Photo courtesy TFCpics.com (May 8, 2010)

So here we are in September, once again counting points and doing the math on TFC’s playoff chances.

Another 0-0 draw against an opponent that is right alongside Toronto in the race for the elusive eighth playoff spot did absolutely nothing to aid those cloudy calculations.

In an all-too-familiar scenario, The Reds once again let a very winnable game slip through their fingers, this time to host Chicago Fire. It would be fair to say that Toronto controlled the game for the most part, yet the glaring lack of quality in the final third betrayed the performance.

Chicago seemed completely disinterested in trying for the three points, instead opting to minimize TFC’s chances while conceding most of the possession. Perhaps the Fire are comfortable with their two-games-in-hand-while-two-points-behind predicament, but that’s a bit of a fool’s game, as points in the bag always trump possible points at this time of year. And especially when Chicago is still seven points off an actual playoff spot.

The Fire did have a foray or two into Toronto’s penalty area, but aside from a 15-minute spell — that included a laughable breakaway-gone-wrong from Freddie Ljungberg — the Illinois club did nothing to truly threaten its visitors.

(Side note: Anyone who bemoans Julian de Guzman’s lack of offensive prowess as a designated player needs to look at Ljungberg, who hasn’t scored a single goal this year for Seattle or Chicago. And he’s an attacking DP.)

The game in Chicago went pretty much exactly the same for Toronto as Saturday’s game in Dallas did, with The Reds looking industrious and the more enthusiastic of the two sides, but with nothing to show for it. Unlike Dallas, however, the Fire couldn’t nick an offside goal for the victory. Not that the officials didn’t try.

This time it wasn’t a double offside that went against Toronto, but rather two handballs by Fire players inside the penalty area that had they been committed by TFC players would likely have been called for penalties, but instead were ignored. Just one of those being called correctly would probably have turned the game in Toronto’s favour, as the toothless Chicago offence didn’t look to be able to respond to any potential TFC goals.

Regardless, the calls will not always go as they should (especially in this league), so Toronto will need to learn to put some complete games together, and fast. That means maintaining the same level of intensity we’ve seen over the past two games, but also going for the jugular when the opportunities present themselves.

Time is running out.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Pros and Cons for the match played between Toronto FC and Chicago Fire on Wednesday, September 8, 2010:

PROS

• Intensity and possession levels are high
• O’Brian White playing his second consecutive game where he looked like he gave a damn
• Stefan Frei continues to exude confidence, allowing his defence to push forward more often
• One point is better than none, especially on the road

CONS

• Another game with no goals for
• No killer instinct in the side, not even from Dwayne De Rosario
• Quick through balls are the TFC defence’s Achilles heel
• Completely poor officiating on the handball non-calls

HIGHLIGHTS

… AND THE TWO HANDBALL NON-CALLS

Posted by Rudi Schuller

Maicon Santos will miss the match. (Scotty/TFCpics.com)

If you find yourself in Frisco, Texas this weekend, don’t be surprised if you’re asked to suit up for TFC.

Toronto heads to The Land of Bouncy Castles with a skeleton squad, a result of injuries to key attacking personnel and international call-ups to the three best Canadian players on the roster.

No worries though, it’s not as is FC Dallas is arguably the hottest team in MLS at the moment or anything.

David Ferreira and company roll into the weekend on a 12-game unbeaten streak in the league, having last tasted defeat way back in mid-May. In fact, the Dallas-es(?) have only lost twice all season, less than any other team in the league. So to say that getting anything out of a visit to Pizza Hut Park is next to impossible may actually be, amazingly, an understatement.

TFC with Dwayne de Rosario, Julian de Guzman, Nana Attakora, and the injured Chad Barrett and Maicon Santos would be hard-pressed to gain any points in Frisco, what with The Reds’ amazing road record and all. Without them… well it’s as close to a throwaway game as Toronto will experience all season.

Of course, the 2010 version of TFC doesn’t exactly follow any sort of rational convention. In games that should have been gimmes — Philadelphia away, Kansas City both times, New England away — Toronto has crapped the proverbial bed, playing down to their opposition’s level almost compassionately, as if to say, “we know you suck, so how about we make you look good on this occasion?”

How gracious.

On the flip side, in games where they should have had no business being competitive in — Cruz Azul, the Motagua away game, RSL away — they’ve either kept it close or actually earned a result.

It is this strange phenomenon that leads me to believe that TFC will make this one exciting, even though everything suggests that this should be a blowout.

Posted by Rudi Schuller

Photo courtesy TFCpics.com

Must Win.

It’s a phrase that gets thrown around far too often in sports, especially in today’s world of instant gratification. It’s one that I am loathe to use very often, but in the case of Saturday’s TFC match versus Real Salt Lake, I’m saying it.

It’s a must win game.

Sure, if the Reds don’t get full points at BMO Field on the weekend, there is still the entirety of September and October for the team to get hot and pick up the requisite number of points to get into the playoffs, so a loss wouldn’t be devastating from a mathematical point of view. But the points would definitely help, and the game is a must win for other reasons.

For starters, Toronto is coming off two very demoralizing losses over the past week. Both were in different competitions, and both were very different defeats. The end game was the same for each though, with Toronto having dropped three very claimable points against unremarkable opposition.

So in that vein, TFC needs at home win on Saturday to pick the team’s collective spirit up and wash away the memories of the previous two matches.

Secondly, the opponent is RSL, as side that Toronto will become intimately familiar with over the next month, to the tune of three matches against the Utah club between Saturday and September 28. It would be incredibly advantageous if the Reds could kick off the first of those matches on the right foot and stamp their home authority over the Salt Lake crew.

Speaking of home authority, TFC just lost hold of a BMO Field unbeaten mark that lasted over a full year in all competitions when they got thrashed by the New York Red Bulls last weekend. Toronto thrives on the home field advantage — one could say that the entire season depends on it given the atrocious road record — so a win over a very good RSL side on the Lakeshore will send the message that the Red Bulls loss was an anamoly rather than an emerging trend.

Finally, Toronto needs to win on the weekend for the simplest reason of them all, and one that I alluded to above — points. TFC, after having sat in a playoff position the entire season, is now on the outside looking in where post-season rankings are concerned. Toronto is once again in a dog fight for the playoff table scraps, and every single point from here on out will help the Reds in that fight.

Win, TFC. That’s all there is to it.

Posted by Rudi Schuller

Photo by Tim Drodge

‘Cause every little thing gonna be all right.”
Singin’: “Don’t worry (don’t worry) ’bout a thing,
‘Cause every little thing gonna be all right!”

Rise up this mornin’,
Smiled with the risin’ sun,
Three little birds
Pitch by my doorstep
Singin’ sweet songs
Of melodies pure and true,
Sayin’, “This is my message to you-ou-ou:”

Sometimes things just don’t go your way.

Toronto FC found that out the hard way Saturday afternoon, when the visiting Red Bulls of New Jersey New York ended the Reds’ seemingly infallible home unbeaten streak with an emphatic 4-1 result.

It was not for a lack of trying on TFC’s part, though.

Toronto employed the same strategy against New York as they did four days earlier versus Cruz Azul in the CONCACAF Champions League, feeling out the opponent for the first few minutes, then kicking into the soccer equivalent of a full-court press. Unlike the match against Cruz Azul, however, TFC didn’t manage to get on the board during their high-pressure tactics, instead seeing the Red Bulls answer with a screaming 30-yard strike from Rafael Marquez, his first as an MLS player.

That one kick of the ball seemed to change the flow of the entire match, as it simultaneously energized the New Yorkers while deflating an up-until-then highly energized TFC.

For the rest of the first half, the visitors controlled the pace, stroking the ball around and attacking at their own leisure. That it took a Joseph Nane own-goal just before the half time whistle to finally get New York another goal was a testament to the stellar work done by TFC keeper Stefan Frei and centre back duo of Adrian Cann and Nana Attakora to keep the Red Bulls offence at bay.

Despite being down by two at the half, Toronto came out of the break gangbusters once again, and were rewarded two minutes in with a Dwayne De Rosario goal, his first in the league since May. De Ro slotted home a perfectly-weighted O’Brian White through ball to pull Toronto within one, and once again TFC were on the front foot, pressing for the equalizer and keeping the high-priced Red Bulls on their heels.

And once again, it was a goal against the run of play that turned the game in the Red Bulls’ favour, this time for good. Attakora, who had the unenviable task of shutting down Thierry Henry — and succeeded at it — committed a brain fart of the highest order, as he intercepted a New York cross in to the Toronto area. With his hand.

Red card. Penalty kick. Goal by Juan Pablo Angel.

Game. Set. Match.

From then on out, it was academical, and the Red Bulls, now up a man and with a two-goal lead, played out the duration of the match like sharks drawn to blood. Only the continuing heroics of Frei kept the game from truly getting out of hand, and even the normally rock-solid Swiss keeper fell victim to the brain fart bug that was apparently going around when he completely misjudged a cross, allowing former Red Carl Robinson to easily nod in the fourth and final New York goal.

With that, Toronto fell even further behind the Red Bulls in the Eastern Conference standings, and a BMO Field unbeaten streak that stretched back to August 2009 was broken.

Truth be told, the scoreline flattered the visitors, and even though the Reds did not do enough to win the match, they certainly didn’t play as poorly as 4-1 suggests. Had one on Toronto’s many first half chances found the back of the net — and TFC did come as close as hitting the post — the game likely plays out very differently.

But this game always comes down to which side finishes its chances. New York did, Toronto didn’t.

It’s as simple as that.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Pros and Cons for the Toronto FC versus New York Red Bulls match played on Saturday, August 21, 2010:

PROS

• Toronto was not afraid to go at the vaunted Red Bulls, opening both halves on the front foot.
• Dwayne De Rosario finding his finishing form with a coolly slotted goal.
• O’Brian White getting much more involved in the play. From chasing down balls to providing the pass for De Ro’s goal, OBW was much more effective than in recent games.
• Carl Robinson’s classy goal non-celebration.

CONS

• Lack of finishing, which ended up being the difference between the two sides.
• Nana Attakora and Stefan Frei’s rare lapses in judgment, both which led directly to New York goals.
• Joseph Nane as a centre back. Sure, he was thrust into the role due to Attakora’s ejection, but let’s hope he never finds himself in that position again.
• The BMO Field crowd, which was the largest in history for an MLS match, yet empty seats were in abundance. Why do people buy tickets and not show up? Also, a little bit of rain won’t kill you.

HIGHLIGHTS

Posted by Rudi Schuller

TFC really needs to figure out how to play on the road in MLS. For 15 or so minutes in the first half, it seemed as though the mojo that Toronto had recently found (in Honduras) would continue to be on display at beautiful brand new Red Bull Arena.

The Reds were looking the livelier of the two teams. Toronto was passing with purpose, making smart runs, and keeping the ball away from New York’s double-headed monster in the form of Juan Pablo Angel and Thierry Henry.

In fact, for the first half of the first half, Toronto — kicking it old school in red shirts and white shorts, a far better look than the drab monochrome that they’ve settled on since the final game of 2007 — appeared to be the team deserving of all the hype that New York’s been getting lately.

Then two things happened.

New York scored against the run of play, and Chad Barrett got hurt.

The Red Bulls goal, courtesy of Joel Lindpere via a hustle play by Henry and a perfectly-placed chip by Seth Stammler (!), took the wind out of the sails of an up-to-that-point chipper Toronto side. Barrett pulling up lame with a hamstring strain was the torpedo that took care of the rest of the boat.

From that point on, it was typical TFC road soccer; aimless passes to nowhere, boneheaded defensive miscues, and fruitless long balls to the forwards.

Why Toronto is so terrible away from BMO Field is a subject for a much broader investigation, but specifically why TFC flamed out so spectacularly last night is easier to break down.

First off, the Reds have just completed a gauntlet of matches that saw them criss-crossing the continent to the tune of nine games played in just over a month. Regardless of the improved squad depth since the beginning of the season, the core is still playing the majority of each game, and that will eventually take its toll.

No, it’s not an excuse for the lackluster play, but it does help explain why the side couldn’t sustain the torrid pace to the game that they started with.

Also, Barrett coming out of the game immediately changed the Toronto attack, as in there was no more. With Maicon Santos staying at home with a knee ailment, Barrett was paired with Dwayne De Rosario up top, and the duo fed off each other’s energy to cause New York’s defence problems in the early going.

When Barrett subbed out and Mista came on, the work rate of the TFC forward partnership was immediately cut in half. Mista is still, for all intents and purposes, in pre-season form, and while his vision and touch are vital weapons in his arsenal, his speed and hustle game (or lack thereof) is nowhere near that of the young Americant. With an attack that is seemingly built on Barrett’s ability to draw defenders away from De Rosario and Julian de Guzman, Mista’s early entry into the game was a precursor to the direction-less play that would define Toronto’s attack for the final hour.

Not that the other forwards were of any help. One thing Mista does well is send a cutting through ball into the final third, and unfortunately the count is now up to two (consecutive) games in which a sublime Mista feed to a teammate has been severely screwed up by the player on the receiving end.

On Saturday, De Rosario blasted a beautiful pass from Mista directly at Chivas keeper Dan Kennedy, wasting not only a great feed, but also a nice juke move from the Spaniard to get himself free.

Yesterday it was O’Brian White’s turn, the Jamaican flubbing the pass by trying to take an extra step or ten rather than firing a first-time shot at backup Bulls’ keeper Greg Sutton. White’s ultimate offering wasn’t even on frame, mostly because by the time he had gotten the shot off, a New York defender had made his way between the Toronto striker and the goal.

White’s hesitation epitomized the entire second half for Toronto. Truth be told, New York was not much better on the night, as the Red Bulls almost seemed to want to keep TFC in the match. That makes it even more frustrating.

When all was said and done, the teams split possession evenly, had the same amount of shots on goal, and generally sleep-walked through the match (the first 20 minutes aside).

The difference between the two teams was Lindpere’s strike, and the fact that New York was missing four starters, while Toronto could reasonably claim to be missing two (the merry-go-round of defensive midfielders notwithstanding).

The return leg in ten days will also see the return of those missing in action for both sides, and will ostensibly feature a much more in form Thierry Henry. And no Julian de Guzman.

Catching New York just got a lot harder, and it didn’t have to be that way.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Pros and Cons for the match played between Toronto FC and New York Red Bulls on August 11, 2010:

PROS

• The first 15 minutes. Toronto clearly wanted to strike first, and showed no fear in trying to do so.
• Mista’s passing. Eventually someone won’t screw it up.
• Keeping the score close. Hey, at least it wasn’t 5-0, right? Right??
• The red-white-red TFC colour scheme. Can we please keep that over the boring all-red get up? In fact, I’d like to see the dark grey shorts matched up with the white away shirt, as well.

CONS

• More road woes. Seriously, it’s getting hard to write the same thing over and over again.
• Aimless “link-up” play. Booting the ball to a slow-as-molasses Mista and a dog0tired Dwayne De Rosario is never going to work.
• O’Brian White. All of his confidence is gone, culminating in his house league hesitation on a fine through ball to set him free.
• Jacob Peterson. Can you please put a single effen shot on frame for once?
• No Julian de Guzman for the reverse fixture. New York’s mids will have a field day on the 21st if someone doesn’t step up in JDG’s absence.

HIGHLIGHTS

Posted by Rudi Schuller

With monsoon-like conditions setting the scene for the final soccer game ever to be played at Giants Stadium, TFC’s hopes of a first ever playoff berth were washed away that night in a 5-0 drubbing at the hands of the godawful 2009 New York Red Bulls, one of the worst teams in MLS history.

All Toronto needed was a draw to advance, as they held the tiebreaker over Salt Lake, Colorado, DC and Kansas City. As it was, Salt Lake squeaked by the hapless Reds and proceeded to go on a hot streak that gave that side an improbable MLS Cup championship. The Utah side has arguably never come off that hot streak, as they are now sport one of the best records on the league nearly a year later.

The Red Bulls famously re-tooled, adding Barcelona rejects alumni Thierry Henry and Rafael Marquez to an already vastly improved side. New coach Hans Backe had already transformed the sad-sack Bulls into a respectable team before the recent arrival of the two superstars, and now with arguably two of the best players of their generation joining the New York side, the Red Bulls have to be in the conversation as genuine cup contenders.

Fortunately for Toronto, the timing is not quite there yet for New York. Not only have Henry and Marquez not yet had enough time to completely integrate themselves into their new club, but due to circumstances neither might be available for Wednesday’s match in New Jersey at all.

Henry, while giving glimpses of skill and a chemistry with fellow striker Juan Pable Angel that is sure to frighten the hell out of opposing MLS defences, is still working his way back into match fitness after having spent the better part of a year on the bench, both for Barcelona and for his national team. He seems to have overdone it, with a groin pull threatening his availability.

Marquez joined the Red Bulls less than a week ago and, while he did show superb vision and passing ability in his 60-minute debut versus Chicago yesterday, is also less than one hundred percent. Not that it matters, as the Mexican captain will be at Estadio Azteca this week with his national team.

In fact, as many as five NYRB players will be missing due to international play, with offensive catalyst Joel Lindpere of Estonia likely being the biggest loss after Marquez. New York will also likely be without goalkeeper Bouna Coundoul, defender Roy Miller and speedy attacker Dane Richards, all key cogs in New York’s turnaround season.

What that could mean for the Reds — who themselves will be missing Maicon Santos (knee sprain), Dan Gargan (suspension) Emmanuel Gomez and likely Ty Harden, Martin Saric and Amadou Sanyang — is that they could be facing a team featuring a backup keeper (former Red Greg Sutton) that has yet to play a single minute in MLS in 2010, along with a very makeshift attack.

Good news, indeed.

Given the impending schedule logjam that TFC is about to face a week from now, the time is now to take advantage of New York’s misfortune. Toronto owes the Red Bulls a bit of payback for that season-ending debacle last year, and the brand new Red Bull Arena is just the place to wipe the slate clean and take down the charging Bulls.

Posted by Rudi Schuller

Jesus comes to Toronto

Are you rested yet, TFC?

Toronto FC returns to BMO Field Saturday after pulling off the Herculean task of securing a result in Honduras on Tuesday, allowing the team to move on in the CONCACAF Champions League. Nearly as impressive was the fact that the Reds scored a whopping two goals in less than 45 minutes.

Toronto hadn’t scored more than a single goal in a match since the May 29 road win over San Jose. In the two months between, TFC played nine games, scoring a total of five goals in the process. The wells had dried up as summer hit, making the two-goal second half that the Reds put together in Tegucigalpa a rare treat.

But now that Toronto had showed that it could not only fight its way back into a match, but also do so on the road (where that San Jose victory still stands alone as the only road win thus far in 2010), what does that mean?

Will TFC use the confidence gained in that CCL match as a motivating tool to get back on track in league play? Or will the dramatic series victory over Motagua end up being a one-off, with Toronto slipping right back into the summer doldrums?

Fortunately, we won’t have to wait very long to find out. Toronto hosts Chivas USA on Saturday, a club whose fortunes seem to be the polar opposite of TFC’s.

Where Toronto started off poorly and had a great late spring run followed by a dour July, Chivas kicked off with a decent April, followed by six straight losses in May and June, leading into an undefeated July.

Preki’s former side took far longer than his current side to come together after a roster overhaul and coaching change, but Chivas can claim to be the better team right now. The Goats arrive in Toronto having dispatched Columbus 3-1 last week, a good result that was preceded by a road draw at RSL, and positive results against both Kansas City and Philadelphia (two teams Toronto have lost to in recent weeks).

Chivas’ form mirrors that of young striker Justin Braun, who has notched eight goals in MLS play thus far. As the season progresses, Braun’s confidence grows, and the Goats are better off for it.

Toronto’s central defence tandem of Adrian Cann and Nana Attakora will have their hands full with the likes of Braun and Mexican-American forward Jesus Padilla, but what TFC will need to be more wary of is Chivas’ team attacking style as a whole.

Coach Martin Vasquez finally has Chivas playing the Latin game that owner Jorge Vergara promised when he incorporated the franchise as an offshoot of C.D. Guadalajara back in 2005. That actually may be good news for a Toronto side that has just spent the past week learning to counteract the same style in the Champions League.

Ultimately, given that the game is as BMO Field, it will come down to which Toronto side shows up that determines whether TFC takes the victory or continues to drop crucial home points.

Will it be the clueless, disinterested TFC that dropped points to Dallas, Kansas and Philly in recent games? Or will the determined, gutsy Toronto side that took its chances and clawed out a result in Central America?

Posted by Rudi Schuller

Anyone who has followed TFC for a substantial amount of time would not have been surprised by last night’s away loss to lowly Kansas City Wizards, in a match that featured two teams that didn’t really look too interested.

That KC pulled off the 1-0 win — thanks to Teal Bunbury opportunistically pouncing on an uncharacteristic mistake from Toronto’s central defence — speaks more to TFC’s horrendous road form than it does to the Wizards’ play during the 90 minutes.

Truth be told, a 0-0 draw would have been completely justified, and the match appeared to be heading that way as neither team looked remotely dangerous for much of the match. The two sides mustered up a combined one shot on target in the first half, a Mista half-breakaway that was parried wide nicely by KC keeper Jimmy Brigitte Nielsen. The second half was more of the same, despite the entrance of attacking catalysts Chad Barrett and Dwayne De Rosario for the Reds.

Toronto’s two leading scorers had started on the bench, presumably to keep fresh for Tuesday’s CONCACAF Champions League away match at C.D. Motagua in Honduras. Perhaps that crucial midweek fixture was on the minds of Preki and his charges, since they were clearly going through the motions last night.

That said, even with the lackluster play, the game was entirely winnable for Toronto, as Kansas City showed exactly why they’ve been hovering near the bottom of the MLS standings since April.

The Wizards only truly dangerous offensive thrust yesterday (aside from a couple of late chances while TFC was pushing for the equalizer) was, in fact, the Bunbury goal in the 62nd minute. Central defender Adrian Cann, arguably this year’s best signing in the entire league on a value basis, made a rare miscue, mistakenly heading the ball backwards toward his goal during a clearing attempt. The ball bounced directly into the path of a charging Bunbury, with the Canadian-born rookie outracing Nana Attakora and heading the ball over a charging Stefan Frei.

Frei, who was caught in no man’s and as a result of Cann’s errant header, did well to cut down the angle and get a hand on Bunbury’s shot, but the Kansas forward’s header was as well-placed as it was powerful, and the ball glanced the bottom of the crossbar before sneaking over the Toronto goal line.

After that it was academical, as the TFC side that has struggled to score goals in recent weeks continued to do so, helped along by numerous displays of time-wasting that the Kansas City players should be ashamed of.

The result is another lost opportunity on the road for TFC. Like the Philadelphia away match two weeks ago, Toronto squandered crucial road points against a vastly inferior opponent, living up to the horrific form away from BMO Field that has become a staple of every TFC season thus far.

Add in the fact that Toronto’s home form has been far from stellar lately, and it’s readily apparent that the Reds have once again found themselves in their annual summer slump.

Time will tell if the 2010 side can deal with it better than previous editions, but with two more games in the next six days, time  — to recover from a lousy loss — is a luxury that TFC doesn’t have much of.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Pros and Cons from Toronto FC’s away match at Kansas City Wizards, played July 31, 2010:

PROS

• Mista is slowly rounding into form, and had the best chance of the night for TFC.
• Nick Garcia had a decent game at left back. Not stellar, but decent.

CONS

• More dropped points on the road against terrible opposition.
• No will or drive from TFC to actually go for goal. The team seemed to be looking ahead to the Motagua match on Tuesday, instead of focusing on collecting what should have been easy points last night.
• Joseph Nane is back to his awful self, after a good second half on Saturday.
• Adrian Cann’s miscue. Cann has been a rock this year so it’s hard to be too angry about it, but Cann cost Toronto two points with that one errant header.
• Abby Okulaja’s officiating was terrible as usual. He let far too much physical play go, yet he called ticky-tack fouls, mostly against Toronto. Then he allowed diving and time-wasting from Kansas players that would have made the average Central American blush. Horribly inconsistent.
• CommunityAmerica Ballpark. The layout of the baseball stadium means the (tiny) soccer pitch has to run east-west, which is not at all optimal for a game played at sunset. Add in the ridiculous looking stands, and Kansas City can’t get into their under-construction soccer stadium fast enough. Good riddance.

HIGHLIGHTS

Posted by Rudi Schuller

No disrespect to the great states of Missouri or Kansas, nor any to either Kansas City, but the Wizards are the definition of ‘meh’: A non-descript, unglamourous team in the middle of the continental U.S., far removed from any other team in the league, without any real stars, sporting a terrible record and playing in a minor league baseball park.

In other words, the Wizards are perhaps the most dangerous team for Toronto FC to face right now.

Amid the emotional highs of a Champions League series versus a Honduran side filled with returning World Cup veterans — and after having watched their captain score a goal against mighty Manchester United in front of 70,000 a couple of days ago — you could forgive the TFC players if they find it tough to be motivated against Kansas City, a team below the Reds in the standings.

That said, the Wizards are a team on the rise. They, too, can claim an emotional high off the backs of a Man United exhibition, as a 10-man Kansas side embarrassed an admittedly second-string Red Devils team 2-1 in front of 52,000 in Missouri last week. Prior to that, the Wizards have put together a string of decent, albeit not great, performances in the league following a horrendous first couple of months.

Young Canadian target man Teal Bunbury has found his place in the KC side lately, spear-heading a rejuvenated Wizards attack. The 19-year-old Hamilton native (and son of Canadian legend Alex Bunbury) was even praised by Sir Alex Ferguson for giving his charges fits during last week’s friendly, words that will no doubt inspire the rookie striker in coming weeks.

In the back, goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen has been nothing short of superb for KC, proving himself a magnificent shot-stopper that justified coach Peter Vermes’ decision to allow stalwart netminder Kevin Hartman to move on to Dallas over the off-season.

The rest of Kansas’ lineup features a collection of MLS journeymen and young hopefuls, but it would be ill-advised to write off the Wizards as fodder for TFC’s march to the playoffs.

First off, Toronto couldn’t dispose of the Wizards at BMO Field in early June, settling for a 0-0 draw against a KC team that was even less sure of its place in the league as it is now. That draw could be pointed to as the catalyst for the current doldrums the Reds find themselves in, as it was the first visible crack in the so-called home “fortress” that TFC had up to that point spent fortifying with wins over anyone and everyone who dared set foot on the new grass.

Now, the game is on the Wizards’ turf, a bandbox of a temporary stadium with a pitch to match. The small field size may actually help Toronto, however, as the Reds don’t seem to have any width to their game whatsoever. (There are positives to be found everywhere, I suppose.)

While Kansas’ record is pretty awful overall, TFC must keep in mind that three of its opponent’s four total wins this year have come at CommunityAmerica Ballpark. Hopefully that doesn’t mean Toronto will play bunkerball, though, as that strategy has proven to be a dangerous game of fate temptation (see: Philadelphia away).

No, TFC should come out with all cylinders firing, much as they did against Motagua Tuesday night. Sure, the goals didn’t pour in for the Reds in that midweek clash, but much like the law, in soccer possession is nine-tenths of the game, and one has to think that the goals will follow at some point.

They have to, right?

Posted by Rudi Schuller

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Just for shits and giggles, take a look at Kansas City forward Kei Kamara’s incredible missed goal from earlier in the season:

I’m pretty sure I’ve already included this clip in the last KC pre-game post, but damn if this ain’t worth a second look.

Toronto FC allowed FC Dallas to snatch a late draw on Saturday night, in a match that was all-too-reminiscent of those soul-shattering performances of 2009.

After Maicon Santos coolly slotted home his first competitive goal for the Reds midway through the second half, breaking a deadlocked game in which Toronto clearly had the upper hand, TFC immediately fell back and allowed Dallas back into it. The Reds ceded possession to the point where it looked like they almost wanted Dallas to score.

After the inevitable happened, Dallas returned the favour, taking the cynical play from Toronto’s hands and running with it. It all led to a frustrating day at the park for the 19,000+ brave souls who stood through numerous downpours to watch their team snatch a draw from the jaws of victory.

The end result was yet another lackluster performance from an otherwise superior home Toronto side. With the Reds in the thick of a playoff race, every dropped point counts, and TFC loses more ground on the teams ahead of them.

It is only through a tie-breaking scenario that Toronto sits in sixth place in the league, with the Reds tied on points with seventh and eight placed Colorado and San Jose (respectively). Home matches are where the points cushion is formed, and TFC will need to do better in the remaining home fixtures in order to pad the currently razor-thin cushion it finds itself on.

With the Dallas match in the books, attention now turns to the CONCACAF Champions League. TFC is, of course, hosting CD Motagua of Honduras in the preliminary round on Tuesday, in a game where goalscoring is of paramount importance for Toronto.

Away fixtures in the Central American nation are brutal at best, with Hondurans sides boasting an incredible record there in continental play. If TFC hopes to advance to the group stage of the CCL, and there are no indications that they don’t, they will need to pile on the goals in the opening leg.

For a team that has seen the goals dry up in recent weeks, Toronto will hope for the wells to finally open up tomorrow, lest they suffer yet another premature exit from the continental championship.

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Pros and Cons from the Toronto FC vs. FC Dallas match played Saturday, July 24, 2010:

PROS

• Maicon Santos’ presence up top is rewarded with a goal
• Julian de Guzman now has some outlets for his passes
• Overall team defending was solid for the first hour in the absence of Nana Attakora
• Some flashes of a positive, short-passing game, starting at the back

CONS

• TFC content to sit back after going up a goal, leading to a predictable finish
• Worrying set piece defending woes
• Finishing is still a concern, as the Reds out-chanced Dallas yet couldn’t kill the game off

HIGHLIGHTS

Posted by Rudi Schuller