It should be an interesting CFL clash in Vancouver tonight. For B.C., quarterback Buck Pierce returns after missing a couple of weeks with a concussion, thanks to what may have been a season-ending rotator cuff injury to Jarious Jackson. Head coach Wally Buono will also be going for a record-breaking victory that would vault him above Don Matthews (who will be in the building) into sole possession of first place on the CFL's all-time win list. Perhaps even more importantly, a win would improve B.C.'s record to 5-6 and strengthen their push for a playoff spot.
This game is just as important for Toronto. They'll be trying to build on an overtime win against the Tiger-Cats last week and improve their record to 4-7. If they win this one, they're back in the hunt for the playoffs; if they lose, it's going to be a tough slog for them. Playing a late game on the West Coast in the unfriendly confines of B.C. Place won't help, but they may have an opportunity thanks to the injury to Jackson. It all depends on how well Pierce plays and how much protection he gets from his line. For game previews, check out my CFL column here, Jack Bedell's breakdown of last week's action here, Lowell Ullrich's preview here and his game preview chat here. It should be an interesting one, so come join me here for it at 10 p.m. Eastern!
(P.S. If you're interested in the Toronto FC - L.A. Galaxy clash at 10:30 p.m., I'm also live-blogging that one. Feel free to contribute to both live blogs!)
Showing posts with label Toronto FC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Toronto FC. Show all posts
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
The Infamous Book of Unwritten Rules
People have tried to put together lists of unwritten rules for various sports ever since the term came into sports culture. Writing a list of unwritten rules (ignore the obvious irony) has often sparked serious debate among those involved in sports over what should be expected of athletes, coaches, fans, the front office and owners in specific situations. These rules and controversies vary from sport to sport, but in team sports there is one that is generally universally excepted.
If you're playing in a game that is useless for you, but means something for your opponents and other teams in the league, you play a full squad.
If you don't know which event I'm talking about yet, last night Toronto FC won the Voyageurs Cup after beating a Montreal "B" squad 6-1. Toronto went into the game needing at least a four goal win to prevent Vancouver from taking home the Voyageurs Cup. Montreal had lost every game in the tournament up to this point and had nothing at stake (except the apparently irrelevant factors of dignity and pride).
Last night's performance from the Montreal Impact showed a lack of respect for the Voyageurs Cup, and Canadian soccer. Montreal's 2008 Voyageurs Cup victory was considered by many supporters to be their greatest moment in club history. It also became the stepping stone for a successful CONCACAF Champions League run in which the Impact played a quarterfinal in front of 55,000 people at the Big O. Just to put this in perspective on average there are two sporting events in Canada every year that attract this type of audience, the Grey Cup and the Blue Jay's home opener. After Montreal realized the potential that winning the Voyageurs Cup presents one would have thought they would have shown more respect to the other two teams in the competition by playing a full squad.
This disrespect for the competition was not one shared by Vancouver in 2008, in fact Vancouver played a big part in helping Montreal win the tournament. They beat Toronto 1-0 at BMO Field, then tied Toronto 2-2 at Swangard, giving Montreal an opportunity to close out the tournament against Toronto which they did. Vancouver played these games after they had lost both their opening games to Montreal, which essentially eliminated them from the competition. Vancouver was apparently wrong in assuming that Montreal would have remembered this favour.
Even if these factors weren't evident, even if this match had been a useless friendly the prospect of a Toronto-Montreal match should have been enough to yield a full line up from both of these teams. These two cities share a rich history of sports rivalries with the Habs and the Leafs, as well as the Argos and the Alouettes. This rivalry between the Impact and Toronto FC seemed to be shaping up nicely, but Marc De Santos, the Impact coach, seems to have deemed that games against the likes of Miami and Austin to be more important.
Now maybe De Santos believed the team he put out against Toronto had the ability to beat them, or at least hold them to a three goal win. If this is true then he was well in his right to send out a team that could benefit from the experience, while maintaining the competition's integrity. It would have been evident at 3-1 that Toronto had some chance of pulling off this improbable victory. Maybe it took until 4-1, but eventually it would have been obvious that Toronto was in with a shout. So why not bring on the array of talent available on the bench to calm the match down a little if nothing else. Team MVP Sandro Grande, the team's top forward Roberto Brown, and young Canadian standout defender Alex Surprenant, were all on the bench to start the match. They were all still there after the ninety minutes were up.
With all this being said, last night obviously was an embarrassing night for the Impact, a disappointing night for Vancouver, but before anyone says that last night was bad for the competition, look again. It was by far the most drama that this Nutrilite Canadian Championship tournament has provided. The football Toronto played last night was not only entertaining, but a display of some of the best quality they've shown in a long time. In the final game of the Canadian Championship, the man who really lifted Toronto to the Cup was a Canadian, Dwayne DeRosario, who scored the first ever hat trick in Toronto FC history. Most importantly the biggest club in terms of fan support, media attention, and cash is going to the CONCACAF Champions League which can only mean more exposure for footy in Canada.
[Cross-posted to The Canadian Stretford End]
If you're playing in a game that is useless for you, but means something for your opponents and other teams in the league, you play a full squad.
If you don't know which event I'm talking about yet, last night Toronto FC won the Voyageurs Cup after beating a Montreal "B" squad 6-1. Toronto went into the game needing at least a four goal win to prevent Vancouver from taking home the Voyageurs Cup. Montreal had lost every game in the tournament up to this point and had nothing at stake (except the apparently irrelevant factors of dignity and pride).
Last night's performance from the Montreal Impact showed a lack of respect for the Voyageurs Cup, and Canadian soccer. Montreal's 2008 Voyageurs Cup victory was considered by many supporters to be their greatest moment in club history. It also became the stepping stone for a successful CONCACAF Champions League run in which the Impact played a quarterfinal in front of 55,000 people at the Big O. Just to put this in perspective on average there are two sporting events in Canada every year that attract this type of audience, the Grey Cup and the Blue Jay's home opener. After Montreal realized the potential that winning the Voyageurs Cup presents one would have thought they would have shown more respect to the other two teams in the competition by playing a full squad.
This disrespect for the competition was not one shared by Vancouver in 2008, in fact Vancouver played a big part in helping Montreal win the tournament. They beat Toronto 1-0 at BMO Field, then tied Toronto 2-2 at Swangard, giving Montreal an opportunity to close out the tournament against Toronto which they did. Vancouver played these games after they had lost both their opening games to Montreal, which essentially eliminated them from the competition. Vancouver was apparently wrong in assuming that Montreal would have remembered this favour.
Even if these factors weren't evident, even if this match had been a useless friendly the prospect of a Toronto-Montreal match should have been enough to yield a full line up from both of these teams. These two cities share a rich history of sports rivalries with the Habs and the Leafs, as well as the Argos and the Alouettes. This rivalry between the Impact and Toronto FC seemed to be shaping up nicely, but Marc De Santos, the Impact coach, seems to have deemed that games against the likes of Miami and Austin to be more important.
Now maybe De Santos believed the team he put out against Toronto had the ability to beat them, or at least hold them to a three goal win. If this is true then he was well in his right to send out a team that could benefit from the experience, while maintaining the competition's integrity. It would have been evident at 3-1 that Toronto had some chance of pulling off this improbable victory. Maybe it took until 4-1, but eventually it would have been obvious that Toronto was in with a shout. So why not bring on the array of talent available on the bench to calm the match down a little if nothing else. Team MVP Sandro Grande, the team's top forward Roberto Brown, and young Canadian standout defender Alex Surprenant, were all on the bench to start the match. They were all still there after the ninety minutes were up.
With all this being said, last night obviously was an embarrassing night for the Impact, a disappointing night for Vancouver, but before anyone says that last night was bad for the competition, look again. It was by far the most drama that this Nutrilite Canadian Championship tournament has provided. The football Toronto played last night was not only entertaining, but a display of some of the best quality they've shown in a long time. In the final game of the Canadian Championship, the man who really lifted Toronto to the Cup was a Canadian, Dwayne DeRosario, who scored the first ever hat trick in Toronto FC history. Most importantly the biggest club in terms of fan support, media attention, and cash is going to the CONCACAF Champions League which can only mean more exposure for footy in Canada.
[Cross-posted to The Canadian Stretford End]
Thursday, June 18, 2009
A tale of three cities
The seemingly-impossible 6-1 victory Toronto FC pulled off against the Montreal Impact tonight gives them the Voyageurs Cup, the one fact everyone can agree on. Apart from that, there's no clear lesson or moral to draw from this one, though. It means drastically different things to fans of all the teams involved, and there's no one right answer. Read on for my thoughts on what this result means to fans in each city.
Toronto: It's a great day to be a Toronto FC fan. Almost everyone wrote them off after the Vancouver game; sure, they've got a solid team, but a four-goal victory on the road is hard for any side. For a team that's suffered some significant setbacks recently, including a brutal home loss to the L.A. Galaxy, a series of fan protests and a recent roster makeover, this is a huge step forward. They finally have the CONCACAF Champions League berth they've coveted for so long, and they have some tangible silverware to show their fans. The load on Mo Johnston's shoulders just got significantly lighter; regardless of how TFC do in the remainder of the MLS season, this year will be seen as at least a partial step forward thanks to tonight's events.
Vancouver: For Vancouver fans, it's the opposite. The championship seemed in their grasp, and it would have been a perfect stepping stone on the road to MLS as well as a way to bring some well-deserved Eastern media attention to the Whitecaps. To have that ripped away by a stellar TFC performance would have been bad enough. However, the way this went down was much worse. Their old archrivals, the Montreal Impact, first decided to dress a B-squad, including former Whitecaps' backup goalkeeper Srdjan Djekjanovic. That B-squad then went on to roll over and play dead (after notching the game's first goal on a penalty) in a manner that made the Montreal Screwjob look positively fair, all but assuring TFC's triumph. The faces of head coach Teitur Thordarson and the Whitecaps in the stands told the story of the night; first joy, then cautious optimism, then worry and then disbelief.
In the end, though, Vancouver fans don't have anything to be ashamed of. Their side put in a great tournament and may have deserved the trophy. With a credible effort from Montreal, they might even have won it. There's no point in kicking themselves or their franchise over something that in the end was out of their hands. You can bet they'll be fired up for Saturday's USL game against the Impact, though.
Montreal: In many ways, Montreal fans come out of this in the worst situation. They just watched their side demonstrate that they don't care about the Voyageurs Cup when they don't have a chance to win it. The appalling effort shown by the Impact tonight gives Montreal fans nothing to be proud of, and that's made worse by their lacklustre performance handing the championship to their Toronto-based rivals. Montreal's going to take a lot of criticism over the next few days, and much of it will be deserved. That's not the fans' fault, but it's going to be awfully tough for them to defend their franchise at the moment. Tonight's showing brought back horrible memories of the Santos Laguna defeat, and perhaps was even worse. That was an Impact team that had overachieved; just making it to that point was an accomplishment, and getting any sort of result in Mexico is always difficult. Losing by six goals at home to an MLS team with a poor recent run of form? It's hard to find a way to rationalize that.
In the end, I don't think it necessarily means much for Canadian soccer as a whole. Toronto FC will make a great representative for the country in the CONCACAF Champions League, but as I argued a while ago, Vancouver would have as well. Each would bring a different audience to the table, and a run by either will be good for the game. For Toronto, their focus now shifts to the CCL; for Vancouver and Montreal, the mission's now to succeed in the USL and come back hungry for the Voyageurs Cup title next year. It's been a great, thrilling, dramatic tournament, and it's really shown that these sides at their best can compete with each other and give us some fantastic soccer to watch. In my mind, that's the most important thing to take away from this one.
[Cross-posted to Sporting Madness].
Toronto: It's a great day to be a Toronto FC fan. Almost everyone wrote them off after the Vancouver game; sure, they've got a solid team, but a four-goal victory on the road is hard for any side. For a team that's suffered some significant setbacks recently, including a brutal home loss to the L.A. Galaxy, a series of fan protests and a recent roster makeover, this is a huge step forward. They finally have the CONCACAF Champions League berth they've coveted for so long, and they have some tangible silverware to show their fans. The load on Mo Johnston's shoulders just got significantly lighter; regardless of how TFC do in the remainder of the MLS season, this year will be seen as at least a partial step forward thanks to tonight's events.
Vancouver: For Vancouver fans, it's the opposite. The championship seemed in their grasp, and it would have been a perfect stepping stone on the road to MLS as well as a way to bring some well-deserved Eastern media attention to the Whitecaps. To have that ripped away by a stellar TFC performance would have been bad enough. However, the way this went down was much worse. Their old archrivals, the Montreal Impact, first decided to dress a B-squad, including former Whitecaps' backup goalkeeper Srdjan Djekjanovic. That B-squad then went on to roll over and play dead (after notching the game's first goal on a penalty) in a manner that made the Montreal Screwjob look positively fair, all but assuring TFC's triumph. The faces of head coach Teitur Thordarson and the Whitecaps in the stands told the story of the night; first joy, then cautious optimism, then worry and then disbelief.
In the end, though, Vancouver fans don't have anything to be ashamed of. Their side put in a great tournament and may have deserved the trophy. With a credible effort from Montreal, they might even have won it. There's no point in kicking themselves or their franchise over something that in the end was out of their hands. You can bet they'll be fired up for Saturday's USL game against the Impact, though.
Montreal: In many ways, Montreal fans come out of this in the worst situation. They just watched their side demonstrate that they don't care about the Voyageurs Cup when they don't have a chance to win it. The appalling effort shown by the Impact tonight gives Montreal fans nothing to be proud of, and that's made worse by their lacklustre performance handing the championship to their Toronto-based rivals. Montreal's going to take a lot of criticism over the next few days, and much of it will be deserved. That's not the fans' fault, but it's going to be awfully tough for them to defend their franchise at the moment. Tonight's showing brought back horrible memories of the Santos Laguna defeat, and perhaps was even worse. That was an Impact team that had overachieved; just making it to that point was an accomplishment, and getting any sort of result in Mexico is always difficult. Losing by six goals at home to an MLS team with a poor recent run of form? It's hard to find a way to rationalize that.
In the end, I don't think it necessarily means much for Canadian soccer as a whole. Toronto FC will make a great representative for the country in the CONCACAF Champions League, but as I argued a while ago, Vancouver would have as well. Each would bring a different audience to the table, and a run by either will be good for the game. For Toronto, their focus now shifts to the CCL; for Vancouver and Montreal, the mission's now to succeed in the USL and come back hungry for the Voyageurs Cup title next year. It's been a great, thrilling, dramatic tournament, and it's really shown that these sides at their best can compete with each other and give us some fantastic soccer to watch. In my mind, that's the most important thing to take away from this one.
[Cross-posted to Sporting Madness].
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Goodbye, Greg
It is be a big day for hockey fans, thanks to the Phoenix mess continuing to play out in court and Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final going tonight, and it's also a big day for Canadian basketball fans with Jason Kapono traded from the Raptors (Michael Grange, The Globe and Mail) for Reggie Evans, but there's some important soccer news as well. Toronto FC announced today (John F. Molinaro, CBC Sports) that they had released veteran goalkeeper Greg Sutton (pictured) and traded a 2010 third-round draft pick to the San Jose Earthquakes for American defender Nick Garcia and the MLS rights to Canadian striker Ali Gerba. Analysis on what it all means and some links after the jump.This is a move that had to be made. Sutton is a talented goalkeeper, but he's been replaced in the TFC starting lineup by rookie Stefan Frei this season, who has been spectacular so far. Sutton may well be picked up by another MLS club and perhaps even have a chance to start, but he wasn't particularly needed in Toronto after Frei emerged as a star and his guaranteed contract of $165,000 was just too high for a backup goalkeeper in the strict salary cap world of MLS. His release opens a roster spot and adds cap room, plus it should give younger goalkeeper Brian Edwards more playing time to develop as Frei's backup. Gerba and Garcia are nice pickups as well, and Sutton's departure paved the way for their entrance.
Ideally, it would have been nice to get something for him in trade, but general manager Mo Johnston didn't have a lot of leverage. MLS has more depth at keeper than any other position; most teams have at least one solid netminder, and many of them are American, which helps with the roster limits on imports. The U.S. has actually been more successful at bringing up talented keepers than most countries, and certainly has done a better job of developing star goalkeepers than other players; Tim Howard and Brad Friedel are two of the best keepers in the English Premier League (for Everton and Aston Villa respectively) and there are plenty of other American standouts in MLS, including Seattle's Kasey Keller. Thus, no MLS team would be too desperate to trade for a 32-year-old Canadian with a history of concussion problems who was likely to be released anyway thanks to his contract; why pay for what you can get for free? If they are interested, he can be claimed quite easily now.
Toronto fans should thank Sutton for his service. He was one of the original members of the club and was their starting goalkeeper for their first two seasons. He played quite well during that time and turned in some solid performances with the Canadian national team as well. Unfortunately, he suffered a severe concussion at the 2007 Gold Cup, which kept him out for a significant amount of time and appeared to affect his play to a degree when he returned to the TFC lineup. He battled back from that, though, and seemed to be back in fine form lately, but he wasn't playing as well as Frei and was very expendable due to his contract. Despite that, he will be fondly remembered by many TFC fans, and he may be again cheered by national team fans in the future depending on where he winds up.
Where will Sutton wind up? It's hard to say. In MLS, D.C. United is most well-known as a side with goalkeeping problems, but many of those appear to be because of their inability to choose and stick with a number-one keeper. I'm not sure Sutton is the answer there. Another MLS side may take a flier on him, perhaps initially as a backup, but his Canadian passport and contract expectations may hurt those chances. He could also wind up overseas.
One intriguing possibility is another Canadian side. Matt Jordan of the Montreal Impact has looked rather shaky lately and was unimpressive in Sunday's match against the Whitecaps. Sutton's Canadian passport would be attractive to Montreal and his tenure with the national team would likely make him a popular player there. The lack of a salary cap in the USL and Montreal owner Joey Saputo's willingness to pay for quality players might also help. It's pure speculation at this point, but it would make a good bit of sense.
Some reaction from around the intertubes:
- Duane Rollins says it's unfortunate, but logical news about Sutton. He also likes the acquisition of Gerba and Garcia (The 24th Minute).
- Sam ponders what this might mean for Canada's Gold Cup team (The Canadian Stretford End).
- Ben Van Weelden is happy to see these moves after all the recent bad news for the club (TFC Connected)
- J thinks this move could work out for both Sutton and TFC. (Out of Touch)
Tuesday, June 02, 2009
Toronto FC - Vancouver Whitecaps live blog
It's almost time for what could be the crucial match of the Nutrilite Canadian Championship. Both Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps enter tonight's clash in Vancouver with six points, but Vancouver's played three matches and TFC only two. If Toronto wins or ties, they claim the Voyageurs Cup. For Vancouver to claim the trophy, they have to win tonight and then have Montreal either lose by a small margin or get a result against TFC in the final match. You can check out the full tie-breaking process in Duane's post here. This rivalry's been getting better all the time, so it should be a great match tonight! Join me in the live blog below for more coverage.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Getting Canadian Clubs to the MLS
Joey Saputo recently went on record saying that "Montreal's entry into MLS is no longer a question of if, but when." Vancouver already has a guaranteed spot in the 2011 MLS season. Toronto is currently the home to a financially successful MLS team for a third season. Eugene Melnyk has been quoted as saying that getting an MLS team to Ottawa is "a no-brainer". Most recently Edmonton has been throwing around the idea of an MLS bid.The idea of whether or not the MLS is the best way forward for Canadian clubs to develop is up for debate, but what is not up for debate is that the MLS is the future of the sport in this country. The MLS is bringing in the money, is catching audiences from across Canada, and is "the only league" in many people's eyes.
You could go on debating the quality of the MLS compared to the USL for hours, and believe me its been done. The simple fact is for Canadian teams to gain the national recognition they need from a mainstream audience they need to be competing in the MLS. The USL just doesn't have the exposure and as long as the MLS continues to maintain its status as the top league financially the USL will always be a second option to the MLS.
With all that in mind getting as many Canadian clubs into the league has to be the top priority. With Toronto and Vancouver already there the obvious next step is Montreal.
For a USL team Montreal has a solid fan base getting a sell out of over 12,000 out to their home opener last weekend and of course bringing 55,000 people out to the Big O for a CONCACAF Champions League game. The fans want the MLS, the organization is ready to make the jump and the only thing that stopped them in their 2011 bid was Joey Saputo's arrogance, refusing to pay the $40 million entry fee.
What needs to happen in order to get Montreal to the MLS is to get back on commissioner Don Garber's good side and for Joey Saputo to get off his high horse. According to Saputo these things are going well, they are in talks with MLS and a franchise looks inevitable in the near future.
The next prospective site is Ottawa. I think for Ottawa it's a case of "If you build it they will come". Getting an agreement with the city to build a 20-30,000 seat soccer specific stadium in downtown Ottawa is the only way this bid is going to get going. Melnyk is convinced that building a stadium near the Scotiabank Place (home to the Ottawa Senators) would work, but I doubt the city would allow this considering the mess that the location of the Scotiabank Place created.
Garber has said he speaks very highly of Ottawa and if a viable stadium plan is in place I think an MLS team in Ottawa is the future.
Edmonton Oilers owner, Daryl Katz is the newest billionaire to consider the MLS north of the 49th. Although at the moment he is just considering, The Edmonton audience has shown the interest in soccer is there time and time again. People point to poor men's national team attendances, but the U-19 Women's World Cup drew excellent crowds as did an L.A. Galaxy - Vancouver Whitecaps friendly. With relatively little advertising for these games these attendances are all the more impressive.
Although Commonwealth Stadium isn't really an option, because of its enormous size so a new soccer specific stadium would have to be built in Edmonton to accommodate an MLS franchise.
Getting Canadian clubs into the MLS will help the sport in this country more than anything else could right now and making sure this happens should be these club's number one priority.
[Cross-posted to The Canadian Stretford End]
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Whitecaps - Toronto FC live blog
I'll be live-blogging the first match of the Nutrilite Canadian Championship between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto FC here tonight at 8 p.m. Eastern (5 p.m. Pacific). This is a big one; it's the first match in a six-game set to see which Canadian team emerges triumphant with the Voyageurs Cup and a coveted berth in the CONCACAF Champions League. You can check out my match preview at The 24th Minute. Hope to see you here then!
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Importance of the Voyageurs Cup
This Wednesday BMO Field will host the opening match in the second ever Nutrilite Canadian Championship between the Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto FC. They are vying for the Voyageurs Cup, the title of Canadian Champions and a spot in the 2009-2010 CONCACAF Champions League. Now this Cup competition is a short one consisting of only six games between Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, but it represents one of the most important advances in Canadian soccer.
The Voyageurs Cup (sponsored by the Canadian Soccer Supporters, The Voyageurs) used to be awarded to the winner of the season series between Canadian teams in the USL. During this era the Montreal Impact won the cup all six years that it was awarded. At this time the Voyageurs Cup was something the real supporters of these clubs talked about but it hadn't really gotten out to the media what this trophy was all about. In its new format it has, and it is a hit among the fans.
In the new format three teams from different leagues play in games that are scheduled out side of their respective leagues (the Voyageurs Cup games are no longer USL games) and vie for the title of Canadian Champion instead of just recognition from one supporters group. Not only has this heated up the rivalries between the three Canadian clubs, but it has also got people thinking about possible future ramifications.
Being Canadian Champions is a big deal for these teams, just look at the Impact last year. Many Impact supporters put winning the Voyageurs Cup above winning the USL title several years earlier. The idea of being a Canadian Champion means something to these cities and these supporters. Which paves the idea of a possible Canadian league.
The issue of whether or not Canadian teams should just stay in leagues like the MLS and USL or form their own league is a controversial one in Canadian soccer circles. Many believe that playing our American counterparts keeps Canada part of the North American scene and helps develop our at a higher level since the quality of opposition is greater. It also gives a more financially sound base as it has been proven that Canadian Soccer Leagues (or Canadian sports leagues in general) aren't always set for success.
There was a very poor attempt made at a Canadian league in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The CSL (Canadian Soccer League) as it was called was made in order to develop more and stronger players after Canada qualified for the World Cup in 1986. The structure and interest just wasn't there and the league folded.
Right now the Voyageurs Cup is proof that the interest is there. Fans of the national team see a national league as an avenue to grow more players and at a higher level. Fans of individual clubs see it as a chance to get another dig at their local rivals. If it worked I believe that a new Canadian Soccer League would help grow the game in this country.
Even if this league may not ever come to fruition the mere fact that the Voyageurs Cup hints to the possibility of this league is a big plus. Don Garber, the MLS commissioner, has said many times before that he wants further expansion into Canada. With the success of Toronto FC and the projected success of Vancouver it would be a massive financial incentive to explore the option of more Canadian teams. The Voyageurs Cup and the threat of a national league may help speed this process up.
Garber doesn't want to lose his Canadian market to a break off Canadian league so the Voyageurs Cup may give him the incentive to bring as many Canadian teams into the league as soon as he can. With Vancouver coming in 2011, Ottawa and Montreal still showing interest as well as recent talk of an Edmonton bid, the prospective of a Canadian league grows bigger while Garber will try harder to accommodate these teams into the MLS.
So whether it leads to more Canadian teams in the MLS, a Canadian League or something completely different, enjoy the Voyageurs Cup this year it could mean big things for the future of Canadian soccer.
[Cross-posted to The Canadian Stretford End]
The Voyageurs Cup (sponsored by the Canadian Soccer Supporters, The Voyageurs) used to be awarded to the winner of the season series between Canadian teams in the USL. During this era the Montreal Impact won the cup all six years that it was awarded. At this time the Voyageurs Cup was something the real supporters of these clubs talked about but it hadn't really gotten out to the media what this trophy was all about. In its new format it has, and it is a hit among the fans.
In the new format three teams from different leagues play in games that are scheduled out side of their respective leagues (the Voyageurs Cup games are no longer USL games) and vie for the title of Canadian Champion instead of just recognition from one supporters group. Not only has this heated up the rivalries between the three Canadian clubs, but it has also got people thinking about possible future ramifications.
Being Canadian Champions is a big deal for these teams, just look at the Impact last year. Many Impact supporters put winning the Voyageurs Cup above winning the USL title several years earlier. The idea of being a Canadian Champion means something to these cities and these supporters. Which paves the idea of a possible Canadian league.
The issue of whether or not Canadian teams should just stay in leagues like the MLS and USL or form their own league is a controversial one in Canadian soccer circles. Many believe that playing our American counterparts keeps Canada part of the North American scene and helps develop our at a higher level since the quality of opposition is greater. It also gives a more financially sound base as it has been proven that Canadian Soccer Leagues (or Canadian sports leagues in general) aren't always set for success.
There was a very poor attempt made at a Canadian league in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The CSL (Canadian Soccer League) as it was called was made in order to develop more and stronger players after Canada qualified for the World Cup in 1986. The structure and interest just wasn't there and the league folded.
Right now the Voyageurs Cup is proof that the interest is there. Fans of the national team see a national league as an avenue to grow more players and at a higher level. Fans of individual clubs see it as a chance to get another dig at their local rivals. If it worked I believe that a new Canadian Soccer League would help grow the game in this country.
Even if this league may not ever come to fruition the mere fact that the Voyageurs Cup hints to the possibility of this league is a big plus. Don Garber, the MLS commissioner, has said many times before that he wants further expansion into Canada. With the success of Toronto FC and the projected success of Vancouver it would be a massive financial incentive to explore the option of more Canadian teams. The Voyageurs Cup and the threat of a national league may help speed this process up.
Garber doesn't want to lose his Canadian market to a break off Canadian league so the Voyageurs Cup may give him the incentive to bring as many Canadian teams into the league as soon as he can. With Vancouver coming in 2011, Ottawa and Montreal still showing interest as well as recent talk of an Edmonton bid, the prospective of a Canadian league grows bigger while Garber will try harder to accommodate these teams into the MLS.
So whether it leads to more Canadian teams in the MLS, a Canadian League or something completely different, enjoy the Voyageurs Cup this year it could mean big things for the future of Canadian soccer.
[Cross-posted to The Canadian Stretford End]
Thursday, February 26, 2009
That night in Montreal ...
The image of MLS commissioner Don Garber doing a spit take all over his BlackBerry — Montreal won?! —, well, that's a good place to start.
Eduardo Sebrango scored both goals for the Impact in their 2-0 CONCACAF Champions League quarter-final first-leg win over Santos Laguna of Mexico in front of 55,571 absolute nutters at Olympic Stadium. It's early yet to know what kind of watershed this is for Canadian footy, but as D. Rollins says in his 24th Minute post, "Maybe every person who has fought to bring this sport into the mainstream in Canada also walked away with a victory."
One would hope that succeeding years prove that to be more right than wrong, regardless of how much or how little you're into soccer. Canada only excelling in team sports which a small, snow-bound fraction of the world cares about is gets old pretty quickly. Obviously, CONCACAF's club competition is several rungs below the Champions League or the Copa in South America, but what counts here is people investing themselves emotionally in their local team, and by extension, the sport on their own continent, rather than settling for watching it via satellite.
That, at least in this recovering soccerphobe's opinion, is what Garber showed the back of hand when he tried to demand a $40-million franchise fee out of the Impact and owner Joey Saputo. Now the Impact, for one night at least, are the toast of fans across North America, while Garber is in scramble mode trying to find an ownership group willing to ante up in the midst of a recession.
Who knows what Montreal winning, especially since even a casual Canadian fan knows not to count on anything when one of our teams heads south of the Rio Grande for a game. Duane is the guy who gets football and he says don't even try to understand it, so it might be foolish to try. Let's just say it was great. It wasn't aired live in CBC prime time, but the next time something like this comes along, it probably will, which is progress. That contributes to a great night all-around. Let's keep hoping it leads someplace.
Eduardo Sebrango scored both goals for the Impact in their 2-0 CONCACAF Champions League quarter-final first-leg win over Santos Laguna of Mexico in front of 55,571 absolute nutters at Olympic Stadium. It's early yet to know what kind of watershed this is for Canadian footy, but as D. Rollins says in his 24th Minute post, "Maybe every person who has fought to bring this sport into the mainstream in Canada also walked away with a victory."
One would hope that succeeding years prove that to be more right than wrong, regardless of how much or how little you're into soccer. Canada only excelling in team sports which a small, snow-bound fraction of the world cares about is gets old pretty quickly. Obviously, CONCACAF's club competition is several rungs below the Champions League or the Copa in South America, but what counts here is people investing themselves emotionally in their local team, and by extension, the sport on their own continent, rather than settling for watching it via satellite.
That, at least in this recovering soccerphobe's opinion, is what Garber showed the back of hand when he tried to demand a $40-million franchise fee out of the Impact and owner Joey Saputo. Now the Impact, for one night at least, are the toast of fans across North America, while Garber is in scramble mode trying to find an ownership group willing to ante up in the midst of a recession.
Who knows what Montreal winning, especially since even a casual Canadian fan knows not to count on anything when one of our teams heads south of the Rio Grande for a game. Duane is the guy who gets football and he says don't even try to understand it, so it might be foolish to try. Let's just say it was great. It wasn't aired live in CBC prime time, but the next time something like this comes along, it probably will, which is progress. That contributes to a great night all-around. Let's keep hoping it leads someplace.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
TFC: Twenty-nine plus a winning eleven equals footy fever
Our own Duane Rollins, despite being out of country, manage to get a Dwayne De Rosario post up at The 24th minute, in anticipation of tomorrow's big Toronto FC press conference:"There hasn't been a modern athlete vibrant and exciting enough to capture the city's heart. Vince Carter, for a while, but we all know how that turned out.Twenty-nine could be a watershed year in the battle to be Toronto proper's summer team, which is actually a pointless battle (a mature sports city doesn't play off the sports faction against one another). The Blue Jays don't have a lot of buzz, although another season with 80-some wins is probably likely. The CFL's Argonauts, similarly, are rebuilding.
"DeRo will be that athlete. His coming to Toronto is the final piece in the near perfect storm that has allowed TFC to explode into the city’s consciousness. The sport has always had a place in new Toronto, but it has struggled to focus its attention. Not anymore. And, now the star, the local star, comes home to complete the picture."
It's acknowledged there are footy fans who would never watch baseball and there are ball fans who are pretty resistant, resentful even, of MLS' inroads into the Toronto sports market.
In between, there are casual fans who might be more inclined to see what the fuss is about with TFC. A Canadian starring for the team really puts the game in front of people after two seasons where the players were largely faceless to a soccer dilettante (guilty as charged), outside of Canadian national players such as Jim Brennan.
Friday, December 12, 2008
DeRo to TFC!
The Globe and Mail is reporting that Toronto FC has acquired Canadian midfielder/striker Dwayne De Rosario from the Houston Dynamo in exchange for defender Julius James and cash. The first reaction here is that this is a pretty good move for TFC, as they were rather lacking in offensive talent for much of this year. DeRosario's versatility will also be helpful; he and Carl Robinson might look great in central midfield together, with De Rosario going forward and Robinson playing the holding role, or he could fill in up front as well. He also should have at least a couple of good years left (he's 30), and there will surely be plenty of Canadian soccer fans happy about the chance to watch him play in person more frequently. One potential drawback is that his acquisition puts even more pressure on TFC to win in the near future, rather than focusing on developing young talent. There's also probably at least a partial PR element to this; I'm sure MLSE will be very happy to have a top Canadian talent suit up for their squad. Still, it looks like a win on the football side to me; cash isn't much good if you don't do anything with it, and James hadn't overly impressed me so far. This team needed some attacking creativity, and they might just have found it. I'm sure Duane will have more on this later, so stay tuned!
Duane here. Having picked myself up off the ground...
I have some paid work I need to get to, but in the meantime a couple videos that sum up my feelings on this (Full comments now here - below the jump:
First, the reaction in downtown Toronto moments after the annoncement:
Then, the greatest goal in MLS history (and up there for one of the best ever, period. Make sure you watch the last replay of it).
OK, I'm back...
Dwayne De Rosario is about to become a star. And, when he does he will become the first Canadian soccer player to do so in his own country. If things go perfect and TFC wins a championship with DeRo scoring a couple highlight goals along the way, it’s possible that his reputation among casual fans could exceed his actual talents. He just plays that way. DeRo scores the type of goals that make soccer fans gasp and soccer haters reconsider. Although he is not a perfect player, he is an exciting player and he is perfect to be the face of the game in the country.
TFC fans had pretty much given up on this ever happening. Initially there was a feeling that MLS would find a way to get him in Toronto – the league has it’s ways – but when that didn’t happen, Houston won a championship and Toronto started selling the joint out without the hometown hero, the assumption was that DeRo was just another guy out there. Toronto may have wanted him, but want and gonna get are two different things.
Then Houston failed to win the MLS Cup this season. Surely, the thinking went, he would want to go back to Texas to finish there on top. If only he had won another title, then maybe he’d be up for a new challenge.
But, still we held out hope.
When news broke today that Houston was calling a last minute press conference the first thought that popped into my head was that it was DeRo. I actually started a thread on both Big Soccer and at the U-Sector boards where I joked that Houston was about to ship him north. I kept it light because, as you know, sports fans have to do little tricks to protect their emotions. If I joked and it didn’t happen, well, it was just a joke, right?
But, it happened. And no one really believed it. On U-Sector it went from a typical ripping the piss off-season thread to elated, jumping up and down screaming so hard it’s going to take three weeks to find the cat again joy in record time. We’re suckers, us supporters. We bitch and moan and talk about throwing them all under the bus, but give us one ounce of good news and we become hopeless romantic fools in an instant. We make Leafs fans look rational. And, we’re OK with that.
I’ll break this down from a soccer standpoint over at The 24th Minute sometime tonight, but understand that this is something that goes way beyond the scoreboard. Toronto soccer fans waited along time for a hero of our own. Pessimistic by nature, we doubted it would ever come. Although we love Jimmy B, Sutts and all the young Canadian kids (along with our imported Reds), DeRo’s different. Part of what makes us cheer for the other Canadians is that they seem just like us. Jimmy is a good guy from Newmarket that you’d have a beer with while watching the Leafs. But DeRo…he’s the guy with the flair and talent that you only wish you could be.
And in 2015 or so some kid from Toronto will burst out in the soccer world and do things that no one ever thought a Canadian would do. And when they ask him what drove him to excellence on the soccer pitch he will talk about some goal he saw DeRo score at BMO Field way back in 2009.
And the story will go on and on and on…
DeRo’s a Red! It’s a good day.
Duane here. Having picked myself up off the ground...
I have some paid work I need to get to, but in the meantime a couple videos that sum up my feelings on this (Full comments now here - below the jump:
First, the reaction in downtown Toronto moments after the annoncement:
Then, the greatest goal in MLS history (and up there for one of the best ever, period. Make sure you watch the last replay of it).
OK, I'm back...
Dwayne De Rosario is about to become a star. And, when he does he will become the first Canadian soccer player to do so in his own country. If things go perfect and TFC wins a championship with DeRo scoring a couple highlight goals along the way, it’s possible that his reputation among casual fans could exceed his actual talents. He just plays that way. DeRo scores the type of goals that make soccer fans gasp and soccer haters reconsider. Although he is not a perfect player, he is an exciting player and he is perfect to be the face of the game in the country.
TFC fans had pretty much given up on this ever happening. Initially there was a feeling that MLS would find a way to get him in Toronto – the league has it’s ways – but when that didn’t happen, Houston won a championship and Toronto started selling the joint out without the hometown hero, the assumption was that DeRo was just another guy out there. Toronto may have wanted him, but want and gonna get are two different things.
Then Houston failed to win the MLS Cup this season. Surely, the thinking went, he would want to go back to Texas to finish there on top. If only he had won another title, then maybe he’d be up for a new challenge.
But, still we held out hope.
When news broke today that Houston was calling a last minute press conference the first thought that popped into my head was that it was DeRo. I actually started a thread on both Big Soccer and at the U-Sector boards where I joked that Houston was about to ship him north. I kept it light because, as you know, sports fans have to do little tricks to protect their emotions. If I joked and it didn’t happen, well, it was just a joke, right?
But, it happened. And no one really believed it. On U-Sector it went from a typical ripping the piss off-season thread to elated, jumping up and down screaming so hard it’s going to take three weeks to find the cat again joy in record time. We’re suckers, us supporters. We bitch and moan and talk about throwing them all under the bus, but give us one ounce of good news and we become hopeless romantic fools in an instant. We make Leafs fans look rational. And, we’re OK with that.
I’ll break this down from a soccer standpoint over at The 24th Minute sometime tonight, but understand that this is something that goes way beyond the scoreboard. Toronto soccer fans waited along time for a hero of our own. Pessimistic by nature, we doubted it would ever come. Although we love Jimmy B, Sutts and all the young Canadian kids (along with our imported Reds), DeRo’s different. Part of what makes us cheer for the other Canadians is that they seem just like us. Jimmy is a good guy from Newmarket that you’d have a beer with while watching the Leafs. But DeRo…he’s the guy with the flair and talent that you only wish you could be.
And in 2015 or so some kid from Toronto will burst out in the soccer world and do things that no one ever thought a Canadian would do. And when they ask him what drove him to excellence on the soccer pitch he will talk about some goal he saw DeRo score at BMO Field way back in 2009.
And the story will go on and on and on…
DeRo’s a Red! It’s a good day.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
We got a team! Now what!!
In an editorial published today at the online version of 90:00 Soccer Magazine the unspoken fear about MLS expansion in Canada is brought up—just where are the players going to come from.
For those unaware, MLS is a quota league. A certain amount of each team’s players must be domestic. Although the definition of a domestic player is a bit liquid—a player must only be legally eligible to work in the country that he is playing in. He need not be a citizen—the rule presents a challenge for Toronto FC. Domestic in Toronto means Canada. It’s American everywhere else. And, the Canadian talent pool is roughly ten times smaller than it is in the U.S.
Writing for 90:00, Managing Editor Greg Daurio suggests that what is challenging for TFC will be downright impossible if more Canadian teams come onto the scene.
There is some truth to what he suggests. The best Canadians have stayed away from TFC so far. There is a multitude of reasons for that—money mostly, but also a distaste of FieldTurf and a lack of desire to leave Europe where they have established roots over the years. There is also the curious relationship between Mo Johnston and his agent Barry MacLean. Almost all of Johnston’s Canadian signings have been represented by MacLean.
Basically, Toronto’s Canada problem has as much to do with its manager’s inability to attract those players as it does with the lack of players available. At times it appeared that Johnston spent more energy last year trying to get the rules changed than he did actually trying to bring in Canucks. Meanwhile, Reds fans sat back and watched two Canadian USL teams—with a great deal of Canadians playing in key positions—embarrass the team in the Canadian championships.
Another factor at play is that other MLS teams understand that Canadians are more valuable to TFC than they are to American based MLS teams where they have to dress as internationals. So, when Toronto looks into acquiring those players the other teams can hold out for a great deal more than what those players would be worth in a truly open market. Canadian players based in Europe can approach Toronto in the same way.
Which is likely why the long-term answer to the issue is to make it a truly open market. If MLS is going to open itself up to Canadian teams than it should also open itself up to Canadian players. There was some scuttlebutt last year that the league wanted to do just that, but there was resistance in the United States Soccer Federation. So, to appease the isolationists in the USSF, MLS backed off and instead increased the amount of international slots available to every team. Toronto was also given a couple extra international slots for a couple extra years. It would seem that if the league is going to allow more Canadian teams in that it would also have a plan in mind to deal with the quota issue. The only logical way to do that with more teams is to make Canadians and Americans domestic players league wide.
For those unaware, MLS is a quota league. A certain amount of each team’s players must be domestic. Although the definition of a domestic player is a bit liquid—a player must only be legally eligible to work in the country that he is playing in. He need not be a citizen—the rule presents a challenge for Toronto FC. Domestic in Toronto means Canada. It’s American everywhere else. And, the Canadian talent pool is roughly ten times smaller than it is in the U.S.
Writing for 90:00, Managing Editor Greg Daurio suggests that what is challenging for TFC will be downright impossible if more Canadian teams come onto the scene.
“Toronto has struggled in its first two seasons to field a competitive roster, in part because the best Canadian players don’t play in MLS. Furthermore, the best Canadian players in MLS don’t play for TFC. MLS made a special exception for Toronto, giving them extra international slots, but that exception will have run out by 2011, compounding the problem. Toronto is already fighting for the scraps of Canadian players available, so the thought of them competing for those same scraps with another Canadian team isn’t a pretty picture.”
There is some truth to what he suggests. The best Canadians have stayed away from TFC so far. There is a multitude of reasons for that—money mostly, but also a distaste of FieldTurf and a lack of desire to leave Europe where they have established roots over the years. There is also the curious relationship between Mo Johnston and his agent Barry MacLean. Almost all of Johnston’s Canadian signings have been represented by MacLean.
Basically, Toronto’s Canada problem has as much to do with its manager’s inability to attract those players as it does with the lack of players available. At times it appeared that Johnston spent more energy last year trying to get the rules changed than he did actually trying to bring in Canucks. Meanwhile, Reds fans sat back and watched two Canadian USL teams—with a great deal of Canadians playing in key positions—embarrass the team in the Canadian championships.
Another factor at play is that other MLS teams understand that Canadians are more valuable to TFC than they are to American based MLS teams where they have to dress as internationals. So, when Toronto looks into acquiring those players the other teams can hold out for a great deal more than what those players would be worth in a truly open market. Canadian players based in Europe can approach Toronto in the same way.
Which is likely why the long-term answer to the issue is to make it a truly open market. If MLS is going to open itself up to Canadian teams than it should also open itself up to Canadian players. There was some scuttlebutt last year that the league wanted to do just that, but there was resistance in the United States Soccer Federation. So, to appease the isolationists in the USSF, MLS backed off and instead increased the amount of international slots available to every team. Toronto was also given a couple extra international slots for a couple extra years. It would seem that if the league is going to allow more Canadian teams in that it would also have a plan in mind to deal with the quota issue. The only logical way to do that with more teams is to make Canadians and Americans domestic players league wide.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
The true Impact of the game
Tonight's 1-1 draw between the Montreal Impact and Toronto FC at BMO Field in the final match of the Nutrilite Canadian Championships means a lot for both clubs. On the surface, the only effect is that Montreal claims the championship and will represent Canada in the inaugural CONCACAF Champions League. However, this particular result has deeper meanings for both clubs involved, and also has significance for their leagues and their country.
For Montreal, this is a huge boost. Instead of merely a bright spot, this is rather the only spot with any illumination whatsoever that's been observed in their disappointing season so far. They're 5-8-3 in United Soccer League (USL) play this year and are almost in the league basement, with a record only one point better than the atrocious Minnesota Thunder. That's pretty grim for a team that has plenty of talent, won the USL championship only four years ago and is looking for some good results to fill their sparkling-new stadium.
Enter the Canadian Championships. Cup competitions are always places to watch out for teams expected to do better with the talent on their squad, as it's easier to pull together for a game or two at a time than over a long campaign. Two cases in point come from England this season, where Portsmouth and Tottenham claimed the FA and Carling Cups respectively, but finished 8th and 11th in the Premier League. They may have had to face opposition from a higher league, but it's also tougher for the supposedly-superior team to win, as there's less margin for error: one bad result and you're bounced. As Duane wrote back at the start of these championships, the lack of a single-elimination format reduced this advantage for the USL sides: however, it didn't get rid of it completely. Even the most die-hard USL supporters would likely admit that TFC would in all probability finish ahead of Montreal and Vancouver if they played a whole season against the same opposition.
There's also the matter of media coverage. Much of the mainstream media's coverage of soccer in Canada only sprung up after TFC's formation, and a good deal of the coverage is still Toronto-focused. There are several good reasons for that. First, most of the Canadian media outlets are based in Toronto, so it makes more sense for them to cover a Toronto team than one in Vancouver or Montreal. Second, it's easier to sell MLS soccer than its USL cousin: you can market it as the highest level of the game in North America, and with the designated player rule and the wave of big-name signings that's followed, you can sell it as high-calibre soccer. It's not the Premiership, or La Liga, or Serie A, but it's here, it's pretty good, it's relatively new, it's got some star power and it's got a growing audience and fanbase.
The USL, on the other hand, is much more difficult to sell to readers, viewers, listeners and advertisers, as many of them have no clue what it is. Out here on the West Coast, the Vancouver Whitecaps receive some pretty significant coverage in the local papers and on the local airwaves, but I doubt if many people outside the Vancouver area have heard of them (especially before the launch of this championship). I don't know from first-hand experience, but I'd guess the situation's probably pretty similar in Montreal. It is logical for TFC to get more press, coverage and promotion, and the attention given to them probably helps all soccer in Canada to some degree. Still, you've got to think it sticks in the craw of Joey Saputo, Greg Kerfoot, Bob Lenarduzzi and the other USL owners, executives and fans to see an upstart team like TFC get such extensive coverage while their own storied franchises receive barely a mention on the national stage. This was their chance to strike back, and they did with the strong performances of their teams in this competition. Also, you'd think that the Impact will now probably get some national coverage when they compete in the CONCACAF Champions League.
There's one more key reason why winning this competition was important for Montreal: it allowed them to continue their string of six straight Voyageurs Cup titles as the top team in Canadian soccer. This one in particular provides a lot of respect, as the cup was awarded based on an actual tournament instead of just a couple of regular-season games and the big boys from MLS were involved. They took all the disappointment, abuse and criticism directed at their club and their league, and channeled it into a string of solid on-pitch performances. The last one came right in the notably hostile confines of Toronto's home fortress, where the Reds were 5-1-4 this year (in league and Canadian Championships play), as if to tell Tyrone Marshall, "Hey, whose league blows now?".
For Toronto, the tournament's results tell a different story. This season began with such promise with a talented cast of new players and a fresh head coach. There have been glimpses of brilliance, certainly, but by and large, the utopian future has failed to materialize. All certainly isn't lost yet, and a 6-6-4 record isn't bad, but it's not quite up to the expectations that had been placed upon this side (and the 1-6-0 record away from home is utterly terrible), and as such is disappointing. Losing a tournament where they were clearly favourites, where the format was to their advantage, where their players publicly insulted the other teams and where despite dismal early results, they still only needed a one-goal win in the final, held in the friendly surroundings of BMO Field: well, I'm not sure that disappointment is a strong enough word for that.
The other club that gets a boost out of this is Vancouver. Yes, they were miserable against the Impact, and that's why they didn't claim the championship themselves, but Montreal wouldn't have taken the title without the Whitecaps' surprising victory and draw against TFC. Thus, they get the kingmaker prestige, if not the glory awarded to the monarch himself. They also benefit from the increased fan interest arising from this competition, which will hopefully carry over to their regular-season matches. They and Montreal proved that the USL is not to be trifled with, and that should only help them in the future.
For the leagues involved, the greater positive impact must be for the USL. Their league receives little national press as it is, and when there is any coverage at all, a good bit of it downplays its quality. The performances of Vancouver and Montreal in this competition show that the USL can hold its own, and those performances aren't isolated: consider the US Open Cup, which involves American MLS and USL teams, and has an all-USL semifinal coming up in August between the Seattle Sounders and the Charleston Battery.
Overall, there's no question that MLS has the bigger crowds, the greater exposure, the higher profile, the increased revenues and the better players on the whole, but the gap between the two leagues on the field is not as wide as many have claimed. I don't think that necessarily hurts MLS, though: a strong USL develops players for MLS, builds the soccer fanbase in cities without MLS franchises and provides a good indication of if cities will support soccer to an extent where they'd be a strong candidate for an expansion franchise. A strong USL also builds interest in the Canadian championship and the US Open Cup, as those are now real competitions instead of merely a walkover for the higher league. In Canada in particular, it's not only the on-field quality of the USL franchises has been demonstrated, but also the quality of the front offices and marketing divisions, as well as the interest of the fanbase in high-level soccer: more fans showed up for the Whitecaps - TFC match in Vancouver than I've ever seen at Swangard stadium, and there was a real buzz in the city about the game. That answers some questions the league might have had about the Vancouver and Montreal markets, and it also demonstrates that there are some solid rivalries all ready to go if Vancouver and Montreal get expansion franchises. Thus, in the end, TFC's loss might not be so bad for MLS, and it certainly could prove beneficial for soccer in this country.
The one qualifier that dampens this a bit though is success in the next round. I'm sure Montreal will represent Canada well in the CONCACAF Champions League, but the longer the competition goes on, the higher the chance that they'll revert to their USL form becomes. Based solely on the talent on the roster and their normal level of play, Toronto might have been able to go even further in the next competition, which could have been a bigger boost for soccer across Canada. We'll have to wait and see how that plays out.
Related: I was more concerned in this post about discussing the ramifications of Montreal's win than the on-field action, but it was certainly an exciting and entertaining match in my view, particularly with all of the pressure TFC put on at the end. If you're looking for more details on the match itself, Duane may have some later, but there's also an excellent Canadian Press recap here. It's currently the top story on globesports.com, and that's something that only bodes well for the beautiful game in Canada, regardless of which team's scarf adorns your neck.
For Montreal, this is a huge boost. Instead of merely a bright spot, this is rather the only spot with any illumination whatsoever that's been observed in their disappointing season so far. They're 5-8-3 in United Soccer League (USL) play this year and are almost in the league basement, with a record only one point better than the atrocious Minnesota Thunder. That's pretty grim for a team that has plenty of talent, won the USL championship only four years ago and is looking for some good results to fill their sparkling-new stadium.
Enter the Canadian Championships. Cup competitions are always places to watch out for teams expected to do better with the talent on their squad, as it's easier to pull together for a game or two at a time than over a long campaign. Two cases in point come from England this season, where Portsmouth and Tottenham claimed the FA and Carling Cups respectively, but finished 8th and 11th in the Premier League. They may have had to face opposition from a higher league, but it's also tougher for the supposedly-superior team to win, as there's less margin for error: one bad result and you're bounced. As Duane wrote back at the start of these championships, the lack of a single-elimination format reduced this advantage for the USL sides: however, it didn't get rid of it completely. Even the most die-hard USL supporters would likely admit that TFC would in all probability finish ahead of Montreal and Vancouver if they played a whole season against the same opposition.
There's also the matter of media coverage. Much of the mainstream media's coverage of soccer in Canada only sprung up after TFC's formation, and a good deal of the coverage is still Toronto-focused. There are several good reasons for that. First, most of the Canadian media outlets are based in Toronto, so it makes more sense for them to cover a Toronto team than one in Vancouver or Montreal. Second, it's easier to sell MLS soccer than its USL cousin: you can market it as the highest level of the game in North America, and with the designated player rule and the wave of big-name signings that's followed, you can sell it as high-calibre soccer. It's not the Premiership, or La Liga, or Serie A, but it's here, it's pretty good, it's relatively new, it's got some star power and it's got a growing audience and fanbase.
The USL, on the other hand, is much more difficult to sell to readers, viewers, listeners and advertisers, as many of them have no clue what it is. Out here on the West Coast, the Vancouver Whitecaps receive some pretty significant coverage in the local papers and on the local airwaves, but I doubt if many people outside the Vancouver area have heard of them (especially before the launch of this championship). I don't know from first-hand experience, but I'd guess the situation's probably pretty similar in Montreal. It is logical for TFC to get more press, coverage and promotion, and the attention given to them probably helps all soccer in Canada to some degree. Still, you've got to think it sticks in the craw of Joey Saputo, Greg Kerfoot, Bob Lenarduzzi and the other USL owners, executives and fans to see an upstart team like TFC get such extensive coverage while their own storied franchises receive barely a mention on the national stage. This was their chance to strike back, and they did with the strong performances of their teams in this competition. Also, you'd think that the Impact will now probably get some national coverage when they compete in the CONCACAF Champions League.
There's one more key reason why winning this competition was important for Montreal: it allowed them to continue their string of six straight Voyageurs Cup titles as the top team in Canadian soccer. This one in particular provides a lot of respect, as the cup was awarded based on an actual tournament instead of just a couple of regular-season games and the big boys from MLS were involved. They took all the disappointment, abuse and criticism directed at their club and their league, and channeled it into a string of solid on-pitch performances. The last one came right in the notably hostile confines of Toronto's home fortress, where the Reds were 5-1-4 this year (in league and Canadian Championships play), as if to tell Tyrone Marshall, "Hey, whose league blows now?".
For Toronto, the tournament's results tell a different story. This season began with such promise with a talented cast of new players and a fresh head coach. There have been glimpses of brilliance, certainly, but by and large, the utopian future has failed to materialize. All certainly isn't lost yet, and a 6-6-4 record isn't bad, but it's not quite up to the expectations that had been placed upon this side (and the 1-6-0 record away from home is utterly terrible), and as such is disappointing. Losing a tournament where they were clearly favourites, where the format was to their advantage, where their players publicly insulted the other teams and where despite dismal early results, they still only needed a one-goal win in the final, held in the friendly surroundings of BMO Field: well, I'm not sure that disappointment is a strong enough word for that.
The other club that gets a boost out of this is Vancouver. Yes, they were miserable against the Impact, and that's why they didn't claim the championship themselves, but Montreal wouldn't have taken the title without the Whitecaps' surprising victory and draw against TFC. Thus, they get the kingmaker prestige, if not the glory awarded to the monarch himself. They also benefit from the increased fan interest arising from this competition, which will hopefully carry over to their regular-season matches. They and Montreal proved that the USL is not to be trifled with, and that should only help them in the future.
For the leagues involved, the greater positive impact must be for the USL. Their league receives little national press as it is, and when there is any coverage at all, a good bit of it downplays its quality. The performances of Vancouver and Montreal in this competition show that the USL can hold its own, and those performances aren't isolated: consider the US Open Cup, which involves American MLS and USL teams, and has an all-USL semifinal coming up in August between the Seattle Sounders and the Charleston Battery.
Overall, there's no question that MLS has the bigger crowds, the greater exposure, the higher profile, the increased revenues and the better players on the whole, but the gap between the two leagues on the field is not as wide as many have claimed. I don't think that necessarily hurts MLS, though: a strong USL develops players for MLS, builds the soccer fanbase in cities without MLS franchises and provides a good indication of if cities will support soccer to an extent where they'd be a strong candidate for an expansion franchise. A strong USL also builds interest in the Canadian championship and the US Open Cup, as those are now real competitions instead of merely a walkover for the higher league. In Canada in particular, it's not only the on-field quality of the USL franchises has been demonstrated, but also the quality of the front offices and marketing divisions, as well as the interest of the fanbase in high-level soccer: more fans showed up for the Whitecaps - TFC match in Vancouver than I've ever seen at Swangard stadium, and there was a real buzz in the city about the game. That answers some questions the league might have had about the Vancouver and Montreal markets, and it also demonstrates that there are some solid rivalries all ready to go if Vancouver and Montreal get expansion franchises. Thus, in the end, TFC's loss might not be so bad for MLS, and it certainly could prove beneficial for soccer in this country.
The one qualifier that dampens this a bit though is success in the next round. I'm sure Montreal will represent Canada well in the CONCACAF Champions League, but the longer the competition goes on, the higher the chance that they'll revert to their USL form becomes. Based solely on the talent on the roster and their normal level of play, Toronto might have been able to go even further in the next competition, which could have been a bigger boost for soccer across Canada. We'll have to wait and see how that plays out.
Related: I was more concerned in this post about discussing the ramifications of Montreal's win than the on-field action, but it was certainly an exciting and entertaining match in my view, particularly with all of the pressure TFC put on at the end. If you're looking for more details on the match itself, Duane may have some later, but there's also an excellent Canadian Press recap here. It's currently the top story on globesports.com, and that's something that only bodes well for the beautiful game in Canada, regardless of which team's scarf adorns your neck.
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Sweet sixteen for TFC: Ibrahim scores first goal for club
Abdusalam Ibrahim's goal -- brilliant! splendid! -- takes a lot of the sting out of Toronto FC losing to Chicago in the dying seconds. He's not even 17 years old for a couple weeks yet!
The hardcore footy followers know all about Ibrahim, but he got my attention, which is saying something. Duane can better speak to the fallout from TFC falling to .500 on the season and 1-6 on the road (heck, the invite is open -- replace this post with something good, D.R.).
It's been rough patch for the Reds of late, but they'll look to win in front of the Red Patch Boys next Saturday vs. San Jose. (Scott Russell should give it that smoothly.)
Edit: Duane here - That was a tough one. Really tough. Toronto needs a confidence booster on the road and it looked like it was going to get just that until a two second breakdown on the wrong part of the pitch took care of that.
On again, off again whipping-boy Marco Velez is once again the goat, allowing the ball to bounce frustratingly over his head to the waiting Chicago attacker.
As Neate indicated, Ibrahim was the story. When he was acquired from Dallas last month there wasn't much ado. I suspect the attention (and the pressure) is about to increase. I'm not sure if throwing the kid out as a starter is the right thing to do just yet, but his play demands more time on the pitch.
TFC had better look better look to win in front of RPB next week--U-Sector and North End Elite too. San Jose at home is a must win for any team that thinks it deserves to be in the playoffs.
The hardcore footy followers know all about Ibrahim, but he got my attention, which is saying something. Duane can better speak to the fallout from TFC falling to .500 on the season and 1-6 on the road (heck, the invite is open -- replace this post with something good, D.R.).
It's been rough patch for the Reds of late, but they'll look to win in front of the Red Patch Boys next Saturday vs. San Jose. (Scott Russell should give it that smoothly.)
Edit: Duane here - That was a tough one. Really tough. Toronto needs a confidence booster on the road and it looked like it was going to get just that until a two second breakdown on the wrong part of the pitch took care of that.
On again, off again whipping-boy Marco Velez is once again the goat, allowing the ball to bounce frustratingly over his head to the waiting Chicago attacker.
As Neate indicated, Ibrahim was the story. When he was acquired from Dallas last month there wasn't much ado. I suspect the attention (and the pressure) is about to increase. I'm not sure if throwing the kid out as a starter is the right thing to do just yet, but his play demands more time on the pitch.
TFC had better look better look to win in front of RPB next week--U-Sector and North End Elite too. San Jose at home is a must win for any team that thinks it deserves to be in the playoffs.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Striking a blow for the USL
Well, perhaps the perfect celebration of Canada Day just occurred: a clash between two of the country's best-known soccer teams, Toronto FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps.
As regular OOLF readers will know, this is part of the Nutrilite Canadian Championships to determine who gets Canada's lone berth in the inaugural edition of the CONCACAF Champions League. Before today, Montreal beat Vancouver twice and lost to Toronto once, meaning that a Toronto win or a tie would all but eliminate the Whitecaps. For Toronto, a win would tie them on points with Montreal with a game in hand, leaving them in prime position to qualify. Thus, there was plenty on the line for both sides coming into today's clash.
A Toronto win seemed perhaps a sure thing. TFC was unbeaten at home this season coming in and had put up a string of impressive performances in front of the red-clad masses. Vancouver had the second-best record in the United Soccer Leagues (USL) Division I coming in (7-3-2) and had been an excellent 4-1-1 on the road, but they'd lost both of their previous Canadian championship matches to the cellar-dwelling Montreal Impact (4-6-3 in league play this year) and Toronto beat Montreal 1-0 in their first match of the championships. As Duane wrote at the start of these championships, there's certainly a perception of a huge difference of quality between the leagues as well among many fans:
Fortunately for the Whitecaps, they didn't seem to realize that they were expected to lose today and came out firing. Tempers were high right from the start, as Martin Nash (little brother of Steve, that other soccer and basketball player you might have heard of) got into a shoving match with TFC's Jim Brennan early on. It proved a perfect Canadian moment for this day: as Eric Koreen of the National Post wrote on his liveblog, "Two Canadian boys, dropping the pretend gloves. All we're missing is Don Cherry. Seriously." Brennan and Nash each earned a yellow card for their trouble. The booking was Brennan's second of the tournament, meaning that he'll miss TFC's next match of the championships (which I'll be in attendance at, next Wednesday in Vancouver).
Things went on from there in low gear for a while: a few set pieces and corners for each side, but nothing to write home about. Toronto defender Marvell Wynne showcased his blinding speed at one point, tracking back a considerable distance to dispossess Alfredo Valente before he could get a cross in. TFC then applied pressure of their own, with wingers Laurent Robert and Rohan Ricketts each creating substantial chances but unable to finish. It was pretty even for most of the first half, but the whole game changed in the 37th minute off a Vancouver corner when Brennan bear-hugged a Vancouver player (the CBC commentators, Peter Mallett of The Globe and Mail and I thought it was Jeff Clarke, but Koreen has it as Valente) in the box slightly away from the play, and was called for a penalty. This was a tough one to analyze at first, as it happened out of the camera shot and off the ball. The Toronto fans were severely disappointed, chanting "[Expletive] the referee" (the family-friendly version Koreen passes on to us), but after they finally found a camera angle that showed the foul, the CBC commentators concluded that it was the right call. It was certainly an unusual one: off-the-ball obstruction calls are rare, especially in the box when the player doesn't take the liberty of flopping to the turf, but it seemed to be the right one to me (although in fairness, I am a Vancouver fan first and a Toronto fan only when they aren't playing the Whitecaps, so my perception may be a tad biased).
In any case, Nash stepped up to the spot with the chants and catcalls ringing in his ears, but clinically converted, drilling the ball low and hard into the right side of the goal. It wasn't perfectly placed in the corner, but Toronto keeper Greg Sutton dove the wrong way, so that turned out not to matter. Vancouver had a hard-earned lead inside the enemy fortress, and BMO Field was suddenly and uncharacteristically quiet.
The goal seemed to shift the momentum to Vancouver's side for the remainder of the half. What had been a balanced match quickly swung the way of the Whitecaps, who kept up the pressure and probably should have added at least one insurance goal by the half. TFC inexplicably left Takashi Hirano, Vancouver's Japanese midfielder, astoundingly open on a run down the left flank, and his blast from 25 yards out narrowly missed the top corner. An even better chance came from a great Valente cross right to Cuban forward Eduardo Sebrango near the top of the six-yard box, who volleyed it right at Sutton. Sutton made a difficult save with his lower leg, but a better effort from Sebrango certainly would have made it 2-0.
Toronto manager John Carver was furious at half-time, and Brenda Irving, the CBC's sideline reporter, later reported that he got into a screaming match with Whitecaps' manager Teitur Thordarson in the tunnel, apparently leading the officials to caution them to stay away from each other. I understand Carver's frustration, but it's not the first time his temper has gotten him in trouble. Those sort of tunnel scrums do happen in English football as well, but it shouldn't be the manager starting them. I think you can be passionate while still being professional (just look at how Roy Keane's been doing with Sunderland: if there ever was a manager you'd expect would create conflicts, it would have been him, but I haven't heard of too many problems from his passion for the game). In any case, Carver might get in some hot water for his comments on the officiating after the match.
In any case, Carver did more than just scream and yell at halftime. He made a highly unusual triple substitution, bringing on Jeff Cunningham, Jarrod Smith and Julius James in place of Robert, Ricketts and Danny Dichio. The move proved effective, and Toronto began to put the pressure on. Vancouver keeper Jay Nolly stood tall, though, diving across the goal in the 48th minute to prevent a sure equalizer off a rebound and making numerous other key saves. Some excellent Toronto chances were all for naught as well, though, as numerous poor finishes saw their attacking players repeatedly launching strikes well over the Vancouver goal and into the stands.
The last 10-15 minutes of the match really deserve a post of their own. Both sides threw everything into the attack and created some beautiful football as a result. It all started when Cunningham slipped through the Vancouver defence in the 80th minute and drilled the ball past Nolly into the open net. He quickly tore his shirt off and jumped into the crowd in joy, failing to notice the linesman's raised offside flag to call the play back. It was a very close play, but in my view, the officials probably got this one wrong: it looked like Cunningham broke through right after the ball was kicked, not before. Still, I can't be too hard on them, as they were bang-on on just about every other call on the day.
The Whitecaps also continued to create offensive chances of their own, and really should have had an insurance marker in the 84th when substitute Charles Gbeke headed the ball past Sutton but rang it off the woodwork. Immediately thereafter, Toronto's star midfielder Maurice Edu sent a beautiful chip into the box for Cunningham, but he couldn't knock it in. In the 86th, a prolonged goalmouth scramble seemed destined to create an equalizer for TFC, but a Smith shot that rang off the underside of the crossbar and stayed out, a superb save by Nolly and a timely block by a Vancouver defender kept the score level. Carl Robinson set up Amado Guevara on the ensuing corner, but he fired the ball "high, wide and handsome," in the legendary call John Motson uses in most of EA Sports' FIFA games. Nash then almost knocked one in for Vancouver, but Guevara redeemed himself with a brilliant last-second sliding tackle to save the day. Steve Kindel came close to clinching the match in the 89th minute, but Sutton proved he's a great keeper as well, making a spectacular save to deny him. In the 90th minute, Brennan almost made up for the penalty he gave away with a superb cross, but Nolly once again came through for the Whitecaps.
The match then went into a tremendously lengthy period of stoppage time. At first, the fourth official signaled two minutes, but this was then amended to four and turned out to be almost five. Both sides kept pressing, and Smith was inches away from notching an equalizer with a powerful late blast, but Nolly again robbed him with a diving punch. That set up a corner in the last minute of added time, and the 6-foot-7 Sutton raced forward to help out. He actually made good contact ball, and came close to knotting the score, but his header went just wide, burying Toronto's hopes as it drifted down to the turf. Vancouver hung on, and earned a historic victory.
The impressive thing from this match is that it will be tough to write it off as merely a fluke. It's not as if Vancouver scored on a penalty and then played eleven behind the ball for the rest of the match to try and hang on to the lead. Indeed, the run of play and the scoring chances for both sides were pretty even by my count. On balance, TFC is indeed the better team: they have more elite players and they regularly play tougher competition. Still, Vancouver looked anything but out of place against them, showing that they're at least the Russia to TFC's Spain.
Perhaps more importantly, on the heels of a superb Euro tournament that drew impressive Canadian TV ratings, this match demonstrated that exciting, attacking soccer can take place in Canada. Don't be fooled by the 1-0 final scoreline: this match was anything but boring (and for my money, much better than that somewhat lacklustre Euro final). As CBC announcer Nigel Reed, a man who's been to plenty of big soccer matches on both sides of the pond, said towards the end, "Honestly, the last four or five minutes, I can't remember the last time I got so excited at a soccer game." If you were watching and you didn't enjoy that, you're hardly a soccer fan in my view.
In any case, this sets up a very interesting final few games of the championship. Montreal still leads with 6 points from three matches (a loss to TFC and two wins over Vancouver), but Toronto and Vancouver each have three points (from two and three games respectively). If Vancouver beats Toronto at home next Wednesday and Toronto beats Montreal at home on July 22, we'll have a three-way tie, which I believe will be settled on goal difference. Montreal has the edge there at the moment, which should encourage Vancouver and Toronto to go for the goals in these next couple of clashes. It should be a fantastic rest of the championships now that everyone's still in it, and it's going to come down to that final Montreal-Toronto game. Don't mourn this year's conclusion of European soccer for too long: there's plenty of great action still going on right under our noses!
As regular OOLF readers will know, this is part of the Nutrilite Canadian Championships to determine who gets Canada's lone berth in the inaugural edition of the CONCACAF Champions League. Before today, Montreal beat Vancouver twice and lost to Toronto once, meaning that a Toronto win or a tie would all but eliminate the Whitecaps. For Toronto, a win would tie them on points with Montreal with a game in hand, leaving them in prime position to qualify. Thus, there was plenty on the line for both sides coming into today's clash.
A Toronto win seemed perhaps a sure thing. TFC was unbeaten at home this season coming in and had put up a string of impressive performances in front of the red-clad masses. Vancouver had the second-best record in the United Soccer Leagues (USL) Division I coming in (7-3-2) and had been an excellent 4-1-1 on the road, but they'd lost both of their previous Canadian championship matches to the cellar-dwelling Montreal Impact (4-6-3 in league play this year) and Toronto beat Montreal 1-0 in their first match of the championships. As Duane wrote at the start of these championships, there's certainly a perception of a huge difference of quality between the leagues as well among many fans:
One only has to look at the evidence of the US Open Cup to see how well USL teams do against MLS sides. Sure, there are upsets from time to time, but on the whole, quality usually wins out. Since MLS teams began to play for the Open Cup, the USL has only won three games against MLS teams in the semi-finals or later (about when MLS teams start to play their full rosters). All three wins were by the same team, the Rochester Rhinos, and occurred more than eight years ago.
Fortunately for the Whitecaps, they didn't seem to realize that they were expected to lose today and came out firing. Tempers were high right from the start, as Martin Nash (little brother of Steve, that other soccer and basketball player you might have heard of) got into a shoving match with TFC's Jim Brennan early on. It proved a perfect Canadian moment for this day: as Eric Koreen of the National Post wrote on his liveblog, "Two Canadian boys, dropping the pretend gloves. All we're missing is Don Cherry. Seriously." Brennan and Nash each earned a yellow card for their trouble. The booking was Brennan's second of the tournament, meaning that he'll miss TFC's next match of the championships (which I'll be in attendance at, next Wednesday in Vancouver).
Things went on from there in low gear for a while: a few set pieces and corners for each side, but nothing to write home about. Toronto defender Marvell Wynne showcased his blinding speed at one point, tracking back a considerable distance to dispossess Alfredo Valente before he could get a cross in. TFC then applied pressure of their own, with wingers Laurent Robert and Rohan Ricketts each creating substantial chances but unable to finish. It was pretty even for most of the first half, but the whole game changed in the 37th minute off a Vancouver corner when Brennan bear-hugged a Vancouver player (the CBC commentators, Peter Mallett of The Globe and Mail and I thought it was Jeff Clarke, but Koreen has it as Valente) in the box slightly away from the play, and was called for a penalty. This was a tough one to analyze at first, as it happened out of the camera shot and off the ball. The Toronto fans were severely disappointed, chanting "[Expletive] the referee" (the family-friendly version Koreen passes on to us), but after they finally found a camera angle that showed the foul, the CBC commentators concluded that it was the right call. It was certainly an unusual one: off-the-ball obstruction calls are rare, especially in the box when the player doesn't take the liberty of flopping to the turf, but it seemed to be the right one to me (although in fairness, I am a Vancouver fan first and a Toronto fan only when they aren't playing the Whitecaps, so my perception may be a tad biased).
In any case, Nash stepped up to the spot with the chants and catcalls ringing in his ears, but clinically converted, drilling the ball low and hard into the right side of the goal. It wasn't perfectly placed in the corner, but Toronto keeper Greg Sutton dove the wrong way, so that turned out not to matter. Vancouver had a hard-earned lead inside the enemy fortress, and BMO Field was suddenly and uncharacteristically quiet.
The goal seemed to shift the momentum to Vancouver's side for the remainder of the half. What had been a balanced match quickly swung the way of the Whitecaps, who kept up the pressure and probably should have added at least one insurance goal by the half. TFC inexplicably left Takashi Hirano, Vancouver's Japanese midfielder, astoundingly open on a run down the left flank, and his blast from 25 yards out narrowly missed the top corner. An even better chance came from a great Valente cross right to Cuban forward Eduardo Sebrango near the top of the six-yard box, who volleyed it right at Sutton. Sutton made a difficult save with his lower leg, but a better effort from Sebrango certainly would have made it 2-0.
Toronto manager John Carver was furious at half-time, and Brenda Irving, the CBC's sideline reporter, later reported that he got into a screaming match with Whitecaps' manager Teitur Thordarson in the tunnel, apparently leading the officials to caution them to stay away from each other. I understand Carver's frustration, but it's not the first time his temper has gotten him in trouble. Those sort of tunnel scrums do happen in English football as well, but it shouldn't be the manager starting them. I think you can be passionate while still being professional (just look at how Roy Keane's been doing with Sunderland: if there ever was a manager you'd expect would create conflicts, it would have been him, but I haven't heard of too many problems from his passion for the game). In any case, Carver might get in some hot water for his comments on the officiating after the match.
In any case, Carver did more than just scream and yell at halftime. He made a highly unusual triple substitution, bringing on Jeff Cunningham, Jarrod Smith and Julius James in place of Robert, Ricketts and Danny Dichio. The move proved effective, and Toronto began to put the pressure on. Vancouver keeper Jay Nolly stood tall, though, diving across the goal in the 48th minute to prevent a sure equalizer off a rebound and making numerous other key saves. Some excellent Toronto chances were all for naught as well, though, as numerous poor finishes saw their attacking players repeatedly launching strikes well over the Vancouver goal and into the stands.
The last 10-15 minutes of the match really deserve a post of their own. Both sides threw everything into the attack and created some beautiful football as a result. It all started when Cunningham slipped through the Vancouver defence in the 80th minute and drilled the ball past Nolly into the open net. He quickly tore his shirt off and jumped into the crowd in joy, failing to notice the linesman's raised offside flag to call the play back. It was a very close play, but in my view, the officials probably got this one wrong: it looked like Cunningham broke through right after the ball was kicked, not before. Still, I can't be too hard on them, as they were bang-on on just about every other call on the day.
The Whitecaps also continued to create offensive chances of their own, and really should have had an insurance marker in the 84th when substitute Charles Gbeke headed the ball past Sutton but rang it off the woodwork. Immediately thereafter, Toronto's star midfielder Maurice Edu sent a beautiful chip into the box for Cunningham, but he couldn't knock it in. In the 86th, a prolonged goalmouth scramble seemed destined to create an equalizer for TFC, but a Smith shot that rang off the underside of the crossbar and stayed out, a superb save by Nolly and a timely block by a Vancouver defender kept the score level. Carl Robinson set up Amado Guevara on the ensuing corner, but he fired the ball "high, wide and handsome," in the legendary call John Motson uses in most of EA Sports' FIFA games. Nash then almost knocked one in for Vancouver, but Guevara redeemed himself with a brilliant last-second sliding tackle to save the day. Steve Kindel came close to clinching the match in the 89th minute, but Sutton proved he's a great keeper as well, making a spectacular save to deny him. In the 90th minute, Brennan almost made up for the penalty he gave away with a superb cross, but Nolly once again came through for the Whitecaps.
The match then went into a tremendously lengthy period of stoppage time. At first, the fourth official signaled two minutes, but this was then amended to four and turned out to be almost five. Both sides kept pressing, and Smith was inches away from notching an equalizer with a powerful late blast, but Nolly again robbed him with a diving punch. That set up a corner in the last minute of added time, and the 6-foot-7 Sutton raced forward to help out. He actually made good contact ball, and came close to knotting the score, but his header went just wide, burying Toronto's hopes as it drifted down to the turf. Vancouver hung on, and earned a historic victory.
The impressive thing from this match is that it will be tough to write it off as merely a fluke. It's not as if Vancouver scored on a penalty and then played eleven behind the ball for the rest of the match to try and hang on to the lead. Indeed, the run of play and the scoring chances for both sides were pretty even by my count. On balance, TFC is indeed the better team: they have more elite players and they regularly play tougher competition. Still, Vancouver looked anything but out of place against them, showing that they're at least the Russia to TFC's Spain.
Perhaps more importantly, on the heels of a superb Euro tournament that drew impressive Canadian TV ratings, this match demonstrated that exciting, attacking soccer can take place in Canada. Don't be fooled by the 1-0 final scoreline: this match was anything but boring (and for my money, much better than that somewhat lacklustre Euro final). As CBC announcer Nigel Reed, a man who's been to plenty of big soccer matches on both sides of the pond, said towards the end, "Honestly, the last four or five minutes, I can't remember the last time I got so excited at a soccer game." If you were watching and you didn't enjoy that, you're hardly a soccer fan in my view.
In any case, this sets up a very interesting final few games of the championship. Montreal still leads with 6 points from three matches (a loss to TFC and two wins over Vancouver), but Toronto and Vancouver each have three points (from two and three games respectively). If Vancouver beats Toronto at home next Wednesday and Toronto beats Montreal at home on July 22, we'll have a three-way tie, which I believe will be settled on goal difference. Montreal has the edge there at the moment, which should encourage Vancouver and Toronto to go for the goals in these next couple of clashes. It should be a fantastic rest of the championships now that everyone's still in it, and it's going to come down to that final Montreal-Toronto game. Don't mourn this year's conclusion of European soccer for too long: there's plenty of great action still going on right under our noses!
Saturday, May 03, 2008
TORONTO FC A 'JUNK PRODUCT' -- WILBON
The Red Patch Boys are going to lovvvvve being referred to as "garbage," a "junk product" and "bush league." (It starts around the 2:45 mark.)
Michael Wilbon, you were a cerebral, respected sports journalist once.
It's streamers, okay? Streamers.
This doesn't happen at the World Series, fair enough. It's odd how the big-shot American sports personality assumes his example is superior when he's talking about a foreign game, soccer, and Canadian fans. It's soccer and it's Canada -- that means it's an open target for Wilbon to get sick in his own scorn for the 13th time since the last commercial break (although, really, aren't blogs to blame for fuelling that anger?).
The bottom line is that people in Toronto have, on balance, created something awesome. They've taken the global passion for footy and applied it to a Major League Soccer team (although that has brought on issues with rowdyism). If it's between TFC fans tossing streamers and the American corporate model where fans are expected to cheer when the scoreboard tells them to and only hold up placards or wave towels if they were passed out by a team employee at the gate, the first example sounds a lot more fun.
Ask the players, Wilbon -- you're the journalist with the access. Do you they prefer playing in near-empty Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, or a raucous stadium in Toronto? It's always nice to know you're playing in front of people who care, even when they're against you. The Red Bulls player, Claudio Reyna, didn't seem to mind.
The real kicker is that this is somehow keeping MLS from being seen as big league. U.S.-based teams that play in NFL or college football stadiums that are far too big for a soccer crowd do a lot more damage to the league's rep.
"It's minor league. I'm sorry, that's an insult to the minor leagues -- it's bush league, okay? It's just garbage.
"... when you have a junk product like that ... Seriously, is the World Series contested with a pitcher pitching in confetti and streamers? This is GAR-bage and if this league wants to be taken seriously in North America, clean up the garbage."
Michael Wilbon, you were a cerebral, respected sports journalist once.
It's streamers, okay? Streamers.
This doesn't happen at the World Series, fair enough. It's odd how the big-shot American sports personality assumes his example is superior when he's talking about a foreign game, soccer, and Canadian fans. It's soccer and it's Canada -- that means it's an open target for Wilbon to get sick in his own scorn for the 13th time since the last commercial break (although, really, aren't blogs to blame for fuelling that anger?).
The bottom line is that people in Toronto have, on balance, created something awesome. They've taken the global passion for footy and applied it to a Major League Soccer team (although that has brought on issues with rowdyism). If it's between TFC fans tossing streamers and the American corporate model where fans are expected to cheer when the scoreboard tells them to and only hold up placards or wave towels if they were passed out by a team employee at the gate, the first example sounds a lot more fun.
Ask the players, Wilbon -- you're the journalist with the access. Do you they prefer playing in near-empty Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, or a raucous stadium in Toronto? It's always nice to know you're playing in front of people who care, even when they're against you. The Red Bulls player, Claudio Reyna, didn't seem to mind.
The real kicker is that this is somehow keeping MLS from being seen as big league. U.S.-based teams that play in NFL or college football stadiums that are far too big for a soccer crowd do a lot more damage to the league's rep.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
BRAND-ED FOR SUCCESS...
Today's Sun column is on Brandon Heembrock, a 17-year-old 'keeper who's to play for Toronto FC's youth academy this summer.
Related:
This kid looks like he could be real 'keeper (Sun Media)
Related:
This kid looks like he could be real 'keeper (Sun Media)
Thursday, January 31, 2008
ALL THINGS T.O.
- The Star's Doug Smith is reporting that it's "not out of the realm of possibility" the Raptors might have T.J. Ford playing again by the middle of February.
- Canada is in a pool with Slovenia (hey, Samuel Dalembert vs. Rasho and South Korea at the last-chance Olympic basketball qualifier this summer.
The important part is that they stand to face either Croatia or Puerto Rico in a semi-final, which is not as a tough a draw as say, Brazil, with Leondro Barbosa.
- Nice post from The Star's Morgan Campbell where he admitted his paper's coverage of Toronto FC's first season in the MLS "lacked context ... We covered TFC in isolation, and not as part of a league."
Anyway, that really hits on he purpose that is served by doing a blog about sports. It serves the hard-core fans who need more than who scored and how.
Not that there's anything wrong with being a casual fan who is fine with the hometown team being covered "in isolation," since it makes it easier to use the hometown team's ups and downs as a way to validate one's own mediocrity. (This is a long-winded way of saying some of the typical terrible Toronto fans wouldn't know what do with a winner even if they got one, but it's never to late to learn how to become a sports fan.) - Last but not least, Drunk Jays Fans stumbled upon some fantasy projections that resurrect the "next Dave Winfield" rubric with respect to Alex Rios.
Rios, in statgeek-speak, is entering his age-27 season.
When Winfield was the same age, in 1979, all he did was put up a .953 OPS in a pitcher's park, win a Gold Glove and lead the league in RBI despite playing on a team whose No. 2 hitters had a .255 on-base percentage. (In other words, it wasn't one of those Joe Carter 100-RBI seasons.) He did all that and ended up third in the MVP balloting.
That's all for now. Send your thoughts to neatesager@yahoo.ca.
Friday, January 11, 2008
GETTING HIS KICKS
OK, so it's out of season for the MLS, but it's never too early to start rooting for Canadian defender Matthew Britner of Halifax, seeing as The Score's website did it almost two weeks ago.
Way back when, Britner was among several promising teenaged athletes yours truly profiled while interning at the Halifax Daily News. (Others included Adrienne Power, who will probably run for Canada in Beijing, Olympic snowboarder Sarah Conrad and a hockey player for the Dartmouth Subways midget AAA team who also had the initials S.C., but whose full name escapes me. Wonder what happened to him.)
Here's wishing Britner well.
Related:
Thursday, October 11, 2007
FOOTY: MO JOHNSTON'S MARTA COMPLEX
Being a fan of unorthodox and slightly far-fetched ideas with a remote chance of being realized means hoping there's something to this rumour about Toronto FC acquiring Marta (pictured), the world's best women's footballer.It probably will never happen. On a larger point, a viable women's pro league, whatever the team sport. is always a higher goal (greatest good for the greatest number and all), even if having someone kick through the glass ceiling gets 1,000 times more media attention than anything Marta does with her Umeå IK club team in Sweden.
(By the way, the Red Patch Boys were name-checked on Deadspin.)
Related:
Marta a star and available, but... (Cathal Kelly, Toronto Star)
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