PDA

View Full Version : PG: That's More Like it.



Batman
05-07-2011, 08:00 PM
discuss

Soccerpro
05-07-2011, 08:01 PM
I'm happy with the result but I'm disappointed in Winter that it took him this long to make the obvious changes to the line up.

SirBobSaget
05-07-2011, 08:03 PM
Plata's energy/enthusiasm picked up the whole team. Plus finally having 2 decent FBs also helped a lot.

barticusz
05-07-2011, 08:04 PM
Ekersley and Yourassofsky played well and Plata was creative all night long.

I liked De Guzman's game tonight to. Solid on the defense and helped with some decent passing too.

Detroit_TFC
05-07-2011, 08:05 PM
This performance should give Winter some food for thought, in a good way for a change.

ExiledRed
05-07-2011, 08:06 PM
Eckersley is looking good, Plata is going to be huge, Santos is still our best finisher and gets the winner.

Scrappy at the end, didnt like that at all, it was classic TFC, Eckersley almost finished it on that counter though.

Dkolish3
05-07-2011, 08:07 PM
Call me crazy but Houston looked over-matched. Magnificent game from Plata, influential games from De Guzman, Stevanovic, Eckerseley, and Cann, and for the first time this season not a horrible performance from anyone. By God our defense only looked suspect when we basically secured 3 points.

Couchy81
05-07-2011, 08:07 PM
Santos is always on fire when he comes on as a sub. When he starts he becomes invisible half way into it.

If this game doesn't solidify Eck and Plata as legitimate starters this season I don't know what will.

Redcoe15
05-07-2011, 08:07 PM
A most impressive win tonight. Plata was awesome. He was a ball of energy out there. Here's hoping they can build on this.

twistedchinaman
05-07-2011, 08:07 PM
^ Agreed Nav.

This is a long overdue performance, and even more overdue 3 pts. Instills some semblance of hope...

Refs are still... :facepalm:

JamboAl
05-07-2011, 08:08 PM
I only got home from dinner at the half and was very impressed by what I saw in the second half. Plata is such a spark and not afraid to run at players. If he was 6 inches taller, he could play at a higher level right now. That's not to say he won't at some point.

MG42
05-07-2011, 08:09 PM
Santos is always on fire when he comes on as a sub. When he starts he becomes invisible half way into it.

If this game doesn't solidify Eck and Plata as legitimate starters this season I don't know what will.

Absolutely

Redcoe15
05-07-2011, 08:09 PM
Refs are still... :facepalm:
Yup! :prrr:

ensco
05-07-2011, 08:09 PM
First time in a long time we had space and possession in midfield. Had to doublecheck to make sure Guevara wasn't in the lineup.

Love the way Tchani goes north/south. JDG still making side/back passes more often than you would like.

Dkolish3
05-07-2011, 08:10 PM
^ Agreed Nav.

This is a long overdue performance, and even more overdue 3 pts. Instills some semblance of hope...

Refs are still... :facepalm:

Let's not kid ourselves on every important decision of the game the ref talked to his assistants and got the right call

jloome
05-07-2011, 08:11 PM
DeGuzman and Tchani absolutely bossed the game.

twistedchinaman
05-07-2011, 08:15 PM
Let's not kid ourselves on every important decision of the game the ref talked to his assistants and got the right call

I'd expect that from that awful, awful ref from the Krew game...but this game was reffed by a guy who's reffed ~60 games!

:facepalm:

cochrdoc
05-07-2011, 08:17 PM
I think we finally got our defence right.Garcon to the bench finally.Plata has the most heart on the team.He set up the goal on Weds. and game winner tonite.Hopefully the rest of the team will feed off of it.Soolsma had a good game tonite.WE can start forgetting about last week and look forward to the next game.

twistedchinaman
05-07-2011, 08:18 PM
Dallas will have David Ferrera...I'd be very careful about him on Weds. night.

ag futbol
05-07-2011, 08:19 PM
I think we finally got our defence right.Garcon to the bench finally.Plata has the most heart on the team.He set up the goal on Weds. and game winner tonite.Hopefully the rest of the team will feed off of it.Soolsma had a good game tonite.WE can start forgetting about last week and look forward to the next game.
Yeah I'll admit that as much as we all make fun of Soolsma and my dad could probably run faster than him, he did one thing properly tonight that Martina hasn't: move the ball around.

deltox
05-07-2011, 08:24 PM
So the gk did not get a yellow card

bigtfcfan
05-07-2011, 08:26 PM
JDG had a great game.

twistedchinaman
05-07-2011, 08:27 PM
Watching the GOL postgame...JDG was captain today? Huh.

twistedchinaman
05-07-2011, 08:28 PM
So the gk did not get a yellow card

Now apparently it was taken back b/c Hall got to the ball first. :facepalm:

cochrdoc
05-07-2011, 08:32 PM
I hope the reporters ask what is up with Nana,and are they trying to shop him around.I hope we can pick up an attacking mid.Peterson doesn`t get it done and neither does Santo`s.Dicoy is doing well with Cann

icecoldbeer
05-07-2011, 08:35 PM
Dallas will have David Ferrera...I'd be very careful about him on Weds. night.

He was out with an injured ankle tonight vs. DCU, not sure he will get the start Wednesday

twistedchinaman
05-07-2011, 08:36 PM
Dicoy is really good...he's fast and the card he got was almost needed to save a goal.

I'm liking him, but I fear he could get burned on more advanced and speedier opponents, like and Alonso or a Hassli.

twistedchinaman
05-07-2011, 08:37 PM
He was out with an injured ankle tonight vs. DCU, not sure he will get the start Wednesday

I (tenatively) take it back.

jloome
05-07-2011, 08:37 PM
Soolsma was a real spark plug, but....he's a cheater.

Replay shows the penalty was a dive, Houston player didn't catch him.

I prefer to think he, uh, caught a stiff blade of grass. Yeah. That's it.

jloome
05-07-2011, 08:39 PM
Eckersley is looking good, Plata is going to be huge, Santos is still our best finisher and gets the winner.

Scrappy at the end, didnt like that at all, it was classic TFC, Eckersley almost finished it on that counter though.

Eckersley was awesome tonight. By MLS standards he looks a dominant back.

Can't believe the guy was Man Utd's reserve player of the year three seasons ago and now he's in MLS. Funny turns in life.

TFCRegina
05-07-2011, 08:39 PM
Soolsma was a real spark plug, but....he's a cheater.

Replay shows the penalty was a dive, Houston player didn't catch him.

I prefer to think he, uh, caught a stiff blade of grass. Yeah. That's it.

This team needs more cheaters. We don't win enough games honestly.

twistedchinaman
05-07-2011, 08:41 PM
Call me crazy but Houston looked over-matched. Magnificent game from Plata, influential games from De Guzman, Stevanovic, Eckerseley, and Cann, and for the first time this season not a horrible performance from anyone. By God our defense only looked suspect when we basically secured 3 points.

+1. Defence is still suspect for sure -- but for once, just once. Dicoy is a bright light for sure.

twistedchinaman
05-07-2011, 08:42 PM
This team needs more cheaters. We don't win enough games honestly.

We're being out-cheated for sure. We'll need it to beat Big Cheating...like Shittle, LA and NY.

cochrdoc
05-07-2011, 08:43 PM
Eckersley was awesome tonight. By MLS standards he looks a dominant back.

Can't believe the guy was Man Utd's reserve player of the year three seasons ago and now he's in MLS. Funny turns in life.

And think Garcon started before him last week

zamperina
05-07-2011, 08:57 PM
Well deserved win tonight by the Reds...they distributed the ball well and sprung guys like Plata which gave the offence some substance to work with. Hopefully this builds some confidence for them for Dallas on Wednesday.

Nuvinho
05-07-2011, 09:07 PM
Dallas will have David Ferrera...I'd be very careful about him on Weds. night.

I think he is out for awhile.

ryan
05-07-2011, 09:08 PM
Soolsma was a real spark plug, but....he's a cheater.

Replay shows the penalty was a dive, Houston player didn't catch him.

I prefer to think he, uh, caught a stiff blade of grass. Yeah. That's it.

Probably why the 2nd one was thrown out.

boban
05-07-2011, 09:08 PM
He was out with an injured ankle tonight vs. DCU, not sure he will get the start Wednesday
Ferriera had surgery 2 days ago from an injury against Vancouver a couple of weeks back.
he's out for a while.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5h3XtoRjHUGMF5YRHm6-stIHtGeNQ?docId=6769593

Gazza_55
05-07-2011, 09:09 PM
DeGuzman and Tchani absolutely bossed the game.

Agree on JDG but Tchani frustrates me. He has unbelievable ability to close down and tackle but then can't make the simple 5 ft pass.

DangerRed
05-07-2011, 09:23 PM
Amazing game, surprising quality and skill. Just a pleasure. Plus the stadium was awesome this evening. I even started a chant in 225.

Eckersley is great (save for one bad decision in the second half) and Plata and Stevanovic were connecting very well.

I hope Winter realizes that a back four with no Borman and Gargan can work well. I also hope the only time we see those two is in dying minutes or in CCL games.

In any case, very pleased with the performance all around. The second penalty that didn't get called was more clearly a penalty than the first (the keeper got his hand on Plata) but overall, the standard of refereeing was pretty good as well.

Now if only Chelsea wins tomorrow morning... :D

TFC Cityboy
05-07-2011, 09:26 PM
horrible refereeing but a cracking 2nd half performance with plenty of passing football. Solid display from all. Something to build on.
I think we saw the birth of a star in the making tonight in the roadrunner!

ryan
05-07-2011, 09:33 PM
who was it that took that long shot on goal for us? I thought it was JDG but the recap says it was Peterson.

then again I...:drinking:

boban
05-07-2011, 09:35 PM
who was it that took that long shot on goal for us? I thought it was JDG but the recap says it was Peterson.

then again I...:drinking:
Don't worry, the mls recap has Peterson drawing the penalty when it was Soolsma. lol

scooterTFC
05-07-2011, 09:36 PM
Ekerseley and Yourassky looked good at FB tonight

Santos is a Forward and I hope we never seem him play AM again.

Plato puts a tonne of pressure on the defence with his speed chasing deep balls and his willingness to take people on 1v1 on the counter... we've been missing that since Dero

Tchani reminds me of Edu early in his first season, athletic and influetial but lacking some decisiveness when he has possession. He's using too many touches before he passes off and he's aggresively attacking the space the defence is giving him.

Stevanovitch is skilled but at times he takes touches that seem to lack purpose and his decision making with the ball is suspect. He's either going to figure things out and adjust to this league or he will be this year's pablo vitti. Even odds for either at this point.

leafsman
05-07-2011, 09:38 PM
finally a decent game to watch. Im liking the lineup he had tonight probably the back four i would play. If only Tchani can learn to pass and Plata was great

ManUtd4ever
05-07-2011, 09:45 PM
Amazing game, surprising quality and skill. Just a pleasure. Plus the stadium was awesome this evening. I even started a chant in 225.

Eckersley is great (save for one bad decision in the second half) and Plata and Stevanovic were connecting very well.

I hope Winter realizes that a back four with no Borman and Gargan can work well. I also hope the only time we see those two is in dying minutes or in CCL games.

In any case, very pleased with the performance all around. The second penalty that didn't get called was more clearly a penalty than the first (the keeper got his hand on Plata) but overall, the standard of refereeing was pretty good as well.

Now if only Chelsea wins tomorrow morning... :D

Agreed on all points, except the last sentence! :D

TFC was strong out of the gate tonight (for a change), and it energized the crowd. The atmosphere at BMO tonight definitely felt like the good old days.

Other than a few late defensive breakdowns, that was the best overall performance of the season. Plata, JDG, and Eckersley were absolute workhorses and stood out as the best players on the pitch. I also believe Winter has finally discovered the most effective combination on the backline, which will hopefully remain intact as the first option in the starting lineup moving forward.

Overall, it was an unexpected result and an encouraging performance.

jloome
05-07-2011, 09:51 PM
Don't worry, the mls recap has Peterson drawing the penalty when it was Soolsma. lol

Anyone got Duane Rollins' email? He has it in both stories. D'oh!

king dave
05-07-2011, 09:52 PM
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3411/5697660945_ec881e9a24_b.jpg
KD.

sidvan
05-07-2011, 09:54 PM
and it's Jao "Jalapeno" Plata for the win

ManUtd4ever
05-07-2011, 09:58 PM
I had a feeling "La Platita" was going to become a fan favorite if he was given a chance.

Cashcleaner
05-07-2011, 10:02 PM
I didn't get many opportunities to watch the stream tonight (just a few minutes here and there), but I'll be honest, from what I did see, this win wasn't so much Toronto doing all the right things and outperforming Houston, but rather the Dynamo playing really lazily. Maybe it's just me, but didn't they look awfully slow out there? My biddy John even mentioned it. Toronto wasn't playing a fantastic by an stretch, but Houston certainly made it look that way. Obviously, I'm gonna need to see more than just the highlights, but from the 40 minutes or so broken up that I saw, this game looked more like a break-down on the part of the Dynamo than anything else.

Of course, I will take any win that I can get, though. ;)

Dreadlocks
05-07-2011, 10:06 PM
My thoughts....

Frei - Didn't have a lot to do but was big when needed. Pitty the clean sheet was lost.

Eckersley - Looks really, really strong and his positional sense is amazing. Still needs to work on his fitness and his decision making when on the ball.

Williams/Cann - Looked really strong and will get stronger.

Yourassowski - Didn't play badly but I think he's got more.

DeGuzman/Tchani - It's like one is the brains and the other is the brawn.

Peterson - Looked ok but dude needs to rest sometime.

Soolsma - Made some nice runs but needs to look up from time to time when running with the ball.

Stevanovic - did his job for the most part but needss to stop trying to do it all himself.

Santos - Great finish. Feel bad that he was made captain. Not a role he should play.

Gold - no influence so no thoughts.

Gargan - :noidea:

And last but not least, PLATA!! Now I'll be honest, I was a bit reluctant to say he needs to be in the first 11 but after this match you can't keep him out. Doesn't anyone find it weird that the 19 year old was the one who went for the ball for the P/K? Shows confidence and heart and I like it. I just hope that other teams don't mark him out of the game from now on because of his size.

Really enjoyed the game from beginning to end. Great win for our boys...up next Dallas.

twistedchinaman
05-07-2011, 10:11 PM
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3411/5697660945_ec881e9a24_b.jpg
KD.

Well played, sir. Well played.

Pachuco
05-07-2011, 10:21 PM
Anyone else notice how pissed off Tchani was that Plata took the kick? The second penalty that got called back I thought they were going to scrap for the ball? What's up with that? Winter has to take control of that shit.

Good game tonight for sure. Plata and Eckersley were the difference in my opinion.

What happened with Martina by the way? was he injured or just not selected? Soolsma had some interesting crosses but I don't think he's anywhere near Martina's quality.

Auzzy
05-07-2011, 10:24 PM
What amazed me about Plata: not just that he's incredibly fast, above average first touch, dribbles & takes on guys well -- but that he's also an amazing passer of the ball. So many dangerous, pin-point passes in very difficult situations. Just the right mixture of holding the ball & getting rid of the ball.

LucaGol
05-07-2011, 10:24 PM
Finally Plata started ... been wanting that for awhile.

Winter's getting it now ... slowly.

Dreadlocks
05-07-2011, 10:29 PM
What happened with Martina by the way? was he injured or just not selected? Soolsma had some interesting crosses but I don't think he's anywhere near Martina's quality.

Apparently Winter, "was not satisfied by him" so he wasn't in the line up

rocker
05-07-2011, 10:38 PM
I didn't get many opportunities to watch the stream tonight (just a few minutes here and there), but I'll be honest, from what I did see, this win wasn't so much Toronto doing all the right things and outperforming Houston, but rather the Dynamo playing really lazily.

gotta love an assessment by someone who didn't watch the whole game. haha. ;)

No, Toronto did the right things more often than Houston did. No excuses for Houston tonight. They had some chances.

Both teams also played midweek.

Fair result. Solid home win by TFC against a team that all experts rate more highly than TFC. Give credit where credit is due.

The key thing now will be keeping this up.

tfcocd
05-07-2011, 10:43 PM
I was so happy for plata when he scored! He had played a part in all the offense in the cup games and it was well deserved. Then he reminded us of his play making ability when he made that killer pass Santos finished off. If they keep playing like that BMO could really sound like the fortress we all know and love.

Ron Manager
05-07-2011, 10:49 PM
I think we actually saw a bit of football tonight. That has been in short supply over the last few years.

werewolf
05-07-2011, 10:58 PM
It looks like Soolsma went to shoot and the defender put his boot in the way, couldn't tell in real time, if I see a better replay I will have no problem calling out a dive.

Peterson is bad, really bad.

boxy
05-07-2011, 11:11 PM
P l a t a ! that is all

TOBOR !
05-07-2011, 11:14 PM
Tchani's passing was brutal as seen from the back of 105, and Eckersley / Soolsma need more time together to sort each other out. Each of them took turns passing too far ahead of the other resulting in the ball rolling into touch.

ecospice
05-07-2011, 11:16 PM
I skipped the game to go to my 12th Lowest of the Low Concert (now eclipsing Van Halen - by one show - as the band I have seen most) but I am happy to see the comments about The Eck, Plata, JDG and Tchani. Good to see we won too. The SSG was an added bonus.

...drink some Guinness from a tin...cause my UI (now EI) cheque has come in...

jazzy
05-07-2011, 11:22 PM
Soolsma was a real spark plug, but....he's a cheater.

Replay shows the penalty was a dive, Houston player didn't catch him.

I prefer to think he, uh, caught a stiff blade of grass. Yeah. That's it.

harsh,..Houston player stepped on his foot, and it was a scoring opportunity, saw both the replay and I was at field level, head on

twistedchinaman
05-07-2011, 11:23 PM
gotta love an assessment by someone who didn't watch the whole game. haha. ;)

No, Toronto did the right things more often than Houston did. No excuses for Houston tonight. They had some chances.

Both teams also played midweek.

Fair result. Solid home win by TFC against a team that all experts rate more highly than TFC. Give credit where credit is due.

The key thing now will be keeping this up.

+1,000,000,000,000,000...

Schedule isn't going to get any easier and with Dallas, Chicago, Stinkouver Shitecraps (x2), Colorado and Philly the rest of this month...

the-lower-eastsider
05-07-2011, 11:24 PM
Well played, sir. Well played.
i didnt think this one up. parky did.

jazzy
05-07-2011, 11:26 PM
I think he is out for awhile.

ya another vicious from behind tackle,

Gazza
05-07-2011, 11:32 PM
horrible refereeing but a cracking 2nd half performance with plenty of passing football. Solid display from all. Something to build on.
I think we saw the birth of a star in the making tonight in the roadrunner!

I remember when a star named Martina was born after one game. What happened to him?

Let's all just drink some herbal tea and calm down.

jazzy
05-07-2011, 11:46 PM
I remember when a star named Martina was born after one game. What happened to him?

Let's all just drink some herbal tea and calm down.

whats herbal tea? I love the way I'm feelin now .....waitin ages to even enjoy a competitive game,.....and what, I have to go into a coma, not f##kin likely!..There was tons of joy on the field and in the stands tonight......go have a nap

twistedchinaman
05-07-2011, 11:50 PM
I remember when a star named Martina was born after one game. What happened to him?

Let's all just drink some herbal tea and calm down.

Amen, brochacho.

Plata is still very, very young...we can't expect the world from him just yet.

And for the record, I prefer iced sweetened chrysanthemum tea. :D

A.J
05-07-2011, 11:55 PM
I'm having trouble telling Peterson apart from Soolsma on the pitch

AmherstNY_TFC
05-07-2011, 11:56 PM
It was nice that, considering we have not gotten any breaks this season, that we got a couple of questionable calls that went our way. Plata was way offside on the setup of the second goal. The AR was 10 yards out of position. I sit in 122, and I could see he was offside. But, the AR was too far up the field, and let play continue. If the penalty was a dive, so be it. At least some breaks went our way tonight.

I think, finally, Winter is getting a sense of who his best 11 are. I am concerned about Plata being a full-time starter. He took a beating out there last night. A lot of teams in MLS play thug ball, and he may be too small to take a consistent pounding. If he stays fit, he may be the steal of the 2011 draft.

I wonder how long Eckersley has been on Paul Mariner's radar? I'll bet he wanted to bring him into Plymouth Argyle, but, since Argyle were in serious financial trouble, there was no money for new players. In any event, he looks the business.

In any event, it was a great game to watch, and it's much nicer to drive home to Buffalo after a win. I remain optimistic that, while it may take until the second half of the season, there will be a settled starting 11, and the players will get a handle on the tactics, and the team will gel.

Roogsy
05-08-2011, 12:10 AM
Good game. Not great. Good. Houston was off, they did not play well and it gave TFC the opportunity to take the 3 points. That is not an excuse or a minimization of TFC, simply an observation. The fact is that TFC has to take 3 points from games like this in order to stave off residing in the basement.

I thought Plata, Eckersley and JDG had good games. Almost everyone else was average.

The one thing I will say is that TFC played the full 90. They came out with effort, and held it up till the end. For a team short on talent, that is a must. I'd like to see it in all games although I think we will continue to see inconsistency.

Borga
05-08-2011, 12:29 AM
Loving Eckersley's poise on the ball and ability to make runs. Mighty Midget is a star in the making. I hope he sees plenty of game time to continue to progress.

UltraSuperMegaMo
05-08-2011, 12:34 AM
Hard not to get a little excited by this game, some good individual efforts, but a great team effort. The passing was quite good at times too. I'll be interested to see who Winter puts out there on Wenesday.

QSIM
05-08-2011, 12:34 AM
Winter got it right - we played like a team today. It seemed like the boys were hungry for a result today and fucking right, its been a while.

I was a bit negative when I got to the ground, no no.9 upfront for us (no Gordon or Santos) but we manage to slug through and get a result. Was Gordon injured?

Hope we carry something into Wednesday.

jloome
05-08-2011, 12:49 AM
harsh,..Houston player stepped on his foot, and it was a scoring opportunity, saw both the replay and I was at field level, head on

The TV replay from behind showed there's clearly three inches of air between his foot and the Houston defender's, so no, that's not the case.

Hitcho
05-08-2011, 12:49 AM
Plata has that amazing confidence of youth - fearless and believes without boundaries. It's great to see him just get out there and play with drive and excitement.

Team did well today, from front to back. I'm hoping that this is a glimpse of what we can expect to see from a Winter team on a regular basis in the future. Good times will roll if it is...

jloome
05-08-2011, 12:51 AM
I'm having trouble telling Peterson apart from Soolsma on the pitch

Soolsma has blond hair, Peterson's is Red.

UltraSuperMegaMo
05-08-2011, 12:54 AM
Peterson is a red head? You learn something new everyday. I can kind of see what you mean. Strawberry Blonde maybe?

Mark TFC
05-08-2011, 12:55 AM
Very, very happy with tonight's performance. We played with loads of heart and definately deserved the three points. Plata is a beast! But the whole team deserves credit, beautiful game.

UltraSuperMegaMo
05-08-2011, 12:58 AM
It's a little funny, last week crap game, the PG thread must of been twice as long. Good game, it's a bit of a ghost town.

Roogsy
05-08-2011, 01:04 AM
Bad games are easy to comment on. They sucked. People vent. It's pretty straight forward.

Wins are a little harder. Is this win simply a flash in the pan and TFC is back to sucking next league game? Or is this a sign that the team has made a turnaround and can compete? Is this the starting XI that we will be going with or will Winter make changes again?

With so much to doubt, I think it's hard to comment either way, hence the lack of comments.

Super Cereal
05-08-2011, 01:13 AM
If this game doesn't solidify Eck and Plata as legitimate starters this season I don't know what will.

Agreed x100. Two major bright spots.

TFCRegina
05-08-2011, 02:12 AM
Bad games are easy to comment on. They sucked. People vent. It's pretty straight forward.

Wins are a little harder. Is this win simply a flash in the pan and TFC is back to sucking next league game? Or is this a sign that the team has made a turnaround and can compete? Is this the starting XI that we will be going with or will Winter make changes again?

With so much to doubt, I think it's hard to comment either way, hence the lack of comments.

I think a lot of people are fearful of getting their hopes up only to be disappointed again.

The team played well today. But it's a long season. Not a 1 game season. There's more games. Hard to get motivated to brag about how awesome we are when we've seen a number of performances to the contrary.

twistedchinaman
05-08-2011, 02:14 AM
Peterson is a red head? You learn something new everyday. I can kind of see what you mean. Strawberry Blonde maybe?

Whoa whoa whoa, isn't Eckersley also a ginger?

twistedchinaman
05-08-2011, 02:17 AM
I think a lot of people are fearful of getting their hopes up only to be disappointed again.

The team played well today. But it's a long season. Not a 1 game season. There's more games. Hard to get motivated to brag about how awesome we are when we've seen a number of performances to the contrary.

Agreed.

This is one game -- Dallas will likely be a bigger challenge (Chaves), especially in their crib. And Chicago is always going to be a stiff opponent no matter what (esp. w/ Marco Pappa)...and the Shitecraps twice. There's still a lot of room for a lot of things to happen.

The lads played good today, that's not a debatable fact. But we roll on...I think it's a sign of a general understanding that one game does not a season make, which in previous seasons...not so much.

torontocelt
05-08-2011, 02:22 AM
Everyone tried hard today, that is the difference. Best game we have played for a long time.

torontocelt
05-08-2011, 02:29 AM
Forgot to say that Peterson is shite, please no more of him.

lobo
05-08-2011, 02:54 AM
Quote:
Originally Posted by jazzy http://redpatchboys.ca/forums/redbar/buttons/viewpost.gif (http://redpatchboys.ca/forums/showthread.php?p=1293744#post1293744)
harsh,..Houston player stepped on his foot, and it was a scoring opportunity, saw both the replay and I was at field level, head on

The TV replay from behind showed there's clearly three inches of air between his foot and the Houston defender's, so no, that's not the case.

seriously? three inches? soolsma was clipped on the heel ... from behind ... nobody is that good at diving

it was a great effort by soolsma to earn the penalty, and it was earned

strong work, creative play, well supported defending, good win, lotsa joy

kaos197O
05-08-2011, 06:11 AM
I wonder how long Eckersley has been on Paul Mariner's radar? I'll bet he wanted to bring him into Plymouth Argyle, but, since Argyle were in serious financial trouble, there was no money for new players. In any event, he looks the business.

He did play for Mariner in 2010 with the Plymouth Argyle. That's why Mariner wanted him here and how he knew he could potentially fit this system.

Parkdale
05-08-2011, 06:22 AM
few quick points (on the off-field stuff)

- 112 was rocking, really really rocking. The relocation worked!

- Gino did a good job on the stand and things were all good
(before anyone starts making something out of nothing)

- oh the difference a sunny day makes

- post game at gate 3 was bonkers.

- having plata and the players run to the corner after the PK was a nice touch

- someone fk'ed up and sold a bunch of tickets in 212 (the accessible seats) to Houston fans. No problems though.

kaos197O
05-08-2011, 06:41 AM
Game was good last night! We finally played as a TEAM. Something that has been missing. It was All for One last night. Crowd was amazing. Really hammered away at the chants with passion all night long and playing their part in this effort. Most enjoyable game and atmosphere at BMO this season.

Having said that, it concerned me watching our defense get carved up. It was fairly easy for the Dynamo to get in behind our defense. While we usually got back to stop the play, it was not good. As others have mentioned, if Houston was on their game, the result could have been different. Thank God for Frei as he always makes at least 1 or 2 game saving stops each game.

Speaking of getting in behind the defense, Houston Dynamo fans were allowed to sit at the top of 112 last night and drape their colors on the railing. Not proper. When staff and security were asked to have them removed, they told us that opposing fans are allowed to sit anywhere they want if the have a ticket. REALLY? They said that there was nothing that they could do but check that ticket. Opposing fans in a DESIGNATED Toronto FC Supporters section in Toronto. Hmmmmm. If we wanted them out, we could obstruct their view, we could chant at them and even surround them, so long as not to touch them. Intimidate them to the point that they request removal from the section. I was surprised by this advise. Surely BMO staff and security don't want us to handle things in such a manner do they? Is it not their job to diffuse a potentially dangerous situation if one is brought to their attention? I can understand if staff went up and spoke to them and came back to tell us that they were with some of our boys but they did not.

Care to comment PAUL? Is this how you would like us to deal with opposing fans being in OUR designated Supporters Sections? If not, your staff needs training badly!

:scarf: colors only in Supporters Sections Please!

Anyways, I hope we can keep it up. Really good effort last night and the weather was perfect for a football game too....Finally!

Parkdale
05-08-2011, 06:52 AM
I was tempted to give the 'Text any problems to....' route about them, but it seemed like it wasn't going to be a problem.

Plus it was nice to show them just how Toronto does it ;)

menefreghista
05-08-2011, 06:55 AM
He did play for Mariner in 2010 with the Plymouth Argyle. That's why Mariner wanted him here and how he knew he could potentially fit this system.

Mariner didn't find Eckersley. Eckersley's agent found us.

kaos197O
05-08-2011, 06:59 AM
I was tempted to give the 'Text any problems to....' route about them, but it seemed like it wasn't going to be a problem.

Plus it was nice to show them just how Toronto does it ;)

While your sentiments are understood, it's more a matter of principal for me. When I look at 112 I do not want to see Dynamo scarves and 2XL Dynamo jackets splashed over 10 feet of our railing. Doing that IS instigating and that was my point to the security. I still think we need an answer from FO on this one. One day it could turn into something not so pretty especially if the result is going the other way.

Having said that, we showed them by winning. What better way can you say Fuck You right! :D

kaos197O
05-08-2011, 07:00 AM
Mariner didn't find Eckersley. Eckersley's agent found us.
Perhaps this is true but it doesn't change the fact that he played 7 games for the Plymouth Argyle last year.

menefreghista
05-08-2011, 07:00 AM
While your sentiments are understood, it's more a matter of principal for me. When I look at 112 I do not want to see Dynamo scarves and 2XL Dynamo jackets splashed over 10 feet of our railing. Doing that IS instigating and that was my point to the security. I still think we need an answer from FO on this one. One day it could turn into something not so pretty especially if the result is going the other way.

Having said that, we showed them by winning. What better way can you say Fuck You right! :D

Paul Beirne won't give a shit. The way things have been going he was probably happy to sell the tickets.

kaos197O
05-08-2011, 07:01 AM
Paul Beirne won't give a shit. The one things have been going he was probably happy to sell the tickets.
You are probably right. Wait for something BAD to happen first. Then blame and punish the fans and Supporters Groups for it after. I am all too familiar with that type of Management!

menefreghista
05-08-2011, 07:02 AM
Perhaps this is true but it doesn't change the fact that he played 7 games for the Plymouth Argyle last year.

And that is probably the reason why Eckersley's agent had Mariner in his rolodex and gave him a call.

Just thought it was interesting that it happened that way.


It's a little funny, last week crap game, the PG thread must of been twice as long. Good game, it's a bit of a ghost town.

If this team ever started winning consistently the forum would be way more boring.

kaos197O
05-08-2011, 07:05 AM
And that is probably the reason why Eckersley's agent had Mariner in his rolodex and gave him a call.

Just thought it was interesting that it happened that way.
It is and it appears that we are lucky that it did as so far there's not too much bad to say about this kid!

menefreghista
05-08-2011, 07:07 AM
It is and it appears that we are lucky that it did as so far there's not too much bad to say about this kid!

I agree. He looks like a great addition. And according to the just released salaries we aren't over paying him either.

v00d00daddy
05-08-2011, 07:25 AM
It wasn't perfect but I was very happy watching this game. It was nice to see TFC play to a level that caused Houston to play like TFC typically does. LOL

Houston hoofing the ball upfield due to a lack of options was great to see. TFC's spacing was very good. They pressured well as a team and caused a lot of Houston turnovers and poor decisions.

Soolsma played okay but I think our best lineup up could have been Stevanovic out on the right (he looks a little lost in the middle of the park) and Santos as the CF...but...it all worked out.

I would imagine that Winter is very pleased with the result.

Nuvinho
05-08-2011, 07:26 AM
TFC started both halves really well, controlled the ball. Unlike other games when we start off slow.

Bad point (not many) was that we conceeded a goal in the final 15 minutes for the first time all season. We need to keep clean sheets to be sucessful in this league.

Heathen
05-08-2011, 07:58 AM
Thread title says it all, very happy with the result and performance, that is the progress we've been asking to see

Detroit_TFC
05-08-2011, 08:18 AM
I typically apply the milk test to our games - I take a sniff and if I don't retch, it's good. Last night it was good.

KGH
05-08-2011, 08:28 AM
Good game tonight for sure. Plata and Eckersley were the difference in my opinion.



I was watching Eckersley and what really stands out is that when he makes a mistake (and he made a bunch) he hussles his ass off and gets back in to position. There were a couples times he had the ball taken from him and he managed to get back in front of the attacker and take the ball away. And he's pretty physical on the ball. Arguably the best rb I've seen in a TFC uniform.

ag futbol
05-08-2011, 08:35 AM
The biggest difference between Eckersley and the other RB's we've had is simple and it's the one thing that usually distinguishes a good soccer player from a bad one: first touch.

He got the ball in some pretty tight spaces but he was able to mostly navigate them because his skill. Most of the guys we've had play back there would have been degraded into hoofing it or dribbling into the defender.

zeelaw
05-08-2011, 08:48 AM
Winning! A-Yo!

maninb
05-08-2011, 09:06 AM
I was watching Eckersley and what really stands out is that when he makes a mistake (and he made a bunch) he hussles his ass off and gets back in to position. There were a couples times he had the ball taken from him and he managed to get back in front of the attacker and take the ball away. And he's pretty physical on the ball. Arguably the best rb I've seen in a TFC uniform.

That's the British style...Watch the EPL..if a player loses a ball he better make a great effort to get it back or he gets reamed...

brad
05-08-2011, 09:07 AM
- 112 was rocking, really really rocking. The relocation worked!


Out of curiosity - what took so long to get the section going? I didn't pay attention to closely, but it seemed dead until the goal.

At the start of the match especially - 112 was half empty and looked like nothing was happening. People around me we wondering if RPb were protesting.

brad
05-08-2011, 09:13 AM
The biggest difference between Eckersley and the other RB's we've had is simple and it's the one thing that usually distinguishes a good soccer player from a bad one: first touch.

He got the ball in some pretty tight spaces but he was able to mostly navigate them because his skill. Most of the guys we've had play back there would have been degraded into hoofing it or dribbling into the defender.

Kid went through the United system and it shows - he has the technical ability and read of the game I would expect.

kaos197O
05-08-2011, 09:42 AM
Just watched the replay of the overturned penalty shot, over and over. There was no off side, there was absolute contact by the keeper on Plata, so what was the official ruling there for over turning the call? Anyone know?

Hugh Jazz
05-08-2011, 09:51 AM
Apparently the keeper touched the ball first and then contact was incidental but it didn't seem that way to me.

ExiledRed
05-08-2011, 10:02 AM
Whoa whoa whoa, isn't Eckersley also a ginger?

So fucking what?

flatpicker
05-08-2011, 10:50 AM
Out of curiosity - what took so long to get the section going? I didn't pay attention to closely, but it seemed dead until the goal.

At the start of the match especially - 112 was half empty and looked like nothing was happening. People around me we wondering if RPb were protesting.


I'm not sure why people were slow to show up.
I was in my 111 seats for the Edmonton game, and I noticed that 112 was empty.
And I actually was starting to wonder if there was some protest that I didn't hear about.

But then I realized that the group would never do anything without getting my consent.
So they were probably all just in the washroom.

mightydrm
05-08-2011, 10:56 AM
Just watched the replay of the overturned penalty shot, over and over. There was no off side, there was absolute contact by the keeper on Plata, so what was the official ruling there for over turning the call? Anyone know?

That is the question of the match. The goaltender clearly grabbed Plata; whether he touched the ball first is irrelevant with that kind of grab. What is the official explanation? Is it found anywhere?

TFC1154ever
05-08-2011, 10:58 AM
Forgot to say that Peterson is shite, please no more of him.


PLZ PLZ PLZ PLZ, he is consistently the worst player on the pitch every night. He is starting to bug me like Garcia did.

Super Cereal
05-08-2011, 11:16 AM
Bad games are easy to comment on. They sucked. People vent. It's pretty straight forward.

Wins are a little harder. Is this win simply a flash in the pan and TFC is back to sucking next league game? Or is this a sign that the team has made a turnaround and can compete? Is this the starting XI that we will be going with or will Winter make changes again?

With so much to doubt, I think it's hard to comment either way, hence the lack of comments.


I think a lot of people are fearful of getting their hopes up only to be disappointed again.

The team played well today. But it's a long season. Not a 1 game season. There's more games. Hard to get motivated to brag about how awesome we are when we've seen a number of performances to the contrary.

Bull shit. Nobody here is claiming one game makes a fucking season, we're just discussing the win. It's a post-game thread, what do you expect?

No surprise the two most negative people here trying to be the "voice of reason" without need.

craigtfc
05-08-2011, 11:18 AM
Just watched the replay of the overturned penalty shot, over and over. There was no off side, there was absolute contact by the keeper on Plata, so what was the official ruling there for over turning the call? Anyone know?
I heard when I was getting a beer on the commentary that's plata was initially offside and that's why the ref took back the yellow card

GuelphStorm2007
05-08-2011, 11:45 AM
Excellent second half by the boy's last nite. I was mostly impressed by the performances of Plata (Obvisouly) Soolsma, Yuorass, and Eckersly. Stevanovic was decent when called upon but he should learn to use his teamated more effectivaly. Tchani scares me a bit when he has the Ball. And Deguzman was excellent in front of the defence. The last 5 minutes scared me but I am glad with the 3 points.

rocker
05-08-2011, 11:53 AM
Bull shit. Nobody here is claiming one game makes a fucking season, we're just discussing the win. It's a post-game thread, what do you expect?

No surprise the two most negative people here trying to be the "voice of reason" without need.

it's funny that when it's a loss, then one game makes a season in the post game threads. Actually, when it's a loss, commentaries go far beyond simply the game itself. It's about the season.... it's about the last 4 seasons.... etc. But when it's a win, the post-game thread is supposed to be just about the one game? hmmm. If that's the rule, then I'd like to see it applied to post-games threads on the losses too ;)

QSIM
05-08-2011, 12:08 PM
- post game at gate 3 was bonkers.



yes, its always rocking after a night game win, but yesterday was nuts!

ryan
05-08-2011, 12:21 PM
had a great time yesterday, felt like i got my money's worth for a change. haha.

thrilled to see yourass and ginger snaps playing fullback, they really need to be permanent starters in our 11 because everyone else doesn't have the ability to push the ball forward like those two do.

really impressed when the dynamo had a break late in the 2nd half, and ecks came charging over to help out dicoy and break it up. I don't think any of our backs would be quick thinking/reacting enough to help that play out, his football sense is clearly what we need back there.

Chicago is of poor form and looking up at us in the standings, another 3 points is certainly obtainable with another decent performance. Kinda wish I didn't part with those tickets,:( lol

ExiledRed
05-08-2011, 12:30 PM
it's funny that when it's a loss, then one game makes a season in the post game threads. Actually, when it's a loss, commentaries go far beyond simply the game itself. It's about the season.... it's about the last 4 seasons.... etc. But when it's a win, the post-game thread is supposed to be just about the one game? hmmm. If that's the rule, then I'd like to see it applied to post-games threads on the losses too ;)

Your oversimplifying, there is more argument and negativity after a loss, and that is normal, especially when threads are lenghtened by you responding to every single negative comment with a contradictory argument.

After a win, were all drinking and fucking.

I dare anybody to say 'I told you so' though, and thats what these posts are sounding like.

"how come all the negative people are quiet? they must be wrong, and seething in a corner, angry that we won and they got proved wrong"

Well no, actually, were delighted and surprised by the win, but were not naive enough to suggest that beating Houston 2-1 at home is a vindication of everything that Winter's done since he got here.

TFCRegina
05-08-2011, 12:33 PM
it's funny that when it's a loss, then one game makes a season in the post game threads. Actually, when it's a loss, commentaries go far beyond simply the game itself. It's about the season.... it's about the last 4 seasons.... etc. But when it's a win, the post-game thread is supposed to be just about the one game? hmmm. If that's the rule, then I'd like to see it applied to post-games threads on the losses too ;)

If case you haven't noticed. It has been. We're 2-4-3, with a bunch of uninspiring draws and 3 losses that were absolutely dreadful. Go back in those threads and read about how we talked about the whole season being shit so far. Thanks for coming out.

TFCRegina
05-08-2011, 12:34 PM
Your oversimplifying, there is more argument and negativity after a loss, and that is normal, especially when threads are lenghtened by you responding to every single negative comment with a contradictory argument.

After a win, were all drinking and fucking.

I dare anybody to say 'I told you so' though, and thats what these posts are sounding like.

"how come all the negative people are quiet? they must be wrong, and seething in a corner, angry that we won and they got proved wrong"

Well no, actually, were delighted and surprised by the win, but were not naive enough to suggest that beating Houston 2-1 at home is a vindication of everything that Winter's done since he got here.

Thank you so much for this.

canadian_bhoy
05-08-2011, 12:51 PM
I had the chance to sit in 120 last night. Not having TRN at the stadium is great. You could clearly hear 112 and the chants.

The slow clap was awesome - that is something that almost made it all the way around the stadium. Do it a little longer/slower next time and you'll have 20,000 people taking part. It was great.

Obviously Plata was great out there - really liked Ecks as well, he's great. JDG was good once again, he's been solid all year.

The thing I liked best was the way the team played together, and for the first time in a long time, they seemed like a happy team.

We're still a few pieces away from being able to compete with teams like Seattle or New York, but we can hold our own with any of these chump teams like Houston.

TFC overall 7/10 last night.

PS - They need to start selling Caesars at BMO!

v00d00daddy
05-08-2011, 12:54 PM
Well no, actually, were delighted and surprised by the win, but were not naive enough to suggest that beating Houston 2-1 at home is a vindication of everything that Winter's done since he got here.


Thank you so much for this.

Hold on one second.

After the last game against Seattle people were talking as if what happened last night was completely impossible. The team was shit...the system doesnt exist...winter is tactically inept...JDG is shit.

Now...in one game we see that, despite playing a team that all would rate more highly than tfc, it is possible to get results.

So yes....there is no need to ignore what has happened up until this point...and there are still many issues with this team.

But last night showed that things are coming along. Far from perfect but this team, when clicking, isnt the travesty that you guys make it out to be.

I (and many others) knew they were capable of playing well, and they did last night.

mclaren
05-08-2011, 01:04 PM
Nice to get a win, but let's be honest - Houston were nothing short of awful.

Heathen
05-08-2011, 01:09 PM
Hold on one second.

After the last game against Seattle people were talking as if what happened last night was completely impossible. The team was shit...the system doesnt exist...winter is tactically inept...JDG is shit.

Now...in one game we see that, despite playing a team that all would rate more highly than tfc, it is possible to get results.

So yes....there is no need to ignore what has happened up until this point...and there are still many issues with this team.

But last night showed that things are coming along. Far from perfect but this team, when clicking, isnt the travesty that you guys make it out to be.

I (and many others) knew they were capable of playing well, and they did last night.

Last night was a very welcome step in the right direction but I think much of the criticism of Winter previously was completely justified and the fact that basically he did everything that those people wanted him to do proves it.

kaos197O
05-08-2011, 01:12 PM
Hold on one second.

After the last game against Seattle people were talking as if what happened last night was completely impossible. The team was shit...the system doesnt exist...winter is tactically inept...JDG is shit.

Now...in one game we see that, despite playing a team that all would rate more highly than tfc, it is possible to get results.

So yes....there is no need to ignore what has happened up until this point...and there are still many issues with this team.

But last night showed that things are coming along. Far from perfect but this team, when clicking, isnt the travesty that you guys make it out to be.

I (and many others) knew they were capable of playing well, and they did last night.
Not quite true VooDoo. People questioned the system as ther appeared to be no sign of one. People questioned Winter for that very same reason. People questioned whether or not our players could actually play in that system as we had seen little proof of it till that point. That is very different from what you just stated.

We played well last night. I knew we could. I hope we will do so very soon again and consistently thereafter. We'll see. As many have stated, the verdict is still out on all of that.

ExiledRed
05-08-2011, 01:21 PM
Hold on one second.

After the last game against Seattle people were talking as if what happened last night was completely impossible. The team was shit...the system doesnt exist...winter is tactically inept...JDG is shit.

Now...in one game we see that, despite playing a team that all would rate more highly than tfc, it is possible to get results.

So yes....there is no need to ignore what has happened up until this point...and there are still many issues with this team.

But last night showed that things are coming along. Far from perfect but this team, when clicking, isnt the travesty that you guys make it out to be.

I (and many others) knew they were capable of playing well, and they did last night.

I was just pointing out that its also premature to start discrediting the people who have expressed concern at Winter's performance thus far.

I also dont like the insinuation that winter-sceptics are 'being quiet' because theyre secretly pissed that we won, and would rather we lost so that could continue being negative on the board.

Your post isnt a direct response to mine or Regina's, I agree with much of your points. I dont believe we needed to play like crap for four weeks in orfer to get that result though, I also believe that the number one problem this team has faced since 2007 is consistency.

Think back to beating Dallas 4-0. That in no way proved Mo had finally cracked a system and was about to start taking names did it?

The players looked like they wanted to win last night, they looked like they wanted to answer their critics too, and I commend them and Winter for making sure that we got the three points. The question now is, can Winter do what previous managers have failed to do and build on an upswing, bring a consistent level of desire and effort to the pitch every game and start grinding out the points.

Alonso
05-08-2011, 01:21 PM
I think a lot of people are fearful of getting their hopes up only to be disappointed again.

The team played well today. But it's a long season. Not a 1 game season. There's more games. Hard to get motivated to brag about how awesome we are when we've seen a number of performances to the contrary.


This.

I don't think we should start giving eachother hand jobs just yet.

ExiledRed
05-08-2011, 01:24 PM
This.

I don't think we should start giving eachother hand jobs just yet.

Do you mind if we dont do that...even if you think the time is right?

v00d00daddy
05-08-2011, 01:31 PM
I was just pointing out that its also premature to start discrediting the people who have expressed concern at Winter's performance thus far.

I also believe that the number one problem this team has faced since 2007 is consistency.

Think back to beating Dallas 4-0. That in no way proved Mo had finally cracked a system and was about to start taking names did it?

The players looked like they wanted to win last night, they looked like they wanted to answer their critics too, and I commend them and Winter for making sure that we got the three points. The question now is, can Winter do what previous managers have failed to do and build on an upswing, bring a consistent level of desire and effort to the pitch every game and start grinding out the points.

Agreed. Consistent performances like last night is what this team needs.

As for the 4-0 Dallas win on Fathers Day a few seasons ago...meh. Apples and oranges.

TFC won last night while employing the idea of possession based ball, patience and keeping their shape. All things that we've never had before.

Now it's time to build on that and hopefully they can.

v00d00daddy
05-08-2011, 01:35 PM
Not quite true VooDoo. People questioned the system as ther appeared to be no sign of one. People questioned Winter for that very same reason. People questioned whether or not our players could actually play in that system as we had seen little proof of it till that point. That is very different from what you just stated.

We played well last night. I knew we could. I hope we will do so very soon again and consistently thereafter. We'll see. As many have stated, the verdict is still out on all of that.

Appeared there was no sign of one to who exactly?

Even in our poor perfomances this year (Opening game against Vancouver comes to mind), TFC have been trying to play a possession based game. It hasn't worked out nearly enough as any of us would like, but the idea has always been there.

Just because we were losing, and playing badly, that doesnt mean the gameplan was non-existent. It was just non-existant to people who don't care to look for it because they're blinded by the score.

Consistency is the key...for sure. But last night proved one thing. They're capable of playing decently, while still applying the gameplan that Winter wants them playing.

I think there was a lot of talk in previous post game threads that it wasn't possible. Last night showed that it is.

That's all I was saying.

v00d00daddy
05-08-2011, 01:36 PM
Do you mind if we dont do that...even if you think the time is right?

lol

+1

v00d00daddy
05-08-2011, 01:39 PM
Last night was a very welcome step in the right direction but I think much of the criticism of Winter previously was completely justified and the fact that basically he did everything that those people wanted him to do proves it.

He did what he thinks is right for the team to succeed. Whether or not that coincides with what people want him to do is totally irrelevant.

Criticism was absolutely justified.

After a game like yesterday...praise is as well.

Alonso
05-08-2011, 01:42 PM
Do you mind if we dont do that...even if you think the time is right?

.... :D

levyashin
05-08-2011, 02:00 PM
T.F.C.played like a team yesterday,with standout displays from Plata and Eckersley.What we need now is consistancy,the same desire to win every game home or away. When that happens we will be a contender,it looks like we finally have enough talent to accomplish this.

v00d00daddy
05-08-2011, 02:11 PM
I did a little digging from the last PGT against Seattle and I can see why some people (myself included) think that it's funny that some don't like being questioned on previous statements.

Disclaimer: this is not suggest that all or any of the comments below are wrong or unjustified. It's just to show a little perspective. I haven't read anywhere in this thread that last nights performance is an indicator that TFC are now a championship calibre squad...but some people sure are quick to quash any sense of optimism. lol

Here are a smattering of quotes from the Seattle PGT:


This team needs dismantling, an embarrassment.
I am growing more and more concerned that this "style" of play we are attempting to implement is possibly not a realistic one for this league considering that there is a skinflint style of salary cap in placeand a relatively thin talent pool of players that produce very few with the right kinds of skill sets to play it and make it work.

And it seems to me that every single opponent in MLS we have faced this season has the tactics down to stop this 4-3-3 approach...

Play a 4-4-2!
We could play the most simplistic technical system in the world and we'd still be losing.
We have a bunch of heartless players and a bunch of players with poor football IQ. And some who have both as a problem. And that's TFC. 2009 was the best team we ever assembled. They had a lot of the right characters and some mid season acquisitions brought more problems than benefits.

Now we're sitting he scratching our heads trying to figure out why we lose. We've traded away virtually all the character and IQ from this team. De Ro was the last, but Robinson left before him (as did a host of others). Garcia's gone and while he wasn't physically good enough, he was the right type of character. God I miss him at fullback.
Plata is just not good enough.
So, where exactly are those "signs of improvement" we're supposed to be seeing?
We have nowhere to go but up? If anything this team has shown us a perpetual ability to stay at the bottom. When exactly is this "up" supposed to happen? If someone could give me a timeline, maybe I can be a little bit more patient.

After 9 games I just do not see much evidence on the field to justify, all this moving in the right direction talk. If you're happy with blind faith, good for you but blind faith is hardly logical either is it?

Look, if this team dropped 30 games straight, 3-0 losses all of them, you'd be supporting the management and claiming that things are just on the verge of turning around because they can't get any worse.

It's one thing to be hopeful and another thing to be completely blind as to what is actually on the pitch.
I can only assume that whatever Winter tells them to do at half time is the wrong thing, and the utter collapse of all coordination in the second half is a testament to that. I think he's confusing them, which is why theyre all out of position and passing the ball to invisible players.
I think we have a reasonable chance of pulling out a total of 3-5 points from these games.

That's May.
Don't get too frustrated - we'll still catch a beating on Saturday. You heard it here first.-from the Houston pre game thread


So......again...not that theses sentiments are wrong...but I just wanted to show how, after one game, these drastic overexaggerations seem ridiculous to me.

Gazza
05-08-2011, 02:34 PM
Welcome to the wonderful world of fandom Voodoodaddy. It's tough to be even keeled when you've been taken for such a roller coaster ride since the team's inception.

I like to keep perspective, but i can't blame those who lose it. Sometimes it's just a matter of blowing off steam or, like after last night's game, enjoying a well-deserved win while getting ahead of ourselves.

ensco
05-08-2011, 02:38 PM
Winter won't get credit or blame from me, as a manager, until the end of the year.

Player personnel acquisition/selection, that's different. That doesn't take the same amount of time to evaluate, and ignoring it is the same as giving mgmt a free pass this year.

Glad we won, glad we looked better. We are still a below average squad, going 3 for 4 or something won't change that, for me, we've done that before, to little effect.

Winning games in July and August would be something that would really cause me to change my view. We'll see.

TFCRegina
05-08-2011, 02:47 PM
I did a little digging from the last PGT against Seattle and I can see why some people (myself included) think that it's funny that some don't like being questioned on previous statements.

Disclaimer: this is not suggest that all or any of the comments below are wrong or unjustified. It's just to show a little perspective. I haven't read anywhere in this thread that last nights performance is an indicator that TFC are now a championship calibre squad...but some people sure are quick to quash any sense of optimism. lol

Here are a smattering of quotes from the Seattle PGT:

-from the Houston pre game thread


So......again...not that theses sentiments are wrong...but I just wanted to show how, after one game, these drastic overexaggerations seem ridiculous to me.

For what it's worth I stand by both the statements of mine that are in there.

TFC07
05-08-2011, 03:06 PM
Wow! We won without gargan and harden in the lineup? what a surprise! now let's hope Winter stops putting peterson in the lineup.

ExiledRed
05-08-2011, 03:32 PM
-from the Houston pre game thread


So......again...not that theses sentiments are wrong...but I just wanted to show how, after one game, these drastic overexaggerations seem ridiculous to me.

Firstly, we haven't played 'one game' since 2007, those comments werent made after 'one game' and your disappointment at the level of enthusiasm after last nights narrow win, is down to the fact that its been tempered by the experience of four seasons, each with its own false starts.

I hope last night wasnt a false start, and i actually dont think it was, were seeing real promise from Eckersley, chemistry with Santos and Plata, and even JDG has realised that he has to kick the ball towards goal once in a while. Last night was the first time I sensed that the players felt they had to prove something since Carver was in charge, so Im optimistic.

I still think that Winter's lack of experience could be a major stumbling block, and that he needs to be more flexible with his system. In fact, it was the flexibility we were calling for that secured the win last night, as opposed to persistent adherence to what wasnt working, in a hope that it would somehow start to work.

Mr. Bigby
05-08-2011, 03:38 PM
When Mrs. Bigby and I got on the GO Train to come home last night, I said that I was looking forward to seeing the Game in Six highlights and looking at the post game comments on the board. Her reply was: " I don't know what they'll find to piss and moan about after this game, but I'ms sure they'll find something."

Smart woman, that Mrs. Bigby...

ManUtd4ever
05-08-2011, 04:37 PM
Last night was a positive sign, nothing more, nothing less. I was expecting a draw at best, but at the very least, this club, as it's currently constructed, demonstrated the ability to outplay the opposition and earn a positive result despite shortcomings in the roster that have yet to be addressed.

v00d00daddy
05-08-2011, 04:58 PM
Last night was a positive sign, nothing more, nothing less. I was expecting a draw at best, but at the very least, this club, as it's currently constructed, demonstrated the ability to outplay the opposition and earn a positive result despite shortcomings in the roster that have yet to be addressed.

+1

I just had to throw in some "told you so" sentiments for good measure. LOL

ExiledRed
05-08-2011, 05:14 PM
When Mrs. Bigby and I got on the GO Train to come home last night, I said that I was looking forward to seeing the Game in Six highlights and looking at the post game comments on the board. Her reply was: " I don't know what they'll find to piss and moan about after this game, but I'ms sure they'll find something."

Smart woman, that Mrs. Bigby...

Who's pissing and moaning?

This conversation started with someone saying something like: 'why isnt anyone pissing and moaning now then...how come theyre all so quiet?'

bgnewf
05-08-2011, 05:20 PM
The Joao Plata Show - TFC Defeats Houston 2-1

http://viewfromthesouthstands.com/2011/05/the-plata-show/

In this post game video blog I heap yet more praise upon TFC’s young Ecuadorian Joao Plata who scored a penalty and set up the game winner in TFC’s 2-1 home victory over the Houston Dynamo at BMO Field on Saturday.

In this episode I also try and explain why the "Plata Effect" did not just start on Saturday night, I talk about what such a hopeful and optimistic performance might mean for both the club and the fans going forward and I congratulate Danny Dichio on his winning debut as a professional coach with TFC Academy on Friday evening.

MG42
05-08-2011, 06:23 PM
Firstly, we haven't played 'one game' since 2007, those comments werent made after 'one game' and your disappointment at the level of enthusiasm after last nights narrow win, is down to the fact that its been tempered by the experience of four seasons, each with its own false starts.

I hope last night wasnt a false start, and i actually dont think it was, were seeing real promise from Eckersley, chemistry with Santos and Plata, and even JDG has realised that he has to kick the ball towards goal once in a while. Last night was the first time I sensed that the players felt they had to prove something since Carver was in charge, so Im optimistic.

I still think that Winter's lack of experience could be a major stumbling block, and that he needs to be more flexible with his system. In fact, it was the flexibility we were calling for that secured the win last night, as opposed to persistent adherence to what wasnt working, in a hope that it would somehow start to work.

Reading this makes me think of MoJo's 3-5-2 from 2007...which he did eventually scrap.

Roogsy
05-08-2011, 07:09 PM
Bull shit. Nobody here is claiming one game makes a fucking season, we're just discussing the win. It's a post-game thread, what do you expect?

No surprise the two most negative people here trying to be the "voice of reason" without need.

What the fuck kind of post is this?

Trying to be the "voice of reason"? Someone asked a question why after Seattle there were so many posts more than after the win against Houston and I gave an opinion, neither positive nor negative, just an opinion of why people react the way they do and because of that I am trying to be the voice of reason? If you don't want to hear other people's opinions, tape yourself and listen to yourself all day long to your heart's content and don't go places where you may have to hear/read an opposing opinion.

Super Cereal
05-08-2011, 07:54 PM
What the fuck kind of post is this?

It isn't blindly supporting DeRo or criticizing TFC so I can see where your confusion is coming from.


I did a little digging from the last PGT against Seattle and I can see why some people (myself included) think that it's funny that some don't like being questioned on previous statements.

Here are a smattering of quotes from the Seattle PGT:

-from the Houston pre game thread

TFC-Regina's post history?

Wingback6
05-08-2011, 07:57 PM
If this team ever started winning consistently the forum would be way more boring.

not necessarily. There is always something to ... comment... on. I support Arsenal and I could fill up a forum with what's been wrong with their season, despite their being one of the top clubs in the world.

Roogsy
05-08-2011, 08:15 PM
It isn't sucking off DeRo or criticizing TFC so I can see where your confusion is coming from.

Ah yes, the gay jokes make an appearance. The last refuge of the intellectually challenged. When you are pulling out elementary school rationalizations you've already lost the argument. Its the equivalent of using the Hitler comparisons. I don't expect much from you but I expect better.

kaos197O
05-08-2011, 08:23 PM
Appeared there was no sign of one to who exactly?

Even in our poor perfomances this year (Opening game against Vancouver comes to mind), TFC have been trying to play a possession based game. It hasn't worked out nearly enough as any of us would like, but the idea has always been there.

Just because we were losing, and playing badly, that doesnt mean the gameplan was non-existent. It was just non-existant to people who don't care to look for it because they're blinded by the score.

Consistency is the key...for sure. But last night proved one thing. They're capable of playing decently, while still applying the gameplan that Winter wants them playing.

I think there was a lot of talk in previous post game threads that it wasn't possible. Last night showed that it is.

That's all I was saying.

Rephrase is in order here. Nice catch. There was no sign of the one that has been promoted to us constantly. The Attractive, Possession Based, TOTAL football kind. I should have been more clear.

Agree with your other points to a degree.

Davenport
05-08-2011, 08:38 PM
Wow! We won without gargan and harden in the lineup? what a surprise! now let's hope Winter stops putting peterson in the lineup.

Peterson is fukcing crap but he seems to be the fella saying the most in the pre kick-off huddle.

All this talk about a system is bollux. The only system in football is keep the ball and score more than the other team. TFC did that last night more than a real off colour Houston team but they won't do it much this year.

backbeat
05-08-2011, 08:42 PM
All this talk about a system is bollux. The only system in football is keep the ball and score more than the other team.

???? Really ?????

backbeat
05-08-2011, 08:48 PM
it is quite clear that TFC are moving in the right direction - - IHMO

There are certainly some here that don't believe it, see it or want to see it...no issue......

but as far as I'm concerned, whether the results this year or the next, we are building a team and system that will be consistent year in and year out from the academy up to the 1st team...

:scarf: Go TFC :scarf:

Super Cereal
05-08-2011, 08:50 PM
Ah yes, the gay jokes make an appearance. The last refuge of the intellectually challenged. When you are pulling out elementary school rationalizations you've already lost the argument. Its the equivalent of using the Hitler comparisons. I don't expect much from you but I expect better.

Gay joke? It was a comment about your obsession with DeRo over the team, give your head a shake. Even you're smarter than that, although apparently I'm giving you too much credit.

There is no argument even taking place, I'm just calling you out for being a negative tool. Nothing more, nothing less.

Davenport
05-08-2011, 08:54 PM
it is quite clear that TFC are moving in the right direction - - IHMO

There are certainly some here that don't believe it, see it or want to see it...no issue......

but as far as I'm concerned, whether the results this year or the next, we are building a team and system that will be consistent year in and year out from the academy up to the 1st team...

:scarf: Go TFC :scarf:

???? Really ?????

Roogsy
05-08-2011, 09:34 PM
Gay joke? It was a comment about your obsession with DeRo over the team, give your head a shake. Even you're smarter than that, although apparently I'm giving you too much credit.

There is no argument even taking place, I'm just calling you out for being a negative tool. Nothing more, nothing less.

You can call me out for whatever reasons you want, resorting to ad hominem attacks are considered logically fallacious, usually as a result of a person's inability to participate at a logical level so they resort to personal insults. If you don't think telling a guy he sucks off another guy is not a gay joke, then you have bigger comprehension issues and I guess expecting you to retain some level of logical coherence is overly ambitious.

kaos197O
05-08-2011, 09:49 PM
Gay joke? It was a comment about your obsession with DeRo over the team, give your head a shake. Even you're smarter than that, although apparently I'm giving you too much credit.

There is no argument even taking place, I'm just calling you out for being a negative tool. Nothing more, nothing less.
You're right. It was no joke. It was a direct implication that he is confused about most things unless involves sucking off Dero or criticizing TFC. Don't try to sugarcoat things. This was clearly the intent of what you wrote. You can take you're derogatory bullshit and stuff it!

If you want to insult people, or call them out on what you may consider to be bullshit, try to do so with some class, dignity and respect. You can take you're derogatory, personally attacking statements somewhere else!

:topic:

Did anyone notice how well JDG was sliding into the right and left back position when he could, while our LB and RB pushed up field? I thought he played truly great last night. Positionally and technically sound in his role in every aspect. That's what I've been waiting to see from him for a long time now. Good on ya JDG!

ExiledRed
05-08-2011, 09:49 PM
it is quite clear that TFC are moving in the right direction - - IHMO

There are certainly some here that don't believe it, see it or want to see it...no issue......

but as far as I'm concerned, whether the results this year or the next, we are building a team and system that will be consistent year in and year out from the academy up to the 1st team...

:scarf: Go TFC :scarf:

I'll let the fight go on in the background and respond to this instead

Im coming round to the opinion that progress is being made. Plata was a revelation, Santos has always been good, Eckersley has solved the right back situation and has been consistently strong in all his games. The other players are starting to work harder and are playing together..

But, you have to concede that prior to last night, Winter has been making mistakes, or at least appearing to, and when you have no experience and everything to prove, you cant afford to make mistakes like that,

Now when youve been given the job of correcting a mistake in the first place, and you start fumbling with it, you can bet your arse that you are going to face criticism. You cannot fault anybody for getting nervous or questioning winter's decisions, (and be honest, name one person who has suggested he be fired at this point?)

Winter needed to know that, yes we want him to succeed and were willing to ride it through while he builds, or rebuilds or whatever, but that is not a license to suck beyond low level MLS, throw away winnable games to experimentation, concede the playoffs or NCC, or stagnate on improvement.

Winter has a lot to do, and I hope that his response last night was a signal that hes finally got to it, and were still in the game, because we cant afford another season of utter suck, it will kill us. That NCC game was an embarassment, only two years ago that stadium would have been full.

kaos197O
05-08-2011, 09:50 PM
You can call me out for whatever reasons you want, resorting to ad hominem attacks are considered logically fallacious, usually as a result of a person's inability to participate at a logical level so they resort to personal insults. If you don't think telling a guy he sucks off another guy is not a gay joke, then you have bigger comprehension issues and I guess expecting you to retain some level of logical coherence is overly ambitious.
You've got it covered. Didn't see that you already responded.

Whoop
05-08-2011, 09:54 PM
It's easier to jump off a bandwagon than jumping on.

http://whatconsumesme.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/bandwagon.jpg

The basic premise - as mentioned already here - is that when the team sucks and sucks hard people are angry and want to vent. When the team wins it's nice... you don't want to "jinx it" for lack of a better term.

I think a lot of people are just skeptical given the history of the team that's all.

That's why even keel is the way to go with sports, believe me. No need to dismantle, trade everyone, fire everyone after a loss and no need to plan parades, engrave trophies after a win.

MarkoftheDrink
05-08-2011, 09:57 PM
Overall a MUCH needed step in the right direction. A bit of the kind of hope that MLSE feeds off of, lol. I liked the lineup, while Soolsma has his flaws I think some of the hate he gets/got on here was undeserved. While we all can see he doesn't have the pace of Wynne, he does have good ball control, can hold it up on the outside and can make a cross. He's decent. Good to see him get some more time after a bit of a shaky start.

It seems like we're finally starting to play like a team and I think a major reason for our success yesterday is that we were holding the ball up well. It seems like we had a bit more of the confidence on the ball that Winter has been looking for. Players were actually going around the aggressive pressing defense that we've been seeing and wilting under since the first game of the season. Once we had that down we didn't have to force the ball around and rely on perfect one touch passing, great first touches and good use of space to show for the man on the ball, something that we should be able to do in time but is a bit advanced for where we're at in the implementation of the system. Even Cann seemed calmer on the ball and with his passing. Someone still needs to help him with his footwork (ballet lessons?) and how to roll a nice crisp pass. He still looks like he's about to fall over at any minute when he's on the ball and his passes always seem to be running over a field of mole hills.

Someone mentioned Plata being offside as the reason for the penalty being called back, just looked at the replay and he's clearly onside IMO, but it was close, about a foot, so who knows.

As for the Soolsma call, from watching the replay, to me it appears that the defender (Hanault?) stepped in at the last second as he was shooting and nicked the ball, as a result Soolsma's follow through got the back of the defender's calf causing him to go down. No dive and no penalty, but it was close. Not sure what some people are seeing when they say there was all sorts of space and he was simulating.

Here's to progress and a bit of light in what will most likely still be a very long season! :drinking:

Super Cereal
05-08-2011, 09:58 PM
You can call me out for whatever reasons you want, resorting to ad hominem attacks are considered logically fallacious, usually as a result of a person's inability to participate at a logical level so they resort to personal insults.

I took Intro to Philosophy in my first year of University too, congratulations. You know you can sell your textbooks after? Although apparently you still use yours. I don't know how much more clear I can make myself, I was calling you an idiot, not looking for logical discussion. You're just proving my point.

spark
05-08-2011, 09:58 PM
Did anyone notice how well JDG was sliding into the right and left back position when he could, while our LB and RB pushed up field? !

I saw him covering Cann's spot at CB as well on one occasion. Dude was everywhere.

Super Cereal
05-08-2011, 10:07 PM
I saw him covering Cann's spot at CB as well on one occasion. Dude was everywhere.

Good call deleting the post, saving yourself some embarrassment.

spark
05-08-2011, 10:12 PM
Take the above advice and chill out man.

Bobinhood
05-08-2011, 10:16 PM
Well that was much better for sure, but also the first game all year we've had real, actual defensive stability.

Compared to game 1 v vancouver, we had a left back in borman, a cb in williams and a rb in eckersley....finally a whole defence. Then, he sat tony and de guzman righ in front of them and they put in a very solid display together.

Instant credibilty on d. Fries with that as well.

Hopefully, thats not a mirage. Looks pretty real.

MarkoftheDrink
05-08-2011, 10:30 PM
Well that was much better for sure, but also the first game all year we've had real, actual defensive stability.

Compared to game 1 v vancouver, we had a left back in borman, a cb in williams and a rb in eckersley....finally a whole defence. Then, he sat tony and de guzman righ in front of them and they put in a very solid display together.

Instant credibilty on d. Fries with that as well.

Hopefully, thats not a mirage. Looks pretty real.

Things got pretty hairy at the end, but I think that was more a result of Houston pushing up and our mid and forwards looking a bit lost. I guess we just need more time with the lead at the end of the game to get more accustomed to that kind of pressure. They had a few decent chances throughout the game but overall much better than we have seen. Anyone recall any brutal cough ups by the D? That had become a pretty consistent theme so far this season and I don't recall one last game. Correcting that alone is massive.

TFCRegina
05-08-2011, 10:57 PM
It isn't blindly supporting DeRo or criticizing TFC so I can see where your confusion is coming from.



TFC-Regina's post history?

Considering 2 of the posts in there were mine, and a bunch weren't, I think that's an exaggeration. And guess what, I still stand by my statements. One game does not a season make, but up until this point we have 3 uninspiring draws, 1 draw that we were lucky to get away with, 3 godawful embarrassing losses and only two wins.

So yeah, I guess this season hasn't been all that special so far and I still stand by my statements.

Chevy
05-09-2011, 06:51 AM
I took Intro to Philosophy in my first year of University too, congratulations. You know you can sell your textbooks after? Although apparently you still use yours. I don't know how much more clear I can make myself, I was calling you an idiot, not looking for logical discussion. You're just proving my point.

pwned!! Be careful, he may pull out the 'strawman'!!

__wowza
05-09-2011, 08:22 AM
:picard: uggghhh. sorry. i was just reading the last page. didn't we WIN or something? because i'm reading a lot of bickering after a WIN.

Yohan
05-09-2011, 08:22 AM
Good thing that TFC was able to beat Houston team that played on Wed and fly to Toronto. Houston was sluggish, but we have to take advantage of MLS scheduling and long travels for oppositions.

Loved the wing play, with FBs making for most part, smart attacking runs to stretch opposition defence.

Loved that TFC can make some passes into gaps in opposition defence that TFC players can actually latch onto.

I think a good AM is last piece needed for an ok team this year

MKR
05-09-2011, 08:29 AM
Having watched the game i have come to a conclusion about this team and its players. and that is most of the guys on Toronto FC are of a pretty similar skill level and are decent players. I say most because there are one or two whose weaknesses stand out. Soolsma was written off after that first game if i remember correctly. Well on saturday he showed that he actually has some skill and he was pretty good. The thing is a lot of our guys are inconsistant and that goes hand in hand with the MLS as a league. For the most part players are capable of some good plays, but also are going to make some frustrating mistakes. What i am trying to say is i think we have the players to do pretty well... we don't need a roster overhaul. We just need time for these guys to get used to one another and to become a 'team.'

As for actual players, i think it would be wise to make Eckersley a first team automatic. Also would hope Yourras gets more regular time as well. It's a pretty good back line.

Ossington Mental Youth
05-09-2011, 08:34 AM
Having watched the game i have come to a conclusion about this team and its players. and that is most of the guys on Toronto FC are of a pretty similar skill level and are decent players. I say most because there are one or two whose weaknesses stand out. Soolsma was written off after that first game if i remember correctly. Well on saturday he showed that he actually has some skill and he was pretty good. The thing is a lot of our guys are inconsistant and that goes hand in hand with the MLS as a league. For the most part players are capable of some good plays, but also are going to make some frustrating mistakes. What i am trying to say is i think we have the players to do pretty well... we don't need a roster overhaul. We just need time for these guys to get used to one another and to become a 'team.'

As for actual players, i think it would be wise to make Eckersley a first team automatic. Also would hope Yourras gets more regular time as well. It's a pretty good back line.

cosign on all of this

Fort York Redcoat
05-09-2011, 08:37 AM
Good thing that TFC was able to beat Houston team that played on Wed and fly to Toronto. Houston was sluggish, but we have to take advantage of MLS scheduling and long travels for oppositions.

Loved the wing play, with FBs making for most part, smart attacking runs to stretch opposition defence.

Loved that TFC can make some passes into gaps in opposition defence that TFC players can actually latch onto.

I think a good AM is last piece needed for an ok team this year


Watching those Houston highlights Wed made me more than a little concerned but that Houston team didn't show up till late. (Shots to the side of the netting). Our defenders did well especially on the wings to gum up a penetrating team that played at a much quicker pace and far more focused v Colorado.

billyfly
05-09-2011, 08:40 AM
The Ginger was good.

C.Ronaldo
05-09-2011, 08:42 AM
A most impressive win tonight. Plata was awesome. He was a ball of energy out there. Here's hoping they can build on this.



he was also having fun

you can tell he loves to play.

the kid just wants to play, and he will do anything for it.

I hope we can make him a TFC lifer, a future captain :canada: if he can learn english

Derko
05-09-2011, 08:42 AM
Nice to get a win, but let's be honest - Houston were nothing short of awful.

Yes, I guess supposed good teams can have a shittie night, with all the talk of Houston being big and physical, they were falling like Ballerinas with broken legs!!!
TFC did play well and credit is due to them playing as a team, not just a bunch of guys thrown together. It looked to me like TFC felt very comfortable and confident with the natural flow of the game.

Gazza
05-09-2011, 08:57 AM
Do you mind if we dont do that...even if you think the time is right?

Speak for yourself, i would never turn down a handjob.

v00d00daddy
05-09-2011, 09:04 AM
Just watched the Winter post game:

http://torontofc.neulion.com/tfc/console.jsp?id=3092


Some interesting comments. He likes the way JDG played. He's not impressed with Martina right now (and Santos for that matter)

Strangely enough he refers to something called "the system". I'm not sure what he's talking about because I've been told that no such thing exists. lol

I especially liked that he said that Soolsma earned his way into the starting XI in training. I know its a small thing but I like it nonetheless.

For the first time in 5 years I think this team is being run professionally. (in terms of on field decisions...not front office decisions)

I don't know if that will result in wins..but its a good sign

Yohan
05-09-2011, 09:07 AM
Just another note. TFC is in the middle of 11 games in 36 days schedule. That's about 1 game every 3-4 days. Plus traveling. So fatigue is going to be a factor for TFC in every game during this streak...

ManUtd4ever
05-09-2011, 09:10 AM
Just watched the Winter post game:

http://torontofc.neulion.com/tfc/console.jsp?id=3092


Some interesting comments. He likes the way JDG played. He's not impressed with Martina right now (and Santos for that matter)

Strangely enough he refers to something called "the system". I'm not sure what he's talking about because I've been told that no such thing exists. lol

I especially liked that he said that Soolsma earned his way into the starting XI in training. I know its a small thing but I like it nonetheless.

For the first time in 5 years I think this team is being run professionally. (in terms of on field decisions...not front office decisions)

I don't know if that will result in wins..but its a good sign

Agreed. The jury is still out on Winter as far as his abilities as a head coach in MLS, but his experience in the Ajax Youth Academy will definitely bode well for him in terms of developing the young players on the roster.

spark
05-09-2011, 09:27 AM
I especially liked that he said that Soolsma earned his way into the starting XI in training. I know its a small thing but I like it nonetheless.

For the first time in 5 years I think this team is being run professionally. (in terms of on field decisions...not front office decisions)

I don't know if that will result in wins..but its a good sign

Competition for starting positions is huge to improvement ... I don't know if we've had options like this where if almost anyone on the field is not playing up to snuff can be dropped for someone who can come in and at least be capable - but this year are proving to be hungry and not eager to lose their spot.

Ossington Mental Youth
05-09-2011, 09:29 AM
Watching those Houston highlights Wed made me more than a little concerned but that Houston team didn't show up till late. (Shots to the side of the netting). Our defenders did well especially on the wings to gum up a penetrating team that played at a much quicker pace and far more focused v Colorado.

i dont feel like those highlights reflected the game at all (i watched it live and the highlights afterwards), dont get me wrong houston began to work harder or maybe we took our foot off the gass for a bit for about 10-15 mins after the 65th minute but at no time did it look like they were any good (or we were bad, minus one or two minor defensive lapses)

mastermixer
05-09-2011, 09:35 AM
Having watched the game i have come to a conclusion about this team and its players. and that is most of the guys on Toronto FC are of a pretty similar skill level and are decent players. I say most because there are one or two whose weaknesses stand out. Soolsma was written off after that first game if i remember correctly. Well on saturday he showed that he actually has some skill and he was pretty good. The thing is a lot of our guys are inconsistant and that goes hand in hand with the MLS as a league. For the most part players are capable of some good plays, but also are going to make some frustrating mistakes. What i am trying to say is i think we have the players to do pretty well... we don't need a roster overhaul. We just need time for these guys to get used to one another and to become a 'team.'

As for actual players, i think it would be wise to make Eckersley a first team automatic. Also would hope Yourras gets more regular time as well. It's a pretty good back line.

Consistency with the lineup would be the best thing for TFC right now. Get some good chemistry going. Unfortunately with the ridiculously crammed schedule the next few weeks and then the Gold Cup, that will be next to impossible.

Wull
05-09-2011, 09:39 AM
watching the highlights, what struck me most was that not every ball passed to our centre backs resulted in it going back to Frei. Midfielders and wingers were coming back or looking to get into space and showing for the ball

Suds
05-09-2011, 09:46 AM
Competition for starting positions is huge to improvement ... I don't know if we've had options like this where if almost anyone on the field is not playing up to snuff can be dropped for someone who can come in and at least be capable - but this year are proving to be hungry and not eager to lose their spot.

And this is where not having depth can kill a team as well. Many people talk about depth in the terms of having enough decent players to play a busy schedule. But a team needs depth to create the competition for playing time. It keeps the good athletes focused and weens out those who cannot compete under pressure.

Fort York Redcoat
05-09-2011, 09:51 AM
i dont feel like those highlights reflected the game at all (i watched it live and the highlights afterwards), dont get me wrong houston began to work harder or maybe we took our foot off the gass for a bit for about 10-15 mins after the 65th minute but at no time did it look like they were any good (or we were bad, minus one or two minor defensive lapses)

Alright I'll concede to you Ossi if you saw the full match on Wed but the highlights was still more than we saw from our own club in Seattle last weekend. Let's hope they can build on this for Dallas on Wed.

MKR
05-09-2011, 10:00 AM
Consistency with the lineup would be the best thing for TFC right now. Get some good chemistry going. Unfortunately with the ridiculously crammed schedule the next few weeks and then the Gold Cup, that will be next to impossible.

Totally. and it will be tough, but the gold cup shouldn't affect us too much though. Other than Deguzman and i am guessing Cann. not like it would have in years past.

I think as long as the spine of the team is played regularilly then we should start to see some chemistry developing. I do think we have the horses to get us through this stretch. The depth is most certainly there for the most part.

maninb
05-09-2011, 10:14 AM
Having watched the game i have come to a conclusion about this team and its players. and that is most of the guys on Toronto FC are of a pretty similar skill level and are decent players. I say most because there are one or two whose weaknesses stand out. Soolsma was written off after that first game if i remember correctly. Well on saturday he showed that he actually has some skill and he was pretty good. The thing is a lot of our guys are inconsistant and that goes hand in hand with the MLS as a league. For the most part players are capable of some good plays, but also are going to make some frustrating mistakes. What i am trying to say is i think we have the players to do pretty well... we don't need a roster overhaul. We just need time for these guys to get used to one another and to become a 'team.'

As for actual players, i think it would be wise to make Eckersley a first team automatic. Also would hope Yourras gets more regular time as well. It's a pretty good back line.

Well said....and Plata deserves a starting position game in and game out, until he proves he can't hack it...

trane
05-09-2011, 10:15 AM
DeGuzman and Tchani absolutely bossed the game.

Its a great paring at DM. I am very pleased with them.

Ossington Mental Youth
05-09-2011, 10:39 AM
Alright I'll concede to you Ossi if you saw the full match on Wed but the highlights was still more than we saw from our own club in Seattle last weekend. Let's hope they can build on this for Dallas on Wed.

agreed whole heartedly

__wowza
05-09-2011, 11:14 AM
Some interesting comments. He likes the way JDG played. He's not impressed with Martina right now (and Santos for that matter)

Strangely enough he refers to something called "the system". I'm not sure what he's talking about because I've been told that no such thing exists. lol

I especially liked that he said that Soolsma earned his way into the starting XI in training. I know its a small thing but I like it nonetheless.

i saw that too, i like the fact that people are having to earn their way onto the squad and that he's taking his time with players like ecks/plata.

Dreadlocks
05-09-2011, 11:45 AM
Good thing that TFC was able to beat Houston team that played on Wed and fly to Toronto. Houston was sluggish, but we have to take advantage of MLS scheduling and long travels for oppositions.

Loved the wing play, with FBs making for most part, smart attacking runs to stretch opposition defence.

Loved that TFC can make some passes into gaps in opposition defence that TFC players can actually latch onto.

I think a good AM is last piece needed for an ok team this year

We looked good vs Houston because we finally had production from the wing backs and wide forwards. This is also one of the reasons why JDG and the centre backs looked as good as they did.

100% agree with the need of an attacking mid; something I have mentioned here a few times in the past.

Because of our depth at striker, I think we need to address the AM thing in the summer transfer window with a strong dominant #10 type player.

JuliquE
05-09-2011, 12:51 PM
Speak for yourself, i would never turn down a handjob.
Even from an itchy hobo?!

Flashman
05-09-2011, 12:58 PM
I heard when I was getting a beer on the commentary that's plata was initially offside and that's why the ref took back the yellow card

The Gol TV announcers initially had said that the call was overturned by the linesman, who had ruled that Plata was offside, which replays showed he was clearly onside by almost a yard.

A few minutes later they were heard to say that they were hearing from the side lines that that wasn't the call, and that the Houston keeper made contact with the ball first, which replays from behind the net clearly showed he hadn't. And as has already been pointed out, even if he had touched the ball, he clearly fouled Plata as he tried to go around him.

All in all a good performance by the team, especially with so many expected starters out of the lineup.

---------

BTW, I am finally going to be in town when the team is playing a home match, and have bought tickets for the second leg of the Canadian Championship final v Vancouver. I would have preferred an MLS game, but after 4 and half years, I will settle. :)
:flare::scarf::flare:

P-NUTZ
05-09-2011, 01:42 PM
a better selection of players playing an overall better game.
love leaving the field after a win.
feels very nice. hope for another soon.

GhostKiller
05-09-2011, 04:39 PM
Dont know if this was discussed, but why hasn't Martina played the last couple games?

Icicle
05-09-2011, 04:42 PM
Plata was awesome....I usually watch the games through streaming and the US comentators usually shit on our team but this time they were amazed with Plata's game...

v00d00daddy
05-09-2011, 04:47 PM
Dont know if this was discussed, but why hasn't Martina played the last couple games?

In the post game presser Winter said he's not happy with him right now

Phil
05-09-2011, 04:59 PM
In the post game presser Winter said he's not happy with him right now

As well, when you look at the schedule for the next few weeks there needs to be a rotation of rested players if we are going to be competitive.

ag futbol
05-09-2011, 05:56 PM
Just watched the Winter post game:

http://torontofc.neulion.com/tfc/console.jsp?id=3092


Some interesting comments. He likes the way JDG played. He's not impressed with Martina right now (and Santos for that matter)

Strangely enough he refers to something called "the system". I'm not sure what he's talking about because I've been told that no such thing exists. lol

I especially liked that he said that Soolsma earned his way into the starting XI in training. I know its a small thing but I like it nonetheless.

For the first time in 5 years I think this team is being run professionally. (in terms of on field decisions...not front office decisions)

I don't know if that will result in wins..but its a good sign
To me the difference between Soolsma and Martina seems obvious. One is playing better within "the system" and the other is not.

As much as I'm not a huge fan of Soolsma, he did a couple of things right on the weekend. He played within the team, and actually got a good cross in when he created space between himself and the defender.

As for Martina, I'll say this: What's the difference between Ronaldinho and Denilson? One can harness his creativity to play within a team and turn on the individual skill when the game requires it. The other, is always playing his own game. Martina right now is very much Denilson, not very much Ronaldinho. Has to start putting a better end product on his passes and realize when the right time is to take on defenders.

Alonso
05-09-2011, 07:46 PM
As well, when you look at the schedule for the next few weeks there needs to be a rotation of rested players if we are going to be competitive.


I really like how he's been doing this so far. He's using the whole bench and as someone has mentioned we have 11 games in 36 days or so...

I think he'll get more out of the team in the long run this way, more competition, more comradarie, more players feeling like they are a contributing member of the team.

canadian_bhoy
05-09-2011, 07:55 PM
Just watched the Winter post game:

http://torontofc.neulion.com/tfc/console.jsp?id=3092


Some interesting comments. He likes the way JDG played. He's not impressed with Martina right now (and Santos for that matter)

Strangely enough he refers to something called "the system". I'm not sure what he's talking about because I've been told that no such thing exists. lol

I especially liked that he said that Soolsma earned his way into the starting XI in training. I know its a small thing but I like it nonetheless.

For the first time in 5 years I think this team is being run professionally. (in terms of on field decisions...not front office decisions)

I don't know if that will result in wins..but its a good sign

Totally agree. This team is being run properly. Yes, Winter punishes players (Santos bench) BUT He also gives them the chance to redeem themselves - and Santos comes on and scores. THAT"S how you coach, you don't punt them out of town or throw them under the bus. You bust their ass, then let them redeem themselves.

The best sign of coaching I saw from Winter was his sub of Plata at the end of the match. It's a little thing, but giving Plata the chance to get his due standing ovation to me, says that we've got a coach that understands the game and respects his players.

Winter is tough on his players, but he shows them respect - something Mo never did.

It's paying off too. I've never seen such comradery between players on TFC as I did when they were celebrating the win on Saturday.

We add one or two more players (Striker + defender) and we're going to be in the playoffs. I guarantee it.

http://www.realclearsports.com/blognetwork/rcs_sidelines/Lock%20of%20the%20Week.jpg

markus
05-09-2011, 08:55 PM
It's Called Football show 10pm (http://www.canadiansoccernews.com/content.php?126-it-s-called-football&)

Beach_Red
05-10-2011, 02:09 PM
We add one or two more players (Striker + defender) and we're going to be in the playoffs. I guarantee it.




Are there ant MLS teams for which that isn't true?

canadian_bhoy
05-10-2011, 08:12 PM
Are there ant MLS teams for which that isn't true?

hf5FRPfGiC8