U-Sector – The Original Toronto FC Supporters Group

TFC vs. Impact: Pros and Cons

Thursday, April 29, 2010

Courtesy TFCpics.com

Well that was fun, wasn’t it?

If there is such a thing as a temporary cure for any ill that TFC (both club and supporters) is feeling, a match versus the Montreal Impact is certainly it.

The rivalry between fans is hot, the games are chippy, and TFC is undefeated against the Impact. Wednesday’s game followed suit, with a dogfight of a match that resulted in numerous cards, a lot of bad blood, and two goals for the good guys.

Dwayne De Rosario, the Toronto FC captain who can seemingly do no wrong in 2010, notched his customary goal for the home side, his fourth in three career matches against Montreal (and sixth in as many games for TFC this season). Chad Barrett, much maligned for his lack of scoring prowess, put himself on the scoreboard with a dazzling run through the heart of the Impact goalmouth -his second in about five minutes – before blasting a right-footer past Montreal keeper Matt Jordan.

Those two goals were all that was needed for the Reds (in grey), as their opponents’ attack was as anemic as anything TFC has ever displayed in its worst games.

That De Rosario and Barrett were the heroes has to be a bit of a sucker punch to a Montreal fanbase that has suffered a few from Toronto’s way over the course of this tourney.

De Ro is, of course, the man who nearly single-handedly dismantled the Impact in the famous “Miracle in Montreal” match last June. His hat-trick woke up the rest of his teammates on that day, and TFC strode on to a 6-1 victory and the Canadian Championship.

Barrett has taken his fair share of abuse, including from some fans of the Impact, for his inability to score the easiest of chances. So it must hurt then, that Montreal seems to bring out the best in the American, against whom he has tallied three goals and two assists in three total matches.

Barrett seems to save his best for Montreal, including scoring a highlight-reel goal at BMO Field last year that secured a narrow victory for TFC, and scoring the clinching fifth goal at Stade Saputo in Toronto’s Voyageurs Cup victory a few weeks later.

Whether Barrett can use yesterday’s strike as a catalyst for further goals remains to be seen, but he’ll surely take solace in the fact that TFC plays at Montreal in less than two weeks time.

The game had an ugly side, as both Ty Harden and Nick Garcia were forced to leave with injuries. Harden’s leg was lacerated to the bone – to the tune of 22 stitches – in the goalmouth scramble that led to De Rosario’s opening goal. Garcia got knocked flat on his back from an incensed Roberto Brown, who decided to bring the UFC to Ontario for a few seconds rather than playing the sport he is paid to play (highlights below). Brown was red-carded for his succession of punches, and Garcia was replaced by O’Brian White following a lengthy delay.

Many of the (many) less obvious fouls were called too, on both sides, as yellows rained down from referee Paul Ward throughout. Despite the card-happiness of the official, Montreal’s game plan of “hack the shit out of Julian de Guzman whenever he has the ball” remained constant, although to de Guzman’s credit he simply shook it off and continued his run of stellar play of late.

The ugliness was not limited to the field of play, though. Some Montreal fans found it necessary to spit upon passing TFC supporters below before the match, the latest in a line of regrettable actions from both sides of the feud. (To be fair, it must be tough for Montreal fans, knowing ahead of time that their team is going to lose to their most-hated rivals.)

Hopefully this latest incident will be the last, but with the teams facing off again so soon, one cannot be so sure.

For TFC, the win has to give them an added bit of confidence heading into Saturday’s MLS game at Salt Lake. Will they be able to recover physically in time for a match at altitude against the defending MLS Cup champs?

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Pros and Cons for Toronto FC vs. Montréal Impact, played Wednesday, April 28, 2010:

PROS

• Dwayne De Rosario finding new ways to score
• Chad Barrett’s continued dominance over Montreal
• TFC’s ability to fight through against a physical, rough-tackling team
• Julian de Guzman’ emerging consistency as a DP-level player
• The willingness to kill off a game through possession and passing at the back
• The supporters as a whole, likely in the best form we’ve been in for a long time

CONS

• Allowing Montreal just a little too much possession (especially after they went down a man)
• Robert Brown impersonating Robert Duran
• Light Grey vs. Light Pink, the TV production staff must have been having fits

HIGHLIGHTS

Posted by Rudi Schuller