The 90th Minute Complex....
What an interesting psychological concept. Nelson should really solicit help of a psychologist to resove the 90-min complex in TFC players. You can now predict, almost with certainty, that if TFC is ahead, and the 90th min hits, that the team will collapse, and the TFC net will be butchered. What is it going to take to break this? Nelson has got to come up with a psychological strategy that kicks in at the 90th minute.
For me its about ball possesion. You need to have players who can avoid pressure, maintain composure, provide good passing and have an outlet of players in position.
We dont have players who can do this regularly. We would not have concededed as many late goals if we weren't being bombarded for 15+min, the players think hoofball is safe.
Last edited by Richard; 04-16-2013 at 08:09 PM.
Not having your fullbacks sent off is a start. Next is getting your mids to track their markers for a full 90 minutes without walking up the pitch ala Bostock.Originally Posted by Rudy
I had faint hope that Nelsen had exercised the 90th minute demons in our win against SKC, but alas, the curse is unfortunately alive and well.
To me it all boils down to possession. If we have the ball and control it even if its a few passes up to the mids and there's no one there pass it back to the back line to move around the ball in our own end. How many games this year, last year ect have we sat on a lead and had 0% possession in the last 5 mins to stoppage time? Can't think of many.
Ball posession indeed. We break late because the other team needs to score and increases the pressure on us more. We don't hold the ball and eventually we break. Fatigue from long periods of not having posession and chasing to regain possession sets in and plays a role.
This is pretty basic stuff - football 101 really.
I get brads point, this isn't just an issue about possession, these are scars that run deep in some of the players. You can tell somebody that they need to hold on to possession, but that doesn't mean that deep down they're able to get over the trauma and actually keep possession.
This is a question of mental fatigue and inability to maintain focus. It is not fitness nor is it (purely) player selection. But it only takes one person to falter for a few seconds to enable opponents. Add to that the confidence of opponents, especially when they play a team that plays kitty bar the door the way we have, giving opponents momentum.
A good sports psychologist might do wonders.
Here's a list of every late goal we have ever suffered:
2013
Toronto FC 2 - 2 Los Angeles Galaxy
Jose Villarreal scored a late acrobatic goal to bring LA back 2-2 against Toronto FC
Toronto FC 1-1 Philadelphia Union
Jack McInerney popped in a goal last week against Toronto FC really late into extra time.
2012
Los Angeles Galaxy 2 - 2 Toronto FC
Landon Donovan scored after the 90th minute during the two sides’ Champions League encounter.
Real Salt Lake 3 - 2 Toronto FC
Jonny Steele knocked one home to give RSL the lead in the 93rd minute.
Houston Dynamo 3 - 3 Toronto FC
Will Bruin punished Toronto FC’s defense late into extra time.
New England Revolution 2 - 2 Toronto FC
A scuffle in the box on the 94 minute mark saw Chris Tierney score.
2011
Seattle Sounders 1 - 0 Toronto FC
Freddy Montero hit Toronto FC on the 90’ to steal the points for Seattle.
DC United 3 - 3 Toronto FC
Dwayne De Rosario punished his old club in the 88th minute.
San Jose Earthquakes 1 - 1 Toronto FC
Chris Wondolowski found the back of the net in the 87th minute for San Jose.
New York Red Bulls 1 - 1 Toronto FC
Thierry Henry’s 88th minute wonder-goal split the points for New York.
2010
Philadelphia Union 2 - 1 Toronto FC
Sebastian Le Toux left it really late and scored in the 94th minute for Philly.
Columbus Crew 2 - 2 Toronto FC
Will Hesmer, a GOALKEEPER (!!!) scored in the 94th minute, punishing Toronto.
2009
FC Dallas 1 - 1 Toronto FC
Pablo Ricchetti scored at the 87’, tying the game for Dallas.
FC Dallas 3 - 2 Toronto FC
Dallas struck again, more painfully this time, with Kenny Cooper in the 84th minute.
DC United 3 - 3 Toronto FC
Both Jaime Moreno and Chris Pontius scored after 85 minutes, making things level.
Columbus Crew 3 - 2 Toronto FC
Jason Garey’s 93rd minute effort gave Columbus another Trillium Cup.
San Jose Earthquakes 1 - 1 Toronto FC
Cornell Glen hit home in the 93’ and stole two points from TFC.
2008
Chicago Fire 2 - 1 Toronto FC
John Thorrington left it late but notched the win in the 92nd minute.
Real Salt Lake 2 - 1 Toronto FC
Robby Findley showed his skill and notched an 87th minute goal for RSL.
FC Dallas 2 - 0 Toronto FC
Kenny Cooper scored twice in the 81st minute and in extra time, killing off TFC.
New York Red Bulls 2 - 0 Toronto FC
Juan Pablo Angel scored in the 92nd minute, destroying Toronto FC’s positive pressure entirely.
Chivas USA 2 - 1 Toronto FC
On the 95th minute mark, Atiba Harris broke Toronto hearts with a goal.
FC Dallas 2 - 2 Toronto FC
Kenny Cooper doled out the punishment for Toronto FC well past the 93rd minute.
Vancouver 2 - 2 Toronto FC
In their Nutrilite Canadian Championship encounter, Eduardo Sebrango’s 86th minute heroics gave NASL side Vancouver a valuable point.
2007
Kansas City Wizards 1 - 0 Toronto FC
Eddie Johnson hit Toronto in the 81st minute and won the game for the Wizards.
Columbus Crew 2 - 1 Toronto FC
Jacob Thomas scored in the 83rd minute and took three points to the Crew locker room.
Last edited by ArmenJBX; 04-16-2013 at 09:07 PM.
We look for meaning in everything, but sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
I remember Tottenham suffered with this at the beginning of the season. AVB solved the problem by increasing the intensity in the last 15 minutes of their training sessions. This changed the mentality of the players and made them more dominant at the end of games and they've conceded a lot fewer late goals
Indeed. In fact, looking at that list, I'd say we're probably in the same boat as most other teams.
There just isn't much to say. Who is going to be better at closing out games, teams where most of the players have been together for a couple of years, or TFC?
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
Every team has its quirks about when goals are scored for or against.
One thing is for sure. Whereas before this year, we could blame such goals on sub par fitness levels, this year this team is getting closer to MLS fitness levels.
Does anyone have any numbers for other teams conceding in the last 10 minutes in the past 3-5 years? How do we compare?
Looks as though we have placed the panic button in the 90th min as to opposed the 80th in 2012. the rate we are going 2014 will see the panic button non-existent. still see a significant improvement and we will only grow and get stronger
i remember one from julius james, but i don't remember when it happened
The problem is not that for 85 minutes TFC tries to attack, and for 5 they defend, but in their notion of what defending is.
a ha ha heh he hoo.. ha
This, all day long; the stuff you need to effectively close out a game with regularity comes from continuity, from the locker room on up.
This is the truth. Statistically, you are more likely to be scored on in the last 15 or any half, moreso in the second half. We notice Toronto more because of our support. But the same happens of others - we just don't focus on it as often.
The world is coming an end, a post of Rudy' s I agree with.
CoachGT and Jloome, of course this is an issue for most teams, the more tiered you are the harder it is to defend. Still it has to be addressed to make us a better team. Run less ( no needless ball chasing) but stay in shape and position, and clearly keep on working on fitness and concentration.
At the recent OSA Coaching Conference, John Herdman got up and spoke about why he wanted to coach Canada and what he needed to do to make it work. One of the first things he did was introduce psychology sessions for his team and himself. Got them to start thinking about their responsibilities and their actions. Why did the team in London finish so much better than the one I'm the womens World Cup? The key players were the same. Their abilities were comparable. But they believed they could do it, a belief instilled by their coach and themselves and nurtured through mental preparation.
Every team has these issues. Every coach has a different way of dealing with it. But mental preparation appears (to me) to be the key.
We're not there (yet).
sounds like an effective strategy. hype up the team towards the end instead of winding down....
so funny Trane; didnt know we disgareed on everything....
CoachGT
I do not disagree. I just see it as concentration, mental focus, and yes belief in that if you keep on it, it will produce results. I would just say that it is helped by being fit, and organized.
And while it is good to run hard, at the end of the game staying in shape and compact defensively can do wonders were your legs are not what they were in the first 45 minutes of the game.
Brillian idea. This is what i was alluding to. You need to tap into the psyche of the players; there mental and motivational fitness is more critical than their physical fitness. A sports psycologist is in order.
Its hyperbole to make point, that this is a key issue, that can get us several steps ahead in the game.
MLSE has one one staff. He spoke at one of the TFC Coaching Conferences a while ago.
I believe a professional athlete should be in shape to play a full 90 no mattter what. Man U normally train for 120 minutes at speed just to ensure the capability of playing a full 90.
Not being fit is not an excuse for a professional athlete, not in this day and age. Match fit after an injury or a layoff, okay, but fitness for 90 minutes is a must.
Organization is a function of mental fitness. That has to be trained, too.
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