Thursday, May 14, 2009

C'mon Toronto... 1 goal ain't good enough

It isn't going out on much of a limb to say that Toronto FC is the best team in Canada playing in the best league. The players that I have had the chance to speak with have all told me "there are a bunch of interchangeable guys playing in both leagues and then the game breakers, Major League Soccer has those types of players, the USL doesn't".

Before the Nutrilite Canadian Championships began, I told my co-host Mike Martignago during our radio show (Sunday nights at 10pm on the TEAM 1040) that Toronto would win the tournament this year and so far I am looking pretty good. The problem is, predicting TFC to win isn't that big of a stretch. The part that has me annoyed though is that Toronto has won both games by the simple score of 1 - 0, and truth be told, it was a terrific hand save from Frei to keep the Vancouver v Toronto game 1 - 0. Frankly, it's just not good enough.

Hey, you got the result and you deserved the wins, but scoring just one goal in each game? I want to see 2 or 3. It's not like you are sending out the scrubs to play in these matches. I want to see goals, I want to see forward movement, I want you to claim it and show you are downright superior and I want you to beat Montreal and Vancouver into submission. I want to see a blow out.

Having said all that, hope is not lost for Montreal or Vancouver. This tournament is still far from over. If the Impact or Whitecaps can sweep the other USL team and beat Toronto, they would have a chance. Perhaps even hope their USL brother can do them a favour a draw or beat TFC. It might even come down to goal differential (which is why I need and beg of TFC to score more). Wouldn't that just infuriate Toronto fans as the claims of USL dominance would once again be chanted against Toronto.

It would begin to show a pattern that in a one-off game, TFC or a USL franchise could beat anyone else, but it would also show that over a 6 game tournament, Toronto FC just wouldn't have what it takes. Call it depth, call it fate, call it whatever you want, it surely would put a black eye on Canada's best team.

No comments: