Sunday, October 3, 2010 6:28 PM EDT
TFC: Going, going, gone
After losing 3-2 to second year team Seattle Sounders on Saturday afternoon, Toronto FC highlighted just how bad this fourth Major League Soccer season has been for them.
Question? Twenty-two players on the pitch. How many TFC players would compete for a starting spot on Seattle’s team based on this particular game?
Dwayne DeRosario? Sure. Stefan Frei? Okay. Anyone else? Maybe Nana Attakora or Adrian Cann? On an afternoon where both players, especially Cann, were very poor while Seattle’s Jeff Parke was outstanding, they would at best be fringe squad players.
The point for all to see on Saturday at Qwest Field was the naive approach on the technical side of the Toronto FC soccer operation. As much as Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment brag about their financial wherewithal in the running of their sporting and entertainment empire, they at the same time have proven to be very gullible owners when putting quality soccer people together, be it on or off the field.
In the past four years of MLS history never has there been such a stark contrast in how one team has assembled on field quality over another who has completely botched their squad. In only their second season in Major League Soccer, Seattle has shown what a good technical vision leads to while Toronto FC have given the world a blueprint on how not to do things.
With the experienced Sigi Schmid as their inspirational leader it has translated into a team Sounder fans can now be proud of.
On the day Seattle was excellent in all departments while Toronto looked awkward and uncomfortable. Whether on the ball or tactically reading the game, Seattle was playing on a different level to Toronto FC. In the final third in particular they always looked threatening with the clever diagonal movement of their forwards which regularly unbalanced the TFC back line.
CBC analyst Jason Devos astutely pointed out the importance of two basic responsibilities for defenders. Tracking players as well as keeping your eye on the ball. Not one over the other. Yet the TFC back line time and again committed to one option and not both. As a result, the TFC defenders were caught out too many times which lead to two goals and numerous other chances. It was a poor naive display.
Meanwhile Osvaldo Alonso in the middle of the park displayed one reason why Julian de Guzman has been so poor this season. Athletically he just cannot compete with the Alonso brand of player. And there are plenty in Major League Soccer. But even on the technical side of things JDG and Nick Labrocca were found wanting when compared to the Cuban exile. At an approximate salary of $70,000 Alonso appears to be another bargain within Major League Soccer.
But there again, all Seattle players were comfortable on the ball. It allowed them to play one and two touch football which unfortunately at times mesmerized the TFC team. Aside from the one moment of class from Dwayne DeRosario there was little to get excited about if you were a Toronto FC fan.
And so now there is nothing left for them this season.
The rebuilding job for 2011 should begin now but MLSE have no one in place who can get the job done unless of course the fan base gets sucked into the agonizing spin which all too often appears from within the gates of BMO field.
Bottom line, Toronto is a city that should never have been a place for coaches or managers to have learned their trade. It was a massive gamble which over four years has back fired.
And the same circumstance has happened with the Preki cull.
Smiling TFC players and the freedom to express ability on the ball was naively promised by the opportunistic interim head coach, Nick Dasovic. Neither has been forthcoming. And so the Dasovic experiment was another risk from MLSE which has failed. So was listening to players. Only in Canada!
From day one MLSE President and CEO Richard Peddie enthusiastically exclaimed Toronto FC as an out of the park home run in terms of it’s off field success.
Well fair enough but unless they get their on-field soccer operations right this time around they will discover soon enough that Toronto soccer fans are not Toronto hockey fans. MLSE are getting a taste of it already.
Some have suggested Jurgen Klinsmann as a possible leader. Others have recommended a complete overhaul in order to start again.
Both seem appropriate at this stage.
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Thursday, September 30, 2010 12:59 AM EDT
Minor details cost TFC
Getting results in the big games often comes down to the minor details. Unfortunately for Toronto FC , such details proved fateful in their key CONCACAF Champions League match-up against Real Salt Lake at BMO field on Tuesday night.
TFC defender Maxim Usanov gave away a careless free kick on the edge of the penalty area, allowing Javier Morales to step up and score a terrific equalizing goal for Real Salt Lake. The final 1-1 score was enough for RSL to qualify for the quarter-final stage of the competition, while TFC will now have to wait another year.
It was a mixed night for TFC head coach Nick Dasovic.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010 6:59 PM EDT
DeRo has to go
Toronto FC President Tom Anselmi referenced TFC captain Dwayne de Rosario’s choreographed demand for a pay raise at an ill advised time and location – BMO field in front of 16,000 supporters – as something the club can move on from because Dwayne is happy to stay. Well, that is one solution.
Here is another, which is just as simple and straight forward. Trade him in the January transfer window. There should still be a few takers. For instance, Real Salt Lake could possibly be persuaded to exchange their Canadian national team player Will Johnson for de Rosario along with a draft selection or allocation money.
On $80,000 a year salary, Johnson would be a bargain even with a good pay raise. Relieving the strain on the salary cap would be the added bonus for TFC. Plus the long term upside of the trade would be a better return on investment as Johnson is only 23 and is an excellent midfield player.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010 10:42 AM EDT
TFC pay the price
Toronto FC’s Moments of Clarity against San Jose
Well if MLSE executives were watching their Toronto FC franchise at BMO field Saturday afternoon they would have plenty to reflect on.
In losing 3-2 to the San Jose Earthquakes Toronto FC realistically confirmed they will not be making the post season in this their fourth season.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010 3:19 PM EDT
Toronto FC grind out a result
Under the circumstances, Toronto FC earned a very positive result in Mexico City Wednesday night tying Cruz Azul 0-0 in a crucial CONCACAF Champions League game.
Facing the altitude, smog and humidity of the capital city, it was never going to be an easy game for TFC. But the collective resolve and concentration to defend well as a team was in the end the key to getting the result.
With the two remaining games at home there is now an opportunity for Toronto FC to qualify from the group stages and into the quarter-finals. It would be a remarkable achievement if accomplished.
Sunday, September 19, 2010 12:40 AM EDT
TFC targetman hits the mark
DeRosario makes a point
There has never been any doubts about Dwayne DeRosario’s talent. His two stunning goals for Toronto FC against Houston Dynamo at Robertson Stadium on Saturday night put an exclamation mark on that very fact.
On a night where you sensed the pressure on the Toronto FC team it overall was not a great performance. But to quote TFC President Tom Anselmi from last week’s press conference ‘that this is a results business’ then really, at this stage, three points is all that matters.
It is too bad that both the Colorado Rapids and Seattle Sounders themselves won, which leaves TFC still five points out of a playoff position, but at this stage, it is not as important as the positive momentum Toronto FC will have gained from the result.
After a poor first half performance where Toronto looked like they were in quick sand it was finally encouraging to see them up their urgency in the second half. Nevertheless, they never looked like scoring and without the solid performances of Stefan Frei and Adrian Cann it could have been far worse than the 1-0 deficit they were chasing.
Nick Dasovic, so far, has not had an influence on the team’s playing style and nor should anyone expect him to. The dye has been cast on who he has at his disposal and so really today’s performance was an indication that so late in the season, there can really only be limited change.
In the end it was TFC’s most influential player Dwayne DeRosario who pulled two rabbits out of a hat to secure the win. The players emotional reaction in his post game interview was an indication of the stress of the past week.
But the reality is it does not change the fact that what has transpired over the past seven days for the Toronto FC club has not been good no matter what spin anyone wants to put on the proceedings. Not for the players, not for the staff and certainly not for the management.
However, at the end of the day, while the three points may still not be good enough for TFC to make the playoffs, in terms of drama it could not have been better.
Saturday, September 18, 2010 12:42 AM EDT
TFC looks to regroup
After a tumultuous week in which head coach Predrag (Preki) Radosavljevic was fired, Toronto FC looks to end its poor road record in Major League Soccer with a match Saturday against the Western Conference cellar dwellers, Houston Dynamo.
Interim head coach Nick Dasovic faces a game-strategy dilemma, with TFC needing all three points from a win to have a chance at qualifying for the playoffs. TFC (7-10-7) trails the Seattle Sounders for the eighth and final playoff spot by five points.
Does Dasovic opt for an open attacking style which the Reds played unsuccessfully against Real Salt Lake in midweek – losing 4-1 in the CONCACAF Champions League game – or does he stick closer to the defensive formation favoured by Preki?
The rational answer is, somewhere in between.
On paper, TFC should be able to exploit the Dynamo (6-12-5), who traded arguably their best player, Brian Mullan, to Colorado on deadline day. Returning to play against his former team, Toronto star Dwayne De Rosario (nine goals) will be up against a midfield missing Lovel Palmer (suspension) and Anthony Obodai (surgery).
However, Toronto has played consecutive midweek CONCACAF matches, while Houston is rested after an off-week.
Thursday, September 16, 2010 10:00 AM EDT
Preki should feel vindicated
Maybe Preki will sleep with a wry smile after Toronto FC’s 4-1 loss to Real Salt Lake in the CONCACAF Champions League on Wednesday night.
After being taken to task in the media and undermined by two players he used as captains during his very short tenure in Toronto, he would have the right to feel vindicated. Where leadership and class was required by his players it was once again trumped by a selfish, self-serving approach. What chance does Canadian soccer have of being successful if this is the approach of our supposed top players?
Under the circumstances of the previous 36 unsavoury hours, the first game under new head coach Nick Dasovic was destined to have plenty of talking points.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010 12:25 PM EDT
Reds fading to black
Toronto FC is in a hole that will be difficult to get out of, with four of the remaining six games on the road.
As the team has only won one away game all season, TFC is looking at a fourth consecutive Major League Soccer campaign without a playoff appearance.
With supporter angst at a fever pitch following last Saturday's dismal home loss – 1-0 to bottom team DC United – club owner Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment has some major problems to solve with no simple solutions in sight.
To start with, MLSE surely has to look back at its initial approach in 2007. Too many poor decisions on the technical side of the operation were made. Denial of this will only increase the prospect of the errors being repeated.
The biggest blunder was inappropriate hiring and as a result, Toronto FC is once again faced with chaos and instability instead of success and some kind of harmony.
The team that head coach Predrag (Preki) Radosavljevic inherited this season missed the playoffs in 2009. It was in desperate need of overhaul, after losing 5-0 to the league's worst team (New York Red Bulls) in the last game of its 2009 season.
But when you coach the way Preki does – uncompromising, tough and ruthless with player demands – you simply have to win in the short term. Had he been hired two years ago, the patience meter would have been more reasonable. But if the ultimate result remains the same at the end of this 2010 season – in the form of failure to make the playoffs – then clearly he will be a tough sell to the TFC fan base.
Meanwhile Mo Johnston, who was unsuccessful as TFC's head coach in its first year, has also failed miserably for the franchise in his redefined role as director of soccer. A continual revolving door of players – over 70 have come and gone in four years – demonstrates his indecisiveness and an inability to assess talent.
MLSE's decision to hire Johnston in the first place was clearly based on acquiring a public-relations personality who would be media friendly and impressive to the fans and players. The decision was certainly not made because of proven management experience or competence in the area of professional soccer business. There was simply no track record of off-field success. Any reasonable due diligence and thoroughness would have led to this finding.
The Toronto FC franchise should not have been a place for personnel to learn their trade on the job, be it coaching or soccer management. It should have required a more experienced skill set other than what Johnston brought to the table. The city and its fan base was just too big and demanding.
Even in the unlikely event Toronto FC makes the playoffs, it will be hard to justify the status quo at the club.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010 12:25 PM EDT
Reds’ Preki faces the music
While TFC head coach Preki still appears to be grey-less – it must be the Yoga classes – any more displays like Saturdays performance against DC United and the little follicle critters will begin appearing as sure as the sun rises. After all, whether you like or dislike the first year TFC head coach it is abundantly clear he cares about his team and his players.
But at the end of the day it will not mean an awful lot if failure in 2010 is met.
After a 1-0 loss to bottom club DC United Toronto FC are now once again precariously close to losing out on the post season. Knowing they have not made the MLS playoffs in their first three years, then letdown in this, their fourth season, will be unacceptable for an ever growing impatient fan base.
The chorus of boos ringing all round at BMO field is a strong indication that the time is up for MLSE in regards to making changes at the top.
With six games remaining there is still the possibility that TFC can squeeze their way into the playoffs but realistically the poor performance against a spirited DC United team should buffer against such positive thoughts. Preki can leverage the 3 games in seven days card but to be outplayed by the last place team at home dilutes any such excuse.
Whether statistically or just through observation it was DC United who dominated throughout this contest. They were more adventurous when going forward as they threw plenty of numbers into the attacking third at every opportunity. While they may have lacked the cutting edge in and around the penalty area they nevertheless always looked threatening, with Pablo Hernandez particularly impressive.
On the ball they were man for man better than TFC and even defensively they looked more assured. The up and down side of DC United’s Canadian defender Dejan Jakovic is that on this performance he looks like he is developing nicely which is good news for Canadian fans. And the downside? For TFC it is the knowledge that he was missed by the club after a trial a few years ago.
Preki meanwhile needs to take some responsibility with his player selections. Playing Raivis Hscanovics at left full back was a poor selection and his misplaced touches on the ball reeked of the amateurish level. It is where the rotation system can be over used and unnecessary, especially at such an important time. If the coaches evaluation, that some of TFC players are good enough and worthy of the alternating method, then it is indeed disappointing as some of them are clearly off the pace – Hscanovics being the shining light.
And as for the goal scoring drought. Well, even with the main strikers Mista and Santos Maicon in the line-up it made little difference. There was once again, for another 90 minutes, a complete lack of pedigree in the final third for TFC and it does not look like getting any better.
Even in the area of normal staple stability for TFC – the ability to compete physically, mentally, and with discipline – appeared to be trumped by the DC United team who from the outset looked like a team on a mission to get the result. It could be an ominous sign for TFC.
James on Soccer Contributors
Paul James
James on Soccer blogger Paul James, who has an MBA in Football Industries from the University of Liverpool in England, has been involved in Canadian soccer as a player, television analyst and coach, including the last six seasons as the head coach of the York University women's team. James represented Canada 47 times at the senior level, competing in all of Canada's games at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and 1986 FIFA World Cup Finals in Mexico. He coached the Canadian U20 men's team to CONCACAF Group title win in 2001 and was an assistant coach for the National U20 women's team which won the 2008 CONCACAF championship.
