My suspicion is that this episode will have big-time knock-on effects down the line.
I'd bet Preki is probably in the right about whatever happened, but because he couldn't keep it bottled up in the room (or maybe didn't want to), this is very embarrassing to whoever it was who decided to rent Mista for a lot of coin.
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
Originally Posted by ensco
what do you mean exactly? why do you say that?
Actually Mista was not a Preki choice.
This team is only partly built by Preki and partly choices that Preki has to live with.
Go back and look at previous posts.
I agree with the posters who believe that Preki thought that Mista was dogging it. I believe Preki had zip to do with bringing Mista in. I do not understand how Mista can be possibly be earning what he's earning, given his history/credentials, and am inferring that Preki feels the same way. So this is part of a bigger story around how personnel decisions are taken.
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
quite possible Preki feels that way - i don't agree, mista's form of late has been great and as he keeps getting in better shape we see more from him. i think he will shine with a few more games under his belt as he's really starting to show it now. we desperately need some creativity up front and he can deliver.
The guy seemed to be trialing off and on for weeks and weeks before he actually signed, I'm surprised it seems to have taken this long for something like this to flare up. The hardass and alleged floater should have figured each other out a bit.
I do wonder about the money. If it turns out to be $1.7 million a season, we're talking about $33,000 a week. That's first-rate money even by most euro standards.
I have no way of knowing what goes on within the team,
But I do know that Mista has been showing some good stuff on the field lately.
He seems to be improving during his stay with TFC.
I'm glad he's here.
Mista has 'recovered'
Mista has 'recovered'
By GARETH WHEELERToronto Sun
With the battle of egos over, Preki and Mista both boarded the plane to Panama for Toronto FC’s CONCACAF Champions League game Tuesday at Arabe Unido.
Don’t kid yourself. Seeds of doubt were planted by the head coach suggesting post-game Saturday his Spanish striker would not make the trip to Panama due to “health issues.”
Preki’s post-game fabricated reasoning caught TFC brass off-guard, with the club very well knowing it was a spat with Mista that left the Spanish striker in a reported “fit” and the player not returning to the team bench after halftime.
There was no way TFC officials would let this player-versus-coach disagreement linger into the coming days. Post-game, TFC staffers were quick to mend fences, with the club insistent Preki not leave Mista out of the travelling TFC side.
So expect the public spin to be along the lines that Mista has recovered from whatever ailed him. With the team in Panama and Canadian media outlets not making the trip to the nether-regions of Central America, the story will be buried.
Yet sources continue to say, “something was up” between the two egos and the situation was indeed tumultuous. With the two men left seemingly no choice but to work with one another, it will be compelling to see how the relationship grows, or deteriorates further as the season wears on.
Bottom line, the club is bigger than Mista or Preki, despite what certain individuals may believe. And getting points from Tuesday’s CONCACAF Champions League match is of the utmost priority.
Points in road games are tough to come by in this tournament. But TFC has little choice but to push for maximum points in Panama.
Toronto’s other competition in Group A is of top-notch quality. Real Salt Lake may be the best team in CONCACAF and will be difficult to gain points against, home or away.
And an ominous return match to Mexico City against Cruz Azul sizes up to be a challenge of epic proportions. So the maximum six points against Arabe Unido is a must.
Perhaps some outward aggression is exactly what Mista needs to clear his mind and re-endear himself to his hard-nosed head coach. Mista and Co., not only should expect a physical affair against the Panamanian opponent, but a dirty match.
Last week’s Arabe Unido vs. Real Salt Lake match in Salt Lake became a sham, an embarrassment to the game of soccer. Arabe Unido’s tactics were downright deplorable, taking cheap shots, diving, and play-acting whenever possible.
As my colleague Steven Sandor told me after watching the game: “I think Arabe Unido is the dirtiest team I’ve ever seen. Ever!”
That’s a bold statement coming from a guy who’s a walking encyclopedia when it comes to the history of the professional game. But Sandor’s absolutely right: The Panamanians made the game unwatchable.
Arabe Unido finished the game with nine players, and certainly one more player could have well been sent off. Canadian referee Paul Ward was having nothing of the visitors’ shoddy tactics, and did a commendable job trying to control a game featuring one team set on ruining the affair.
Unfortunately for TFC, similar negative, disgusting tactics work more effectively in matches in Central American countries.
A hostile environment and chaotic atmosphere doesn’t make the job easy for any match official. And cheats tend to get away with undermining the game and officials.
So expect a ton of diving, play-acting, and cheap shots throughout Tuesday’s match. It won’t be pretty, but that doesn’t necessarily put TFC at a disadvantage.
Toronto’s got some sand-paper as well. It may not kick and claw its way through a match like their Panamanian competition, but this team won’t physically be pushed around, either.
Arabe Unido does have some talent, but don’t expect an open, free-flowing game you saw last week at BMO Field. TFC’s victory over Cruz Azul featured a much different-looking Reds side, rising to the challenge of its quality Mexican opponent.
There was a lot more freelancing and offensive creativity from the team than typically displayed from a Preki-coached side.
With Mista seemingly in the doghouse, and forward Chad Barrett dealing with real health issues, hobbling Saturday after playing an ill-advised 28 minutes coming off a recent hamstring injury, it’s difficult to see TFC playing the same adventurous style.
Expect TFC to play an organized, defensive formation, content on using the counter-attack to pluck an away goal — in other words, a typical Preki-style game.
We'll have to agree to disagree on that point. My information is that Mo was ambivalent and Preki wanted him.
In terms of the team building, yes absolutely. The blame and compliments must be shared by Mo and Preki.
hopefully this is the last we hear of this 'rift', which was probably no more than two stubborn professionals with different styles of play having it out. but the soap opera drama has to stop, my little heart isn't cut out for this ... i like what i've seen of Mista so far and hopefully there's more to come as he continues to get fit. and i like the work Preki's done, instilling a proper work ethic and a sense of team.
~ illegitimi non carborundum ~
I get that feeling too. There are big egos in professional sports and spats happen. The only thing fans should be concerned about is whether those spats become bigger and affect the product on the pitch. So until that happens, I think Wheeler's article was premature.
I don't get this. You're telling me that:
You don't believe ANYTHING unless it comes out of the mouth of one of the involved parties...
AND....
People around the team that (presumably) witness this kind of shit are fabricating stories?
Why would you ever even read stories about this team then? Regardless of who's writing them. Just watch the post game press conferences and assume that everything coming out of the players/coach's mouth is the truth.
Like Preki saying that Mista had "health issues"
I couldn't care less about Wheeler...totally indifferent about the guy but it seems like people are stuck on the quality of the journalist that he is...over the story that started it all.
^ Yeah.
It's also a newspaper "column."
Last edited by GBV; 08-24-2010 at 03:32 PM.
Well that pretty much confirms it for me. No Mista in the game in Panama...when we're down a goal.
I'd say there's a pretty good chance that Preki is not content with Mista right now.
Fucking ridiculous.
^^
I'm starting to think that Preki does not have the club's best interest in mind. It's the Preki show or no-show!
¡Vamos Celta!
Lots of you owe Wheeler an apology....
When I was complaining about Mista not being introduced as a sub, my 11 year old boy, dripping with sarcasm said "Who would you bring Mista on for when we need a goal? Like Ibby or someone???"...
If my 11 year old can call that change how come the all knowing Preki can't?
Toronto 'til I die although still a Leeds fan at heart...
Why? Him not playing tonight means that it "could be the end of the Spaniard at TorontoFC"? Maybe it means what Preki said - he's still not in game shape?
No one said that there wasn't an issue.
However, Wheeler's story "TFC's Mista refused to come out for second half: Source" was clearly a lie that you'd only expect of some amateur rag like the Sun.
Preki is clearly the issue. Perhaps MLSE can suspend him for a couple of games ...
Mista seems kind of arrogant ... Preki is a life-long MLSer who knows the score... when the long-term is considered I don't have a problem with the Head Coach asserting his authority/demonstrating to a newly arrived player how the MLS operates... other successful MLS coaches would do the same thing... it is up to the player to adjust...
He wasn't on the bench for the 2nd half....no?
As to him being in game shape enough?? C'mon...that's stretching it. Sure to god he could have come in for the last 30 minutes at least.
This kind of open "scolding" of players is the kind of thing that leads to guys wanting to play elsewhere. Guevera should be a case in point.
The score was 0-1.
In '08 when Cunningham disappeared from the team to get married in California, Carver wasnt pleased, but put him in the 2nd half at LA. He scored the game winning goal in the 88th minute.
And when the alternative options are Joseph Nane and Dan Gargan...
Animals Eaten:
pig, cow, lamb, moose, chicken, quail, kudu, ostrich, kangaroo, octopus, alligator, rabbit, shark, springbok, goat, bison, boar, caterpillars, turkey, fish, lobster, crab, oyster, prawn, antelope, camel, eel, squid
if you think Mista is arrogant...Preki has him beat by a mile!
Hell, that's why Chivas ditched him.
Thought Carver was a little more arrogant than Preki or Mista...
who the F#$K cares PREKI is FULL of himself and no matter what Mista should have been on the pitch - it makes me SICK!!
Hmm ... I suppose technically no ... but it's incredibly misleading.
Is Preki really a "successful" MLS coach? Correct me if I'm wrong, I'm not typing that to be be flip, I just don't have his coaching record open in front of me, he's never won anything and never advanced in the playoffs past the first round. Not really wowing.
Edit: I see that he's advanced some in the playoffs and toped the West in points. Good, still not successful in a tangible sense.
Last edited by UltraSuperMegaMo; 08-24-2010 at 11:09 PM.
it's funny how quiet the GOL TV commentators were.
as if they wouldn't speculate "Maybe Mista will come on with the team down
1-0" -- if something wasn't up.
sometimes ya gotta swallow your pride for the good of the team.
and i don't think pricki knows how.
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