U-Sector – The Original Toronto FC Supporters Group

Let’s Forget That Ever Happened

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

It’s better if we just pretend that that game on the weekend never happened.

TFC, away to expansion Philadelphia Union in the less-than-impressive environs of Chester, Pennsylvania (although PPL Park is a true gem of a stadium), did their part in making the newbies feel as if they may actually still have a shot at success in this MLS season.

They don’t, of course, but the Reds did their best to play the part of gracious guests.

Much of the blame has to lay at the feet of Preki, whose “play not to lose” strategy was obvious from the outset. Chad Barrett was left alone up top as the solitary striker, with five mids behind him. This from a team that now has a “glut” of forwards, playing against a side that has proven to be awful defensively.

It’s one thing to come out of the block with negative tactics against a team like Los Angeles or RSL, but against Philly? Preki showed the Union far too much respect, and it came back to haunt his side in the end.

That TFC was still in until the closing moments with a shot at stealing a road draw speaks much more about the talent disparity between the two teams,  and while that may seem laughable, it’s obvious once a closer look is taken.

Philadelphia is a team built on youth. Very good youth, mind you, but still with too many pieces a few years away from really starting to click on the MLS level. In three or four years, should they retain their young talent, Philly will be a power. Right now, however, they are a team filled with greenhorns and retreads, much like all expansion sides in every sport.

Seriously, a team with Sebastien Le Toux as “the franchise” should never be allowed to boss the game as the Union did on Saturday. Toronto should have thrown everything at their hosts from the get go, unsettling their inexperienced opponents with an early goal or two and locking down at the back for an easy win.

Instead, TFC tried to do it in reverse, and ended up chasing the game to the point of exhaustion in the stifling midday heat. They were outworked and outsmarted for nearly all of the 90 minutes, an inexcusable feat for a team looking to break into the upper echelons of the league for the first time.

A smart Barrett header got Toronto back into the match after the Reds found themselves down, and instead of turning the tide in the visitors favour, all it seemed to do was energize the home side. That was made easier by the fact that TFC seemed all too eager to accept the 1-1 draw and be done with it.

That Philadelphia was gifted the entire three points in injury time was less shocking as it was fitting, as the Union were by far the dominant team on the day. That simply cannot happen against lesser teams going forward.

Tomorrow, Toronto gets to erase the poor result of the weekend with the annual Carlsberg Cup friendly, this time against EPL mid-tablers Bolton Wanderers. While mid-season exhibition contests are generally a poor idea — especially for TFC which is always on a busy stretch at this time of year — the upside is that perhaps a no-pressure kickabout  (in which the team’s newest signing Mista* will get a chance to play alongside his new teammates for the first time) may just be what the doctor ordered for a team trying to get over a stinker.

Some Academy kids will get a shot at playing with the big boys, and some trialists may even get a run out. We may even get to see Jon Conway and his baseball cap in goal for the Reds.

It’ll be a lighthearted affair, and perhaps some levity ahead of the upcoming game against surging FC Dallas will be a good thing for all.

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Pros and Cons from Toronto FC’s match at Philadelphia Union played on July 17, 2010:

PROS

• Chad Barrett finding new ways to score. Sure, he was largely ineffective as the lone striker, but he put the ball in the net when he had to.
• The travelling support. Kudos to RPB and NEE, along with about a dozen U-Sector – for bringing it in the heat.

CONS

• Way too much respect given to Philadelphia. TFC needs to go for the kill against teams that suck. The Union most definitely sucks.
• Maxim Usanov’s double-handball in the area in injury time.
• Dwayne De Rosario and Julian de Guzman’s disappearing act. When both of them are having sub par games, TFC suffers.
• The piped in “Doop” song after Philly scores a goal. We do it better at BMO Field, and we don’t have the PA telling us when to do it. Lame

HIGHLIGHTS

Posted by Rudi Schuller

* By the way, it was really poor form for the club to announce Mista as signed, sealed and delivered, only to announce hours before kickoff that he was, in fact, not available to play against Philadelphia. He’s either available to play or he’s not, and TFC shouldn’t have touted his signing until all the details are ironed out. Those of us who traveled to PPL Park were confused as to why he was training with the team but not actually on the bench or the field. But I digress…