2017 Toronto FC season (aka the 2017 MLS Cup clinching thread)

[BrennanFan]

10 minutes ago, AvroArrow said:

Unless I was missing an injury, how low does Vanney rate Hamilton if he is starting Edwards up front?

low.

[dyslexic nam]

That game against NE was the weakest effort I have seen from them in a long time.  Player absences aside, they looked porous and we're lucky to not lose by more.  That was a terrible game.

[shorty]

Agreed. At least one crossbar, and one of Rowe's two offside goals wasn't actually offside. Plus I have no idea how Nguyen missed from 10 yds let alone how they let him stroll into the box that far. Brutal performance all around. Wake up call, one hopes. 

[Bison44]

Hate to say it but when Gio is out, Altidore just keeps on chugging, not so much the other way around.  They missed his drive, his hard work out there.  Its sad that no one else stepped up, Gio included.  And for once Bono's mind fart didnt cost us as the goal from the whiff on the high cross was judged offside.  

[harrycoyster]

1 hour ago, Bison44 said:

Hate to say it but when Gio is out, Altidore just keeps on chugging, not so much the other way around.  They missed his drive, his hard work out there.  Its sad that no one else stepped up, Gio included.  And for once Bono's mind fart didnt cost us as the goal from the whiff on the high cross was judged offside.  

Does anybody doubt that Gio is the least important TFC DP to the team's success. Sure he's great and can be a game changer, but the team's attack crumbles without Altidore's hold-up play and TFCs entire formation is predicated on Bradley's deep lying distribution.

[BearcatSA]

28 minutes ago, harrycoyster said:

Does anybody doubt that Gio is the least important TFC DP to the team's success. Sure he's great and can be a game changer, but the team's attack crumbles without Altidore's hold-up play and TFCs entire formation is predicated on Bradley's deep lying distribution.

Bradley's drive and defensive support in midfield was sorely lacking on Saturday.  Nguyen and Fagundez had way too much freedom to do their things and they killed TFC.

[Unnamed Trialist]

1 hour ago, harrycoyster said:

Does anybody doubt that Gio is the least important TFC DP to the team's success. Sure he's great and can be a game changer, but the team's attack crumbles without Altidore's hold-up play and TFCs entire formation is predicated on Bradley's deep lying distribution.

Oh my, how the memory fails after just a few months. 

I mean, he was the most definitive player on team by a mile last year.

A dozen games later he has worked himself into a semi-irrelevance narrative.

I am pretty sure he will find a way back into form, and the team, and you'll notice his importance when it counts.

[jpg75]

Seriously guys? Gio has played how many games in the last couple of months? Give him a few games and he'll be back in his MVP form. 

[paul-collins]

On 6/1/2017 at 2:59 PM, to70 said:

My guess is that Cooper was off with the Panama NMT. They have WCQ games coming up as well

He started for Panama.

[paul-collins]

x

[paul-collins]

x

[Club Linesman]

Watched the second half of that game and it was reassuring to see that he plays for Panama in the same manner that he does for TFC.  Had a great chance to move the ball to a forward in a great position, but decided a blast from 25 yards out was called for and it ended up miles over the net.

[jpg75]

4 hours ago, Club Linesman said:

Watched the second half of that game and it was reassuring to see that he plays for Panama in the same manner that he does for TFC.  Had a great chance to move the ball to a forward in a great position, but decided a blast from 25 yards out was called for and it ended up miles over the net.

Good athlete, good skills, not much between the ears.

[Gian-Luca]

I have to wonder if Terry Dunfield reads this board or is sympathetic to the frustrations of seeing a young Canadian player dumped in favour of a young American who can't seem to score. I just watched the highlights of the TFCII match against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds which featured four senior team players (Chapman, Morgan, Endoh and Spencer) starting for TFC II as well as Jordan Hamilton as a mid 2nd half sub. The game ended 1-1, Spencer went the distance and  unfortunately for him and the club he missed a wide open net sitter in injury time to give the team the win after TFC hit the crossbar. Doing the colour commentary, Terry on the replay describes the missed chance as "great defending from Ben Spencer" making fun of the fact that he almost seems to head the ball deliberately wide of the net.

Ouch!

 

[Bison44]

Watched it live, Dunfield was waxing poetic about Spencer and how far he has come etc, how he is moving better.  How he is snakebitten and cant score etc.  Chapman Morgan and Endoh all showed the USL guys why they are with the big club.  Endoh especially finally seemed to show some crossing ability, took almost all the corners, and Chapman created a ton of chances.  Spencer looked just as lost in USL as he usually does.  Glad to see Cavalluzzo back in net, made a bunch of nice saves, several breakaways/open chances.  

[Gian-Luca]

No Canucks slated to start for TFC against DC but 4 (Chapman, Edwards, Hamilton and Osorio) on the bench.

[Rocket Robin]

5 hours ago, Gian-Luca said:

No Canucks slated to start for TFC against DC but 4 (Chapman, Edwards, Hamilton and Osorio) on the bench.

Eventually the last three came in.  Edwards 75th, Hamilton 78th, Osorio 84th.   85th and Hamilton scores. 

Team will probably use the excuse that they were resting the Canadians for the Cdn Champship on Tuesday in Montreal.    

[harrycoyster]

8 minutes ago, Rocket Robin said:

Eventually the last three came in.  Edwards 75th, Hamilton 78th, Osorio 84th.   85th and Hamilton scores. 

Team will probably use the excuse that they were resting the Canadians for the Cdn Champship on Tuesday in Montreal.    

Vanney was asked specifically why Edwards didn't start and he eluded that it was a personnel decision specific to matching up against DC. Do Osorio and Hamilton usually start? I was under the impression that Hamilton is the 4th choice striker and Delgado is generally favored over Osorio.

[Ivan]

Although tough to admit, it would be hard to argue against that starting 11 last night.  Osorio and Edwards have been fairly regular starters.  Hamilton is 4th choice (Ricketts at #3 still out).  Delgado has been a little up and down lately, but played well last night.  Osorio has been inconsistent this year.  Did he touch the ball after he came on last night?

As an aside, it would be nice if the CSA finds a way to get Kofi Opare into Canada colours.  I thought he looked beastly out there.  Definately one of DC's best. 

[grasshopper1917]

8 hours ago, Rocket Robin said:

Eventually the last three came in.  Edwards 75th, Hamilton 78th, Osorio 84th.   85th and Hamilton scores. 

Team will probably use the excuse that they were resting the Canadians for the Cdn Champship on Tuesday in Montreal.    

The team doesnt need to use any excuses regarding its choices for starting lineup. The reality is TFC's starting lineup ws all over DC the entire night. TFC is a very deep club so the Canadians are going to have to ply well to compete for playing minutes. Vanney is not going to select any player to start based on nationality instead he is trying to do whats best for the club. 

Hard to argue with what he has done so far.... Top of table and in the finals of the Canadian Championship. Cant ask for much more then that at this point.

[Club Linesman]

1 hour ago, Ivan said:

Although tough to admit, it would be hard to argue against that starting 11 last night.  Osorio and Edwards have been fairly regular starters.  Hamilton is 4th choice (Ricketts at #3 still out).  Delgado has been a little up and down lately, but played well last night.  Osorio has been inconsistent this year.  Did he touch the ball after he came on last night?

As an aside, it would be nice if the CSA finds a way to get Kofi Opare into Canada colours.  I thought he looked beastly out there.  Definately one of DC's best. 

Delgado was ok.  Osorio actually had a great chance to score but like most of TFC was trying to get into the 6yd box before they shot.   It was ridiculous how many times they could have blasted one on net and decided to make another move or three, Giovinco being the biggest offender.  Shoot the damn ball!

Opare was good but from what I have read on here he won't be eligible to play for the CMNT.

[Gian-Luca]

1 hour ago, grasshopper1917 said:

Vanney is not going to select any player to start based on nationality instead he is trying to do whats best for the club. 

 

Agreed except that he will start at least 3 players based on nationality on Wednesday due to the Canadian championship and has also said that he's going to field an almost entirely different starting line-up against New England because the game is only a ridiculous 2 days later on the Friday night. So I think we can expect no Canadians in the starting line-up against New England unless Ricketts is cleared to play for that game but not the first leg against Montreal (although I understand they are expecting him back for the 2nd leg), or unless Chapman or Morgan don't get the start in Montreal (as the 3 starters quota could be taken by Osorio, Edwards & Hamilton) - I wouldn't be surprised though to see 5 Canucks start against Montreal, maybe 6 depending on who they bring up from TFCII (although I am guessing they need more reinforcements at the back where no Canadians play for either TFC 1 or 2 unless you count Morgan).

I re-watched the game this morning and Wileman & Caldwell were saying that they expect that Vanney will play TFC's first choice side in Montreal and then the 2nd choice starters against New England, but then they were also saying that the 11 who started against DC were the first choice 11 and as that featured no Canadians they were clearly forgetting the rules of the Canadian championship. Although with Bradley suspended now against New England I suspect we will see him against Montreal regardless if everyone else is not a first choice starter, while Cheyrou will instead start against New England (and hopefully will play much better than he did against New England last time as he was unfortunately awful in that match).

 

[BearcatSA]

4 hours ago, Gian-Luca said:

 Although with Bradley suspended now against New England I suspect we will see him against Montreal regardless if everyone else is not a first choice starter, while Cheyrou will instead start against New England (and hopefully will play much better than he did against New England last time as he was unfortunately awful in that match).

I'm guessing we'll see a Cheyrou-Delgado-Vazquez trio vs New England, perhaps a Bradley-Osorio-Chapman grouping vs Montreal.

[jpg75]

I never like seeing a starting XI with 0 Canadians, in fact the optics of a club anywhere in the world fielding a lineup devoid of domestic content is cringe worthy. But, i guess the silver lining was all 3 subs were Canadians. Hamilton has been making the most of his chances lately, i still have high hopes for this young man - always seems to score for Canada - and would not be surprised if he goes on to be at the top of the CMNT depth chart in a few years.

[Gian-Luca]

14 hours ago, jpg75 said:

 Hamilton has been making the most of his chances lately, i still have high hopes for this young man - always seems to score for Canada - and would not be surprised if he goes on to be at the top of the CMNT depth chart in a few years.

This mls website article points out that his goals per minutes played ratio is, at the moment, quite absurdly high:

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/06/19/toronto-fc-ready-test-ballyhooed-depth-during-upcoming-busy-stretch