Mo must go signs

I didn't notice it when i was at the game but I guess a few fellas wanted to express to Mo what they think of him. Some signs were Confiscated and it looks like Paul Bierne (Toronto FC’s senior director of business operations) who frequents the RPB forums has admitted to the mistake. The Toronto Sun has a story about it this morning in the paper.

Story can be found below


Toronto FC is apologetic after angry fans filled the Internet message boards Thursday night and Friday over banners critical of Mo Johnston that were confiscated at the entrance gates.

“Mo must go” — a call for the dismissal of director of soccer Mo Johnston, was a popular theme.

read more here

Nils Binstock is getting a shot to be a hometown Red

Nils Binstock is some local dude keeping his fingers crossed that TFC keeps 3 roster spots open for keepers this season. I love TFC adding Local or Canadian players to the team and I hope this kid makes it. If he does make it he better not be shit!! That will just piss me off.

Here is the article from the Toronto Sun..

Nils Binstock is getting a shot to be a hometown Red.

The Burlington netminder just got an invite to Toronto FC's goalkeeping combine, where he will try to win at least a spot on the training-camp roster. The combine goes Jan. 25-26 at Lamport Stadium.

"I received an e-mail from (TFC goalkeeping coach) Mike Toshack and he invited me out," Binstock said.

"The team had been following my progress for the past couple of years ... I don't know any of the other four or five 'keepers who will be invited out, but I think they could offer a contract to the best one."

And Binstock has given Toshack a lot to think about. In his final NCAA season at Iona College, he posted a stellar 0.66 GAA and a superb .849 GAA.

The combine will run before the scheduled opening of TFC's regular training camp and the Jan. 31 expiry of the current collective bargaining agreement between MLS and its players'union.

If there is no progress in talks, the owners are in position to lock out the players on Feb. 1.

STRONG AT GOAL

Even though TFC is stronger in goal than it is at any other position, with rookie-of-the-year Stefan Frei at No. 1 and Brian Edwards at backup, Binstock is hopeful that the Reds will keep three 'keepers in 2010. Once again, without a CBA in place, it's hard to guess what kind of roster limits will exist in 2010.

"I think they are going to be carrying three," Binstock said. "Last year, they ran into problems when Frei got hurt and Edwards had to jump in, and there was no back-up there. I know that D.C. United had a situation where both keepers were out and they needed an emergency replacement."

But, even if Binstock doesn't stick, the former Toronto Lynx and AB Copenhagen 'keeper knows getting this tryout will help him to get more trials at other clubs.

"I think it's a definite positive; it's a trial in a pro atmosphere," he said. "It still looks good on a resume. Toronto FC is my hometown team. If things don't work out, I want them to succeed, regardless."

Nutrilite a GO

Looks like the Nutrilite Championship is still a go. I didn't realize it was in limbo. Shows how much I know. That whole mess with the USL and NASL is just so un-interesting. You can read about it at the Toronto Sun today. Here is a snippet.

Toronto FC will get the chance to defend its Nutrilite Canadian Championship crown in 2010, even if the Montreal Impact and Vancouver Whitecaps have no leagues of their own in which to play.

The Canadian Soccer Association confirmed this week that the three-team championship still is slated to go ahead as it has the past two seasons, despite rumours to the contrary.

The CSA made the decision to sanction Montreal and Vancouver in December, meaning that they still can compete for a national championship.

Both Montreal and Vancouver are in limbo as the United States Soccer Federation refused to sanction the North American Soccer League, a new circuit formed by rebel owners from the United Soccer Leagues. The USL's first division also was rejected. The leagues have until some time this week to strike an 11th-hour kiss-and-makeup deal that would satisfy the U.S. authorities.

Adidas unveiled its World Cup match ball!!

It is getting close to World cup time. Even though Ireland will not be in it due to Henry's big hands. I am excited about the tourney. Not sure who I will cheer for yet but I am pretty sure I will cheer for any team that is playing France. The unveiling of a new ball is always a little bit fun and interesting. How many different things can you really change in a ball? It seems every world cup there are new advancements with balls. Well here are some excerpts taken from the Toronto Sun and The New York Times about the ball.

The Jabulani (which means “to celebrate” in isiZulu) is the 11th World Cup ball Adidas has designed — and according to product line manager Chris Niall, the early feedback is positive.

“The players like it,” said Niall. “(It has been tested) in the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich, and some of the MLS teams have been given the ball in advance, and it is well approved by the players.”

Former Toronto FC star Danny Dichio said ball technology has come a long way since he first broke in with Queens Park Rangers in England in the early 1990s.

“When I first started, we were using medicine balls, it was that long ago,” said the 35-year-old Dichio, who retired in September. “But you can see significant changes in the ball even over the past few World Cups.

“Now you come in with a ball like this ... compared to when I first started playing, it’s night and day.”

Dichio realizes that some people might wonder why Adidas bothers to tinker with the ball so much. But he says world-class athletes deserve a world-class ball.

“Without (a good ball), the game is nothing,” said Dichio. “The puck never changes in hockey, but (in soccer) the ball is everything. I’ve been in games before where a referee changed the ball three times because people were complaining about it.

TFC Fan makes the paper! ( two weeks ago)

Because of the lack of interesting news and a slow day at work I thought I would bust this one out. It was Dave that first brought this to my attention. Many thanks Dave.

anyways SUNshine Girl Meagan is 25 years old and loves to watch sports. Proof that good things come in small packages, our girl stands a gorgeous 5-foot-nothing. This beauty loves to bake and shop in her free time.

NICE!!...

more pictures can be found at the Toronto Sun website

Here is an excerpt from "The Toronto Sun" today. It makes some good sense.


And those goals have transformed a team that should be in first into an also-ran.

Here's the sad history:

- April 11: Allow late goal in 1-1 draw with FC Dallas. Cost: Two points.

- April 19: Concede late penalty kick in 3-2 loss to FC Dallas. Cost: One point.

- May 9: Concede late goal that allows D.C. United a 3-3 draw. Cost: Two points.

- July 18: Give up late goal to Houston Dynamo in 1-1 draw. Cost: Two points.

- July 25: Lead Columbus 2-1 late into second half, then concede two late strikes in a 3-2 collapse. Cost: Three points.

- Aug 1: Give up equalizer in 76th minute to New England in 1-1 draw. Cost: Two points.

- Sept. 26: Defensive lapse allows Chicago to get late equalizer in a 2-2 draw, and Fire sub Calen Carr actually misses an open net in time added on. Cost: Two points.

- Last Saturday: Allow an injury-time equalizer to the already-eliminated-from-playoff-contention San Jose Earthquakes. Cost: Two points.

Do the math. Toronto FC's defensive lapses in the final 15 minutes of games have cost the Reds a grand total of 16 points. Add 16 to their current total of 36, and you come up with 52.