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Oblio2
02-28-2009, 01:02 PM
MLS '09 SEASON PREVIEW

Upgrade in talent has Toronto eyeing playoffs

By Ives Galarcep, ESPNsoccernet

February 28, 2009
Editor's note: This is the eighth of 15 MLS team previews by ESPNsoccernet for the 2009 season. Chivas USA will be previewed Monday.

2008 record and finish: 9-13-8

http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/mediaUS/20090215/dero_200.jpg Paul Giamou/GettyImages
A change of scenery might help former Houston star Dwayne De Rosario reach peak form again.



Key additions: M Dwayne De Rosario, F Pablo Vitti, M Sam Cronin, GK Stephan Frei, F O'Brian White, D Adrian Serioux, GK Stefan Frei
Key losses: D Tyrone Marshall, F Jarrod Smith, D Julius James, D Todd Dunivant, D Hunter Freeman
Three questions facing this team:

(Full review here)
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=622992&sec=mls&root=mls&cc=5901

Nuvinho
02-28-2009, 01:14 PM
Ives says TFC is on the VERGE of signing another defender.....nice, very nice!!!

MartinUtd
02-28-2009, 01:15 PM
Hmmm...He keeps making reference to Harmse with no mention of Velez in last years back line. Did Ives even watch any TFC matches last year?

TFC_Chris
02-28-2009, 04:53 PM
MLS '09 SEASON PREVIEW

Key additions: M Dwayne De Rosario, F Pablo Vitti, M Sam Cronin, GK Stephan Frei, F O'Brian White, D Adrian Serioux, GK Stefan Frei


Frei's so good, he's like having TWO keepers on the roster. :p

MUFC_Niagara
02-28-2009, 05:03 PM
Can the season start already???? I can't wait....

mighty_torontofc_2008
02-28-2009, 05:15 PM
Ives drives me nuts....he says if things dont come together it will likely be the last chance for carver and for Mo...for christ sake the club is in the 3rd year of operation
FFS. It takes time to build a club and this year the team should be improved, let the building by both Carver and Mo continue for another couple of seasons after this one
then lets see where we are going!!

billyfly
02-28-2009, 05:18 PM
Sobering thought to curb our enthusiasm.

ua-kozak_TFC
02-28-2009, 09:52 PM
Ives drives me nuts....he says if things dont come together it will likely be the last chance for carver and for Mo...for christ sake the club is in the 3rd year of operation
FFS. It takes time to build a club and this year the team should be improved, let the building by both Carver and Mo continue for another couple of seasons after this one
then lets see where we are going!!

Will you stand on your desicion IF Seatle, makes the play offs this year?

I am not running the bus on them... I should say that I was wrong to think that Mo would do same procrastination as the last 2 years with respect to player addition. But I am very happy with his job so far.

But yea i Gotta say.. if we don;t make the play off this year, it;s gotta be a sure chop for atleast carver....

Beach_Red
02-28-2009, 10:06 PM
Will you stand on your desicion IF Seatle, makes the play offs this year?

I am not running the bus on them... I should say that I was wrong to think that Mo would do same procrastination as the last 2 years with respect to player addition. But I am very happy with his job so far.

But yea i Gotta say.. if we don;t make the play off this year, it;s gotta be a sure chop for atleast carver....

If most of the players stay healthy and don't miss too many games and the team still doesn't make the playoffs, then yeah, big changes.

I really don't care what Seattle do.

rocker
02-28-2009, 11:14 PM
i think Ives article is a pretty fair assessment.

p.s. if Seattle finishes above 7 established MLS teams to make the playoffs, it'll be the shock of the 21st century.

twistedchinaman
02-28-2009, 11:35 PM
Seattle will have a hard time nabbing a playoff spot, but it's not completely impossible -- they've got the legs to go there, but let's hope we can get there first before we worry about the Sounders.

ensco
03-01-2009, 08:32 AM
Why do we keep talking about Seattle? How many people seriously care about them? All this playoff talk...have you had a look at their midfield?

We have to overtake some very good teams to get in. Plus DCU will be back.

rocker
03-01-2009, 10:07 AM
but it's not completely impossible -- they've got the legs to go there, .

well, if this were any league except MLS, we'd say it's completely impossible for Seattle to make the playoffs. But given the parity, yes, everyone is still in the running until the last month.

but I'm not sure about them having any legs to get anywhere. They barely have 7 guys worthy of starting.. maybe they can cobble together a starting 11 that's OK.. but god forbid if they have any injuries... and they miss Freddy for the first 2-3 games I believe. and their travel schedule is gonna be crazy. their closest rival is almost double the distance of TFC's. Travel kills the away records in MLS.

But if they overcome 7 other MLS teams including TFC to make the playoffs, it would be the greatest upset in MLS history.

Keegan
03-01-2009, 01:55 PM
Ives drives me nuts....he says if things dont come together it will likely be the last chance for carver and for Mo...for christ sake the club is in the 3rd year of operation
FFS. It takes time to build a club and this year the team should be improved, let the building by both Carver and Mo continue for another couple of seasons after this one
then lets see where we are going!!

Boo freaking hoo. If we don't make the playoffs with the team we have this year both are gone, three years missing the playoffs in a 14 team league is unfuckingbelieveable. Especially when you have the best fans in the league and the sky is the limit for potential.

edit: and don't forget the CCC last year.... that was basically laid out for us and we missed it

Inklink
03-03-2009, 02:14 AM
"TFC allowed an astonishing eight goals in the 90th minute or later."

OH MY GOD!

brad
03-03-2009, 09:24 AM
OH MY GOD!

Does anyone know how many of those 8 goals past the 90th were directly responsible for dropped points?

shaggingscot
03-03-2009, 09:43 AM
Boo freaking hoo. If we don't make the playoffs with the team we have this year both are gone, three years missing the playoffs in a 14 team league is unfuckingbelieveable. Especially when you have the best fans in the league and the sky is the limit for potential.

edit: and don't forget the CCC last year.... that was basically laid out for us and we missed it

They had a pass the first year but agreed that we should have made them last season. Our lack of depth killed us at WC qualifying time. Should the club fail to make the playoffs this year I'd agree that Mo will be gone and any incoming director of football will want to put his own coach in place after that.

No worries though we're going to make it this season. Get ready for some 3-2 matches because we'll score and unless we get another body in the back four we'll also allow them too.

Won't be long now!

Yohan
03-03-2009, 09:50 AM
Boo freaking hoo. If we don't make the playoffs with the team we have this year both are gone, three years missing the playoffs in a 14 team league is unfuckingbelieveable. Especially when you have the best fans in the league and the sky is the limit for potential.

how does having best fans in the league corelate to success in the field?

Eli_Cash
03-03-2009, 11:12 AM
Does anyone know how many of those 8 GAMES past the 90th were directly responsible for dropped points?

Well of those 8 games, only 4 of them mattered. Here's the breakdown:


July 12
Chicago Fire 2-1 Toronto FC

John Thorrington (90)

This was the game when Ibby made his first start and scored his first goal. He had tied it in the 63rd.


July 28
RealSaltLake 2-1 Toronto FC

Robbie Findlay (87)

Amado tied it up in the 84th with his free kick and Robbie had to ruin it 3 minutes later.


August 3
FC Dallas 2-0 Toronto FC

Kenny Cooper (90)

In this game Dallas was given a penalty in the 84th.


August 17
New York Red Bulls 2-0 Toronto FC

Juan Pablo Angel (90)

Mike Magee gave the Red Bulls are Shite the lead in the 37th.


August 30
Chivas USA 2-1 Toronto FC

Atiba Harris (90)

I don’t remember Harris scoring but I remember Brennan having an awesome run and scoring then a minute later, Esky scored. It was heart breaking.

September 6
Toronto FC 1-3 Chivas USA

Ante Razov (90)

This game was when Diaz Kambere, Rick Titus and Tim Regan came in for an emergency one game loan and started our backline. Kambere was from the Whitecaps, Titus was the Toronto Lynx’s asst. COACH at the time and I don’t know where or how we got Regan. FYI, on Regan’s wiki, it says that he is currently playing for Toronto. Someone needs to change that. We only had 4 available subs in this game which included Melo, Gaudet, Gala and Monslave. Oh, yeah. Velez was also red carded in the 45th minute with an elbow to Esky. One more thing, this game was when some giant offensive lineman who played in goal for Chivas was dropped from his stretcher because He was way too heavy. Then BMO field erupted with laughter. LOLz.


October 11
Dallas 2-2 Toronto FC

Kenny Cooper (90 pen)

This was when Marvell scored from a beautiful through pass from Barrett in the 88th. EIGHTY-EIGHTH! :hulk: Then the ref gave some stupid penalty.


Voyageurs Cup
July 9
Vancouver 2-2 Toronto FC

When Sebrango scored in the 87th to tie the game.



I’m assuming the Vancouver game was counted by Ives. Of all these games, 4 of them created dropped points. The Vancouver game doesn’t count towards the league and the NYRB, first Dallas game and second CHIVAS games don’t count because they were already ahead when the goals were scored in the 90th minute. So to answer your question, Toronto dropped 9 points because of those games.

In the Voyageurs Cup if Vancouver didn’t tie it up we still wouldn’t have won the won thing because we have been tied with Montreal in points but would’ve lost in goal differences.


Reference: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/fixtures?league=usa.1&cc=5901