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I have not watched TFC in full a lot this year, but there was a lot of inept play out there today. Considering you are in the game until late, you have a lot to play for, there were constant give-aways and squandered attacking plays. I honestly did not think anyone looked particularly good  out there. 

I suppose for TFC fans this is what it has been like most of the year, but I thought that performance was as listless as it gets.

Now I think the playoff chances are pretty well zero.

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And I don't think you could have scripted things more perfectly to sum up the season - season is on the line, key players don't start due to injury, more key players go off injured halfway through the game and the two most sloppy goals you couldn't choreograph any better if this was a scripted drama. I mean, Vanney brings on his nephew when we're a goal down so he could do that (and play Hagglund as a striker)?

Ah well - given that I still haven't seen the Leafs win a championship I guess I shouldn't get too impatient for another one immediately for TFC......

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Wow, I'm Nostradamus. Before the first goal when Hagglund struggled to deal with the ball, I just knew NY was going to score before they even broke out. Maybe it's not so surprising this year...

Also lmao Zavaleta on that second goal, Jesus Christ he's terrible. 

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I know there were many excuses because of injuries and fixture congestion but Vanney has to take lots of blame for squad mismanagement, being to loyal to his nephew and Delgado are examples of this! Bez gets some blame here too, one of the highest budgets in MLS and he had a very unbalanced squad lacking quality depth in key positions such as CB!

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Many of us thought for sure that TFC would do something last year to shore up the CB position prior to this season. If Bez had we might have be prepping for the playoffs.  Aketxe was a huge bust and took away the option to get a first team CB. Knowing that we are back in the CCL the brain trust will really need to do some thinking about squad depth and having different pieces that can mesh together while still giving the stars a rest once in awhile.

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Besides the injuries, which are the biggest difference between last year and this year, the two things that I've noticed are:

1.  Last year you knew TFC was never out of the game.  Even if they were down a goal or two, you knew TFC had the skill and the mindset to still end up with a result.  That is not the case this year.  If they went down a goal or two, there was a very good chance that the game was lost.

2.  The amount of dumb mistakes that resulted in goals being scored against them was ridiculously high.  The defensive third has been a calamity of errors.  And if you give up a dumb goal and go down, it forces you to open up and the other team can defend and counter.

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One of the better line ups we have been able to put out and the result was a great indicator of the game. Really should have been 6-1.  Janson seems to be coming into his own and if he can stay on the field instead of being injured like Jozy he will be s keeper. Mavinga was excellent and reinforced how we missed him this year. Delgado finally played alright.  We will probably go on a roll but too little too late.

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I don't know about Janson.  I was wondering if his goal wouldn't have gone off the post, as well, if the defender hadn't deflected it straight in.  To his credit, he gets himself into lots of great scoring positions, but he doesn't put it in enough from those.  I wonder if he can work on his stone-cold finishing over the break?

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56 minutes ago, rkomar said:

I don't know about Janson.  I was wondering if his goal wouldn't have gone off the post, as well, if the defender hadn't deflected it straight in.  To his credit, he gets himself into lots of great scoring positions, but he doesn't put it in enough from those.  I wonder if he can work on his stone-cold finishing over the break?

If he does stick around, that could be the end of Ricketts with TFC, or at the very least he will only get sub minutes when you throw on the speed guy in the last 10 minutes.  Janson has clearly become the 3rd choice striker.

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Apart from a poor start where TFC seemed rather disorganized, they did pay well last night. If I had to mention someone I thought played above his usual level, it would be Delgado (and I hate to admit that). I think he was named player of the game in an on-field ceremony at the end? (I think I had lost hearing in my right ear from the cold wind by then).

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For me the playing making the biggest case to be kept around on the basis of yesterday's game is Van Der Wiel. A lot more effective at CB with Auro on the right (and also once they got Bradley - who played the NE goal on-side and then didn't bother to slide to block the shot - back into midfield, following Altidore's removal). I see that as the long term future for him. Hernandez should be let go after the season and his salary given to Drew Moor who can take his role as the experienced vet who only plays once in a while (we basically have two of those as CB since Moor is always hurt anyway, but he's a superior version of Hernandez who looks more lacking for pace this year than last year and its not like the trend will reverse). Replace at least one of Zavaleta or Hagglund (my choice is the nephew) with a new CB signing as prime 3rd choice cover for Mavinga & Van Der Wiel and bring in a 2nd choice right back to fill in for Auro (assuming that we take up the permanent signing option when the loan ends).

It may also be time to start thinking about a new starting LB, but I predict they will keep Morrow there.

In midfield, not sure how many more signings they need, I'd like to see them give more playing time to Chapman & Fraser and sign promote someone else from TFC2 - Uccello, Srbely, Johnson, etc.

Up front is what I am not sure about. They have so much money wrapped up in Giovinco & Altidore but they need more than 6 goals and 1 assist in a league play per season from Altidore at that DP salary of his. I know there have been injuries & suspensions but overall that's just not productive enough (now watch him score 9 goals in the last 4 games to make me look foolish. ;)  ). Still, both are under contract for next year and one hopes that Altidore will re-bound somewhat from what's happened this year. Not sure that Janson is ever going to be that prolific as a striker in this league - decent option to come off the bench though so I would keep him. Ricketts is unfortunately the one Canadian player on the team who overall has had a poorer year this year than last year, his goal production is also way down and he's been trusted less. Still, he is the only player up front who can bring break-out speed to the team. If he is replaced, I think it has to be "like-for-like". I don't think either Hamilton or Akinola fit that category (despite what Vanney once said about Hamilton a year ago).

In terms of younger prospects, Akinola I am sure they will keep but he doesn't seem like he will be ready to have regular 1st team playing time. As for Hamilton, that's a bit of a conundrum for me. His overall game and his stats have improved since last year, but he won't start if the two DP's are healthy. It's often said that he's "too good" for USL (7 goals in 9 games at the USL level this season supports that - TFC2's record with him is somewhat respectable, without him its not), but with TFC2 playing in the USL 2nd division, I don't really want to see him and Fraser spending a ton of time with TFC2 next season - I don't think playing in the 3rd division is going to help them develop. Maybe a loan to a CPL team for next year, but I'm not sure what the level of play will be - if its no better than the USL 2nd division then that won't solve anything (other than to increase the level of play for whichever teams they might be lent to). Besides, TFC can't dump or season-loan out a lot of their Canadians who can play at MLS level (particularly if they don't re-sign Ricketts) - not when they have and will continue to have ambitions to win the V-Cup and go into Champions League play every year.  Particularly into CPL if they are effectively playing against TFC in the competition (or even not, they will be Cup-tied presumably).

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I haven't watched as much TFC this season on TV and only went to one game (that being vs NE). The one key player Gian-Luca did not mention is Victor Vazquez. Especially after watching TSN's broadcast of this game, I was so impressed with his creativity and key passes. He may have had a hand in 5 of Toronto's 4 goals! But, what about his fitness/injury history? I think he extended his contract earlier this year but is he under contract through next season?

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5 hours ago, RickC said:

I haven't watched as much TFC this season on TV and only went to one game (that being vs NE). The one key player Gian-Luca did not mention is Victor Vazquez. Especially after watching TSN's broadcast of this game, I was so impressed with his creativity and key passes. He may have had a hand in 5 of Toronto's 4 goals! But, what about his fitness/injury history? I think he extended his contract earlier this year but is he under contract through next season?

I believe he is. I think the club definitely has to keep him for what he brings to the club when healthy and hope that he doesn't have back-to-back injury riddled seasons (this is where not-making the playoffs will come in handy - the club will get its first rest & break in about two seasons which should help the older players especially).

What I think the club should be doing though is next year giving Jay Chapman more minutes as Vazquez's understudy instead of continually playing him on the wings. The last few games have been impressive for Chapman even though he's come in on the left or right of a midfield diamond, but he always seems to be more effective in the centre of the park. That's the second game in a row where he has played an excellent - frankly perfect - through ball for one of the strikers who then squandered the opportunity. Matt Doyle actually gave Chapman the "pass of the week" honours for his through ball to Janson on Saturday night in the link below (its the final item on the lengthy list) - while this is probably a bit of over-praise (I'm not sure if it was even the pass of the game) from a pundit who has always been high on Chapman, the video in the link does demonstrate what he's best capable of:

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2018/09/30/armchair-analyst-rbny-make-their-statement-more-week-31

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Surprised to see that Bradley has been called to the US national team for two friendlies during the upcoming international break - the 2nd game is a friendly against Peru the day before what should be a meaningful game against DC United. TFC's only game before the DC game is a very winnable game at home this upcoming weekend against Vancouver, so unless the TFC brass feel that there's no way they can beat Vancouver at home, one hopes that their agreement with the US Nats is to have Bradley only play the first game. Keeping in mind that they likely won't have Osorio since Canada also plays the day before, against a much weaker opponent than Peru but in a game that does actually count for something.

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35 minutes ago, Gian-Luca said:

A bit oft a surprise but perhaps says just as much about an Italian team that hasn’t scored in open play in about 6 or 7 games

Balotelli never made the cut, but most of the usual suspects are there, and off the top of my head, I recall seeing 7 or 8 forwards selected. Seems like a matter of bringing a ton of in form players and just seeing what he has to work with. And I believe "he" is Roberto Mancini.

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Feels good to be the club to put the nail in the TFC 2018 coffin. 

As for this season being an outlier, that may be the case.  I'm wondering this season if it less that, and more that their key players have crested, and other teams have caught up as a result?  Giovinco certainly isn't the dominant player he was, and Bradley too seems far less of a catalyst this season.

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9 minutes ago, RJB said:

Feels good to be the club to put the nail in the TFC 2018 coffin. 

 

I was thinking the same, season is done and at least this win helped out Vancouver.  Now the guys can go to the international camps without worrying about a crucial game when they return, Maybe give Okello, Frasier maybe even Boskovic or Srbely a cameo.  And where was Hamilton? Is he injured? Not with TFC2 and not in the 18 here either.  It seemed like that was a perfect time to bring in Bakero, Akinola or Hamilton..at least give it a go eh??

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