John Carver on the move?

It's been a pretty boring off season so far. Seat relocation has started for those that decided to renew season tickets.. WoooHoo..

Overseas I found some interesting TFC related news.

Seems our old coach is in the running for the Peterborough united job. "The Posh" (Peterborough united nickname) play out of London Road Stadium in Peterborough. They are in the Championship after being promoted last season and are currently struggling in the new division.
They have no manager currently and Carver is still out of a job. Darren Ferguson just stepped down as manager on November 9th.

I don't understand how a club with a manager that was able to lead them to successive promotions from League Two to the Coca-Cola Championship is shown the door? Why would you replace the guy with a quitter?

essentially what "the Posh" plan on doing is get rid of a guy they have had for 3 years and shown them tons of success to replacing him with a dirty quitter who achieved nothing in the MLS?

Come on... who's kiddin who?

Chris Cummins FIRED!

It did not take long for the dust to settle in Toronto. Looks like Mo Johnston is trying to be pro-active here maybe trying to cover his own ass a little. Few stories today about this

One from USA Today-
TORONTO (AP) — Toronto FC has dismissed interim coach Chris Cummins after the team missed the playoffs and finished with a losing record.

Toronto FC did not renew Cummins' contract on Tuesday. The team finished the season with a 10-11 record with 9 draws.

Cummins' coaching record was eight wins, nine losses and seven draws in 24 matches.

One from the CBC-

The Chris Cummins era is officially over.

Toronto FC general manager Mo Johnston announced at a Tuesday morning press conference that the team will not renew the contract of the head coach.

The announcement comes three days after the Major League Soccer club failed in its bid to secure a historic playoff berth.

"We have decided to move forward without Chris for next season," Johnston said.

Good luck in the future Chris.

THEY LOST....

Against the worst team in the MLS. New York Shit Bulls pummeled TFC 5-0. The Fan590 Blog summed it up pretty good calling it the "Manhattan Meltdown" I like it, very fitting. The Globe and Mail calling it "Canada's Soccer Shame" also very fitting.

I truly thought I would see the team give there best effort. Instead I watched a team of individuals showcase there talent. I think some of them are unsure of the future they hold with the team and do not understand they need to play as a team to stay on it!... What a mess. Hopefully next season will not be as glum.

I wish Chris Cummins the best for the future. Looks like he will be out of Toronto when the dust settles. He is claiming that TFC reneged on some of the promises they made when he first took over for quitter Carver. "There were things promised me" when they first came over that were never fulfilled.

Anyways I will try me hardest to keep up to date with the MLS playoffs as clearly TFC is not in them. Below is a chart with the playoff teams. I will try to make a Bracket with dates and stuff if I have time ( I doubt it).




I guess from here on out it is all Celtic, Arsenal, and Republic Of Ireland news! The Occasional TFC off season update and MLS cup action minus..

cheers

I got nothing today...

I don't have to much to say today. Mostly cause I'm working so here are a collection of stories around TFC TODAY. :)

Toronto FC coach not worried about keeping job - (He should be)

On the eve of what could be his final game as coach of Toronto FC, Chris Cummins insists he's not feeling any added pressure to win for the sake of his job.

"I was asked to do the job until the end of the season," said the 38-year-old Englishman, who was named interim head coach in April after John Carver abruptly quit.

-From the Toronto Star

TFC's De Rosario looks to keep playoff streak alive - (I hope so)

Just call Dwayne De Rosario Mr. November.

The 31-year-old attacking midfielder, who joined Toronto FC via a trade prior to the current Major League Soccer season, has a reputation for being a clutch performer during the playoffs, having won four league championships (two each with San Jose and Houston).

He also scored the game-winning goal in two MLS Cup finals, and twice was named player of the game in the league's championship contest. Most impressive of all, though, is the fact that he has never missed the playoffs in his eight previous MLS campaigns.

- CBC Sports

MLS enters frantic finale on last weekend - (YES! heard this a million times now lets get down to it)

Since the beginning of Major League Soccer's existence, the league has been faced with criticism for a playoff structure that saw all but a few teams make the playoffs. In years when eight teams would qualify out of a field of 10 or 12, teams that had endured awful regular seasons could still sneak into the playoffs and potentially win an MLS title (like the 2005 Los Angeles Galaxy).

Expansion has helped ease the problem, and the arrival of a strong expansion Seattle Sounders team has helped turn the 2009 playoff race into the toughest in league history, with six teams heading into the final weekend battling for two remaining playoff spots. Four of those teams (Toronto FC, New England, D.C. United and FC Dallas) have the same point total going into the last game.

- From ESPN

PREVIEW RED BULLS VS. TFC - (nice about a million previews on the net this one is good though)

After hosting MLS games for more than a decade, Giants Stadium will close as a soccer venue with what could be a memorable finale.

Toronto FC tries to emerge out of a complicated playoff picture with one of the two remaining spots Saturday when it visits the New York Red Bulls.

Toronto (10-10-9) is one of four clubs currently tied for the eighth seed in the MLS standings with 39 points. Those teams are one point behind seventh-place Colorado, putting Toronto in a must-win position - along with the right combination of results in the other matches this weekend - if it hopes to clinch a spot.

- From CBS

Republic of Ireland vs. France

This is not TFC news but I had concerns over Ireland missing another world cup until I heard this news! It gives me hope for the future.

Franck Ribéry is likely to miss France's World Cup play-offs against Ireland next month.

He has been hampered by left knee tendinitis this season, the specialist says he needs to rest his knee for four weeks. wooo hooo! I'm not gonna lie, that gives me some hope that Ireland will be able to pull thru!

Ireland will face France in a two-leg playoff on 14 and 18 November for a spot in next year's World Cup finals in South Africa.

Ribéry has already missed France's last two World Cup qualifiers against the Faroe Islands and Austria. Hopefully he stays injured and misses the Irish games.

Coach says backup goalkeeper 'deserves a chance'....

There is a story in today's Toronto Star that indicates Brian Edward's is going to be the man this weekend.

Looks like Edwards for FC's last stand

This should be a good thing. I like Edwards in net right now only because he has played reasonably well over the past 2 games. It was only last season that John Carver thought so highly of Brian Edwards that he awarded him the starting job over Gregg Sutton. This distresses me a little cause I don't know how I feel about any of Carver's decisions.

Also I found out that The Red Bulls will honor forward Juan Pablo Angel and defender Mike Petke for reaching milestones, after the team’s season finale against Toronto FC Saturday.

I can not believe they are honouring people after having such a shitty season. Couldn't they wait till next season. Unless of course Angel has played his last MLS game leaving room for much rumoured Thierry Henry.

Speaking of rumours I heard a good one today. Apparently Jeff Cunningham is rumoured to head to Reading. This is the guy that EX-TFC coach John Carver said "I am thinking, ‘How did he score 99 goals?’ That’s what I thought.’"

Like I said at the top. I don't know how to feel about Carvers decisions...

Edu tweets claim racial abuse.

I am sad to say that I am not surprised. Well maybe I am.

In my opinion Rangers fans have a history of taking things to far and it looks like they have done it again. Maurice Edu in one of his tweets revealed "Not sure what hurt more: result last nite or being racially abused by couple of r own fans as I'm getting in my car,".

I liked Edu when he played in Toronto and as much as I hate the Rangers I wish him all the best. No one deserves that sort of behaviour no matter what your background is.

Maurice you are always welcome back in Toronto!

Liverpool Balloon incident

This weekend there was a great goal scored by Darren Bent of Sunderland vs. Liverpool. It went off a beach ball. To funny. The goal should have been disallowed with a drop ball given after the intervention of an 'outside agent', but referee Mike Jones allowed it to stand.

Reina told a Spanish radio station: "It was such bad luck. I lost sight of the official ball and stayed on the red one.

"When he shot, it startled me and I went for the red ball instinctively as it was the closest to me and the other went past me. It all happened very quickly.

"This had never happened before in my life. I didn't know what to do.

"A lot of things were going through my head but I honestly thought that the goal would stand and no-one was going to disallow it."

Well Pepe... (Pepe LOL) I am sure you never had to deal with a beach ball in the past but I am guessing you are going to have to deal with a lot more soon enough. Apparently the Liverpool online store is sold out of beach kits. The suspicion is that the £10 kits – including towel and ball – had been bought by Manchester United fans for their visit to Anfield in the Premier League on Sunday.

Don't forget your sunscreen

October 20th

Well, I am sitting waiting for the Arsenal Game to start. I found this site that gives a good run down on the playoff picture.

Playoff berths still up in air in final week

Three open spots remain as seven teams fight for postseason shot

Will Edwards Start Again?

I know I did not write about it, by now you must know that Jim Brennan scored the goal that won us the game on the weekend. TFC took down Real Salt Lake despite poor officiating. Actually check that. Beyond poor, truly atrocious! The real hero of the game had to be Brian Edwards.

The team overall looked good, but I truly believe Brian Edwards was the decisive man in the line-up. Edwards posted his first shutout of the season and his 3rd in his MLS career. Without him Toronto would not have won that game.

So I guess going into the weekend the big question will be who plays in goal this weekend. Stefan Frei is a great goal-tender but Brian Edwards owns this team right now. In my opinion Edwards should be the man in front of the mesh against the Red Bulls this Saturday.

TFC is currently sitting in a playoff spot due to some weird and funky tie-breaking rule. A win will help this weekend but they may also need a prayer.

Frei please stay injured.

Edwards Back In...

This weekend TFC have a very important match against Real Salt Lake. They need to win to keep the play-off drive alive.

A lot of tough decisions will need to be made by the Interim manager Chris Cummins. Goal-keeper Stefan Frei is still out with finger injury. Edwards will make his second straight start.

Defender Marvell Wynne returned to training yesterday after suffering from a thigh injury. Cummins choice here will probably be to yank Garcia and take a chance on Wynne. Frankly if I was on the team I would probably kick Garcia in the thigh and make Cummins decision a little easier. Wynne would be in for sure then.

Amado Guevara is back from international duty after helping Honduras secure a spot in the World Cup. Now hopefully Cummins feels the man is match fit (I mean he was playing when he was gone) and puts him into the line-up. Our squad looks a lot better with DeRo, Guevara, DeGuzman, and (hate to say it) Cronin in the midfield.

I think the last big decision that Cummins needs to make before the weekend is which motivational speaker to bring in and talk to the team. Tony Robbins is a no brainer! This team needs to learn NOW! how to hold onto the lead.

A hypnotist might not be a bad Idea either.

Toronto FC hosts Philadelphia in first MLS game on grass at BMO Field

From the Canadian Press

Toronto FC hosts Philadelphia in first MLS game on grass at BMO Field

(CP) – 11 hours ago

TORONTO — Toronto FC has set a date for its first game on grass at BMO Field.

Toronto will host the expansion Philadelphia Union in its 2010 homer-opener on April 17, a later date than usual due to the installation of a grass pitch.

Toronto opens the season March 27 against the Crew in Columbus, followed by an April 10 game in New England against the Revolution.

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.

Weekend match VS. SanJose

I was at the game on the weekend, the atmosphere going in was not that great. You can feel it in the air no one on the team believes they will make the playoffs. I am sure of this. If you watch these guys play there are only a few men on the team that play with any sort of urgency. Dero clearly wants to prove that this team belongs in the playoffs. Nana Attakora has an undying love of solid play. Aside from that everyone else is a one man team out for personal stats or acceptance.

I liked the play of Lesley Felinga, he handled the ball well and looked like he belonged. It is to bad they waited so long to start this guy. You can not expect a guy to gel with the team so late in the season.

Barrett looked like Barrett. I truly believe we should keep this guy he is still a young fella and maybe with better coaching he will provide us with some exciting play in seasons to come. This season was way to unstable for any players playing up front. No rhythm was set because of the coaching staffs inability to show confidence in any of the strikers up front.

I found Cummins said something interesting about his limited substitute options. He talked about not having "a defensive midfielder on the bench." But wasn't Amadou Sanyang there? And didn't the young Gambian make three starts at defensive midfielder just a few weeks ago, with reasonable effectiveness by most accounts?

The nice thing about the weekend is that New England lost against Columbus so that still gives us playoff hopes. The Revolution in the last 2 games need to beat Columbus and Chicago. 2 teams that they definitely will struggle with.

Let the playoff PRAYERS continue!

Here's the highlights of the game.

GRASS!!

PRESS RELEASE

Oct. 9, 2009

Plan to increase access to soccer facilities, lay grass at BMO Field get final approvals

Toronto Mayor David Miller today announced that with Provincial and Federal government approvals now in place, a plan by Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment to increase public access to year-round soccer facilities and install grass at BMO Field can proceed.

"The agreement of our government partners means tremendous things for soccer at both the community and professional levels," Mayor Miller said. "Since BMO Field (Canada's National Soccer Stadium) was built with public money from all three orders of government, their support was necessary to allow this plan to proceed. I want to thank Federal Infrastructure Minister John Baird and Provincial Health Promotion Minister Margarett Best for recognizing this tremendous opportunity and working with the City and MLSE to make it happen.

"This is a terrific example of the public and private sectors working together to build our city and the sport of soccer and also means good things for the community and for the players on Toronto FC and all our National teams."

With the final government approvals - including a unanimous Sept. 30 City Council decision - and the required building permits now secured, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment will invest $5.5 million and manage the work required to advance the sport in Toronto including investments of:

• $3.5 million to replace the Field Turf at BMO Field with a natural grass field.

• $2.0 million investment in community sports facilities; including an estimated $1.2 million to upgrade Allan Lamport Stadium with a winter bubble and an $800,000 investment in another artificial turf soccer field in the city.

"Converting BMO Field into a natural grass surface will have tremendous benefits for our community, our city, Toronto FC and soccer in Canada," said Bob Hunter, executive vice-president of venues and entertainment for Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment. "BMO Field's natural grass surface will support growing and developing soccer at amateur, national and professional levels, by creating greater levels of access and opportunity. It will also help attract high-profile soccer events to our stadium, creating a positive economic impact for our city."

Hunter added "There are so many people to thank for their support and approval of this positive initiative including represents from all three levels of government and especially Mayor David Miller and Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone."

The upgrades to these three facilities will result in more than 2,500 more hours available for community sport use and have met with support from the Canadian and Ontario soccer associations as well as residents and businesses near Lamport Stadium in Liberty Village.

It is expected that the bubble will be installed at Lamport by the end of November with work to install grass at BMO Field taking place this fall with completion next spring in time for the start of Major League Soccer's 2010 regular season.

They are in the pink...hopefully they don't stink!!

I received a note from MLSE this afternoon to inform me that TFC will be wearing pink at Tomorrow's game.

here is what it said

Toronto FC are three points off the playoffs with three games left to play! The boys return home to face the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday afternoon at 4:00 p.m. The match will be broadcast live on CBC and The FAN 590.

The Reds will be going pink again on Saturday in support of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation as part of MLSE Team Up Foundation’s Pink Ribbon weekend. The goal of Pink Ribbon Weekend is to raise awareness and funds for the CBCF.

Here’s how you can help!

• We will be collecting donations at the gates as you come into the stadium on Saturday.
• Purchase a Toronto FC pink jersey from CentreSports or at BMO Field on game day. 10% of every pink jersey sold will be donated to the CBCF.
• Participate in an online auction for some great Toronto FC items including 13 game worn autographed jerseys.

SCOUTING REPORT
THIS MATCH IS IN SUPPORT OF CBCF
Toronto FC vs. San Jose Earthquakes
Saturday, October 10, 2009

ROBO goes for face surgery

Tomorrow TFC will face San Jose in hopes of keeping the play-off dream alive!! San Jose and Toronto have met only three times previously and sit even a 1-1-1. The Earthquakes can be eliminated from playoff contention, but have been strong of late. They are undefeated in their last four League games with a 2-0-2 record, and are 3-1-2 in their last six games. The Reds will be without the services of Guevara he will be away on international duty as Honduras plays a pair of crucial World Cup qualifying games this week.

Amado out is bad news.

but

the good news is

Toronto FC's Robinson out for the season

I appreciate everything Carl has done for the team since its inception but time ticks on we all get older. Missing the playoffs is getting old to me. Having an aging holding midfielder in the line-up does nothing for the team. I am sure we will not see RoBo suit up ever again in a TFC kit. Maybe the team will find him a role in the coaching ranks.

Monday.... blah...

Not a whole lot going on... or at least I don't think there is. I know Dichio had some sorta thing on the weekend. This is form his Twitter

"Fantastic day at my Soccer Festival yesterday. Thanks to all the teams that participated and to DeRo, Stefan Frei & Nana for turning up"

here are some other stories around the interweb that involve TFC one way or another.

From the CBC sports website

"Three weeks to go and Toronto FC needs some help if it's going to make the Major League Soccer post-season for the first time."

From GOAL.com

"Chris Cummins must have smiled as he watched Chivas USA thump United at home. The road to the postseason just got a tad bit easier."

From the National Post

"Three weeks to go and Toronto FC needs some help if it's going to make the Major League Soccer post-season for the first time."

and last but not least a blurb on salaries from InsiderMediaGroup.com

"If a team has a $500 million budget, a player earning $25 million is not being overpaid"

Natural Grass

ok

This is a day old and the story has been kicking around forever. Obviously BMO is going to get grass eventually. I think the fan calls for it have been way to loud to ignore.

so here is a clip from yesterdays Toronto Star

-"The fact the MLSE pays the full $5.5 million means it was really a no-brainer for city council to approve it," Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone said after the 29-0 vote. Pantalone is the chair of Exhibition Place, where the stadium is located.

ya that's right. A no-brainer called it a no-brainer.

nice

Pat Phelan

Here is a little summary of some stuff I read on the interweb today

New England picked up Pat Phelan from Toronto FC in June 2008 in exchange for an international roster spot.

Pat this season has 18 games played 11 started and 953 minutes. New England now has to lean on him a little as Shalrie Joseph is out with an injury.

"I got drafted out of Wake to Toronto and never played a game, never got a shot with the first team," said Phelan. "Fair enough, that’s what happens a lot of times if you’re a rookie, you’ve got to pay your dues. They needed the international roster spot, they needed to bolster their roster."

"When I first heard about the trade I thought they just thought I was an unhappy kid who just wanted to go home," said Phelan, (this Blogger believed that to be just the case) "which wasn’t the case at all, but it’s nice to be close to home – my parents are close, my wife’s here. I’m a local kid and think New England might have drafted me had I been available, so it worked out well for both parties. I was also playing center back there which I didn’t really want to, so I was really excited to jump at the chance to come down here and start contributing. Fortunately, I’ve been able to stay within the top 15 players."

"There’s really no way to replicate the way Shalrie plays," said Phelan, "and that's usually when I’m in there - when he’s playing forward or suspended."

"I’ve got to wear this cast till about the middle of December, three months - it’s a long time and pretty obnoxious. I ran into the boards and lost my footing on the asphalt and landed on my wrist with all my weight and broke my scaphoid, which is an area that doesn’t get a lot of blood flow which is why it takes so long to heal. Instead of opting for surgery and missing a couple weeks I’m just going to wait it out in a cast."

It's nice to see Pat did not have anything negative to say about Toronto and he is doing well in the MLS for a second year player. His success says something about our scouting but not a whole lot about our General Manager.

Columbus first team to qualify for playoffs

Salt in the wound weekend. Toronto Fc's Arch nemesis are the first to qualify for the MLS playoffs. ARGH!!
Jeff Cunningham pulls into a tie for "The Golden Boot" award scoring 2 goals over the weekend.
There is a strong chance Toronto will not make the playoffs. And all the talk around the team right now seems to be what is going to happen next season. I am not going to lie. Talk of next season drives me crazy!! This one is not over yet. Worry about next season in the off season.

On the TFC game over the weekend. The effort was there. unfortunately Garcia was the designated shit player. I do not really want to sum up the game so here it is in six minutes.

later

Adrian Seriouxly considers retirement

Hey Y'all.  Breaking news.  Or breaking rumour perhaps is more appropriate... Word on the street is that Serioux's done soccer.  For goods.  Which sucks, because he's the best defender on our team (IMHO).

Buddy of mine that lives a few houses down from Serioux was having some beers with him and Serioux mentioned that he's pinched a nerve in his neck and keeps re-injuring it.  Doesn't look like it's going to heal, so he'll probably retire at the end of the season.  He's in contract negotiations now and has to decide whether he wants to let TFC buy out his contract for the remainder of the year and retire, or try rehab to fix the problem.  Apparently he's leaning towards retirement.

You heard it hear first kids.

TFC vs. Columbus first game next season

Crew in Columbus on March 27th... TFC season opener.

I have a few thoughts on this and none of them are good. I think that the brain trust at the MLS has been working overtime. They know that the past 2 seasons Columbus vs. Toronto at the beginning of the season was a hit. well screw that... Apparently they were not paying to much attention. Otherwise they would have noticed the away fan attendance dwindle last season. They should have noticed in forums, newspapers and websites that traveling fans were getting pissed.

I went to the First BIG Columbus road trip. It was tons of fun but we were treated like shit and the people on Columbus made fans feel un-welcome. I went to the 2nd BIG road trip to Columbus and it happened again X2. Although Dave and Trav witnessed drunk boobs for the first time. How can the MLS expect us to travel to Columbus again? It is a shitty trip. I am not going (or at least at the time of this posting I am not going).

Reasons I do not like the idea of going back;

-Un-Organized
-Long ass drive
-No benefits for going other than supporting my team that can not beat Columbus anyways
-Treated like shit
-treated like shit just in case you missed the last one

I was really hoping the season would start in New England, Chicago or New York. Really those are places I would like to go to. It is difficult to justify to the wife why I need to go to an away game. First game of the season kinda fly's. Why would I want to waste it on Columbus!

I have been so annoyed about this announcement that I have not checked out the Red Patch Boys website to see the reaction they have but I am willing to bet it is similar to mine.

I hate Columbus.

I will probably go anyways.

Ricketts washes out again!

FORMER Spurs and Toronto FC winger Rohan Ricketts played for Orient reserves in their 4-1 defeat at Gillingham last week - but he won't be joining the club.

Orient Manager Geraint Williams confirmed: "There won't be anything happening."

Come on! Are you kidding me! Ricketts can not seem to catch a break anywhere. I am starting to feel real bad for the guy. Your trying to tell me he can not land a job anywhere? WHY. Twittergate could not possibly be influencing coaching decisions over seas? It is not like the guy has no talent. This is making me seriously question Toronto FC management because we seemed to have given him a better chance than a lot of other teams. Now I am embarrassed we held onto him for that long.

Wish I could go shirtless

Beckham on Fox Sports News after thumping Toronto. He thought he should have had 3!!

We lost.. ARGH..

Toronto 0 - L.A. 2

Scoring summary
Team: Player goal (assisted by) minute
LA: David Beckham 2 (Chris Birchall 1) 9.
LA: Edson Buddle 5 (Landon Donovan 6, David Beckham 3) 83.

Misconduct summary
Team -- Player (foul type) minute
TOR -- Julian de Guzman (caution; Reckless Tackle) 24TOR -- Amado Guevara (caution; Reckless Tackle) 64LA -- David Beckham (caution; Unsporting Behavior) 64TOR -- Nick Garcia (caution; Tactical Foul) 67

Toronto FC lineup
Player (substitute minute)
Stefan Frei, Sam Cronin (Pablo Vitti 79), Nana Attakora, Nick Garcia, Julian de Guzman, Ali Gerba (Lesly Fellinga 71), Jim Brennan, DwayneDe Rosario, Marvell Wynne, Chad Barrett (O'Brian White 62), Amado Guevara.
Substitutes Not Used
Brian Edwards, Amadou Sanyang, Gabe Gala, Emmanuel Gomez.

Los Angeles lineup
Player (substitute minute)
Donovan Ricketts, Todd Dunivant, Omar Gonzalez, Eddie Lewis (Chris Klein 46), Landon Donovan, Edson Buddle (Alan Gordon 86), StefaniMiglioranzi, Gregg Berhalter, David Beckham (Jovan Kirovski 89), SeanFranklin, Chris Birchall.
Substitutes Not Used
Josh Saunders, Yohance Marshall, Mike Magee, Bryan Jordan.

Ricketts on TRIAL again!

Looks like Leyton Orient a league one team is the next one to step up to try out the EX-Toronto FC player. Having failed to land a spot on a hand full of other teams it would be nice to see Rohan land somewhere. I guess the term "Don't mess with the Rohan" has been taken way to literally lately.

Jonathan de Guzman on the move?

Aston Villa have expressed interest in Julian's younger brother for the January transfer window. Jonathan currently is a Feyenoord midfielder and has had a lot of interest from big teams in the EPL. His contract with Feyenoord will expire next June making him a hot comadatity for the next transfer window. Villa is said to be willing to an offer of £5million to take De Guzman in January. Still waiting to see what the TFC offer will be HA. It would be nice to see the 2 brothers playing together in Canada.

Jonathan was born in Scarborough Ontario, but unlike his brother he has stolen a page out of Owen Hargreaves book. When given the opportunity to choose between playing for the Canadian or Dutch national sides. He picked the Dirty Dutch. Recent changes to FIFA regulations regarding switching nations now means that De Guzmán is again eligible for selection by both the Netherlands and the Canadian national team. So maybe all is not lost yet.

You can find a tiny bit more HERE

De Guzman may suit up against L.A.

Toronto Fc's newest designated player has met Beckham before. Over the past four seasons, the two matched up during Beckham’s time with Real Madrid.

“My first and only goal for Deportivo came against him and Real Madrid,” de Guzman told reporters after practice on Tuesday. “It’s always great to play against guys like Beckham and any kind of star that plays for Real Madrid or another big team in the world.”

Can Julian bring us to the promised land. This will be his first time suiting up since playing for the Canadian National side in the Gold Cup. I could not resist going to YOUTUBE for some highlights.

TFC improves playoff chances

I was away at the cottage over the weekend. So it took me a while to get caught up on the weekend football action. I watched the TFC game last night and it was very entertaining. I was a little disappointed to not see DeGuzman in the line-up.

De Rosario's goal in the 19th minute ended a 313-minute scoreless drought for Toronto FC. Rookie O'Brian White and defender Nana Attakora scored three minutes apart in the second half to help Toronto FC with a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Rapids!! I loved the fact that all 3 of the TFC goals are gems.



Ali Gerba looked better than he has in his last appearances I know some people would argue that with me but this is my blog so I can say what I want. He had some pretty close chances and debatable non calls. Nice to see Felinga finally or did I? Didn't really notice him out there that could be good and bad I guess. Overall I was impressed with the game but I still hate Chris Cummins.


Greg Sutton still wants to play

There is an article on the CBC website about Sutton still looking for some playing time.

"I'd like to keep playing as long as Pat," Sutton admitted. "Realistically, if I can keep playing for another five years I'd be pretty happy. That would take me to 37 and I could say I had a pretty good career."

That is nice to see. I really enjoyed watching Greg playing for TFC and I wish him the best of luck.

Jeff Cunningham gets his 3rd player of the week award in 11 weeks.

EX-TFC forward and now FC Dallas forward Jeff Cunningham was voted Major League Soccer’s Player of the Week for Week 26 of the 2009 season. The 12-year veteran now ranks second in the Budweiser Golden Boot race with 12 goals this season, behind leader Conor Casey (13) and ahead of third-place Fredy Montero (11).

Check out the story HERE

It is always a little painful to see when EX TFC players are doing so well. Cunningham chasing Casey. shit.

DANNY DICHIO say it ain't so...

Danny Dichio announced his retirement early yesterday morning 09/09/09 go figure. I probably should have posted something yesterday but work (as usual) got in my way.

Danny had a good run with Toronto FC becoming a huge Icon here. He scored our first goal, I had tickets to that game and I will never forget that I was outside the stadium still trying to find a parking spot when he scored that first glorious goal. From outside the stadium it felt like an earthquake had started and all I could see blast out of the top were seat cushions that had been given away for free that day.

While with Toronto FC Danny managed 59 appearances and 14 goals over a span of 2 and a half seasons. He added creativity and spark to the team. I am sure the team and the fans will miss him greatly. Danny meant a lot to the players on the field I am sure Gabe Gala will never forget him. Danny set up a beautiful play that lead to Gabe scoring the only TFC goal against Real Madrid in August.

The Londoner will continue in soccer, with Toronto FC appointing him an academy coach and team ambassador, working in the community for the club.

I can't help but wonder if DD just paved the way for Carl Robinson to make a similair move at the end of the season. Hopefully with Julian deGuzman in the mix we will have a more stable midfield and possibly a shot at the playoffs. I can not help but wonder though if TFC made a mistake by not using Dichio in more games this season I felt he still had and has a lot to offer on the pitch.

Here is a link to some of Danny's greatest moments.

Cheers Danny! thanks for the great memories.

TFC Lose in Colorado argh!@$

Conor Casey Ex-Toronto FC player put the nail in the coffin scoring the only goal of the game against his former team late Saturday night. The MLS leading scorer Conor Casey, who was supposed to be in the lineup for the U.S. when they met with El Salvador for World Cup Qualifying on the weekend. But U.S. national team coach Bob Bradley decided he wasn't going to use Casey, and the Colorado forward quickly boarded a plane and returned home. This Game was brutal to watch. Toronto FC had 2 red cards in the last 15 minutes of the game losing Sanyang and Serioux. In my opinion Sanyang did not deserve the first yellow card he received. The play was definitely a foul but I don’t think there was any call for a yellow which lead to the dismissal of Sanyang after he received his second yellow late in the match. Serioux bad temper showed up for the match no comment necessary on his blatant foul. This team looks like shit right now. With Amado Guevara away on international duty with Honduras, this leaves the team short a solid midfielder who has creativity in controlling and moving the ball up the pitch. Cummins tried loading the field with strikers at the end of the game but he still lacks the ability to manage this team.

Still we have not had the opportunity to see Lesley Felinga play. I figured when they put out such a shitty effort they should test this players ability on the pitch.

I still dis-like Cummins

It has been awhile since I have had anything to post here. So lets try to bang this out in order.

First the Game on the weekend with the attendance at 32,679 it was the largest crowd Toronto has played in front of all season. Given that 0-0 is a shit result. The game was embarrassing as usual coach Cummins never fails to display his incompetence when it comes to running this team. Toronto FC displayed a relentless attack in the first half as Seattle struggled to control the ball. Dwayne DeRosario missed a wide open net in the first half, Guevara dinged one off the crossbar and Chad Barrett lost his concentration as he made an incredible dive to try and head the ball in. Sanyang in my opinion was the star of the game, he managed to torment midfielder Freddie Ljungberg all game long . Freddie Ljungberg received a yellow card in the 73rd minute for unsporting behavior and arguing with the referee when he came racing across the field to engage in a scuffle that was ignited after a hard tackle by defender Jhon Kennedy Hurtado on Dwayne DeRosario. The booking is Ljungberg’s fifth, meaning he is suspended for the next league match. Seattle really had the best chances to win the game in the second half as it looked like TFC shot everything they had in the first half. After the break it looked as if there were entirely 2 different teams out on the pitch. Seattle was dominant with the ball and made some strong offensive pushes. When Barrett was subbed out for Gerba in the second half he was clearly pissed at coach Cummins. If my lip reading skills are as good as I think they are, Chad was questioning the coach while walking off the pitch. He was the only TFC substitution of the match. after leaving Danny at home vs. Chivas I guess because of public backlash the club felt compelled to fly Dichio to the west coast game and nail his ass to the bench. We still haven’t had a look at Lesley Felinga. Looks like things are still shitty in the TFC locker room.

I am a terrible writer.

Second thing I would like to address is the Red Patch Boys have decided to make a strong push to make Danny’s last 3 games of the season as comfortable as possible. The September 12th home game vs. Colorado will be the beginning of it. Here is a quote from the Red Patch website

“We will use the last few home games of the season to draw support from all areas. This campaign will be topped off at the end of the season by marking October 17th Danny Dichio Day.That is also the game that the south end supporter groups will unveil the Year end banner!!! On September 12 please be sure to support the Terry Fox foundation where some members will shave their heads in support of the Terry Fox Foundation.Be sure to support the year end banner by donating in person or by buying a very limited Danny Dichio t-shirt. The shirt will cost $10 and $5 will cover the production and $5 will cover the end of year banner. There will be a special Raffle on September 12th to raise funds for the year end banner at Shoeless Joe's after the game. More info will be provided here. Also, be sure to check the boards as we will have special pub nights set up so that members can get together and finally put that face to the board name. We will have special prizes and raffles as the dates draw closer.”

I think that this is a great idea. Danny Dichio is a great ambassador for the game in Toronto.

I lost my train of thought work has interrupted me. Anyways I am very much looking forward to the Celtic match on Wednesday at BMO field Vs. Benfica. WOOO hOOOOO

Is Cummins or Goings

It feels like we have offensive power but there is no way to harness the power. What is the Deal with Coach Cummins? I think it is way to late in the season to make a coaching change unless we get eliminated mathematically from the playoffs. On the Red Patch Boys website a lot of the talk in the forums is to chase after any MLS assistant coach Paul Mariner being the funniest looking one. I do not buy into this strategy. If Toronto have to start looking for a new coach I think they should try something like stealing a successful coach from another team OR try using a coach from another league with experience on a winning team.


I guess I should mention a little about the shitty game played over the weekend. First they LOST! 2-0 to Chivas and NO Jesús was not the deciding factor in the defeat. In fact it was the bum Sacha Kljestan. Ya that’s right Sacha! If you travel to Chivas website you will see that Sacha only has 2 goals this season, and yes they were against us on Saturday. What a bummer. For the life I me I could not understand why Coach Cummins screws with our line-up so much. Danny Dichio apparently did not make the trip because he has a mysterious injury that does not allow him to fly to the west coast. Sanyang came on late in the game at the 79 minute mark. Gerba came on to replace Amado at the 53 minute mark not sure why. Amado is very good at controlling the ball so without him on the field how on earth would Gerba ever expect to get the ball fed to him? Putting Barrett out to start the second half and taking O’Brian White out well that is understandable. Apparently O’Brian white had some work permit problems at the border the day before and spent a lot more time travelling to L.A. then the rest of the team. I would love to know what happened to Lesley Felinga I figured we would get to see him a little. In a game that spiralled out of control pretty quick why not play him? Argh… I guess this just brings me around to my original thoughts. Lets FIRE the COACH!!!

Can DeRo be Stopped?

Will DeRo break his career high with his hometown reds? I sure hope so. Since the move was made to sign THE HeRo DeRo I have contemplated many times whether or not it was a good move or just another move from MLSE to sell more tickets. Dwayne had his best output in 2006 while playing with Houston 11 goals in 30 games. This season he has 9 goals in 19 games with 9 games to go in the season. I think it’s fair to say that in the last nine games Dwayne has a very good chance at making this season one of his best to date. Hopefully his knees don’t give out while he tries to carry the rest of the guys into the play-offs. At this point of the season looks like giving up Julius was a good plan.

Our guys (TFC) are headed to L.A. to face Chivas tomorrow night. We will be facing our next 3 opponents on the road. ARG!$@# To top it all off it looks like Jesús might be in the line-up for Chivas on Saturday! Ya that’s right Jesús Padilla on loan from sister club Chivas de Guadalajara, and will be eligible to play against Toronto FC on Saturday. I heard they are giving out free T-shirts and kids can go see the game for free. Why don’t we ever get deals like that? I think I could pass as a 12yr old. I can at least think like one.

Not sure how I feel about this little bit of news out of Columbus. The Crew defeated the Puerto Rico Islanders 2-0 in CONCACAF Champions league on Tuesday. Really? I hate both teams. Columbus sucks cause they are in Columbus and I am still a little sore about getting bumped out by the Islanders a USL club!

Let’s not forget to thank Travis for his Uxbridge under 10 update the other day! Good job Travis make sure you keep the big white van in the garage.

Mayfair Pools Stuns Andy's 24 Hour Towing

The Uxbridge Soccer Club opened their U10 Boys playoffs last night with 4th place Mayfair Pools facing off against league-leading Andy's 24 Hour Towing. Andy's had dominated Mayfair earlier in the season, scoring a 6-3 win the last time they met.

Mayfair took a first half lead on a goal by striker Alex Chen. Andy's looked disorganized, failing to mount much offensive pressure as they game went to the half. Mayfair players and fans enjoyed a tasty popsicle, courtesy of coach Cassie Cheeseman.

Coming out of the half, Andy's ratcheted up their game and pinned Mayfair in their end constantly, with pressure only relieved by the occasional run by Chen up the right side of the field. Finally, Andy's scored a late goal with darkness falling and only two minutes left in the game.

Chen, however, with only seconds left in the game, took the ball down the right side once again and fired a shot that bounced off a hapless defender and by the keeper, giving Mayfair a stunning 2-1 victory over the regular season champs.

Sniper Alex Chen later celebrated the victory with a small Rolo McFlurry.

O'Brian White, Sanyang, and Gomez Impress...

Toronto once again looks like a team that can not be beaten. Unbelievable performance's put in by the rookie on Saturday as TFC sported a line-up that included SIX rookies! TFC also moved up 2 spots in the MLS power rankings... Awesome. I spent the weekend at the cottage and had to spend most of yesterday catching up on my soccer news so instead of going on a long spiel about how I hope TFC can keep it up you can check out these articles I have found online.

Kids giving TFC brass something to think about

Reds blank United to move up standings

Toronto FC – The kiddie corps did their job against an off-kilter D.C. United on Saturday afternoon

Invasion of Canada goes haywire; Toronto FC smacks DC United, 2-0

Toronto FC boosts playoff hopes

Toronto FC beat D.C. United 2-0

If you watched the opening weekend of the EPL you would have noticed Arsenal looked AWESOME!! what a great weekend. They beat the shit out of Everton 6-1.

Also I found this funny Beckham Landy-D comic... some good jokes here.

Where are they now…

I have decided to do some research and find out were some of our old used and broken down Toronto FC players have fallen. The first guy on my list is Andy Welsh. A very curious looking fellow. While with the team he had 20 appearances and 1 goal. He played in the inaugural season and was released and given permission to go to Blackpool for free.
Some interesting tidbits I did not know about Andy. Apparently Toronto had to negotiate a deal with Sunderland to get the rights to mr.welsh! (Why did we let him go for free?) At Blackpool he managed 0 goals and then moved to Yeovil Town F.C. were he continues to enjoy his success with 38 appearances and 0 goals.


Yeovil is in England somewhere (I think). They play their games in League 1. The ground they play at is called Huish park and has a Capacity of 9,665 (5,212 Seated) Wooooweee. I was checking out Andy’s profile on the Yeovil Town F.C. website I noticed there is no record of him ever playing for TFC!!! I don’t get it. Are we that dirty secret you have to keep hidden away. Are you ashamed of us! It’s Yeovil no one in Yeovil should look down on you for playing 20 games in Toronto. Joking aside Andy was a good footballer for TFC he had a nice cross, an awkward run, and a head that looked like an eraser! Good luck Andy.

Toronoto!!!

Misprinted scarves hilarious!!

Toronto was thumped by Real Madrid if you have not heard. The game was entertaining. Nice to see Kaka and Xavi make there first appearances for Madrid in Toronto could be a trivia question some day. What I thought was interesting or funny about this match was the commemorative scarves. There is a misprint in the spelling of Toronto or should I say Toronoto. Awesome!! Not quiet as bad as the MLB team the Washington Nationals misprinting nationals (Natinals) on the uniform. How do mistakes like this get thru seems like it would be a big deal. If I worked for MLSE and the Scarves for the Real Madrid game just arrived I would be so stoked to have a look at them. Not only does the problem get past the manufacturer and sales but actually makes it to the sales kiosks… wow.

RICKETTS WATCH CONTINUES-
I am constantly on Rohan Ricketts watch I have no idea what my fascination is with the guy. I guess it’s kind of like watching a train wreck. There is news on him today in the Aberdeen evening express. He says “I’ll reject the Championship for Aberdeen FC”. Well that is awfully nice of him I thought he was going to be a LaLiga star?

CR9 in TOWN!!

CR9 is in town!!... If Real Madrid doesn’t spank TFC by at least 4 goals im calling shenanigans! I watched Barcelona thump Seattle the other night and was happy to see they did not let up to much. Personally I am not a big fan of these friendly games that pop up in the middle of our season. Really who cares if Real comes to town to spank us, what purpose does it serve other than to remind fans that the level we are at is not the European level. Enough already I just want to see my team with a new head coach and a squad that can move the ball up the pitch. Jeff Cunningham is doing all right in Dallas. He has 9 goals this season 1 more then our beloved DeRo. Still don’t want him back but it should serve as a warning that we need to start getting balls thru to our strikers. Barrett and Gerba are more than capable of scoring but we need to give them the opportunity to make things happen. Well I’m heading out of the office now to watch the Real Madrid practice that I PVR’ed last night (I know that’s pathetic) then watch the game. I feel compelled to watch it the same way as I feel compelled to slow down on the highway when I see an accident.

Would The Real Supporters (Please) Stand Up?

 

                             VS.

Last week, as part of my effort to convert more family and friends to the TFC cause, I gave my season seats to my brother and his girlfriend and picked up a pair in 110 for the wife and I. We brought streamers in anticipation of the streamer shower (which was awesome) and we were pumped to be in the supporters end. We watch most of our games from high up in 222. The view from 110 isn't that bad, plus it's nice being able to join in on the singing coming from the Bunker from time to time. So this is what it's like to be a "Real Supporter" I thought, the supporters that Red Patch Boys, NEE, and USector Boards are constantly praising for their TIFO's, coordinated songs, and unwaivering support of the team. So why at half-time did I abandon the South-East corner for my usual spot in the West Stands?

At the risk of being unpopular, I've got to say that I have never seen a group of people LESS interested in what's happening on the field than in 110 - and I sit in 222! Between "Jimmy Girl" (a young woman that shouted "Shoot Jimmy" when he was passing the ball back to Frei), "Road Trip Guy" (a gentleman in a blue shirt that I swear didn't see a goddam minute of football because his back was to the field the entire game telling the people behind him how they have to go to Columbus next year because he went this year and it was the best and everybody is going next year)(Editors note: nobody is going to Columbus next year...), and "make-out couple" (nuff-said) I started to wonder if anybody was even watching the game.

The fan that caught my attention the most capo guy. I'm not saying the guy doesn't love his TFC, but I hope he's got the game Tivo'd at home, because he sure wasn't watching it from his stand at the front of 112. I love what he does, I love the enthusiasm, I love the passion, but can you really be a fan of the footie on the pitch if you're not watching it?

I've spoken with hardcore supporters within the main SG's and been told that you aren't a real supporter unless you tailgate, road trip, banner-make, and sing every song. At a pre-season game at Joe's last year, I was even told by one person that they are sick of 'part-time supporters' like me. The comment was made because he was trying to get my table to sing along with a new Julius James song he was singing in the pub. Is knowing the songs what makes you a Real Supporter?

This brings me to the main point - who are the Real Supporters? Are you a Real Supporter if you sit (nee stand) in the South End and scream your lungs out? Or are you a Real Supporter if you don't want to be distracted by the jumping, singing, and beer-throwing of the South End so that you can concentrate on the match so you sit in the West Stands? What if you sing the songs, but don't watch the game? What if you sit in the West Side, but don't watch the game? Is there some sort of facebook trivia test that you can take to determine if you're really a supporter?

My $0.02? You're a Real Supporter if you watch the games, know the players, and love the team, regardless of how or where you do it on matchday. You're a Real Supporter if you get mad that mid-season friendlies are injuring our players (even if you can't resist going to watch them) and that the salary cap prohibits us from having a solid second string of players at our disposal. You're a Real Supporter if the first thing you do every morning is look for TFC related news (morning Denime!). You're a Real Supporter if you can look at the flags over the South Stand and point out which flag relates to the players on our team. You're a real supporter if you take the afternoon off work so that you can attend the official announcement that DeRo is joining the team (and get your flag signed). Basically, you're a Real Supporter if you love TFC. Plain and simple.

Before you judge somebody based on the location of their seat, the colour of their skin (painted red or just regular-type), or whether or not they get excited about a round of "West Side Stand-Up" (how does this cheer spur on the team exactly?), talk to them for a few minutes - I'm sure you'll find that we're all at BMO for the same reason - because we love our team and because we're all Real Supporters. *tear*

Toronto FC... Limp

As Travis stated earlier..Toronto FC managed to knock themselves out of Concacaf Champions League play last night. The Puerto Rican Islanders keeper Bill Gaudette looked stellar last night as he faced wave after wave after wave of useless attempts on goal from outside the box. Toronto sent everything they had but just like an impotent old man they were unable to rise to the occasion. I do not understand why they would not play Marco Velez against his former team. That should have been a no-brainer. I would be the first to jump on the get Velez out of town band wagon but this guy used to play for PRI! He has something to prove put him out there and let him prove it! I have no idea why Cronin showed up for the game he was shit and if he’s not going to play then don’t waste the money on a plane ticket. We needed goals last night and by the time Coach Cummins realized it was to late. The team pounded in shot after seemed like everyone was trying to win the game from a distance. Some of those shots had a real chance. Gerba had a nice attempt on a free-kick; DeRo had a nice strike that was deflected over the bar. Vitti had some nice headers. The Ref was totally useless making some horrific calls and non calls last night. If you looked at PRI’s Delgado the wrong way last night he was going down and getting the call. There were fouls called in the game were no contact was made at all with that guy. Vitti was tripped up in the box by the keeper and there was no call and Gerba was molested in the box and there was a no call. ARGH!!.. I guess best not harp on this loss to long really this team was not going to go very far anyways even if they did make it past PRI.

TFC Bumbles Way To Failure

Yes kids, TFC have reached new levels of futility by bowing out meekly to the second-tier Puerto Rico Islanders. I can't be bothered analyzing the loss - I'm too irritated with the team right now.

I will say that being a Toronto sports fan sucks. I'm so tired of the teams I support losing. Now please excuse me while I smash my head against a brick wall for a while.

Lesly Fellinga to TFC!!

Well it looks like TFC have made another move… According to a long and hard search of Wikipedia it looks like Toronto has secured another signing, Lesly Fellinga of Haitian descent who plays for Haiti national team. He comes to us after leaving Dutch side Heerenveen. He just received his work permit and it might take some time before we get to see him in action. Still waiting for the TFC website to add him to there roster. This guy is a solid defender that should solidify our “D” and lead us to the promised land( MLS Playoffs). From last week to this week it sure looks like our team has changed a lot (even though it really has not). With the two Gambians, one Haitian, three Canadians our "D" has firmed up. Now it’s time to cut ties with Velez.

On another Arsenal note. I read somewhere on the interweb that Philippe Senderos’ move to Everton has been confirmed by the Swiss Football Federation.

Bummer…

TFC manages to Draw New England

In Foxborough last night TFC squeaked out a draw. DeRosario gave the team the lead in the 34 minute of the game netting his 8^th MLS goal of the season. Chad Barrett was sent off the pitch with his second yellow card in the 50^th minute of the game leaving TFC a man short for the rest of the game. The Gambian kids were subbed on in the 2^nd half and I got to say... wow I was impressed. I take back all the bad things I have ever said about them. Can’t wait to see them play more. Looks like Serioux will be out on Tuesday vs PRI he looked like he re-aggravated his injury. Also DeRo looked like he may have suffered an injury against the revs as well. What’s the deal in New England the stadium looked empty! Well it’s the long weekend so im not going to write much more.

Thought maybe I would comment on Arsenal briefly. Arshavin had one of the nicest goals I have ever watched against Athletico Madrid. This morning Arsenal vs. Rangers. Andrei continues to impress and Wilshere (the kid) looks like he could be a starter for the team… or maybe that’s just pre-season play getting the best of me. J

TFC vs. New England Revolution... tonight

Today is an almost soccer filled day for me as I am watching Arsenal play Athletico Madrid for the Emirates cup (on GOL TV) this morning. Tonight TFC faces off against the New England Revolution (the Rev’s). I am almost at a lose for words when it comes to TFC now. Do I want them to put out there best line-up tonight. YES. But will that mean we are going to get ousted from Champions league on Tuesday against PRI? I hope not. It would be nice if our man MO would give us some depth that we desperately need. If Amado is not at 100% I do not think we have a chance in either game. It clearly looks to me that Serioux is Seriouxly injured right now and probably needs a bit of a break. He looks a little ginger walking on and off the field before and after games.

Chris Cummins commented on the game tonight “I don’t think it’s a must-win, but I do think it’s a game that we can’t lose, just to keep that distance between us, By all means we’d love to go there and get the three points but if we go there and get a point, we can build on that. What we can’t do is go in there gung-ho, and go all-out attacking and lose the game. It’s important we come away with something — even if it’s a point, it gives us a bit of confidence going into the next game.”

I’d say every game is crucial especially when there is no sign of any help on the way to the team. They are looking pretty desperate right now. With a game tonight against the REV’s, then Tuesday against PRI, then Friday against Real Madrid, and just coming off the midweek lose to PRI. Can’t wait to see Ibrahim back in the line-up at least he shows promise.