ben_vw
08-31-2008, 01:19 PM
Here (http://benstfc.blogspot.com/2008/08/what-could-have-been.html) is my latest blog post. I've basically run through all the wins/draws that we could/should have gotten but didn't. It's an inconvenient truth...
Our season has been slowly slipping away since July and last night's loss to Chivas USA could be the crushing blow that kills our playoff hopes. Since I am so mad about last night's game and how things have become, I am going to go through our season and pick out the games that we should have, or could have, drawn or one.
1. Saturday, May 17, 2008 - Toronto FC 0 - 0 Columbus Crew
We really dominated this match for long periods of time but created no clear cut scoring opportunities. Laurent Robert had the game's best scoring chance - a rocket from about 20 yards that hit the post. If that shot had been maybe 3 inches to the right, we would have had a 1-0 win.
2. Saturday, May 24, 2008 - Toronto FC 2 - 3 DC United
Marvell Wynne conceded a penalty and Greg Sutton gifted Luciano Emilio a late winner as we fell to DC United at RFK Stadium. I'm not going to suggest we should have won this game - DC United was all over us and they did deserve the three points. If, however, Greg Sutton had held on to the original shot or parried it away from goal, we may have walked out with a 2-2 draw.
3. Saturday, June 21, 2008 - Toronto FC 0 - 0 Kansas City Wizards
This one is because of John Carver's tactics. He fielded the same team that beat Colorado 3-1 the previous weekend - leaving Amado Guevara, Jim Brennan, and Maurice Edu on the bench. After an uneventful first half, the three come on in the second half and immediately create some scoring opportunities. I have to think that if they had all played for the full 90, we would have scored at least once, for 1-0 win.
4. Saturday, June 28, 2008 - Toronto FC 1 - 2 New England Revolution
Yes, New England did dominate us for periods of this match, however we really poured it on at the end. Maurice Edu scored a header that made the score 2-1, and both Jim Brennan and Jarrod Smith had excellent opportunities to get us the equalizer. Smith had a header that was cleared off the line. If that had gone in, we'd be walking away with a share of the spoils, a 2-2 draw.
5. Saturday, July 12, 2008 - Toronto FC 1 - 2 Chicago Fire
Chris Rolfe scored in the sixth minute for the Fire before Ibee Ibrahim's debut goal leveled the score in the second half. An injury time winner from John Thorrington for Chicago though ensured we left Toyota Park with nothing. Maurice Edu was denied a penalty shout shortly after Chicago's opening goal. If we had at least been able to defend for the entire match, we would have had a 1-1 draw.
6. Saturday, July 19, 2008 - Toronto FC 0 - 0 San Jose Earthquakes
Thanks to Mo's inability to find us a striker, our attack was being lead by a 16 year old for this one. We dominated the Quakes - we knew it, and they knew it. The match really should have been ours when we were awarded a penalty, however Joe Cannon saved Guevara's shot. If that had gone in, we would have taken 3 points from this one.
7. Monday, July 28, 2008 - Toronto FC 1 - 2 Real Salt Lake
This match was painful to watch, mainly because of the American Football lines on the pitch. After going down 1-0 early in the second half, Amado Guevara scored a world class free kick to even things up with less than ten minutes to go. However, in typical "away from home" style, our defense turned off and we conceded the winner to RSL three minutes later. Again, if we could defend for 90 minutes away from home, we would have taken a point.
8. Sunday, August 17, 2008 - Toronto FC 0 - 2 New York Red Bulls
Down 1-0 in the 46th minute, we looked to have been handed a lifeline when New York's Gabriel Cichero was sent off for an elbow on Danny Dichio. We had the man advantage for 44 minutes, and created absolutely nothing. In fact, it was so bad, that New York even scored a second. If we had played at all like a real football team on the day, we more than likely would have equalized, giving us a 1-1 draw.
9. Saturday, August 23, 2008 - Toronto FC 1 - 1 New England Revolution
Let's face it, Rohan Ricketts should have had a goal in this match. Twellman headed the Revs ahead in the first half before Chad Barrett's volley evened things up. Rohan Ricketts had a free shot at the far post but could only put it wide. If he had been able to put that in the back of the net, we would have had a 2-1 win, and 3 more points.
10. Saturday, August 29, 2008 - Toronto FC 1 - 2 Chivas USA
This is of course our latest disaster away from home. Jim Brennan's goal was cancelled out by Alecko Eskandarian before Atiba Harris scored an injury time winner for the Goats. Chad Barrett missed two open chances that easily could have made this result 3-2 in our favour. As well, if we could learn to defend for 90 minutes, we would have at least taken a point.
So, there you have it. If we could capitalize on opportunities and defend for an entire match away from home, we could, right now, be 11-4-7, and on 40 points, tied for first in the league. It's amazing what stupid little mistakes can do to us.
Our season has been slowly slipping away since July and last night's loss to Chivas USA could be the crushing blow that kills our playoff hopes. Since I am so mad about last night's game and how things have become, I am going to go through our season and pick out the games that we should have, or could have, drawn or one.
1. Saturday, May 17, 2008 - Toronto FC 0 - 0 Columbus Crew
We really dominated this match for long periods of time but created no clear cut scoring opportunities. Laurent Robert had the game's best scoring chance - a rocket from about 20 yards that hit the post. If that shot had been maybe 3 inches to the right, we would have had a 1-0 win.
2. Saturday, May 24, 2008 - Toronto FC 2 - 3 DC United
Marvell Wynne conceded a penalty and Greg Sutton gifted Luciano Emilio a late winner as we fell to DC United at RFK Stadium. I'm not going to suggest we should have won this game - DC United was all over us and they did deserve the three points. If, however, Greg Sutton had held on to the original shot or parried it away from goal, we may have walked out with a 2-2 draw.
3. Saturday, June 21, 2008 - Toronto FC 0 - 0 Kansas City Wizards
This one is because of John Carver's tactics. He fielded the same team that beat Colorado 3-1 the previous weekend - leaving Amado Guevara, Jim Brennan, and Maurice Edu on the bench. After an uneventful first half, the three come on in the second half and immediately create some scoring opportunities. I have to think that if they had all played for the full 90, we would have scored at least once, for 1-0 win.
4. Saturday, June 28, 2008 - Toronto FC 1 - 2 New England Revolution
Yes, New England did dominate us for periods of this match, however we really poured it on at the end. Maurice Edu scored a header that made the score 2-1, and both Jim Brennan and Jarrod Smith had excellent opportunities to get us the equalizer. Smith had a header that was cleared off the line. If that had gone in, we'd be walking away with a share of the spoils, a 2-2 draw.
5. Saturday, July 12, 2008 - Toronto FC 1 - 2 Chicago Fire
Chris Rolfe scored in the sixth minute for the Fire before Ibee Ibrahim's debut goal leveled the score in the second half. An injury time winner from John Thorrington for Chicago though ensured we left Toyota Park with nothing. Maurice Edu was denied a penalty shout shortly after Chicago's opening goal. If we had at least been able to defend for the entire match, we would have had a 1-1 draw.
6. Saturday, July 19, 2008 - Toronto FC 0 - 0 San Jose Earthquakes
Thanks to Mo's inability to find us a striker, our attack was being lead by a 16 year old for this one. We dominated the Quakes - we knew it, and they knew it. The match really should have been ours when we were awarded a penalty, however Joe Cannon saved Guevara's shot. If that had gone in, we would have taken 3 points from this one.
7. Monday, July 28, 2008 - Toronto FC 1 - 2 Real Salt Lake
This match was painful to watch, mainly because of the American Football lines on the pitch. After going down 1-0 early in the second half, Amado Guevara scored a world class free kick to even things up with less than ten minutes to go. However, in typical "away from home" style, our defense turned off and we conceded the winner to RSL three minutes later. Again, if we could defend for 90 minutes away from home, we would have taken a point.
8. Sunday, August 17, 2008 - Toronto FC 0 - 2 New York Red Bulls
Down 1-0 in the 46th minute, we looked to have been handed a lifeline when New York's Gabriel Cichero was sent off for an elbow on Danny Dichio. We had the man advantage for 44 minutes, and created absolutely nothing. In fact, it was so bad, that New York even scored a second. If we had played at all like a real football team on the day, we more than likely would have equalized, giving us a 1-1 draw.
9. Saturday, August 23, 2008 - Toronto FC 1 - 1 New England Revolution
Let's face it, Rohan Ricketts should have had a goal in this match. Twellman headed the Revs ahead in the first half before Chad Barrett's volley evened things up. Rohan Ricketts had a free shot at the far post but could only put it wide. If he had been able to put that in the back of the net, we would have had a 2-1 win, and 3 more points.
10. Saturday, August 29, 2008 - Toronto FC 1 - 2 Chivas USA
This is of course our latest disaster away from home. Jim Brennan's goal was cancelled out by Alecko Eskandarian before Atiba Harris scored an injury time winner for the Goats. Chad Barrett missed two open chances that easily could have made this result 3-2 in our favour. As well, if we could learn to defend for 90 minutes, we would have at least taken a point.
So, there you have it. If we could capitalize on opportunities and defend for an entire match away from home, we could, right now, be 11-4-7, and on 40 points, tied for first in the league. It's amazing what stupid little mistakes can do to us.