B.Knight: Another long night in the bar

[denime]

Another long night in the bar


Sometimes I wish I were neutral.
I'm a fan. I don't sit silently with the press corps pretending I don't care what's playing out on the field. I think about the game from all directions, and can write “objective” critical barbs – or offer praise – to just about anybody. But my heart lives and dies with the teams I love.
It's been more death than life lately.
Toronto FC, Canada against Jamaica, the Montreal Impact's okay-but-not-great win over Real Esteli in the CONCACAF Champions League – there's been a crying, frustrating shortage of link-up between midfield and attack.
I like to sit back and say “amaze me.” Lately, it's been “impress me.” Last night, for Toronto FC's grinding 2-1 loss at Chivas USA, it was “Please maybe can the ball go forward?”
TFC made an interesting adjustment last night, starting team captain Jim Brennan – easily their best and most consistent performer this season – on the left side of midfield. He responded with his first goal of the season, a thrilling, running, dribbling slot rip on 19 minutes.
Problem is, Brennan is the anchor of a chronically shaky Toronto defensive corps. With him redeployed, it took maybe 20 seconds off the restart for Chivas to equalize, pouring through all but untouched.
The back four – despite some heroic high-speed interventions from fleet-footed right back Marvell Wynne – was hemorrhaging breakaways all night. Julius James, Marco Velez and Tyrone Marshall got eaten like they were standing on crackers with cream cheese and olives on their heads. I'll be amazed if Chivas gets that many clean-cut open runs the rest of their entire season combined.


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[profit89]

God bless Knight. Good read.

[Daveisonfire]

As always, a good read from Knight

[kelzag]

Although a journalist is "supposed" to be neutral, I'm glad Ben's "one of us". He just expresses everything much more eloquently than we do!

[Brooker]

what is a TFC supporter to do? frustrated isnt the half of it.

now... before i dive headfirst into my pool's shallow end to put myself out of my misery, i will get drunk. again.