dero is looking very poor,very slow
dero is looking very poor,very slow
Well, forgot my tix at home so had to go back to get them, no tailgate or space in 112 left :-(
Still, I have to give it to Nelsen, I am still not 100% sold on him, but to get that much out of a squad with half your starting outfielders missing is pretty impressive.
You know it's sad... Huggland at CB may have saved the draw with his extra speed.
Osorio would have had it as a 1-1 game.
Bradley would have reversed the score line.
Defoe would have (even for 20 minutes) might have resulted in a tie
Dike would have had this game tied if not won.
It's sad.. but it is what it is.
I hate saying it but Hall needs to be upgraded. Bekker is decent Depth but he needs to learn to pass it forward.
I fear Bekker will never be the tackling DM. or get muscle to not get punked off the ball. he may turn into half decent DM using positioning and anticipation.Originally Posted by Lumpy
I thought Bekker had a decent game. if not for Jeremy Hall who had no idea where to be to support Bekker, Bekker would have had a better game. if Oso or Bradley played, Bekker would have had an outlet for a pass in CM, instead of having to cycle the ball back. Hall just don't have the smarts to play box to box CM for TFC. he's a destroyer DM, and that's it.
Frustrating game. If either Defoe or Bradley played, TFC gets the win, because either of those players create more space for TFC players to attack.
Get used to these games without the DPs. It's what you get when you put all your eggs into few baskets. Better teams can grind out results due to organization and team chemistry. TFC have neither.
The Good
-Bekker's improvement. Unlucky on his free kicks which were well taken
-Mark Bloom's weaker left foot. His cutting in throws defenders off guard, because not many FBs in MLS can use both feet
-Jordan Hamilton's first apperance, even if it's gimme time
The Bad
-Nelsen playing Hall as box to box CM.
-Morrow's first touch which opposition exploited with pressure, and Morrow end up hoofing the ball down the field cuz he can't handle the pressure.
-Wingers can't beat a defender 1v1 consistently. Rey was missed, even if he gets tunnel vision
The Ugly
-Jeremy Hall.
-Idiot who threw beer at Irwin and got called out by Gilberto. You're a moron.
-Throwing smoke during an offensive corner. Smoke is fine, but better timing next time please? Like, not during critical play?
Ratings
Cesar 6
Bloom 6.5
Orr 6
Caldwell 6
Morrow 5.5
Nakajima-Ferran 5
Bekker 6.5
Hall 4
Jackson 6
De Rosario 5.5
Gilberto 6
Nelsen 5
“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
this is so true
amusing to see the anti Nelson bias comes out real quick, they nearly pulled it off but if you do not have the depth... you will get found out eventually.
From what I saw in the stadium.
Atmosphere
- Not empty, but not as full as the opening day game. By 20 minutes in, could not see much of the maple leaf on the east side.
- Lot less people inside for warmups
- Comfortable weather with the wind from the south might have held up the ball a bit but not noticeably.
- The pattern of people showing up 15 minutes late is ingrained into this city.
- Tribal Rythm nation showed up late, one of them had a bicycle horn while the others got their at around half time.
- Boisterous noise from the Bunker for the whole of the match. West side got noisy in the second half (some guys on a stag way up near the pressbox started chants a lot)
- Cops tried to tell a guy in the corner not to wear his mask.
- Some idiot threw a beer and almost hit our guys. Gilberto yelled at the fans not to do that. Guys around whoever did it did not give him up. Here's hoping the security cams get the guy and they toss him for the season. It took away our momentum.
The Game
- Not a great game but then not a really awful one.
- Ugly pitch again, not as bad as the last time but darn close. Saw the ball bounce up badly on TFC forwards at least 5 times. If we ever got a decent home pitch, we'd be a better team to watch and score more often. DeRo and Gilberto both had chances fluff on them due to weird bounces.
- Teams looked to be on par with each other in the midfield and defences. TFC attack was better and skill level better.
Colorado
- Good organized defence. Nobody looked beatable for speed.
- Their midfield wasn't impressive. Lacked a solid playmaker. Created a couple of chances but not much more.
- Buddle was a nuisance but in a Dike kind of way, not a Defoe.
TFC
- Defence did OK except for the goal where a couple of little decisions became a chance taken.
- Midfield pivot worked well. (see below)
- Wing play was boisterous and needed to be accounted for but wasn't successful. Overlapping didn't occur that much.
- Forward play was excellent. Both Gilberto and DeRo played the channels and moved their defenders around. With better execution and skill from the mids, we could have had more chance.
Individual TFC Players
- Cesar had another solid unspectacular game. He organizes the defence well. With that free kick in the first half for the hand ball on Caldwell, he pretty much gave them nothing.
- Bloom carried the defensive load well. Both Fullbacks cheated to the middle leaving an overlap open, which was what started the goal they scored. Needed Issy's help there. Not as effective going forward with a few wayward crosses.
- Orr had a solid game. Watched him and Caldwell do head tennis in warm up - good partnership. Stepped up a couple of times and one game he is going to step into attack and make a difference. He's more of an aerial threat, I think, then Henry.
- Caldwell was his usual solid self. Another yellow needlessly though (he had his arms out - it was a solid call and a stonewall yellow). Missed a header but CB's don't score all the time on those.
- Morrow had a decent enough game but didn't get into the attack as much as normal. Partnered better with Jackson then Issy.
- Issy was a threat, and worked hard, which was enough. But, he's not all that quick. His touch passing isn't as good as it should be. And, his defensive positioning awareness helped lead to the goal. Played much of the last 10 as an AM. Passes more then Rey but can't dribble like him. i.e. He's a backup.
- Jackson ran around a lot and caused Colorado to avoid him. His passing is not great and his decision making on the ball frustrating. But the man runs and runs and runs.
- Hall - ran the pivot well. Defended well enough. Doesn't have the skill to be a threat in the attacking third. Passing was OK but nothing decisive. A few times he could have played to a forward but went to the wing.
- Bekker. I am going to be in the minority here. He was better then last season. His set pieces certainly have improved. And he covered a lot of ground. BUT, his passing decisions were timid. Too often balls were sent to forwards at their heads, not their feet. Like last season, I saw a lot of sideways and backward passes when attacks were just starting. I think if he played with Osorio or Bradley, he'd be better. i.e. Suffered for not having an attacking threat beside him.
- DeRo - ran himself into the ground again. Really should be in as a sub. Got to a few headers in the first half that surprised me. Comes back for the ball well. Moves defenders around. A threat. On a decent pitch, would probably have had a couple of solid chances and maybe scored.
- Gilberto - the man needs to score a goal. His technique is superb and is above any other TFC forward ever, but Defoe. Chases everything. Needs the ball to his feet, which isn't happening.
Nelsen
- What the heck are you going to do when you have 5 starters out? Play well and organized, it seems. Players were well prepared.
- Game cried out for a 4-4-1-1 or a 4-3-3. Instead we got the usual 4-4-2 with both the CM's and the forwards pivoting. After the goal, we got a 4-3-1-2.
- We really have to stop this whole "its 35 minutes and time for the wingers to switch" thing. Issy just wasn't effective enough to make it work.
Ref
- Missed the foul on Gilberto, but then also got a few corner kicks wrong in TFC's favour. A lot of in the back pushing went unpunished. He didn't lose or win the game for anybody.
Last edited by OgtheDim; 04-12-2014 at 09:44 PM.
l thought Bekker was our best player today. He had a good presence in the middle. Having said that, I thought too much of the match was played in the midfield. Too many of our guys seemed to be afraid to take a chance and opted for the safe plays to the side or back. When we did take chances we pinned Colorado back and created chances.
Last edited by jaxul; 04-12-2014 at 09:37 PM.
Yohan, you are spot on with your assessments.
Yeah Bekker looked good. Nothing like the player I remember last year but I'm not going to get ahead of myself here. But his midfield partner... holy shit. I've been keeping quiet on Jeremy Hall so far this season as I still believed he had a role on this team. He's a good tackler with a cool head but holy shit play with a sense of urgency out there. It just seemed like he was out for a jog today as he didn't seem to want to cut off any passing lanes, pressure anybody until they literally walked past him or just have a general knowledge of where his teammates were.
With the exception of the calamity that lead to the goal, the defense held together well and I feel that we have enough competent depth there to last all season. Can't say the same for our forwards though. I still have faith that Gilberto will bag enough goals to justify his price tag but if Defoe becomes the second coming of Koevermans than we're going to need to do better than The Invisible Weedman and watching De Rosario decompose before our very eyes. It's too bad about Dike but I am left curious about Hamilton. If he got token minutes today maybe we could see a longer shift shortly down the road with Voyageurs and World Cup coming up.
Well I wasn't there but it sure looked like 4-4-1-1 on TV for long stretches. Gilberto seemed to be on an island, and not in a good way.
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
The place was full
Some of you need to lay off on the DeRo bashing.
What did you expect when he was picked up by Toronto? The guy had a grade 3 sprain (MCL) and needed at least 12 weeks of rehab coming off last season. That would take him into 2014.
Many heralded it as a great signing, apparently oblivious to his health status at the time and the impact of his injury and age. Much like some of you are shocked and frustrated at the "bad luck" that has befallen Defoe.
Both signings, given the health of the players at the time the ink was wet were risky in this league with no budget relief.
Don't blame DeRo. He's trying his ass off. Blame the fact that TFC management valued selling tickets over calculated risk and better use of those funds.
DeRo is giving everything he is capable of. And it was painfully obvious, if one cared to look, that his health was going to be a big factor. Especially early in the season.
If you are surprised by DeRo's play thus far, shame on you for having your expectations set by the TFC hype machine and not reality.
Last edited by Pookie; 04-12-2014 at 10:38 PM.
Amazing really. The only "sold out" game in town where you can buy tickets every day leading up to the game, including game day, from ticketmaster.
Go figure.
dreadful game of football on all levels. Take Bradley and Defoe out and we are no better than last season creatively.
Had a great afternoon and a few pops with friends, which is what it's all about really, innit!
Cheers
You mean those north end red zone tickets? Cause that's all I saw this week when I looked.
As I said earlier, it looked less full then the DCU game but WAY more full then the 2010-2012 sell outs. More importantly, it was louder then games last year.
It was a good atmosphere.
Yeah, it looked full to me.
Problem is not everyone goes to their seats, but instead rather sneak into other sections or hang out beer garden area. Also, not every SSH goes to every game, but since they already paid for ticket, they considered to be there and included in attendance number.
I thought Bekker had a strong game.
Despite Bekker hitting the woodwork, I do question why the million dollar striker doesn't get to take the free kick with time running out.
I would be pissed if I was Gilberto. . Bekker basically shoved him out of the way. Yes he hit the woodwork but you have to give that last kick to Gilberto imo.
Last edited by shwade; 04-12-2014 at 10:49 PM. Reason: wrong quote
Agreed. Gilberto called for it as soon as the foul happened. And Bekker then called him off. IMHO, if Gilberto had scored a goal before this game, he takes that shot.
eh. Bekker's set piece has been decent while Gilberto has been misfiring on his shots all game. gotta give it to the guy who's been feeling it
“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 think most people expected Dero to be a sub off the bench, not having to consistently start games. People being oblivious to Dero's injury history isn't really important because at age 35-36 people know he will slow down, get injured more ect. At his age and his recent injury, 20-30 minutes most games is probably his sweet spot. Add in a few starts here and there.. not bad. Idk, for his cap hit (137k base) I can't fault management for signing him on. I think people who are saying Dero is slow, lost a step ect are more frustrated at him being used in a way he isn't meant to anymore. At least that is how I see it.
As for Defoe, I don't think anyone is shocked or frustrated at Defoe's injuries. If we look at Defoe over the last 5 years, in all competitions he has played an average of 35 games/season. Since he left mid season this year that average goes to 38. Pretty consistent and even in 2010 with the injury he managed 28 games.
I think people are shocked and frustrated at having to miss 4-5 starters for a couple games now. Take 4-5 starters off any team in MLS and there will be issues.This also includes all the preseason "niggles and crap". And if we look at how management spent DP money, Bradley at age 26, Gilberto at age 24 (with no major injuries in their past) are great choices. Gilberto gives cover for Defoe. Dike was also supposed to give us more cover in times like this but he does have the injury bug, but he has low cap hit (60k). Even if we look at non DP big cap hitters, Caldwell, Rey, Morrow, and Jackson to my knowledge haven't missed significant time or struggled with reoccurring injuries.
Where management has failed and this game exposed it, is in someone like Hall. Hall should not be on the field, he is NASL quality and we knew it last year. Having not brought in a veteran CM who can be versatile was a huge mistake. We have Dero up-top to provide experience and log some minutes. We have Orr in the back who can play really anywhere on the line and give us cover. And in midfield we have Hall as our reserve experienced CM. We see they are looking into O'Rourke to fill this role but this should have been done in January. Anyway this is why I am frustrated lol.
Last edited by pdubs; 04-12-2014 at 11:25 PM.
Was in 118 for the first time this game. I'm usually able to find tickets in or closer to 112 so it was a different experience. Noticed a lot of people in that end of the bunker were sitting and there weren't any pockets starting chants. Might get better as the season goes on but I couldn't help but think it would help to have some active and experienced supporters in this area to coordinate and connect with 112. I would have loved to get seasons tickets in the south end but it seems like a lot of them have gone to fans looking for a cheap ticket rather than people interested in getting involved. It seemed like the 200 level was more active than 118 and 117 which was weird. I too find is disappointing that people are still filing in 20 minutes into the game. I don't really get it? Wonder what could be done to work on changing the culture. But enough about the atmosphere!
I though Bekker had another good game. As others have mentioned, he did have difficulty playing the ball forward but I don't think having Hall as his midfield partner helped. Bekker was a lot more creative when he had Bradley as an outlet in the Columbus game. Set pieces looked dangerous. Bekker is making good progress. He has more in the tank than I originally gave him credit for.
Hall...I was unimpressed. Slow,bad giveaways, looked generally clueless and like he doesn't belong on this team. I think we should look at replacing him.
I agree with Pookie. We need to take it easy on DeRo. When we signed him I highly doubt it was Nelsen's intent to play him this much. He's been thrown right into the frying pan. His football intelligence is clearly still there and he is able to get on the end of the ball in dangerous places and create space. I think he still has role play as a "difference maker" sub. The softness of the pitch also didn't seem to agree with him. Maybe he'll be a bit stronger on a more stable surface.
Issey had a decent game, but I imagine his performance probably made a lot of hearts grow fonder for Rey who is way more dangerous imho. Jackson is quickly becoming one of my favourite new players. He has so much heart, and works his ass off, and delivers solid consistent performances. Also - two games in a row without any bookings - maybe turning over a new leaf?
As for Nelsen, the one thing that drove me bonkers today was waiting too long to sub. Why put Hamilton in with only a few minutes left to make a difference. If he thought Hamilton might make a difference put him in as soon as they scored the first goal! Makes no sense - I don't get it. I'm sill pro Nellie though, we are still 3-2 to start the season and that ain't too shabby.
And Finally, I too think Gilberto will be fantastic once he settles in. We saw moments of brilliance when he played with Defoe. And he made the most of a difficult situation today. He's desperate for goals and will start scoring as soon as he starts getting decent service.
All in all, this could have a been a much worse performance from our guys. If Bradley was in, we probably would have at least had a tie. I think we were the better team today and at least deserved the tie, but the footy gods are cruel
-Deanna
Last edited by redisthenewblk; 04-12-2014 at 11:30 PM.
Moderator
72.
73.
75.
60.
78.
79.
81.
See those numbers up there? They actually have some significance to them. Those are the minutes in which all of Colorado's goals have been scored this year prior to the game against Toronto. Every single one of them in the second half, and only one before the 70th minute mark. You want to know what minute they scored in against TFC yesterday?
77.
Watching today's game, I had all those numbers in the back of my mind. I was completely expecting an offensive push from the rapids sometime in the later part of the 2nd half. That's what they've always done so far this season. They pace themselves well and wait for a tired opposition to slip up and then pounce (though admittedly today they're pouncing was rather chaotic). So after 90 minutes and Colordao up 1-0, I'm left wondering how and why did Toronto get suckered into the sort of game Colorado wanted to play? Where was the preparation on TFC's part?
Now don't get me wrong, that game could have gone our way just as easily. Toronto stepped up its possession and had some really good chances - Gilberto has gotta be pissed with the result. And Bekker was really playing hard for a win; though I gotta agree with a few people here - I think he should be a bit more aggressive in his passing. DeRo shouldn't have started but we don't have many other options, so it is what it is. Jackson looked good - say what you want about his level of skill, the man has presence on the pitch.
I'm disappointed with the result and with Nelsen. I'm not completely disappointed with the team, because we did have some great chances. But the result is such a letdown. This team is capable of so much more, even with so many key players out of the lineup.
Last edited by Cashcleaner; 04-13-2014 at 12:53 AM.
Did the USA , of all countries, just fix soccer? - C. Ronaldo, May 27th commenting on the FBI-led investigations into fraud and corruption throughout FIFA.
First Toronto FC game I have ever been to. I really enjoyed even though they lost. Def buying tickets for the Red bulls vs TFC game
Man Bekker was great, this guy has a great first touch and can actually pass the ball around effectively and make nice crisp passes. He will look really good when Bradley is back... in fact even looked like Bradley at times. A couple more showings like that and Osorio may not be a lock to be starting in central midfield. Too bad about the posts. Defence was a bit unlucky with that goal imo. I thought this was the best game of the year despite the loss. Its weird... Its like the team with better passing and possession always loses in this league
This!
Bradley rubs off on Bekker, still too conservative with passing, more confidence will lead to bolder play.
Gilberto staying healthy is positive, he had half chances, could have done a bit better with them.
Sadly this was typical Nelsen game, sat deep, and kept giving balls away cheaply trying to spring a counter.
Osorio missed a lot of games? He appeared in 28 of 34, some of those missed for international duty. He was injured maybe 4 games. Any player or coach would take those percentages if they could.
Defoe, DeRo...yes there's accuracy there, but I think you're being too apologetic for Nelsen overall. He basically admitted in an interview this week that some injuries stem from how hard they practice. The turf to grass thing was always a nonsensical misleading argument since Seattle, Portland, Vancouver do this all year. TFC throughout history has been notoriously unfit and lacking tempo compared to other teams, fading late in games. Nelsen visibly improved that element in his first year and has continued to prioritize it into 2014. He took a gamble to expedite this whole process - he knew the schedule was difficult and didn't want to lose his job after 8 games. This desperation has payed off in some respects, but I don't believe he ever thought injuries would blow up in his face like they are.
Another facepalm situation you can add to the long list in FO history, we have Weedman as forward depth instead of Amarikwa.
Anyone know anything else about the beer throwing thing in the second half? It looked like Gilberto had a go at the person but did any other spectators let the person know that shit aint cool? Did security do or say anything?
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