly fitting for a club that's been built on agony. 

 

The worst part for me is how the formation was so stretched out but no adjustments were made. They just kept hoofing long balls up to their strikers. When the wingers did get involved it usually resulted in a turn over. Ricketts should have come on earlier and have Gio drop behind the strikers to connect the dots. 

 

I will say kudos to TFC's defense. Jordan Morris was completely shut down. Seattle never really looked a threat aside from a couple set pieces. 

 

Going into 2017 TFC have a championship caliber team. They just need to fine tune and have the bounces go their way. All for one

[mtlfan]

TSN is an embarrassment to objective coverage.  

[dyslexic nam]

5 hours ago, Grizzly said:

Exactly! Giovinco's salary is more than most MLS team budgets and that is not even counting the extra 6.5 for I can't score on penalties Bradley or the 5 million for Altidore. I guess money can't buy you love or championships!

It seems odd to be critical of those guys considering the things they all did - individually and collectively - to get TFC to the finals.

 

I have to admit, I don't get the post mortem taking place here.  I thought it was a great game.  Yeah, the finishing was a let down in the end, and the ending could have been better, but it was a fun game to watch with a lot of intensity.  One PK aside, Bradley was solid throughout the 120 minutes, Altidore was a beast that almost won it on a few occasions.  Gio had an off night, but that isn't unprecedented.

 

In the end it was one of those games where a keeper stole the win.  Kudos to Frei for his heroics, but I am not going to shit on TFC for losing.

[Gian-Luca]

5 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

It was a mediocre game but many finals are. At least TFC took it to them and probably deserved to win. You could say they were unkucky, and Gio substandard. The ref was poor and for me letting play made the game chippier: I know he didn't want to get players in card trouble but he favoured defenses.  Bradley in his face was terrible that was abuse of hierarchy. 

 

Would agree with this. Everyone played as though they were in no danger of ever getting a second yellow (or a straight red) because it was the final but that favoured Seattle's gameplan of playing defensively and just trying to nullify offense. Valdez could easily have been sent off with a straight red for his horrible kick on Moor near the start of the game (although I'm not sure that Seattle going down to 10 men would have made a difference in the outcome).

I do give Seattle credit for playing a good "road game" but even then most teams playing a "road" game will still either get a shot on goal or at least come remotely close to scoring at least at some point during the course of 120 minutes - for Seattle to win a championship even though they did neither isn't a good advertisement for the beautiful game. This kind of result encourages cynical play as a route to success. To the credit of the Seattle players & coach, I see a lot of them are admitting TFC was the better team on the night.

In any event, a crappy way to lose but TFC players and fans can end the season with their heads held high, even if doing so during a bitter wind. Having gone this far, the hunger of the team (and its core) should still be there to challenge again for the next few seasons.

 

[BringBackTheBlizzard]

Hopefully the core of the team can be kept intact and they can have another run at it next year.

[Macksam]

At first I was disappointed like everyone else in the bar. However, I think it's for the best. Winning with a bunch of American college boys doesn't feel right. I would prefer seeing a TFC victory down the road with more Canadian content.

[BrennanFan]

Tough loss, and especially painful for myself and others that have been supporting this club since before it had a name, since Beirne first came on this board many years ago.

Vanney, I think, was not bold enough.  He did not go for it in regular time.  The best version of TFC down the stretch had Giovinco playing behind Altidore and Ricketts.  We rarely saw that lineup, even though it worked.  Ricketts proved himself to be a difference maker in the regular season and playoffs, and still only saw very limited minutes.  

Fine, it's a Cup Final, and you want to start off conservative and not change things too much. I can understand that.  But at least at the 70th, put Ricketts in, have that combination while Giovinco still has some legs.  No excuse whatsoever to wait until the second half of injury time.  Ricketts made an impact in those last few minutes, he could have used more time.

Only three Canadians involved in TFCs playoffs, and only one as a starter.  Not good enough. Here's an interesting take by Nigel Reed, couldn't agree more.

http://www.cbc.ca/m/sports/soccer/mls/toronto-fc-not-canada-team-1.3891444

[baulderdash77]

The TSN coverage blew the Fox coverage out of the water.  The Fox broadcasters were brutal.

For the game I think it was a thing where a great keeper shut down the better team.  

Tactically speaking my only comment was that I would have taken a CB out at around 70', switched to 4-1-3-2 and put in Ricketts to get some more offense before Giovinco blew out.

That being said the game plan was to shut down their attackers and we didn't give up a shot so it was fine tactics.

[Trillium]

11 hours ago, jpg75 said:

Actually more like most of the ROC relishing Toronto's pain. As a Torontonian living out west i can confirm that petty regionalism is alive and well and that western rednecks love to cheer against Toronto.

As an observer of expat Torontoians living out west I can confirm that petty regionalism is alive and well and that Toronto elitists love to denigrate Westerners for not seeing Toronto as the centre of the universe.

[Trillium]

11 hours ago, jpg75 said:

Actually more like most of the ROC relishing Toronto's pain. As a Torontonian living out west i can confirm that petty regionalism is alive and well and that western rednecks love to cheer against Toronto.

As an observer of expat Torontoians living out west I can confirm that petty regionalism is alive and well and that Toronto elitists love to denigrate Westerners for not seeing Toronto as the centre of the universe.

[Moldy9]

2 hours ago, mtlfan said:

TSN is an embarrassment to objective coverage.  

Yeah. I'm quite disappointed with their broadcast with the final and the Eastern Final. Impartial my ass. Doesn't surprise me. They cater to Ontario Tdot however I think they forget they are a national broadcast. They focus so much on TFC and blow roses up their ass but I know it's just to sell it and put sugar on it. What pisses me off is that they seem to forget there are two teams playing here. What kind of coverage do they give the opposition? They don't give much of a backdrop nor do they interview the other team so the public can know more about them (all except Frei). Seattle won the cup and they go to Morrow who shanked it - stupid why'd they bother the kid after that mess up. 

For instance the East Final was between two Cdn clubs yet it seemed like only one existed. 

Not only that, even the way they direct the shooting of the game is horrible. Too much talking nonsense with the panel and their other butt kissers. Too many replays you end up missing live action. Just poor.

Fox surprisingly were a way better production. Don't believe me? Compare your PVR of the TSN match of the East Final to that of someone's webcast on YouTube by Fox. You'll get it right from the start. 

Edit note: here's the link. You'll see how Fox brings you into the action letting the images do the talking. You're in the red tunnel, you can feel the emotion and electricity, the players come out, the graphics for the line up, no bs bla bla from homers KJ and Andi Patrillo.