lolQuote:
Originally Posted by rydermike
But imagine this team with another great DP. If we had another striker (Borré, c'mon man!), since Altidore is always injured, it would be awesome! Or a great CB would be really good.
lolQuote:
Originally Posted by rydermike
But imagine this team with another great DP. If we had another striker (Borré, c'mon man!), since Altidore is always injured, it would be awesome! Or a great CB would be really good.
I thought so. The way they crumbled last year without him and Osorio made it so apparent how important both of those guys are. Hard to believe he is only 25 years old.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lennon
Also, it is great to have Michael Bradley back to his old self. I thought he was toast last season and I am so happy to be wrong.
So proud of the boys, even if it ends here. Epic.
Twist My Armas
He looked so composed. Quality player for someone so young.Quote:
Originally Posted by Yohan
Shaff was also good. Still a little raw, but talented.
Armas showing good tactical ability. I didn't know if I'd like him, but I do.
FYI. Cruz Azul v Club America is on One Soccer at 10 Saturday night.
Nah man, I don't watch minor leagues like Liga MX. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Areathrasher
When are the quarters anyway? Are we gonna be able to get some guys back before playing Cruz Azul?
Well done boys, or should I say men, or maybe lions! Well done!
Give credit where it's due. Armas bringing excitement and heart and a lot of passion to this team. Even when we were winning last year I found most of our games boring. I am now entertained.
Very impressed. So much more potential with the kids and this is just the start. I really like Okello and Priso. Bradley finally playing box to box like I always wanted him to play. Like a DP out there again.
On the goal, he made a really good little dummy run inside to make space, then pulled away from the defender to make the pass. It was a smart move.Quote:
Originally Posted by Oldtimer
This has to be the biggest upset in CCL history.
I went back to look at the team TFC put out during the league match in the middle of the CCL final in 2018. This was the game where most of the first team didn’t even travel to Houston. That B team got thumped 5-1 and it looked worse than that. Here was that TFC lineup:
——————Ricketts-Hamilton——————
————-Chapman-Aketxe-Fraser————-
Telfer-Taintor- J Hernandez- J Dunn -Hasler
——————-Irwin————————————
If you had asked me two weeks ago how the team we put out against Leon would do against the team we put out against Houston in 2018, I would have bet on the 2018 team. The team tonight had more kids with zero league experience, and most of them were in the spine. In 2018 we tried to hide Taintor and Dunn, and played 5 at the back. Tonight we were featuring Okello, Priso and Singh in major roles.
Houston weren’t much in 2018 btw. They missed the playoffs by a mile.
Bring me Tossaint Rickets for Armas right about now. That man is brilliant and can RUN.Quote:
Originally Posted by ensco
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=veyy...nnel=TorontoFC
Bradley swears a lot lol
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ey-IyVYW...pg&name=medium
Patrick Mullins tonight
Laryea got a yellow in both legs. Guess he's suspended for the first leg of the QF right?
That really is amazing, and it leads right into the point I'm going to make, which is:Quote:
Originally Posted by ensco
I know a lot of you guys don't really like Gareth Wheeler, but last week on the podcast he made a great point about why Armas was the best choice for TFC right now – he's the perfect guy to come in and maintain continuity. And continuity is probably the most important thing for the club right now because we have a lot of damn good things going in terms of the core of the team who have been here forever, and all the young guys who have come through the academy.
Remember how when they were interviewing Blanc and Vierra, the sticking points seemed to be about how much control they wanted over the roster. It almost seemed like they just wanted to come in, bring all their own guys with them, and not even really consider the young players who were already here. But Ali and Manning seemed to have faith in the young guys, to know they could be about to break through, and didn't want to abandon years of development just to get a big name coach. So they bring in Armas, who wasn't a very sexy hire, but a guy they knew would be completely down to insert himself in the TFC system and the TFC mindset, to want to work with the academy kids, to keep bringing them through, but also to understand the chemistry and relationships that the core guys have built up with each other and not want to tear that apart.
And so I think winning this tie doesn't happen with another coach, because the reason the young guys did so well over these last two games is because they have been around the veteran, core guys for years – worked with them, trained with them – so even throwing 4 of them straight in to the lineup, you don't lose hardly any continuity there. Those young guys already feel like they're part of the team, and the older guys already feel like they're part of the team, so everybody already trusts each other and they can pull off what they did (which is was was so different from the team that played Houston in 2018 – those guys knew they were just being put out there as fodder).
I don't think we would've had that with any other new coach.
So – I wasn't excited when Armas was hired, but I wasn't annoyed. I gave him the benefit of the doubt, and wanted to wait to see what he was going to do before judging. And when it became clear that management had decided they were going to give the kids a try this year, I actually agreed that that was probably the right thing to do, and while we do def. need more help up top, I'm perfectly happy with Prisso, Okello, Nelson, Shaff et. all becoming regulars in the squad.
So yeah – I know it's still early, but based on this result I think we have to tip our hats to the club and say they took the correct approach with Armas and with the philosophy of the club this year, and once we get a new DP striker and shed any contracts that are detrimental to the club, we're going to a force to be reckoned with, not only in MLS, but all of CONCACAF.
Incredible game. The entire team went balls to the wall tonight and earned every bit of it. I am loving the style and press that Armas has brought to the team. With all do respect to Vanney but I think if he is coaching that team tonight, we lose either on away goals or just lose outright. Okello is a tank. I just hope he can get his fitness up in order to go for 65+ minutes. This team just fired a warning shot across the league tonight. We are in for a rouhg ride against Cruz Azul. they are currently 1st in the Clausura with a 12-0-2 record. They have only given up 7 goals in 14 games. That is for the end of the month, tonight I am going to savour this win and take comfort in knowing the kids are alright
I’m fucking fired up!Quote:
Originally Posted by Yohan
Per the odds pre tournament, Cruz Azul are the overall favourite, much more highly rated than Leon...
https://www.sportsbettingdime.com/ne...rs-listed-6-1/
They lead the clausura. Actually “lead” isn’t quite right, they are on a rampage. 12 wins and two draws in 14 games. America is second, right behind them, with only two losses.
https://www.google.com/search?q=liga...obile&ie=UTF-8
I agree with your point but not sure continuity is the word I would use to describe it.Quote:
Originally Posted by James17930
Continuity in my opinion would have been starting DeLeon, Morrow... maybe even Endoh. Seems clear to me Armas is willing to shuffle the pecking order here even if the list of names is similar.
6/10 “safe” performances from veteran guys are no longer prioritized
I see DeLeon and Endoh as the kind of guys they want to be phased out eventually. Continuity to me is keeping our core guys of Bradley, Osorio, Delgado, Mavinga and our DPs as regulars in the team and bringing in the young guys as subs and having them claim those starter spots around them.Quote:
Originally Posted by ag futbol
One last comment on this before we move on, the Mexican fans are taking this well and giving us a ton of respect. Winning these games really raises our credibility in the region.
From the Molinaro recap
https://www.tfcrepublic.ca/tfc-club-...mpions-league/
This team man....Quote:
Once the ball was in the net, a lot of things hit me. Then I heard Michael (Bradley) come over and say, ‘That’s for the Mullins Family.’ Things really came down to Earth for me. I lost my grandmother this past week, so I very much had a heavy heart in this game. The team supported me so much through that loss to my family, so in that moment, in that goal in a big game, that meant a lot to me,” Mullins said.
I'm a bit surprised we didn't have any stock left from our last CL run. I thought that kind of put us on the map a bit in Mexico. I guess it takes a couple of those to really earn respect.Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeForbes
This year will be one of ups and downs, hopefully way more ups.
I always remember Jacques Demers coming in after Pat Burns and Montreal won the cup (I hate the Canadiens, btw). He changed the flow, let the players play, they still had Burn's discipline so they were never reckless. Nothing against Vanney ball, but maybe it was time. Armas is going to loosen the strings, it was needed and create opportunities but I still believe this team will always have what Vanney brought, it was just time.
This club has so much talent and to see them playing vertically is so much fun. You are not going to change my opinion that we need more depth in those two places, but it was fun screaming at the TV again with my son last night in the final minutes.
I am glad we did not risk more injuries and Marky Delgado and the General together are just beasts, they play off of each other so well.
Are you comparing MLS to Liga MX? Then I will disagree, MLS is almost about par with Liga MX, or are you comparing with European Leagues?Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeForbes
That is great to hear, most fans all over can respect good games and good play, it's only the few 'Lager Louts' than ruin it :scarf:Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeForbes
This is why I love this competition, it really brings out this team's best. Wanting to forget this tournament and focus solely on the league is to live within the confines of a sandbox.
We outplayed them, unlike the first leg where we rode our luck. A deserved win and the fact that their keeper was the man of the match for them (IMHO) says alot about our play.Quote:
Originally Posted by MikeForbes