Eastern Final First Leg TFC @ Columbus - Tuesday 21 November 8pm - Stiffen the Sinews

[GerMc]

Hmm......... rational thought like that is gonna bring a few people back in off the ledge......... that's actually a lot rosier a picture than people are considering

I tihnk we should all get back off the ledge. We went through big chunks of the year without Jozy and Gio, and if I remember correctly did OK. We need to come out of Columbus with at least a tie, and hopefully score a goal or two. I think we can do that without them. I always liked Josh Williams, he seems like a good guy, but the combo of him and Mensah on the backline are shocking. NYCFC should have scored a bunch of goals off Mensah's mistakes alone in the first leg.

I think we can win in Columbus. And then back at home for the second leg with Gio and hopefully Jozy as well (as long as the league doesn't give a longer suspension, which I don't think they will) and we can prep for what is likely to be a rematch with Seattle in the MLS Cup. I know that Columbus is hot, but they did not play well in their last game, and their defense is weak. I am confident that we can take them even without 2 of our DPs. We do have a deep team, and our depth players have come through for us repeatedly this year.

I think there is a lot to be positive about! I for one am looking forward to a great game in Columbus :-)

[TFC Tifoso]

I tihnk we should all get back off the ledge. We went through big chunks of the year without Jozy and Gio, and if I remember correctly did OK. We need to come out of Columbus with at least a tie, and hopefully score a goal or two. I think we can do that without them. I always liked Josh Williams, he seems like a good guy, but the combo of him and Mensah on the backline are shocking. NYCFC should have scored a bunch of goals off Mensah's mistakes alone in the first leg.

I think we can win in Columbus. And then back at home for the second leg with Gio and hopefully Jozy as well (as long as the league doesn't give a longer suspension, which I don't think they will) and we can prep for what is likely to be a rematch with Seattle in the MLS Cup. I know that Columbus is hot, but they did not play well in their last game, and their defense is weak. I am confident that we can take them even without 2 of our DPs. We do have a deep team, and our depth players have come through for us repeatedly this year.

I think there is a lot to be positive about! I for one am looking forward to a great game in Columbus :-)

Yep.....what's done is done, and only thing left is what (if anything) happens with Jozy's red.

Interesting thing is that yesterday's game was only the 4th game all season which featured that Starting XI.....

We've won with out Altdore.....without Seba.....and set an MLS record to boot....

missing them is not ideal certainly, but not the end of the world either.....imo the 2 most "important" players on this team are Vasquez and Bradley....and we'll have them.....

[Shway]

Please guys, please.... No #savethecrew shit at this game. Not the time.

[charlieocc]

Please guys, please.... No #savethecrew shit at this game. Not the time.

The only person I want saving the Crew at the moment is Alex Bono.

[michaeltfc91]

Screwwwwwwwwwwwwww the crewwwwwwwwwwwwww
we all laugh at the yellow football the yellow football team the yellow football team

[Prof]

---------------- Ricketts -----------------

--------------- Vasquez ----------------

Delgado ---------Bradley--------- Hasler

----------------- Cheyrou---------------

Morrow - - Moor - - Hagglund - - Beita

I like this for the first game. Spot on.

[C.Ronaldo]

I like this for the first game. Spot on.

cheyrou has the legs for 60+ minutes?

[ryan]

sure is nice to be able to knock off one hated club one year at this stage, now the chance to do it to the other.

[Oldtimer]

Please guys, please.... No #savethecrew shit at this game. Not the time.

I sure won't, but there are those who will based on the idea that "it could happen to us" and the league should never move a team on principle.

[ManUtd4ever]

sure is nice to be able to knock off one hated club one year at this stage, now the chance to do it to the other.

Agreed. Columbus will be a tough opponent though, especially in the first leg.

[Hugh Jazz]

--------------Ricketts--------------

-----Vazquez----------Osorio------

-------Cheyrou-----Delgado-------

---------------Bradley--------------

Morrow---Mavinga---Moor---Beita


I wouldn't mind seeing this. We can defend in numbers or dominate possession with something like this. Bradley, Cheyrou and Vazquez together have enough composure and technique to thread Ricketts through. If he's smart with his movement no reason he can't bag another brace. Bradley should have a strong game as there isn't anyone on CLB to put him under a lot of pressure. Have to think whoever's reffing will be a bit firmer. Looking forward to this one!

[General Woolfe]

---------------- Ricketts -----------------

--------------- Vasquez ----------------

Edwards ---------Bradley--------- Hasler

----------------- Cheyrou---------------

Morrow - - Mavinga- - Hagglund - - Beitashour

id go very close to Belfast boy but perhaps start Edwards in place of Delgado for his pace down the wing

Or stick with our regular 3-5-2.... I’m presuming Mavinga isn’t injured and favouring Hagglund over Moor and Zavaletta, though in truth any of the three could slot in


——--------------- Ricketts -----Vasquez ----------------

Morrow —-—- Delgado ——Bradley----Cheyrou---- Hasler

——-————Mavinga - - Hagglund - - Moor

———————————-Bono———————

[trane]

If Jozy's red holds up, here's what I'm thinking....

------------------------Ricketts----------------------------
------------------------Vasquez---------------------------
Morrow------Cheyrou---------Delgado-------Beitashour
-------------------------Bradley---------------------------
-----Mavinga------------Moor-------------Zavaleta------

That is it, just that Morrow and Beitashour will have to play more like FB then WB.

[trane]

I would play
Bradely, Cheyrou and Hasler in the mid, keep it very defensive. IF Cheyrou has 70 or so in him.

[OgtheDim]

..... I always liked Josh Williams, he seems like a good guy, but the combo of him and Mensah on the backline are shocking....

This.


Two other things to remember:

Columbus defence was the worst of any defence in the playoffs in the East.

Over their vaunted unbeaten run of 12 games, they have had 3 shut outs - Orlando, DC, LAG.

Can we lose? Of course, cards and posts happen. But, over a 2 game series, we should paste these guys.

[InDa_110]

On the bright side. Considering TFC have not been playing their best recently, anyone who has ever played any sport competitively knows that sometimes an incident where the shit gets disturbed is just what you need to come together and get motivated to win.

[Gringo Starr]

Just got to come home with an away goal, it somehow gives you a sense of security. Last year we may have come back from Montreal down 3-2 but on the train ride back I sure felt like we were in control and sitting pretty 4-3

[jloome]

I'm guessing he moves Vazquez up top, but that's a big hole at AM. Vazquez unlocks Ricketts at AM, not up top. It was Vazquez' distribution that created most of the goals in that Columbus rout in May.

It is not inconceivable that Vanney will go to Spencer and Ricketts again. I don't know why Vanney rated Spencer over Hamilton, but he did, and he played them together several times, including against Columbus, whereas Ricketts and Hamilton never played together.

Didn't they play together on the road in LA? Could've sworn they did. Either way, I don't care how many issues they must apparently have with Hamilton, all he does when he plays with the senior team is score goals. Spencer looked like he'd have a hard time hitting the target.

[Blindside16]

On the bright side. Considering TFC have not been playing their best recently, anyone who has ever played any sport competitively knows that sometimes an incident where the shit gets disturbed is just what you need to come together and get motivated to win.

This 100%. I said it leaving the stadium Sunday night that this will pull the team together and it will be a Toronto vs Everybody attitude with this team. Sure enough later that night both Jozy and Seba posted the very same thing on Instagram. This will pull this team closer and the boys hearing 30,000 people chanting "Fuck you ref! / Ref you suck!" at full voice just re-affirms for them that we are in this fight with them. I think from here on out we will see a much different team that will take no prisoners. At least I hope we will.

[Blindside16]

Didn't they play together on the road in LA? Could've sworn they did. Either way, I don't care how many issues they must apparently have with Hamilton, all he does when he plays with the senior team is score goals. Spencer looked like he'd have a hard time hitting the target.

I would like to see Hamilton and Ricketts up front in leg 1. Please for the love of god leave Spencer at home for this game.

[ensco]

Didn't they play together on the road in LA? Could've sworn they did. Either way, I don't care how many issues they must apparently have with Hamilton, all he does when he plays with the senior team is score goals. Spencer looked like he'd have a hard time hitting the target.

I don’t have any idea why Vanney played Spencer over Hamilton, I'm just observing that he did, numerous times. We all knew, Vanney most of all, that Seba and Jozy were injury risks. He was absolutely thinking about November when he did that.

I looked it up, it was Ricketts and Vazquez up front against LA, and they were rampant. It was Spencer and Ricketts against Columbus, although Hamilton scored a beauty in stoppage time in that one.

It's Altidore's suspension that bothers me, not Seba's. Ricketts tore Columbus apart this year, and Seba hasn't looked right. In truth, if it wasn’t Seba we're talking about, we would be seriously talking about whether Ricketts shouldn’t be going in for this next game anyway.

Seba has three weeks off here now, and it may well be that he needs the rest. That quad injury may still be lingering, he is missing that final gear. He is not exploding away from people, and I think that is part of what is making him crazy.

My crazy prediction: we might see Hasler at striker. We have two weeks to prepare, Hasler plays forward for Lictenstein in Europe, and he has shown a lot of versatility. It would also be something that Columbus might not have prepared for.

[TFC Tifoso]

That is it, just that Morrow and Beitashour will have to play more like FB then WB.

yes....as much as I'd like to see TFC come out and win this game, under the circumstances, the priority needs to be to not concede and leave it all for the home leg.....

Seba has three weeks off here now, and it may well be that he needs the rest. That quad injury may still be lingering, he is missing that final gear. He is not exploding away from people, and I think that is part of what is making him crazy.

My crazy prediction: we might see Hasler at striker. We have two weeks to prepare, Hasler plays forward for Lictenstein in Europe, and he has shown a lot of versatility. It would also be something that Columbus might not have prepared for.

yup, Seba's explosiveness with the ball seems to be gone.....the rest will be good.....

and wow, that's some prediction!.....

[Ben - D.O.W.]

Interestingly the two forward options Bez mentions are Ricketts and Hamilton. It's not Vanney saying it, but still worth noting that Hamilton hasn't been forgotten about.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/tfc-a...ion-rescinded/

[C.Ronaldo]

yes....as much as I'd like to see TFC come out and win this game, under the circumstances, the priority needs to be to not concede and leave it all for the home leg.....



yup, Seba's explosiveness with the ball seems to be gone.....the rest will be good.....

and wow, that's some prediction!.....

Its important to note that when he does get by, he gets fouled.

seba needs to hi the gym or adapt to his lost step next year though

drop back as the secondary striker or up top AM. he needs a little room, and once he has pace, he can get by defenders that are on their heels

[TFC Tifoso]

Its important to note that when he does get by, he gets fouled.

seba needs to hi the gym or adapt to his lost step next year though

drop back as the secondary striker or up top AM. he needs a little room, and once he has pace, he can get by defenders that are on their heels

true on the first point, but it seems like he's getting the call a lot less now.....

but I don't think hitting the gym would do any good for his speed....would probably make it worse, though he should in theory be a bit stronger on the ball....
and as long as we have Vasquez, he wouldn't be able to play AM either.....they'd take up the same space....

when he's running at defenders it doesn't seem to be a problem.....where I've noticed it most is when he gets the ball over the top or just on the shoulder of a defender....just doesn't pull away like before....
in any case, this time off can only be good for him imo.....

also worth noting is that hopefully this time off slows the Crew's momentum down a bit....

[Globetrotter]

also worth noting is that hopefully this time off slows the Crew's momentum down a bit....

Bingo.

[charlieocc]

also worth noting is that hopefully this time off slows the Crew's momentum down a bit....

Agreed, tbh it definitely slowed us up for the first leg last year.

[DinamoTFC]

Crew players on yellow cards who could potentially miss second leg vs TFC:

Vs Atlanta: Hector Jimenez, Artur and Josh Williams
Vs NYCFC : Mohammed Abu

TFC players suspended: Giovinco, Altidore (appealed)

Only Bradley sits on a yellow and needs to avoid a caution in first leg.

[charlieocc]

Crew players on yellow cards who could potentially miss second leg vs TFC:

Vs Atlanta: Hector Jimenez, Artur and Josh Williams
Vs NYCFC : Mohammed Abu

TFC players suspended: Giovinco, Altidore (appealed)

Only Bradley sits on a yellow and needs to avoid a caution in first leg.

I thought Vazquez got a yellow at some point? Maybe I’m crazy

Edit: I am indeed crazy.

[ensco]

also worth noting is that hopefully this time off slows the Crew's momentum down a bit....

NYCFC did us a solid there. Until Sunday, they had a whiff of second half superteam about them (sort of like Seattle last year). But NYCFC totally dominated them, and Columbus were lucky to escape. That bubble has burst.