Hopefully everyone now stop with "Gilberto is a flop" talk.
Overall, TFC got the job done for once.
Hopefully everyone now stop with "Gilberto is a flop" talk.
Overall, TFC got the job done for once.
I dunno can we fit Gilberto into Reid's Pagoda of the Atiyah Flop? xy = (z+wk)(z−wk) If we can then we can still call him a Flop. It might be a bit of a stretch.
It was great getting out to Montreal to support our team. Section 112 did us proud! What a trip. We started with Via rail, and went no where due to the derailment. Then, grabbed the car and drove there. Just got in now. Traffic most of the way back home was brutal. 9 hours straight on the way back. No regrets.
Last edited by Thomas; 08-04-2014 at 10:40 PM.
Whilst I tend too agree, I have to take the positives when they come. TFC have played some very exciting games in the past, and have come up short or drawing.
I do recall a few years ago TFC having a match, the words being spoken were, 'It's only New York Red Bulls, they are in last place, we can clinch the playoffs' and what happened in that one, was it a 5-nil loss.
Onward TFC Onward
It's not like Montreal have no points this season. They've taken points from the Whitecaps, Philly, DC, New England, Fire and NYRB. The point is that this is not the Premiere league where teams are easy and a wins are expected. You still have perform well and finish your chances to get a win.
SJ beat Seattle.
Houston beat DC.
Philly tied KC.
...and that's just the last week.
If TFC lose, it's because they're no good.
If TFC wins, it's because the other team is disinterested.
You're simplifying what people say when they "hate" on TFC. It's great the we beat Montreal, we thoroughly outplayed them and took care of business. But they're a team that were 3-12-5. Beating them doesn't make up for losing 3-0 at DC and 2-1 to SKC at home up a man.
Let's not forget that before Montreal we had one win in eight games. That's a terrible run by any measure, and people are right to voice their "negative" opinions. That stretch displayed a troubling lack of finishing and creating chances. One win later and those are still real concerns that could affect the rest of the season.
Until TFC puts together an extended period of getting results (and now would be a good time to go on that run), people are going to be wary. The East isn't as tough as the West but it's still a dogfight to make the playoffs. We're only 3 points safe of the red line. Each game we drop points, especially to Eastern teams, could be crucial.
Like I said - your first place Seattle is on a 2 game losing streak; one of which is to SJ. I don't know what people are expecting from this team... They're not gonna take home the shield, so if that's what you're waiting for, it's not happening.
Consistency will come with a consistent lineup of quality players.
We are getting there.
Yep. It's good that we are a solid enough team that we can typically beat up on the teams we are "supposed to" be better than. That was never a given in previous years, at all.
What I'm looking for, is for us to more consistently outplay teams on the same level as us, or higher. Doesn't diminish three points that we both needed, and got - just means we aren't nearly out of the woods yet.
“Heroism breaks its heart, and idealism its back, on the intransigence of the credulous and the mediocre, manipulated by the cynical and the corrupt.” ~Christopher Hitchens
It's the worst team in the league, by a fair margin. If they won three games straight while all the other bottom dwellers also lost they'd still be in last place. Per game they are averaging less points than the last place EPL team in the 13-14 season. This is just a game you'd expect to win, regardless of what league it is.
Credit to the team for not slipping up on this one, but I think it's fair to say it's not the same measuring stick as the other opponents we faced previously.
It really needs to be stressed though, that this win would by no means be automatic for pretty much every previous incarnation of Toronto FC. Every weekend was a roll of the dice.
Aside from that, I agree completely. Three points is never a bad thing, and it's good that we took care of business, but we need to look higher.
But hey, if you can't enjoy wins as a fan, then what is left?
“Heroism breaks its heart, and idealism its back, on the intransigence of the credulous and the mediocre, manipulated by the cynical and the corrupt.” ~Christopher Hitchens
It has already, hasn't it.
in the 9 games since we came back from the break we picked up 10 points. That is a full 3 points dropped from the pre-world cup break, and we should be in better form. What that says is teams in the MLS have figured us out, there isn't enough tactical variance.
I said early on that most of our goals were coming in the first 25 minutes or so and then we couldn't score, as teams basically figured us out and shut us down and we did nothing to change the play to fix it. Now we are playing some of those teams again, and other smart teams and we can't win. The two wins we picked up were wins that we should have picked up. (Houston who has imploded (and we only picked up 4 of 6) and Montreal who are worse. Against any sort of decent side we either tie or loose, because this team is easy to shut down. In fact if you look at the game stats, every time we play a team a second time the results get worse.
So... it has already caught up to us. It is possible we could not win another game all month.. and it isn't unreasonable to say if indeed Nelsen's lack of ability to adapt is the issue, then we may start September with fewer than 33 points, and drop below a playoff spot.
Last edited by Kaz; 08-06-2014 at 07:35 AM.
TFC's drop in points is more down to an ever changing roster more than a drop in form, or other teams "working us out". Players like Warner and Oduro are going to take time to adapt into the starting 11. Bradley coming back to the team is like a new signing and he didn't play many with the team before the world cup really. We also now have Creaville to adapt to the team. These are all upgrades on other players though, so I can see when these have all played together a while, TFC are going to be a completely different outfit. We need a little patience while we build with these new players.
Maybe true, but Nelsen tactics (or lack of) isn't working. We're winning game simply because of talent not tactics.
Nelsen playing Bradley-Warner middle isn't helping a lot to create and provide service for strikers. Our wingers (Jackson and Oduro) are great athletes and workhorse, but their soccer skills and IQ is mediocre which is obviously frustrating our strikers (especially Defoe) who have to rely on the wing to provide service since CM's aren't doing the job on consistent basis.
I thought the tactical change of having Ossorio play out wide, but basically drift in and have 3 CM giving Odurro total freedom out wide worked excellently. We basically moved into a 4-3-3 on attack quite a bit, and were really strong centrally. This sure beats several games playing with Jackson and Odurro wide and having our central midfielders outnumbered and possession being given away cheaply from the wings constantly.
Also, I really hope we see this for our depth up front at some time this season, it would be frightening:
1. Defoe
2. Gilberto
3. Dike
4. Moore
And Henry has really quieted his game down. His decision making is much better, and he's playing a much more controlled and calm game, and it's paying off. Hagglund is way more comfortable at CB than FB and it shows. He has been very effective in every game he's played as a CB and looked a little lost as a FB.
When Odurro is on, he looks like an all-star. If he can find consistency before his speed dries up, watch out.
Am I the only one that thinks you guys are crazy? We're not 3 games into the season.. It's more than half way done. We're third in the east with a brand new team, what else do you want??
I think a case can easily be made to the contrary.
Bradley's form, for example, is nowhere near what it was at the start of the season. Tactically as well, very little variance whatsoever. We got stuffed in the channels by DCU yet we continued to try and push play in the same area until it got to the point when we were out of it completely, after which we made meaningless adjustments. The game before we were prolific against SKC getting up the flank. Coincidence?
Last edited by ag futbol; 08-06-2014 at 07:59 PM.