I'll be live-blogging tonight's Toronto FC - Real Salt Lake match tonight at 9:30 p.m. Eastern. It should be a good one; TFC are in second place in the Eastern Conference with a 6-5-4 record and 22 points, one behind D.C. United. Toronto also has a game in hand, and D.C. doesn't have another MLS game until July 4, so a TFC win tonight would vault them into first in the East for a while. Real Salt Lake have cooled down a bit from their strong start to the season. They sit fifth in the West with a 4-6-4 record and 16 points, so they'll be eager to get full points from this one as well. Come join the live blog at 9:30 tonight!
Showing posts with label TFC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TFC. Show all posts
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Toronto FC - New York Red Bulls live blog, and US-Spain analysis
Toronto FC takes on the New York Red Bulls tonight at 7:30 at BMO Field. It should be a good game, as TFC look to translate their recent Voyageurs Cup success into MLS play. I'll be live-blogging the match here and at The 24th Minute; come stop by then!
Also,if you're looking for a soccer fix in the meantime, I have some thoughts on the U.S. - Spain Confederations Cup match from earlier today over at The Phoenix Pub, Adam has a good piece for tonight's Last Call at Avoiding The Drop, Jason Davis of Match Fit USA has reversed his stance on Bob Bradley and Andy Hutchins, my colleague at The Rookies, has a nice take over at The Big Lead. Hope to see you for the live blog!
Also,if you're looking for a soccer fix in the meantime, I have some thoughts on the U.S. - Spain Confederations Cup match from earlier today over at The Phoenix Pub, Adam has a good piece for tonight's Last Call at Avoiding The Drop, Jason Davis of Match Fit USA has reversed his stance on Bob Bradley and Andy Hutchins, my colleague at The Rookies, has a nice take over at The Big Lead. Hope to see you for the live blog!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Toronto FC - Montreal Impact live blog
Note: Post-game piece is here.
It's the final game of the Voyageurs Cup tonight, with Toronto FC taking on the Montreal Impact. TFC have their backs against the wall and need to win by four to take the title; otherwise, the Vancouver Whitecaps will claim the championship. Montreal have nothing to play for but pride, but don't underestimate that motivation; they certainly won't roll over and play dead against their bitter archrivals from Ontario.
It should be an interesting one with plenty of offence; Toronto will be going for it, and that might provide Montreal with some counterattack opportunities. Kickoff is at 8 p.m., and the game will be televised on all regions of Rogers Sportsnet. I'll be live-blogging the game here and at The 24th Minute as well, so come join in the fun then!
It's the final game of the Voyageurs Cup tonight, with Toronto FC taking on the Montreal Impact. TFC have their backs against the wall and need to win by four to take the title; otherwise, the Vancouver Whitecaps will claim the championship. Montreal have nothing to play for but pride, but don't underestimate that motivation; they certainly won't roll over and play dead against their bitter archrivals from Ontario.
It should be an interesting one with plenty of offence; Toronto will be going for it, and that might provide Montreal with some counterattack opportunities. Kickoff is at 8 p.m., and the game will be televised on all regions of Rogers Sportsnet. I'll be live-blogging the game here and at The 24th Minute as well, so come join in the fun then!
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Toronto FC - New York Red Bulls live blog
It's a big night for Toronto FC as they take on the New York Red Bulls in the infamous date-altered match. TFC could really use some points to break out of the Eastern Conference logjam, while the Red Bulls sit at the bottom of the Eastern table and will be eager to try and gain ground on the sides in front of them. Newly-acquired defender [Paul Attfield, The Globe and Mail] Nick Garcia may make his TFC debut tonight as well. Join me in the live blog below for full coverage!
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Greg Sutton out, Ali Gerba and Nick Garcia in at TFC
It was a big day for Toronto FC, as general manager Mo Johnston released veteran goalkeeper Greg Sutton and traded a third-round draft pick to the San Jose Earthquakes for defender Nick Garcia and the rights to Canadian international striker Ali Gerba. I have some analysis on the move and a few links over at Out of Left Field.
Saturday, June 06, 2009
Toronto F.C. - L.A. Galaxy live blog
After embarrassing 3-0 and 2-0 losses to the Houston Dynamo and Vancouver Whitecaps in the past week, Toronto F.C. will be looking to rebound at home today against the L.A. Galaxy. They should have a good shot at it; they're still third in the Eastern Conference with 16 points, while the Galaxy are fifth in the Western Conference with 12 points and are missing their biggest stars (David Beckham and Landon Donovan) thanks to international duty. One advantage of Canada's failure to make it this far in World Cup qualifying is that TFC should have a reasonably intact lineup, as many of their international players are Canadians. They will be missing two regulars, Amado Guevara and Marvell Wynne, but those players are less essential to the TFC lineup than their missing counterparts from the Galaxy. Moreover, L.A. haven't won an away game in 12 months, a favourable omen for the Reds. Join me in the live blog below to find out if that streak will continue!
Thursday, June 04, 2009
What a Whitecaps win could mean
That Vancouver Whitecaps - Toronto FC clash on Tuesday was quite the match. Both sides had plenty of chances and played some excellent soccer. With a few different bounces, it could have been a very different result; a draw was very possible, and even a TFC win could have happened. Still, Vancouver played a fantastic match and deserved the win in my books.
It was a 2-0 final score in favour of the Whitecaps that could pave the way for a Voyageurs Cup title (if Toronto can't beat Montreal by four in the final match), but what it all means is still very much in dispute. Some see this as a dramatic shift in the USL/MLS balance of power, while others argue that it just demonstrates that the leagues were always closer than many thought. Others, like Duane, see it as more of an outlier. Personally, I don't think it's a good idea to draw absolute conclusions from one match, but looking at the games over the last couple of years can be more meaningful.
Last year's matches would seem to suggest that the Canadian USL teams (Montreal and Vancouver, historically some of the better USL sides) aren't that far behind the Canadian MLS team (Toronto FC, one of the weaker MLS teams last season). This year's competition is actually a better sign for USL fans, though, as you have two sides in Vancouver and Montreal that seemed to have taken a step back towards the middle of the USL pack this season and a Toronto FC side that seemed to have improved considerably. It's a reasonably small number of matches, so drawing absolute conclusions still isn't a good plan, but I'd suggest that the MLS - USL talent gap isn't as huge as many people think. MLS is still the better league in my mind and certainly has the more talented top-end players, but the top USL players are pretty close to the middle-to-bottom MLS players. Also, USL teams tend to be more about a solid lineup top to bottom rather than one focused around a few stars, which benefits them in discussions of league quality. MLS is a higher-quality league, but the gap isn't that terribly wide.
Another aspect to consider is what this means for Canadian soccer. Duane laid out a good defence of his belief that it's negative in the comments of his post. I don't agree with him that Toronto FC would necessarily attract far more viewers or attention in the CONCACAF Champions League, though. For one thing, TFC have struggled to draw viewers all year; they recently got 76,000 viewers [Chris Zelkovich, The Toronto Star] on CBC for the match against New England a couple of weeks ago, better than some of their broadcasts this year (they've barely surpassed 50,000 at times and didn't crack Zelkovich's weekend Top 10 last week). That's not to bash TFC, but merely to show that they aren't any sort of huge national draw yet. They have a lot of support in Toronto itself, the GTA and to some extent in the rest of Ontario, but they aren't exactly pulling in masses from across the country.
You could argue that all of that will change in the CONCACAF Champions League, but I'm not sure it will. For all the hype around this tournament, it's hardly accessible to the casual fan; even many committed soccer fans haven't heard of the clubs or players involved, so it's not the world's easiest sell. Sure, you can also claim that it's a tournament that ends in the winner getting to face off against clubs like Barcelona. We had quite the debate on that in the May 27 Montreal - Vancouver live blog, and my point remains the same; the World Club Championship is not the club championship of the world in my mind. That's decided in Europe each spring between some of the best teams in the world; the WCC is more of an opportunity for clubs from other regions to play against those squads, and that's interesting in its own right, but not a pure championship.
That's not to diminish the CONCACAF Champions League. It's a great initiative and a very cool chance to see a Canadian side take on clubs from other CONCACAF countries. I just think it would be a harder sell in Toronto and across the country than some would argue. Getting current Toronto FC fans on side would not be a problem at all, but there's always so much going on in the city that it's tough to mobilize a vast amount of interest in any one particular event. The best quote I've ever heard on the matter is from Gordon Smeaton, vice-president of NFL International, who I profiled for a piece in the Queen's Alumni Review last fall. We were discussing some of the issues around NFL games in Toronto, and he commented that "Toronto isn't a sports city, it's an entertainment city." The hardcore fans will follow their teams through thick and thin, but much of the city's population is only about the big-ticket athletic events, the ones that promise spectacle that transcends the realm of sport into entertainment. I don't think the CONCACAF Champions League is at the point where it can be sold that way yet. CONCACAF matches in Toronto would be important, but I'm not sure they'd rise that far above regular TFC matches.
The other side of that is it's very difficult to sell a Toronto sports team to the rest of the country. It does sometimes work; the Blue Jays had a truly national following in the early 1990s and maintain some of that today, and the Raptors have recently made strides in that area, plus the Leafs still have fans across the country. Anyone who's lived in parts of Canada outside of Toronto knows there's a lot of resentment towards the Big Smoke, though. That resentment's perhaps especially acute in soccer given how Toronto nabbed an MLS team before Montreal or Vancouver, two cities with arguably better records of supporting North American soccer. Whether that's fair or not is up for debate, but the point is that I doubt you'd see masses of Canadians across the country suddenly falling in line to cheer for TFC in the CONCACAF Champions League.
That doesn't mean that Vancouver will necessarily draw more support from across the country if they manage to claim this year's Voyageurs Cup title, but there is a chance they might. For one thing, there's a lot less hostility towards Vancouver in general and the Whitecaps in particular. Plenty of soccer fans across the country admire what Greg Kerfoot and Bob Lenarduzzi have done in Vancouver, particularly with regards to the outstanding academy system and the team's upcoming entry to MLS. For another thing, I'd argue that the Whitecaps have a bigger presence across B.C. than Toronto FC do across Ontario. Part of that is because they've been around for a longer period of time and are closely tied to clubs across the province; another part of it is because cities in the B.C. interior and on Vancouver Island have historically shown a lot of support for Vancouver teams, whether in the NHL, CFL or USL. I've got a feeling that people from across B.C. will be eager to watch a team from their province take on ther rest of North America. That support could extend eastward as well; the Whitecaps have a good relationship with fans in Edmonton from the various matches they've played there over the years, and plenty of Canadian soccer fans from the prairies are also interested in the club.
Even fans from Montreal and points east may get on the Whitecaps bandwagon; there was a good deal of West Coast support for the Impact last year despite the historical rivalry between the clubs, and that will be remembered. Moreover, the team's success is a good underdog story, and everyone loves those. Duane sarcastically commented that the Whitecaps "slayed big, bad TFC", but there's an element of truth to that depiction. Toronto FC have been the 800-pound gorilla on the Canadian soccer landscape since their inception, and there are plenty of people who are happy to see them taken down a peg. For many Canadian soccer fans outside the GTA, it may be easier to get behind an underdog team like the Whitecaps than the disliked TFC.
Moreover, the timing of this is almost perfect given Vancouver's upcoming entry into MLS. There's already a lot of buzz around their MLS debut in 2011, but what better way to build interest could there be than a run in the CCL? The team already gets a lot of coverage in the local media outlets; expect that to intensify during this tournament, and expect the team to become an even bigger deal in the city than they already are. Yeah, the timing of the Olympics will detract a bit from that, but keep in mind that professional and amateur sport fans are rather distinct; there should still be plenty of interest in the Whitecaps despite the hubbub around the Olympics.
In the end, I don't think you can really say absolutely that a Vancouver triumph in the Voyageurs Cup would be bad for the game in Canada. It will certainly help soccer out West and should build interest in the Whitecaps ahead of their MLS debut. It's certainly up for debate if a win by TFC or Montreal would have helped Canadian soccer more, and I don't think there's really a definitive answer to that question at this point. A championship for any of the Canadian teams brings a unique set of benefits and challenges, and it's difficult to weigh them against each other, especially as many of the elements involved (fan interest locally, fan interest nationally, TV ratings, etc) are highly hypothetical at the moment.
I do have one final thought on the matter, though. In my mind, one of the things that holds Canadian soccer back is that the different groups of fans are always clashing. There's plenty of belittling of Vancouver and Montreal from the TFC side, and the USL fans respond with MLS and TFC-bashing. You get supporters of the men's national team criticizing the resources given to the women's team and vice-versa. In some ways, it reminds me of the provincialism that's held the CSA back for so long. That's a big part of the reason why I don't consider myself a fan of any one Canadian side at the moment; I grew up supporting the Whitecaps and initially cheered for TFC when they joined MLS, but I've tried to become more objective now that I'm regularly covering the sport. In my mind, that gives me a more balanced perspective and allows me to think more analytically, and it helps to see where fans of both sides are coming from.
That's not to say that everyone should abandon partisan interests altogether; that passion's great, and it's fantastic to see it represented at games such as the Vancouver - Toronto clash. Rivalries help to sell the sport, and that's always a good thing. It can lead to great writing as well; Duane does a fantastic job of covering TFC from a fan's perspective, and he brings a different form of insight to the game in the process, one that's highly valuable.
I do think that some fans allow the rivalries to colour their whole thinking, though, and in my mind, that's not a good thing. Being a Toronto FC fan doesn't mean that you have to hate the Whitecaps and Impact, and the reverse applies as well. All three clubs are doing great things for the sport in Canada.
If the Whitecaps do happen to win this competition, I'm not saying that everyone should jump on the bandwagon. I've always found the "Canada's team" logic highly artificial in hockey, and the same applies to soccer. If you feel the urge to root for any group of Canadians against outsiders, great; if you don't, that's just fine as well.
What I would like to see is a bit of a moderation in the tone on all sides. For Toronto fans, it's not the end of the world that TFC didn't pull this one off. Vancouver and Montreal are still good teams even if they don't play in the same league as your side, and upsets do happen. For Vancouver fans, there's no need to gloat or start claiming that the USL's better than MLS; the Whitecaps' performance thus far is impressive enough for what it is on its own without further embellishment or extrapolated conclusions. For Montreal fans, there's no need to glory in TFC's downfall. In the end, each of the clubs is doing good things for Canadian soccer, and fans of each side should appreciate that the others have important roles to play as well.
[Cross-posted to The 24th Minute]
It was a 2-0 final score in favour of the Whitecaps that could pave the way for a Voyageurs Cup title (if Toronto can't beat Montreal by four in the final match), but what it all means is still very much in dispute. Some see this as a dramatic shift in the USL/MLS balance of power, while others argue that it just demonstrates that the leagues were always closer than many thought. Others, like Duane, see it as more of an outlier. Personally, I don't think it's a good idea to draw absolute conclusions from one match, but looking at the games over the last couple of years can be more meaningful.
Last year's matches would seem to suggest that the Canadian USL teams (Montreal and Vancouver, historically some of the better USL sides) aren't that far behind the Canadian MLS team (Toronto FC, one of the weaker MLS teams last season). This year's competition is actually a better sign for USL fans, though, as you have two sides in Vancouver and Montreal that seemed to have taken a step back towards the middle of the USL pack this season and a Toronto FC side that seemed to have improved considerably. It's a reasonably small number of matches, so drawing absolute conclusions still isn't a good plan, but I'd suggest that the MLS - USL talent gap isn't as huge as many people think. MLS is still the better league in my mind and certainly has the more talented top-end players, but the top USL players are pretty close to the middle-to-bottom MLS players. Also, USL teams tend to be more about a solid lineup top to bottom rather than one focused around a few stars, which benefits them in discussions of league quality. MLS is a higher-quality league, but the gap isn't that terribly wide.
Another aspect to consider is what this means for Canadian soccer. Duane laid out a good defence of his belief that it's negative in the comments of his post. I don't agree with him that Toronto FC would necessarily attract far more viewers or attention in the CONCACAF Champions League, though. For one thing, TFC have struggled to draw viewers all year; they recently got 76,000 viewers [Chris Zelkovich, The Toronto Star] on CBC for the match against New England a couple of weeks ago, better than some of their broadcasts this year (they've barely surpassed 50,000 at times and didn't crack Zelkovich's weekend Top 10 last week). That's not to bash TFC, but merely to show that they aren't any sort of huge national draw yet. They have a lot of support in Toronto itself, the GTA and to some extent in the rest of Ontario, but they aren't exactly pulling in masses from across the country.
You could argue that all of that will change in the CONCACAF Champions League, but I'm not sure it will. For all the hype around this tournament, it's hardly accessible to the casual fan; even many committed soccer fans haven't heard of the clubs or players involved, so it's not the world's easiest sell. Sure, you can also claim that it's a tournament that ends in the winner getting to face off against clubs like Barcelona. We had quite the debate on that in the May 27 Montreal - Vancouver live blog, and my point remains the same; the World Club Championship is not the club championship of the world in my mind. That's decided in Europe each spring between some of the best teams in the world; the WCC is more of an opportunity for clubs from other regions to play against those squads, and that's interesting in its own right, but not a pure championship.
That's not to diminish the CONCACAF Champions League. It's a great initiative and a very cool chance to see a Canadian side take on clubs from other CONCACAF countries. I just think it would be a harder sell in Toronto and across the country than some would argue. Getting current Toronto FC fans on side would not be a problem at all, but there's always so much going on in the city that it's tough to mobilize a vast amount of interest in any one particular event. The best quote I've ever heard on the matter is from Gordon Smeaton, vice-president of NFL International, who I profiled for a piece in the Queen's Alumni Review last fall. We were discussing some of the issues around NFL games in Toronto, and he commented that "Toronto isn't a sports city, it's an entertainment city." The hardcore fans will follow their teams through thick and thin, but much of the city's population is only about the big-ticket athletic events, the ones that promise spectacle that transcends the realm of sport into entertainment. I don't think the CONCACAF Champions League is at the point where it can be sold that way yet. CONCACAF matches in Toronto would be important, but I'm not sure they'd rise that far above regular TFC matches.
The other side of that is it's very difficult to sell a Toronto sports team to the rest of the country. It does sometimes work; the Blue Jays had a truly national following in the early 1990s and maintain some of that today, and the Raptors have recently made strides in that area, plus the Leafs still have fans across the country. Anyone who's lived in parts of Canada outside of Toronto knows there's a lot of resentment towards the Big Smoke, though. That resentment's perhaps especially acute in soccer given how Toronto nabbed an MLS team before Montreal or Vancouver, two cities with arguably better records of supporting North American soccer. Whether that's fair or not is up for debate, but the point is that I doubt you'd see masses of Canadians across the country suddenly falling in line to cheer for TFC in the CONCACAF Champions League.
That doesn't mean that Vancouver will necessarily draw more support from across the country if they manage to claim this year's Voyageurs Cup title, but there is a chance they might. For one thing, there's a lot less hostility towards Vancouver in general and the Whitecaps in particular. Plenty of soccer fans across the country admire what Greg Kerfoot and Bob Lenarduzzi have done in Vancouver, particularly with regards to the outstanding academy system and the team's upcoming entry to MLS. For another thing, I'd argue that the Whitecaps have a bigger presence across B.C. than Toronto FC do across Ontario. Part of that is because they've been around for a longer period of time and are closely tied to clubs across the province; another part of it is because cities in the B.C. interior and on Vancouver Island have historically shown a lot of support for Vancouver teams, whether in the NHL, CFL or USL. I've got a feeling that people from across B.C. will be eager to watch a team from their province take on ther rest of North America. That support could extend eastward as well; the Whitecaps have a good relationship with fans in Edmonton from the various matches they've played there over the years, and plenty of Canadian soccer fans from the prairies are also interested in the club.
Even fans from Montreal and points east may get on the Whitecaps bandwagon; there was a good deal of West Coast support for the Impact last year despite the historical rivalry between the clubs, and that will be remembered. Moreover, the team's success is a good underdog story, and everyone loves those. Duane sarcastically commented that the Whitecaps "slayed big, bad TFC", but there's an element of truth to that depiction. Toronto FC have been the 800-pound gorilla on the Canadian soccer landscape since their inception, and there are plenty of people who are happy to see them taken down a peg. For many Canadian soccer fans outside the GTA, it may be easier to get behind an underdog team like the Whitecaps than the disliked TFC.
Moreover, the timing of this is almost perfect given Vancouver's upcoming entry into MLS. There's already a lot of buzz around their MLS debut in 2011, but what better way to build interest could there be than a run in the CCL? The team already gets a lot of coverage in the local media outlets; expect that to intensify during this tournament, and expect the team to become an even bigger deal in the city than they already are. Yeah, the timing of the Olympics will detract a bit from that, but keep in mind that professional and amateur sport fans are rather distinct; there should still be plenty of interest in the Whitecaps despite the hubbub around the Olympics.
In the end, I don't think you can really say absolutely that a Vancouver triumph in the Voyageurs Cup would be bad for the game in Canada. It will certainly help soccer out West and should build interest in the Whitecaps ahead of their MLS debut. It's certainly up for debate if a win by TFC or Montreal would have helped Canadian soccer more, and I don't think there's really a definitive answer to that question at this point. A championship for any of the Canadian teams brings a unique set of benefits and challenges, and it's difficult to weigh them against each other, especially as many of the elements involved (fan interest locally, fan interest nationally, TV ratings, etc) are highly hypothetical at the moment.
I do have one final thought on the matter, though. In my mind, one of the things that holds Canadian soccer back is that the different groups of fans are always clashing. There's plenty of belittling of Vancouver and Montreal from the TFC side, and the USL fans respond with MLS and TFC-bashing. You get supporters of the men's national team criticizing the resources given to the women's team and vice-versa. In some ways, it reminds me of the provincialism that's held the CSA back for so long. That's a big part of the reason why I don't consider myself a fan of any one Canadian side at the moment; I grew up supporting the Whitecaps and initially cheered for TFC when they joined MLS, but I've tried to become more objective now that I'm regularly covering the sport. In my mind, that gives me a more balanced perspective and allows me to think more analytically, and it helps to see where fans of both sides are coming from.
That's not to say that everyone should abandon partisan interests altogether; that passion's great, and it's fantastic to see it represented at games such as the Vancouver - Toronto clash. Rivalries help to sell the sport, and that's always a good thing. It can lead to great writing as well; Duane does a fantastic job of covering TFC from a fan's perspective, and he brings a different form of insight to the game in the process, one that's highly valuable.
I do think that some fans allow the rivalries to colour their whole thinking, though, and in my mind, that's not a good thing. Being a Toronto FC fan doesn't mean that you have to hate the Whitecaps and Impact, and the reverse applies as well. All three clubs are doing great things for the sport in Canada.
If the Whitecaps do happen to win this competition, I'm not saying that everyone should jump on the bandwagon. I've always found the "Canada's team" logic highly artificial in hockey, and the same applies to soccer. If you feel the urge to root for any group of Canadians against outsiders, great; if you don't, that's just fine as well.
What I would like to see is a bit of a moderation in the tone on all sides. For Toronto fans, it's not the end of the world that TFC didn't pull this one off. Vancouver and Montreal are still good teams even if they don't play in the same league as your side, and upsets do happen. For Vancouver fans, there's no need to gloat or start claiming that the USL's better than MLS; the Whitecaps' performance thus far is impressive enough for what it is on its own without further embellishment or extrapolated conclusions. For Montreal fans, there's no need to glory in TFC's downfall. In the end, each of the clubs is doing good things for Canadian soccer, and fans of each side should appreciate that the others have important roles to play as well.
[Cross-posted to The 24th Minute]
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Toronto FC - Vancouver Whitecaps live blog
It's almost time for what could be the crucial match of the Nutrilite Canadian Championship. Both Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps enter tonight's clash in Vancouver with six points, but Vancouver's played three matches and TFC only two. If Toronto wins or ties, they claim the Voyageurs Cup. For Vancouver to claim the trophy, they have to win tonight and then have Montreal either lose by a small margin or get a result against TFC in the final match. You can check out the full tie-breaking process in Duane's post here. This rivalry's been getting better all the time, so it should be a great match tonight! Join me in the live blog below for more coverage.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Live blog: a key night for Canadian soccer
Tonight's going to be very important for both Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps. First, at 8:30, Toronto take on the Houston Dynamo at Robertson Park. Both teams will be eager to pick up full points, as they both sit in third place in their respective conferences. TFC have a 4-3-4 record and 16 points, five behind the Eastern Conference-leading Chicago Fire, while Houston are 4-2-3 and have 15 points, nine behind Western Conference leaders Chivas USA.
The big story in this one is the return of former Dynamo players Dwayne De Rosario and Adrian Serioux. Both were key parts of Houston's 2006 MLS Cup title campaign. Serioux was selected by Toronto FC in the MLS expansion draft, but dealt to FC Dallas for Ronnie O'Brien, while De Rosario stayed in Houston until this season. They were expensive acquisitions for TFC, with Serioux traded for a first-round pick and allocation money and De Rosario picked up for Julius James and allocation money, but both have come through so far and been two of Toronto FC's top performers to date.
At 10 p.m. Eastern, the Vancouver Whitecaps take on the Portland Timbers down in Oregon. There's a lot on the line here as well, as both clubs are jockeying for position in the USL table. Portland are 3-1-3 through seven games for 12 points, good enough for fourth place at the moment, while the Whitecaps are in fifth with a 3-2-2 record for 11 points. Both have games in hand on the sides above them, so a win for either could put them in position to challenge for the league lead. The Cascadia Cup, traditionally given to the winner of the season series between Portland, Seattle and Vancouver, is also at stake tonight [Simon Fudge, whitecapsfc.com]; with Seattle moving up to MLS this season, the cup will be awarded to whoever takes the best-of-three regular-season series between
Portland and Vancouver. The Whitecaps are in good position to defend the trophy, as they claimed the first match 1-0 at home. With a win tonight, they'll be taking the Cascadia Cup back north to their trophy case.
However, the Whitecaps may be somewhat distracted by the Nutrilite Canadian Championship. After knocking off Montreal on Wednesday, they'll face Toronto FC at home on Tuesday in their final match of the competition. A victory there would put them in excellent shape to go through, as they already have an edge in goal differential and the Montreal Impact will be eager to avenge themselves on rivals Toronto FC in the final match of the competition. Thus, we may see head coach Teitur Thordarson rest some players tonight in anticipation of Tuesday's match [Ian Walker, The Vancouver Sun].
Portland's on-field play may also be overshadowed by distractions. They're having difficulties getting their soccer-specific stadium plan passed, and MLS commissioner Don Garber recently wrote a letter to city commissioner Dan Saltzman to inform him that a shared stadium for baseball and soccer will not pass muster [Jason Davis, Match Fit USA]. Moreover, Montreal and Joey Saputo are lurking around the edges of the league, just waiting for Portland to slip up [Ben Knight, Onward Soccer]. You wouldn't blame their fans and players if they had more on their mind than just tonight's match as well.
Both games should be great, and they'll both be covered in tonight's live blog. Join in after the jump!
The big story in this one is the return of former Dynamo players Dwayne De Rosario and Adrian Serioux. Both were key parts of Houston's 2006 MLS Cup title campaign. Serioux was selected by Toronto FC in the MLS expansion draft, but dealt to FC Dallas for Ronnie O'Brien, while De Rosario stayed in Houston until this season. They were expensive acquisitions for TFC, with Serioux traded for a first-round pick and allocation money and De Rosario picked up for Julius James and allocation money, but both have come through so far and been two of Toronto FC's top performers to date.
At 10 p.m. Eastern, the Vancouver Whitecaps take on the Portland Timbers down in Oregon. There's a lot on the line here as well, as both clubs are jockeying for position in the USL table. Portland are 3-1-3 through seven games for 12 points, good enough for fourth place at the moment, while the Whitecaps are in fifth with a 3-2-2 record for 11 points. Both have games in hand on the sides above them, so a win for either could put them in position to challenge for the league lead. The Cascadia Cup, traditionally given to the winner of the season series between Portland, Seattle and Vancouver, is also at stake tonight [Simon Fudge, whitecapsfc.com]; with Seattle moving up to MLS this season, the cup will be awarded to whoever takes the best-of-three regular-season series between
Portland and Vancouver. The Whitecaps are in good position to defend the trophy, as they claimed the first match 1-0 at home. With a win tonight, they'll be taking the Cascadia Cup back north to their trophy case.
However, the Whitecaps may be somewhat distracted by the Nutrilite Canadian Championship. After knocking off Montreal on Wednesday, they'll face Toronto FC at home on Tuesday in their final match of the competition. A victory there would put them in excellent shape to go through, as they already have an edge in goal differential and the Montreal Impact will be eager to avenge themselves on rivals Toronto FC in the final match of the competition. Thus, we may see head coach Teitur Thordarson rest some players tonight in anticipation of Tuesday's match [Ian Walker, The Vancouver Sun].
Portland's on-field play may also be overshadowed by distractions. They're having difficulties getting their soccer-specific stadium plan passed, and MLS commissioner Don Garber recently wrote a letter to city commissioner Dan Saltzman to inform him that a shared stadium for baseball and soccer will not pass muster [Jason Davis, Match Fit USA]. Moreover, Montreal and Joey Saputo are lurking around the edges of the league, just waiting for Portland to slip up [Ben Knight, Onward Soccer]. You wouldn't blame their fans and players if they had more on their mind than just tonight's match as well.
Both games should be great, and they'll both be covered in tonight's live blog. Join in after the jump!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Toronto FC - Chicago Fire match preview and notes on Vancouver - Rochester live blog
It's going to be a battle at BMO Field this afternoon as Toronto FC take on the Chicago Fire at 4 p.m. Only one point separates the teams in the table; TFC are second in the Eastern Conference with a 3-2-4 record for 13 points, while the Fire are undefeated so far this year with a 2-0-6 record for 12 points and currently hold third place in the conference. Eastern leaders D.C. United are only one point ahead of Toronto and face the top team so far this season in Chivas USA on the road this evening, so either TFC or Chicago could conceivably vault their way into the top spot with a win.
One of the key battles to watch will be Chicago star Cuauhtemoc Blanco against Toronto's skillful holding midfielders. Toronto's been very successful at minimizing other teams' scoring opportunities lately, but they haven't faced an offensive threat of Blanco's calibre for quite some time. There's a great profile on him here from Jose Romero of the Seattle Times.
Another interesting note comes from the injury to Marvell Wynne midway through last game. Wynne's normally a starting wingback, but was playing as a striker when he was hurt. Nana Attakora, the young Canadian defender who's excelled so far this season, will likely move to the wingback slot and Marco Velez may return alongside Adrian Serioux in central defence.
It should certainly be a good match. I'll be live-blogging it both here and at The 24th Minute. I'll also have a live blog of tonight's Vancouver Whitecaps - Rochester Rhinos match, which starts at 10 p.m. Eastern. Come join in one or both live blogs with your thoughts and comments!
One of the key battles to watch will be Chicago star Cuauhtemoc Blanco against Toronto's skillful holding midfielders. Toronto's been very successful at minimizing other teams' scoring opportunities lately, but they haven't faced an offensive threat of Blanco's calibre for quite some time. There's a great profile on him here from Jose Romero of the Seattle Times.
Another interesting note comes from the injury to Marvell Wynne midway through last game. Wynne's normally a starting wingback, but was playing as a striker when he was hurt. Nana Attakora, the young Canadian defender who's excelled so far this season, will likely move to the wingback slot and Marco Velez may return alongside Adrian Serioux in central defence.
It should certainly be a good match. I'll be live-blogging it both here and at The 24th Minute. I'll also have a live blog of tonight's Vancouver Whitecaps - Rochester Rhinos match, which starts at 10 p.m. Eastern. Come join in one or both live blogs with your thoughts and comments!
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Toronto FC - Montreal Impact live blog
I'll be live-blogging tonight's match between Toronto FC and the Montreal Impact here and at The 24th Minute. It's the second clash of the Nutrilite Canadian Championship; Toronto pulled off a 1-0 home win against the Vancouver Whitecaps in the first match, so they'll be in very good shape if they win this one. Montreal enters the tournament as defending champions, but they're probably underdogs heading into this one given their USL struggles so far this year and the intimidating atmosphere of BMO Field won't make it any easier. You can check out Duane's preview here, and for any of the Impact fans looking for bulletin board material, you can't do much better than this piece he reposted from February. The game isn't on television thanks to Rogers Sportsnet deciding to place a baseball game on all four of their channels, but it will be streamed live at Toronto FC's website. Come join me at 8 for the live blog!
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Toronto FC - D.C. United live blog
I'll be live-blogging tonight's Toronto FC match against D.C. United (7:30 p.m. Eastern/4:30 p.m. Pacific, Rogers Sportsnet) here and at The 24th Minute. It should be a good one; D.C. leads the East with 13 points from a 3-1-4 record, while TFC is in second with 12 points from a 3-2-3 record. Thus, the winner of this one will take over or hold on to first place. One question for Toronto is if defender Adrian Serioux will be fit to play; he suffered a neck injury against Columbus last week and missed the midweek clash against Vancouver. Sam Cronin also missed the Whitecaps game, but is expected to return to face D.C. tonight.
Another interesting element is what's going on off the pitch. Everyone knows about D.C. United's stadium struggles, and they've led to threats of relocation if they can't find a new stadium. The D.C. United supporters are going to be marching to the match [Jason Davis, MLS Daily] to show their passion for keeping the team in D.C.; Jason's also encouraging MLS fans from across the league to join the cause with banners and such today. It's a great idea in my mind. Yes, D.C. is facing difficulties, but they're one of the league's signature franchises; I remember watching them play Beckham and Real Madrid in Seattle in an exhibition game several years ago, and at that time (with Freddy Adu), that match made more sense than it would have with any other MLS team. To be taken seriously as a league, you have to have substantial franchise stability and you need a couple of flagship franchises that casual fans have heard of. D.C. United is one, and in my mind, their fans deserve all the support they can get.
Come join me for the live blog at 7:30!
Another interesting element is what's going on off the pitch. Everyone knows about D.C. United's stadium struggles, and they've led to threats of relocation if they can't find a new stadium. The D.C. United supporters are going to be marching to the match [Jason Davis, MLS Daily] to show their passion for keeping the team in D.C.; Jason's also encouraging MLS fans from across the league to join the cause with banners and such today. It's a great idea in my mind. Yes, D.C. is facing difficulties, but they're one of the league's signature franchises; I remember watching them play Beckham and Real Madrid in Seattle in an exhibition game several years ago, and at that time (with Freddy Adu), that match made more sense than it would have with any other MLS team. To be taken seriously as a league, you have to have substantial franchise stability and you need a couple of flagship franchises that casual fans have heard of. D.C. United is one, and in my mind, their fans deserve all the support they can get.
Come join me for the live blog at 7:30!
Saturday, May 02, 2009
Toronto FC - Columbus Crew live blog
The rivalry continues between Toronto FC and the Columbus Crew today in Toronto's first match with Chris Cummins as their official interim head coach. Join in the live blog below!
Friday, May 01, 2009
Upcoming live blogs
A quick note that I'll be live-blogging today's Toronto FC - Columbus Crew match (4:00 p.m. Eastern/1:00 p.m. Pacific) and tonight's Vancouver Whitecaps - Minnesota Thunder match (8:05 p.m. Eastern/5:05 p.m. Pacific) here and at The 24th Minute. Toronto and Vancouver will face each other on Wednesday in the first match of the Nutrilite Canadian Championship (which I'll also live-blog), so this weekend's matches should provide a good preview of that game. Stop on by for one or both games!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
Toronto FC - Kansas City live blog
Welcome to the first match of the Chris Cummins era. Can TFC repeat their success from Wednesday night's win over TFC? Find out in the live blog below. Kickoff is at 5 p.m. Eastern/2 p.m. Pacific. You can check out the It's Called Football pregame show here, featuring Michael Kuhn of Down the Byline.
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Live-blogging notes on Whitecaps and TFC
Just a quick note that I'll be live-blogging the Vancouver-Portland game tonight (the battle of the 2011 expansion teams!) and the Toronto FC - Kansas City game tomorrow here and at The 24th Minute. Kickoff tonight is at 10 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Pacific. Tomorrow, it's 4:30 p.m. Eastern/1:30 p.m. Pacific. Come join in the fun then!
TFC: Carver leaves unexpectedly
It turns out there was much more to Toronto FC John Carver abandoning the bench to watch Wednesday's victory over Chivas USA than I thought. Paul Attfield of The Globe and Mail suggests that part of the reason for Carver's departure may have been a lack of support from team management, particularly regarding his $750 fine after Sunday's loss. However, the club's announcement only mentioned "personal reasons" [Goal.com].
Carver spent just over a year with Toronto, recording a 11-15-10 record since taking over the franchise last February. It was by far his longest run at the helm of a franchise; he spent one game as interim manager at Newcastle United and five more as interim manager at Luton Town. Most of his other experience came as a coach and assistant manager.
That's what makes this decision somewhat curious, particularly considering its timing. Carver's record with TFC was good but not great. It might be enough to get him another MLS head coaching position, a speculation reinforced by his comments to Attfield that he plans to stay in North America for the next while. However, it's not likely enough to do much of anything for his managerial prospects in Europe, as MLS isn't all that well-regarded on the other side of the pond overall and his MLS record doesn't stand out as impressive. TFC appear to be on the ascension, though; their win Wednesday over Chivas was huge, and they have more talent than at any other point in their history. If Carver had hung on until the end of the season, his resume would appear much more impressive. However, he does have a lot of experience in an assistant managerial role and has strong connections with Newcastle; Ives Galarcep thinks there may be a connection there.
Don't rule out another MLS job for Carver, though. There are plenty of clubs that may soon be looking to make a coaching change. One of the most interesting possibilities is the defending MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew, who have struggled to an 0-2-3 record so far this year and sit at the bottom of the table. Of course, head coach Sigi Schmid left Columbus for Seattle after last year and has done very well there, while new manager Robert Warzycha doesn't seem to be making much of an impact [Jason Davis, Match Fit USA]. Could Carver turn up there? It's certainly a plausible scenario.
Where does TFC go from here? Well, assistant coaches Chris Cummins and Nick Dasovic will run the team for Sunday's match against the Kansas City Wizards, and GM Mo Johnston is expected to make a decision on the head coaching position early next week. Cummins was the team's first assistant and has experience with English sides Luton Town and Watford, so there's a good chance he'll take over in at least an interim role. Johnston could also return to the touchline himself. In the long run, my bet is that they'll bring someone in from outside. This could be a very attractive club for a manager looking for work, as they have plenty of talent, consistent support and tremendous financial backing in place from MLSE. However, the expectations are high as well, which may dissaude some candidates. We'll have to wait and see how it pans out.
Reaction from around the blogosphere (will be updated throughout the day):
- Dave Clark suggests that Cummins will leave for England if he doesn't get the head job [Sounder at Heart].
- stillkicking calls this "a shock to the fans" [Mistake by the Lake].
- You know it's Toronto when the mayor weighs in on Twitter.
- Ben Van Weelden has an interesting look back at Carver's time in Toronto, plus more on the potential departure of Cummins and Paul Winsper [TFC Connected].
[Cross-posted to The 24th Minute]
Carver spent just over a year with Toronto, recording a 11-15-10 record since taking over the franchise last February. It was by far his longest run at the helm of a franchise; he spent one game as interim manager at Newcastle United and five more as interim manager at Luton Town. Most of his other experience came as a coach and assistant manager.
That's what makes this decision somewhat curious, particularly considering its timing. Carver's record with TFC was good but not great. It might be enough to get him another MLS head coaching position, a speculation reinforced by his comments to Attfield that he plans to stay in North America for the next while. However, it's not likely enough to do much of anything for his managerial prospects in Europe, as MLS isn't all that well-regarded on the other side of the pond overall and his MLS record doesn't stand out as impressive. TFC appear to be on the ascension, though; their win Wednesday over Chivas was huge, and they have more talent than at any other point in their history. If Carver had hung on until the end of the season, his resume would appear much more impressive. However, he does have a lot of experience in an assistant managerial role and has strong connections with Newcastle; Ives Galarcep thinks there may be a connection there.
Don't rule out another MLS job for Carver, though. There are plenty of clubs that may soon be looking to make a coaching change. One of the most interesting possibilities is the defending MLS Cup champion Columbus Crew, who have struggled to an 0-2-3 record so far this year and sit at the bottom of the table. Of course, head coach Sigi Schmid left Columbus for Seattle after last year and has done very well there, while new manager Robert Warzycha doesn't seem to be making much of an impact [Jason Davis, Match Fit USA]. Could Carver turn up there? It's certainly a plausible scenario.
Where does TFC go from here? Well, assistant coaches Chris Cummins and Nick Dasovic will run the team for Sunday's match against the Kansas City Wizards, and GM Mo Johnston is expected to make a decision on the head coaching position early next week. Cummins was the team's first assistant and has experience with English sides Luton Town and Watford, so there's a good chance he'll take over in at least an interim role. Johnston could also return to the touchline himself. In the long run, my bet is that they'll bring someone in from outside. This could be a very attractive club for a manager looking for work, as they have plenty of talent, consistent support and tremendous financial backing in place from MLSE. However, the expectations are high as well, which may dissaude some candidates. We'll have to wait and see how it pans out.
Reaction from around the blogosphere (will be updated throughout the day):
- Dave Clark suggests that Cummins will leave for England if he doesn't get the head job [Sounder at Heart].
- stillkicking calls this "a shock to the fans" [Mistake by the Lake].
- You know it's Toronto when the mayor weighs in on Twitter.
- Ben Van Weelden has an interesting look back at Carver's time in Toronto, plus more on the potential departure of Cummins and Paul Winsper [TFC Connected].
[Cross-posted to The 24th Minute]
Thursday, April 23, 2009
A high and a low for TFC
Last night's 1-0 victory for Toronto FC over league-leaders Chivas USA was simultaneously the best of times and the worst of times for the franchise. On the pitch, it was a tremendous success. Despite the absence of Dwayne De Rosario, the team turned in a solid performance and gave Chivas their first loss of the season. That's pretty stunning, considering that Ives had Chivas at the top and TFC 14th in his most recent power rankings. It was also the first home win of the season for Toronto and an impressive showing from many of their players. Amado Guevara, Adrian Serioux and Danny Dichio were particularly effective.
Even that success came with caveats, though. For one thing, Chivas was missing several of their stars thanks to injury, including Ante Razov and Maykel Galindo. For another, Guevara's impressive performance appeared largely due to him having more room to operate with De Rosario out. That's good news for the moment, as De Rosario is expected to miss at least one more game with a hamstring injury, but it raises questions of if the two of them can co-exist in the midfield upon his return. Their previous performances together would suggest that it will be difficult.
The low point of the evening came from the stands, though. The Canadian Press is reporting that two Toronto fans are facing serious charges, including possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm and mischief under $5,000, for launching flares. One flare hit a female fan and burned her thigh, while another did $2,000 worth of damage to the turf.
There's never a good time for this sort of thing to happen, but the current timing is particularly bad, considering the recent concerns raised over the Columbus trip and the spectre of "hooliganism". It looked like the furor from those incidents was about to die down, but you can bet that this will give it new life; flares are especially bad compared to much of what's come before, and someone's been significantly hurt as a result. These are very serious charges, and it won't be easy to sweep them under the rug.
As Duane's written before, the vast majority of Toronto fans are great and wouldn't do anything that might result in injury to anyone. However, you can bet that they're all going to be tarred with the same brush now that someone's been hurt. Subtlety and distinctions tend to be lost in cases like this, which is unfortunate for all the great fans out there who passionately support their team without injuring anyone. However, the childhood cliché tends to hold true in real life, particularly when it comes to media coverage and popular perceptions; it really is all fun and games until someone gets hurt.
[Cross-posted to The 24th Minute].
Even that success came with caveats, though. For one thing, Chivas was missing several of their stars thanks to injury, including Ante Razov and Maykel Galindo. For another, Guevara's impressive performance appeared largely due to him having more room to operate with De Rosario out. That's good news for the moment, as De Rosario is expected to miss at least one more game with a hamstring injury, but it raises questions of if the two of them can co-exist in the midfield upon his return. Their previous performances together would suggest that it will be difficult.
The low point of the evening came from the stands, though. The Canadian Press is reporting that two Toronto fans are facing serious charges, including possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose, assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm and mischief under $5,000, for launching flares. One flare hit a female fan and burned her thigh, while another did $2,000 worth of damage to the turf.
There's never a good time for this sort of thing to happen, but the current timing is particularly bad, considering the recent concerns raised over the Columbus trip and the spectre of "hooliganism". It looked like the furor from those incidents was about to die down, but you can bet that this will give it new life; flares are especially bad compared to much of what's come before, and someone's been significantly hurt as a result. These are very serious charges, and it won't be easy to sweep them under the rug.
As Duane's written before, the vast majority of Toronto fans are great and wouldn't do anything that might result in injury to anyone. However, you can bet that they're all going to be tarred with the same brush now that someone's been hurt. Subtlety and distinctions tend to be lost in cases like this, which is unfortunate for all the great fans out there who passionately support their team without injuring anyone. However, the childhood cliché tends to hold true in real life, particularly when it comes to media coverage and popular perceptions; it really is all fun and games until someone gets hurt.
[Cross-posted to The 24th Minute].
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Whitecaps and TFC live blogs
A quick note that I'll be live-blogging both tonight's Vancouver Whitecaps - Austin Aztex match (8:30 p.m. Eastern/5:30 p.m. Pacific, usllive.com) and tomorrow's Toronto FC - Chivas USA match (7:30 p.m. Eastern/4:30 p.m. Pacific, GolTV). Join me here or at The 24th Minute for either or both!
Sunday, April 19, 2009
TFC - Dallas live blog
I'll be live-blogging tonight's Toronto FC - FC Dallas match. Game time is 7:00 p.m. Eastern, and it's on GOLTV. Come join me here then!
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