"TFC. . its an abusive re3lationship"
NOTICE: Wager with STB: OVER 2 shots on goal in the First half wins a Pint at HT.
Just for a little perspective, Vancouver is having exactly the same types of problems assembling a team as TFC, except they started with a good foundation as opposed to negative quicksand:
http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2013/0...eces-together/
And for more TFC News:
Sickbed to substitute: soccer's a hard game
http://metronews.ca/sports/635894/si...s-a-hard-game/
MLS is a tough, physical league, that emphasizes speed, and features plastic fields, grueling travel, extreme weather, and incompetent refs. - NK Toronto
Losing your best defender and captain 6 minutes into your first game didn't help Vancouver either.
That plus Mattocks' form have been their biggest issues thus far. Mattocks' was expected to build on last season and thus far has 1 goal and is having a tough time getting minutes over the last couple games. Hertzog who played in the USL last season has been played ahead of him.
Losing production from those two positions will make it tough on any team.
“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
You're both right.
The league has become more about a first 11 'core' than a few standouts cobbled together. That being said, like any league, the team that looses the contributions of a top player is hard pressed to make up for his impact. Don't particularly think Jay Demerit fits that category though.
i disagree. DeMerit is not only the best defender for the Caps, but he is the captain and heart and soul of that team. Having him gone is going to deflate the atmosphere a bit. And when you have Reo Coker, an excellent player who has captained sides in EPL now comes in to Vancouver and is wearing the armband, there's going to be a section of the locker room wondering who is this upstart who thinks he's the captain without really earning it.
And then there is Rennie who is benefiting from veteran defence, but just can't seem to find the right combination for offence.
“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
Rudi on TFC and Nelsen's mentality. Good read
http://www.goal.com/en-ca/news/4175/...for-toronto-fc
“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
Love the fact that Mattocks has been struggling. It looks good on him and the Caps after all of his pre-season bravado.
He doesn't look like a shoe in to score 20 goals and win the Golden Boot now, does he?
“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
Yeah I don't know so much about that. As much as I've watched DeMerit his performances have been underwhelming and seemed to be inflated by his previous reputation.
As for the leadership aspect, that often gets over played. It's not like any good club is absent of leadership when one player goes down. TFC seems to have survived with former captain Frei on the bench, life goes on.
I wouldn't compare Frei on the bench with an injured DeMerit.
Frei was almost a stop gap captain between DeRo and Frings. When Frei was captain TFC had a very different look. I believe only Doneil Henry and Ashton Morgan were even on the squad when he wore the armband.
EDIT: the term "stop gap" isn't right. Frei's taking the armband would be more like a captain of an NHL team being traded and someone who was wearing an "A" takes on the "C"
http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/articl...oalscorer-word
pretty good read
edit: only Danny and Earnshaw come to mind from all of the forwards we had can be described as a goal scorer
Good read on goalscorers discussing their prep, instinct.
http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/articl...oalscorer-word
Edit; Oop, sorry PD!
The answer to this solution will always been having our own professional league. It's no secret that all top CONCACAF region have their own professional league where their players develop and get the chance to play in professional environment. Having 3 MLS and couple of NASL team isn't enough especially with anti-Canadian domestic rules (American players count as domestic for Canadian clubs but Canadians don't count as domestic for American clubs). CSA establishing 3rd division is a step in the right direction, but in the long haul, having our own first tier professional league is what going to solve a lot of our problems and develop much better pool of players for national team.
http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/articl...ve-time-get-be
Ashton Morgan article