TFC - 2022 Season Thread

[Cblake]

TFC is obviously a working project, this was never going to be great right out of the gate, especially playing all these kids. Some are more promising than other, but for the time being I am not too concerned, Bob Bradley knows what he wants and will figure it out. This is 100% better than the mess was last year under Armas. 

[Dominic94]

5 hours ago, Cblake said:

TFC is obviously a working project, this was never going to be great right out of the gate, especially playing all these kids. Some are more promising than other, but for the time being I am not too concerned, Bob Bradley knows what he wants and will figure it out. This is 100% better than the mess was last year under Armas. 

I agree.

I do think that it starts in goal, Bono hasn’t been great but he’s not been bad, but I just feel like he hasn’t been able to string together 2-3 saves needed to steal a point, he’s been just average.

The kids…. They’re good and will get better.

Nelson: always trying to make someting happen; needs to keep working on his judgement and decision making but fearless running at defenders, I see game by game improvement.

Okello: moments of meh, and moments of brilliance, looks physically better and I think just needs to play and get polished.

JMR: solid but seems like he’s holding back.

Petrasso: A stud, great link up play, he’s got flair, speed, smarts. Gets caught being too giddy with and without the ball but that takes time.

Kerr: he’s been ok so far, but to be fair he’s a first year pro, not being lost in your first year but not being great isn’t a bad thing at all. 
 

JS: tbh I think it’s a LM/LW… but with Isigne and Petrasso it’s tough…. Maybe best to get Kobe Franklin in and move Shaff to a team where he plays his role.
 

the vets:

bradley… he’s a CB now, I think he can’t play 90 every night but injuries and lack of depth are hurting them.

Osorio, he’s been brilliant. 

Pozuelo, some good moments and some bad.

Mavinga… not what he used to be, but not awful.

Salcedo.. I like him, but not more than a tam and it’s borderline.

O’Neill… he’s a good sub, can fill in from time to time.

Can PL… early but should Atleast be cheap quality depth, which would be amazing for TFC.

i also like Jimenez, maybe not for 90 but some moments of class and brilliance and I think one of the better players so far.

goal keeping, CB and FB need help, wing help is coming, the rest is just time to gel and gain confidence. These kids are going to be very very good, they just need time. 

 

[Macksam]

This is probably the most excited I have ever been watching TFC. The team is young and yes, they are naive but I see so much promise. The two Pacific defenders, Lukas and Chung do not look out of place at all minus a couple of mistakes here and there. Petrasso had that one brilliant move in the first half but he unfortunately couldn't finish, probably should have centered it to Poz. Okello was decent for the most part.

I wasn't surprised that they trailed off significantly as the game went on considering the Crew are one of the best teams in MLS, and once they got settled, it was always going to be a tough task for TFC. The young Canadians just need to clean up the final third. Once that happens, I really think this team can make the playoffs. 

[CanadianSoccerFan]

9 hours ago, Macksam said:

This is probably the most excited I have ever been watching TFC. The team is young and yes, they are naive but I see so much promise. The two Pacific defenders, Lukas and Chung do not look out of place at all minus a couple of mistakes here and there. Petrasso had that one brilliant move in the first half but he unfortunately couldn't finish, probably should have centered it to Poz. Okello was decent for the most part.

I wasn't surprised that they trailed off significantly as the game went on considering the Crew are one of the best teams in MLS, and once they got settled, it was always going to be a tough task for TFC. The young Canadians just need to clean up the final third. Once that happens, I really think this team can make the playoffs. 

Sadly, large chunks of the fanbase have zero patience after last year and are already on the ledge calling for armageddon.  The toxicity on twitter just from the lineup announcement yesterday was brutal.

[RS]

12 minutes ago, CanadianSoccerFan said:

toxicity on twitter

Also, water is wet.

[Big_M]

what an amazing game by Michael Bradley...Chung again not marking and at fault on the second goal

[narduch]

Absurd to blame Chung for the 2nd goal.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

Well worked goal that had obviously been rehearsed to death on the training ground. That had to be Chung's man on the initial header but he got caught flat flooted when the player he should have been marking made the run. Questions also need to be asked though about why the player that eventually scored wound up with so much time and space. Jayden Nelson is basically caught ball watching and Ralph Priso looks lost at sea. A lack of experience at this level showing. Hopefully the learning curve will be a steep one.

[Bison44]

Cripes, obvious trolling.  Have you not caught a pattern to this yet? A CDN is at fault, and Bradley played outstanding. Not one TFC player reacted to the header back across goal.  Similar to the first goal, when no one reacted quick enough to the deflection that fell to Zelarayal who buried an open look from outside the box.  Overall it looked like a DM and 2 rookies playing defense together for the first time, with rookies in the midfield in front of them,  alot of staring at each other while Bono pulls the ball out of the net.  And everybody is saying, was he your guy...was I supposed to be covering him...????  Way too many new guys and guys playing out of position.  Could have been alot worse, but getting Salceido/Oniell/Mavinga back, will help they can work some of this out.  Hate to have a second year in a row of a half built cobbled together team be completely out of the picture before the big signings comes mid summer.  

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

Bizarre stuff but have seen this sort of thou shalt not criticize behaviour before from a different angle in terms of who was the favoured type of player. Used to get grief on the RPB board 15 years ago for pointing out the blindingly obvious about Andy Welsh. I call it like I see it regardless of where a player comes from.

Andy Welsh was from the English Premiership so some people seemed to think he could do no wrong and automatically had to be better than players from North America even when he was quite clearly out of his depth in MLS. Soon wound up finding his level within the game playing for clubs like Yeovil Town and Carlisle United.

After a goal like that questions also need to be asked about what Bob Bradley has been up to in training on defending set pieces. If you know you are going to be throwing a lot of relatively inexperienced players into the deep end it's a good idea to make sure they have some concept of how to swim in situations like that. They'll need to get it fixed pronto because the rest of the league will have seen those highlights.

No experienced fullbacks was an interesting approach to starting the season but think TFC are in better shape that way than they were with Hscanovics and Usanov in 2010.

Edited March 14, 2022 by Ozzie_the_parrot

[Free kick]

In soccer, when playing on the wing,   the ability to deliver a quality final ball is just as (or more) important than running up and down the wing.   Playing on the wing in soccer, you will always get more space and hence find yourself in a lot of one on one situations.   

I see one case when one of these kids got all kinds of positive reviews from ppl here after a game.  But I was at that game and most of the runs came on the side and end of the pitch where i was (in the first half).   I didnt see a single quality ball delivered (or scoring chance created) from that player in the whole game.   My lasting memory of the player was a run into the final third, taking the ball to the end line, getting pass into the box and into the feet of 4-5 opposing defenders and not a single TFC within 20-30 metres.    What was the point of that? why is that good play?    winning a corner would have been better play.

The fear i have about these young players is taht ppl are judging them in a way to look for positives.  As i said before,  if you look for positives you will always find them.   Including on each of the 21 other players on the pitch.   

Edited March 14, 2022 by Free kick

[narduch]

51 minutes ago, Free kick said:

In soccer, when playing on the wing,   the ability to deliver a quality final ball is just as (or more) important than running up and down the wing.   Playing on the wing in soccer, you will always get more space and hence find yourself in a lot of one on one situations.   

I see one case when one of these kids got all kinds of positive reviews from ppl here after a game.  But I was at that game and most of the runs came on the side and end of the pitch where i was (in the first half).   I didnt see a single quality ball delivered (or scoring chance created) from that player in the whole game.   My lasting memory of the player was a run into the final third, taking the ball to the end line, getting pass into the box and into the feet of 4-5 opposing defenders and not a single TFC within 20-30 metres.    What was the point of that? why is that good play?    winning a corner would have been better play.

The fear i have about these young players is taht ppl are judging them in a way to look for positives.  As i said before,  if you look for positives you will always find them.   Including on each of the 21 other players on the pitch.   

I'm curious who you are talking about. Could be Soteldo for all we know.

People will see what they want I guess.

I remember Ashtone Morgan used to set up Danny Koevermans goals and people still hated him.

[narduch]

1 hour ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

Bizarre stuff but have seen this sort of thou shalt not criticize behaviour before from a different angle in terms of who was the favoured type of player.

Nobody is saying that players should be above criticism.

But one poster going above and beyond to rip Chung and basically spam the forum to let us all know is totally over the top.

Meanwhile this same poster seems to be a Michael Bradley fan boy. Nevermind the fact that TFC's best run of play in the last 3 years was during Bradley's extended injury.

 

[Metro]

37 minutes ago, narduch said:

I'm curious who you are talking about. Could be Soteldo for all we know.

People will see what they want I guess.

I remember Ashtone Morgan used to set up Danny Koevermans goals and people still hated him.

- deleted - 

Edited March 14, 2022 by Metro

[narduch]

Some good news for TFC.

 

[Metro]

13 minutes ago, narduch said:

Some good news for TFC.

 

I posted this on the JMR thread without seeing your post first.  Very relieved to see this. 🙂 

[narduch]

Lawrence situation finally resolved 

 

[Bison44]

Hopefully we get a useful body from Minny.  

[narduch]

28 minutes ago, Bison44 said:

Hopefully we get a useful body from Minny.  

DSC?

[Ivan]

1 hour ago, Bison44 said:

Hopefully we get a useful body from Minny.  

Montgomery?  Is he in the "useful" category?

[Bison44]

Our luck they'll give us Tyler Miller.

[MM3/MM2/MM]

On 3/14/2022 at 2:16 PM, narduch said:

Nobody is saying that players should be above criticism.

But one poster going above and beyond to rip Chung and basically spam the forum to let us all know is totally over the top.

Meanwhile this same poster seems to be a Michael Bradley fan boy. Nevermind the fact that TFC's best run of play in the last 3 years was during Bradley's extended injury.

 

He seems to have a subtle negativity towards anything CPL.  It isn't obvious in any one post, but when you notice the same pattern in post after post, then it is obvious.

[narduch]

 

[Bison44]

I didnt even think they signed O'Hearn??  

 

[narduch]

1 hour ago, Bison44 said:

I didnt even think they signed O'Hearn??  

 

Even weirder is O'Hearn is signed to New England Revolution II