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

[Gian-Luca]

Ricketts and Osorio just on the TSN Leafs broadcast. Ricketts revealed (unsurprisingly) to be an Oiler fan, Osorio apparently a fan of Nazem Kadri (as well the Leafs). Having local Canadian soccer players on Leaf telecasts is a sign of the times that I won't take for granted.

[Jith12]

14 hours ago, Gian-Luca said:

Ricketts and Osorio just on the TSN Leafs broadcast. Ricketts revealed (unsurprisingly) to be an Oiler fan, Osorio apparently a fan of Nazem Kadri (as well the Leafs). Having local Canadian soccer players on Leaf telecasts is a sign of the times that I won't take for granted.

This is great to see! Surprised that they didn't invite Beitashour. I swear that he is Kadri's long lost twin.

[Gian-Luca]

While we are on lookalikes from different sports related to TFC, every time Cody Bellinger steps up to the plate for the Dodgers I keep thinking it is Jay Chapman.

[Jith12]

1 minute ago, Gian-Luca said:

While we are on lookalikes from different sports related to TFC, every time Cody Bellinger steps up to the plate for the Dodgers I keep thinking it is Jay Chapman.

That's true! Jay isn't getting too much playing time for us so it looks like he's switched to baseball. He is much better at baseball than soccer, peculiarly...

[BearcatSA]

2 hours ago, Gian-Luca said:

While we are on lookalikes from different sports related to TFC, every time Cody Bellinger steps up to the plate for the Dodgers I keep thinking it is Jay Chapman.

Definitely.  Also, when TFC had Kevin Harmse out there, I thought he could double for Seth Rogen

[jpg75]

New York smoking Chicago 0-4 late in the game...bring on the Red Bulls.

[Jith12]

Red Bulls - TFC in the semis. We won the season series but it was a toss-up. Missed a pen and had a goal disallowed for offside after the 80th minute that both would have won the first game for us that ended up in a 1-1 draw. Morrow really pulled through to win the more recent game for us that also could have gone the other way if this or that had happened. It's gonna be a great series! (And New York teams in back to back years for us in the semis) Game one is on Monday or Tuesday according to the MLS website. 

[jpg75]

Columbus holds off Atlanta for 120 minutes in a 0-0 draw and pulls it off in PK's. They face NYCFC in the other Conference Semi.

[Jith12]

Kickoff times confirmed: TFC play game one in N.Y. on Monday at 7 and at home next Sunday at 3. Can't wait!

[to70]

44 minutes ago, Jith12 said:

Kickoff times confirmed: TFC play game one in N.Y. on Monday at 7 and at home next Sunday at 3. Can't wait!

And Drew Fischer is the ref for the first game

[Gian-Luca]

On 10/23/2017 at 12:20 PM, Gian-Luca said:

I wouldn't write off Columbus just yet. They are a bit of an under-rated team in the East and would have finished first in the West even though they are only 5th in the East (have the top 5 teams in the league all been from the same conference before in this league? I doubt it).

Also, NYRB are overdue to upset a team in the playoff rather than be upset, so it wouldn't shock me if they beat the Fire and become TFC's opponent in the first round.

Prophetic words!

Oh, wait a minute, that's me I'm responding to.

[BearcatSA]

1 hour ago, Gian-Luca said:

Prophetic words!

Oh, wait a minute, that's me I'm responding to.

Okay, hot shot:  predict the winning the Lotto Max numbers for tonight and then MAYBE I'll be impressed.

(Seriously, great stuff)

[Jith12]

Good win for the boys tonight, glad we got those away goals. Gotta close it out on Sunday!

[Free kick]

Yes.  They are in a good situation.  NYRB have to score two away goals (at least) to even have a chance. Anyone would take that.  Injuries could be key as TFC cant afford to lose Vazquez.  

The penalty and goal conceded was a result of Delgado and others over handling the ball (or being too casual) instead on making the simple clearance.  Thats the downside, but one of the good things about this club is that they’re confident on the ball and more often than not its paid off to not panic rather than always hoof it away or kick it out of touch thus concedeing and corner and surendering possession.  Given a choice bettween always making the safe play and being confident on the ball and occasionally over handling,  i will take the latter any day. 

Those Giovinco set pieces are a real trump card.  And could be a trump card in the play off run.  It could make the difference ultimately.  From what i saw of the game (i missed a portion),  he didnt do much all night but just having that ability, makes up for everything. I’d be curious to know how make goals off of set piece that TFC have scored in their history, and how many of those were by Giovinco. Probably 90%.   Other than maybe Guevara, i cant think of anyone else who was even remotely proficient in that area of the game in the club’s first 9 years. 

[Gian-Luca]

I actually think the Moor injury may have helped TFC because I don't see him getting to some of the balls and clearances that Hagglund did (although he did make a bit of a panicky clearance right at the end that led to a NYRB chance which almost tied the game up at the death and maybe Moor wouldn't have done that). The Vazquez injury did not - not because Osorio didn't play well or anything but mainly because Vazquez played on for 7 or 8 minutes at a walking pace when he should have been taken off right away - during that stretch NYRB dominated.

I thought Felipe's foul on Giovinc0 which led to the game-winning goal was less of a foul than the one that Fischer didn't call when Vazquez got hurt. Although by the end of the game I wasn't sure what was a foul anymore.

 

[Free kick]

I was going to mention something similar in regards to Moor vs Hagglund.   In my view, there is not much of a drop off (if at all) when you replace Moor with Hagglund.  Were he not snake bitten with injuries, he may have been on his way to replacing him in the starting 11 at one point earlier in the year. 

The Fischer on Beitashour body check was the first thing i thought of when i saw the Felipe incident on Vasquez..

what really bugs me about that incident is that the ref was standing right there, 3 to 4 feet away looking directly at the play. Yet, i dont even think he called a foul.  Plus, Felipe is a guy with a bit of a reputation. 

[behrouz]

Exciting game with a fantastic game plan . All we have to do is cover front of our center back. Red Bull  can't do Sh@@

 

 

[behrouz]

1 minute ago, Free kick said:

I was going to mention something similar in regards to Moor vs Hagglund.   In my view, there is not much of a drop off (if at all) when you replace Moor with Hagglund.  Were he not snake bitten with injuries, he may have been on his way to replacing him in the starting 11 at one point earlier in the year. 

The Fischer on Beitashour body check was the first thing i thought of when i saw the Felipe incident on Vasquez..

Hagglund may be more exciting to watch but he is more prone to a mistake than Moore You got to consider defending is all about how you position yourself. Moore is very smart defender he read the game much better Than Hagglund.there is the difference between player who read the game to  player react to game     

[Free kick]

Point taken Behrouz.   Another interesting tidbit about this match was when the cameras showed the stands.   I saw an aweful lot of empty seats.   What is it about New Jersey that sports teams there draw so poorly?  They lost their NBA team because of poor attendance, their hockey teams has been known for not having the greatest support even in their championship years.   I saw it only from outside, but they may have the best soccer stadium in MLS.  Yet they draw flies.  Teams on one side of the river always draw well out but the teams on the other side of the river its always lousy.    

I now know why the league was so keen to add at team in the city.  

[Free kick]

http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/big-read-victor-vazquez-like-no-player-toronto-fc-history/

interest read.  The kind of piece that we dont get too often about a soccer player. 

[TFC2017]

Huge away result. We just need to get the job done at home now

[Stryker911]

It would make sense to rest Vazquez next game. If they need a goal then bring him on later if he is able to go. Hopefully Osorio gets the start.

[Grizzly]

9 hours ago, Free kick said:

Another interesting tidbit about this match was when the cameras showed the stands.   I saw an aweful lot of empty seats.   What is it about New Jersey that sports teams there draw so poorly?  They lost their NBA team because of poor attendance, their hockey teams has been known for not having the greatest support even in their championship years.   I saw it only from outside, but they may have the best soccer stadium in MLS.  Yet they draw flies.  Teams on one side of the river always draw well out but the teams on the other side of the river its always lousy.    

I now know why the league was so keen to add at team in the city.  

RB plays is an old dockyard in Harrison,  a city that has lost much of its industry and has a declining population. Nearby Newark where the Devils play could well be a third world city and I doubt many of the local residents could afford tickets if they are even interested in soccer or hockey. Both stadiums were built in economically depressed areas where the land is cheap and target wealthier white fans from outlying suburbs who drive to the games. That saves a lot of money in stadium construction costs but isn't really a great strategy for attendance. Not to mention that RB is named after an energy drink and a different city/state than the one it is located in. RB is also a marketing effort more than a soccer team, having the name New York associated with it is more important than having a full stadium. RB fulfills its purpose better as RB New York playing to half full stadiums than it would if it were called RB New Jersey and were playing to full stadiums (I am not saying a name change would fill the stadium but it would be better from a local marketing perspective but worse national and international marketing perspective). 

[Gian-Luca]

3 hours ago, Stryker911 said:

It would make sense to rest Vazquez next game.

They may not have any choice in the matter.

Re-watching that Giovinco goal, you can just about make out some of the players shoving Cooper off the field (as he was still as sub at the time but chose to jump onto the field of play to congratulate Giovinco).

[Jith12]

The Vazquez injury looked really painful. Hopefully it was just the impact that shook him up a little bit and he will be ok for the rest of the playoffs. We don't need any more lacerated pancreas or whatever it was that Beitashour got earlier this year.