TFC advances with a win, a 3-3 or higher draw, or a 2-2 draw on penalties. Their work is cut out for them against a superior Galaxy squad. JDG and Soolsma will be back. I've learned never to count TFC out in these situations, though.
TFC advances with a win, a 3-3 or higher draw, or a 2-2 draw on penalties. Their work is cut out for them against a superior Galaxy squad. JDG and Soolsma will be back. I've learned never to count TFC out in these situations, though.
MLS is a tough, physical league, that emphasizes speed, and features plastic fields, grueling travel, extreme weather, and incompetent refs. - NK Toronto
Same situation we face against Dallas last year, but this time team is actually better. (I highly doubt this game will end with high scoring draw).
Key to this game is controlling Beckham. Don't give him time to set up and deliver service to forwards. Also not to give LAG any chances to set plays in our half.
Our defending needs to be better. But we still have a chance. It will be interesting to see how LAG field their team for this match since they have a game against RSL on this weekend.
time to make a call to Shoeless, lets get together for this one
I expect better game from Koevermans. He's got a good disliking of Saunders now, and he will be a bit more motivated
“Years have gone by and I’ve finally learned to accept myself for who I am: a beggar for good football.
I go about the world, hand outstretched, and in the stadiums I plead: ‘A pretty move, for the love of God.’
And when good football happens, I give thanks for the miracle and I don’t give a damn which team or country performs it.”
-Eduardo Galeano
we have face LA's best team, they havent faced ours.
I would hope De Guzman comes on for Harden.
win and were in, cant say its not in our hands
“Years have gone by and I’ve finally learned to accept myself for who I am: a beggar for good football.
I go about the world, hand outstretched, and in the stadiums I plead: ‘A pretty move, for the love of God.’
And when good football happens, I give thanks for the miracle and I don’t give a damn which team or country performs it.”
-Eduardo Galeano
-----------Kocic---------------
Ecks - Frings- Miguel-Morgan
----De Guzman--Dunfield----
Plata-----Silva-------Johnson
---------Koevs----------------
De Guz should be on for Dunfield. Not sure what we can do about Harden just yet if nobody else is fit...
1 question?
KD.
MLS is a tough, physical league, that emphasizes speed, and features plastic fields, grueling travel, extreme weather, and incompetent refs. - NK Toronto
Wouldn't a 2-2 draw go to a 30 min xtra time before penalties?
I'm quite excited for this, I think we have a bigger shot than some believe. Koevermans will want to bury one to get back at Saunders. Frings and Keane seemed to have words a few times last night, I'm wondering what that was about or if it's just my imagination...if it was real, what it could become.
I think JDG can have a large impact, the kind of impact he should have on our club. If he can boss the mid a bit, spray some balls around to RJ9, Plata or even Ecks and Morgan down the wings...I think we could get the goals we need.
Might need a bit more balance in officiating though, doubting we get that though.
“Years have gone by and I’ve finally learned to accept myself for who I am: a beggar for good football.
I go about the world, hand outstretched, and in the stadiums I plead: ‘A pretty move, for the love of God.’
And when good football happens, I give thanks for the miracle and I don’t give a damn which team or country performs it.”
-Eduardo Galeano
I read on the LARS board that the away goals rule is such that away goals are only counted in the 2nd leg. Can anyone confirm this? If so, a 1-1 draw is a desirable result for us.
I also like the idea of Soolsma possibly coming off the bench instead of Lambe.
Actually - if Plata only has about 60 minutes in him, I like the idea of starting Soolsman and having Plata come of the bench in the 2nd half to have a run at some tired legs. Especially since the Galaxy have a game this weekend...
No. Away goals are only 'tallied' after the 2nd leg.
You don't 'count' them after the first leg. You don't say that LA has the lead in this contest because they have two away goals - they may end up being meaningless.
So, first leg ends 2-2, second leg ends 1-1. It's a tie. Now add up the away goals (2 for LA, 1 for Toronto). LA wins on Away goals.
If the second leg ends 1-0 to Toronto or a win by LA then Away goals are moot, so they aren't counted.
make sense ?
a ha ha heh he hoo.. ha
i'm not that optimistic, but the impact of switching Dunfield for JDG is not negligible. that would be helpful against any MLS team, but it's huge against someone like LA with all the firepower they have.
i'd start both Frings and JDG in the midfield (triangle, Frings doing a sweeper-esque role in front of the back four, feeding JDG and Silva) because we need forward movement and goals. this is where we need our best passing, and it plays into the 'total football' idea because when the LB/RB decide to make runs or play up for a bit, Frings can back up if he needs to do so and we can 3-4-3. it's a very seamless morph between 4-3-3 and 3-4-3 based on the run of play and the actions of the LB/RB; Frings will be in position to dictate it and the CBs don't have to think too much. =)
the most obvious alternatives i see are:
1) JDG plays the bottom of the triangle instead. i don't think he's anywhere near as good at being able to make those decisions about shifting between 3-4-3 and 4-3-3 as the match goes, and they'll be a lot of them. i like him a bit farther forward with a more even blend between defensive and offensive responsibility (and we'll live with the one shot he takes thirty feet over the crossbar)
2) triangle points up instead of down, with only Silva at the head. you can justify this if we're up late, but not when we need to score goals.
i think we've got a chance. and hey, look what happened last time we had a must-win CCL road game in front of a small crowd!
Will the Home Depot Centre capped at 7500 on school nights, its gonna be a different show. Let's just hope none of them get the idea of throwing a can at one of our guys as revenge.
ANYTHING IS POSSIIBBBBBLLLLLLEEEEE!!!
3-2 final, 3rd goal scored in the 85th. By Silva. You heard it here first.
I like that strategy - especially if LA wants to sit back and the game moves along at 0-0 for an extended run at the start...
Bring in the little man fresh and have him run at defenders just like you said...
JDG will help the lineup. His athleticism, quickness, and experience with CONCACAF officials are all positives that we didn't have last night...
I wouldn't mind Donovan, Keane and Beckham to pick up a few knocks on the weekend as well - couldn't hurt if they're battered and beaten from the match on Saturday...
"...Money wasn't tight, but it like, it wasn't right..."
I'll wait to hear what Dv23 has to say about that.
Something I don't get is this 7500 cap at HDC. I understand why they have reduced parking, but why can't they make other arrangements and shuttle fans to the game ?
Not worth it ? make a deal with the city and use public lots somewhere or something... or even just tell people to find their own way there, but there's nowhere to park.
a ha ha heh he hoo.. ha
Someone mentioned they made a special deal for a mid-week playoff game, against New York I believed, that let them bump up the attendance a bit higher.
If they're having trouble selling the 7500 for this CCL game though, then it's definitely not worth the hassle for them.
Gonna have to go for the win in this one.
It'll be tough, but not impossible.
Hopefully JDG will provide a little extra something in the match.
I'm sure all of our anxiety levels will be elevated on this night.
Too bad we can only have 7,500 fans at the game next week. Nothing says MLS Cup, Supporters Shield and CCL quarterfinals with Beckham, Donovan, Keane like having a college tell you how many tickets you can sell. I guess Torontos sales team is just that much better given that there were 47,000 fans at the game tonight and next week isn't even sold out for LA
message from la
Yes, it goes to extra time first. I was writing of the final score. If someone scores during extra time, it's no longer a 2-2 draw. (insert captain obvious gif here)
If it's a 2-2 draw at the end, it goes to penalties.
This is JDG's chance to prove he's worth all those big bucks when uninjured and properly used by a possession-based team playing 4-3-3. This is his shot.
Last edited by Oldtimer; 03-08-2012 at 05:33 PM.
MLS is a tough, physical league, that emphasizes speed, and features plastic fields, grueling travel, extreme weather, and incompetent refs. - NK Toronto