I have come up with a new moto for Toronto FC. It is that if you can't be good you should at least be exciting. They lived up to that moto against DC United in what had to be one of the most exciting games in recent memory. The game was a 3-3 draw in the end but along the way to that final scoreline there were talking points left right and centre.
The game kicked off with DC United's keeper being sent off in the 7th minute thanks to a nasty two legged tackle that sent Avila flipping through the air. After chatting with his assistant the ref decided that the right move was to send Hamid for a very early shower, if he even needed one after only 7 minutes played, and I think it was the correct move. Watching the game I knew that things were only going to get more lively from there. The stage was set for TFC to go on and get their first road win of the season but we all knew it was never going to be straight forward like that. TFC found a way to commit three major mistakes, one by Frei and two by Iro that allowed Dwayne De Rosario to net one of the easiest hat tricks you will ever see. TFC answered back with goals from Marosevic, Koevermans, and even one from Julian De Guzman.
If you want a nice summary of the match then you came to the wrong place. Instead I want to focus on the emotional roller coaster that TFC took me on last night. Coming in to the game I just had that feeling that DeRo was going to put in a performance and i guess he did just that last night even though one of his goals was a penalty, one was misplayed by the keeper, and the other was basically gifted to him by Iro. I will give credit where credit is due and say that DeRo did well to take advantage of the gifts that were being given to him by his former side. I do not agree with the sentiment that I am coming across today that this game shows why TFC should have paid up and kept DeRo. Instead I still think that letting him leave was the right move for a club that is looking to rebuild. He is a very good MLS player and a proven goal scorer but Toronto needed to take that one step backwards so that they might one day to able to move a lot further forward. The fact that DeRo scored a hattrick left me with a bad taste in my mouth but the one positive that I can take from it would be the fact that if DeRo is on form come the fall it will be a massive boost for the CMNT. So I guess we can thank Andy Iro and the rest of TFC for giving him a confidence boost.
At the exact other end of the emotional roller coaster that was this match was watching Julian DeGuzman score a screamer of a long range goal. The only thing wrong with his first goal for TFC was the fact that the ref should have never allowed it to happen since DCU were in the midst of making a change when JDG decided to take a quick freekick. Again if you look at this from a Canadian perspective it is great news. JDG will be a key member of the team and if he discovers any sort of his form from before he joined TFC then Canada will be in much better shape. The end result of JDG's goal was DCU coach Ben Olsen being dismissed from the sidelines having just flipped his lid in reaction to the goal being allowed to stand.
The last part of the game that I want to cover is how I felt about Iro and his performance. He was complete shit but I do not give him the entire blame for that. TFC played much of the second half with basically only 2 actual defenders on the field and Iro was not getting much help at all. He is a decent MLS defender but he needs to have a stronger partner in centre back. He is not strong enough or confident enough to control the middle of the pitch without somewhere better there to help him. He needs to play better then he did last night as the second goal was all his fault with him failing to clear the ball but the penalty he conceded was a real team effort. He was not the only one in the box that was failing to clear the ball, just happened to be the one who got caught bringing the man down. So blame him for one goal if you will but blame the entire team for the lack of defending that was going on in this game.
So like I said if you can't be good at least you should be exciting and at the moment TFC seem to have that covered. I like the fact that they are scoring more goals, I have been impressed by some of the new additions to the side, not just Frings and Koevermans either and I think that even if the results are not coming in yet the team is going to be better once things settle down. Games like this are giving me lots of reasons to be excited for 2012 and the chances of the team being in a position to be more competitive but before that I am just pleased that TFC are going to be a more entertaining team to watch down the stretch even if the playoffs are quickly fading from reach.
Showing posts with label julian de guzman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label julian de guzman. Show all posts
Sunday, August 07, 2011
Monday, July 25, 2011
New Look TFC = Same Result
So we have talked about all the roster moves that TFC has made in the past month or so and there were a lot of them. To be honest I am not even sure if Winter is all done making moves even now so who knows what else could be in store. Last week though we got the chance to see this very changed TFC side in action twice after a fairly long layoff and sadly all we got as fans was a lot more of the same.
Against FC Dallas Winter put in 6 of the new players for the starting lineup meaning that the club eclipsed the 100 players all time mark and then some. They also had more then half of their starting 11 players being fresh faces which was almost certain to result in a bit of a settling in period. I won't be getting in to the actual match but the fact of the matter is that you could see the need for yet more patience. The team still had a fair few areas that are in clear need of improvement and if not for an impressive effort from Frei things would have been a lot worse then the 1-0 final score. The other thing that struck me was that Koevermans clearly had not played in a match of late and seemed to lack sharpness in front of goal. Training can help a lot but for both Danny and Frings they went from being in their offseason to jumping straight in to the middle of a season so it might take them a while to get up to pace. Speaking of Frings though he was one of the best players in the game for TFC. He provided a sharpness and edge to the midfield and his passes were instrumental in almost all of the chances that TFC did manage to create.
On the weekend things looked a whole lot worse for TFC as the team continued to defend terribly and this time Frei was not able to stand on his head and keep the scoreline close. An awful stretch of around 10 minutes saw the team conceding goals like it was going out of style. The 3 goals in 9 minutes was more then enough to sink Toronto on the day and made sure that new comers Koevermans and Ryan Johnson picking up their first goals for the club was not enough. In the end the score was 4-2 for Kansas City and for TFC it was the 4th straight defeat and 6th in their past seven matches. There is no point in trying to sugar coat it at this point as we can all see that TFC are struggling and have a long ways to go still before they are really competitive in the MLS. The problem is that no one on the team seems to know how to defend properly. It is not just the back 4 that are to blame for this, but they do get their share of the blame, but also includes the midfield who seem lost more often then not when they are trying to track back and cover. There is a part of this that has to be attributed to the coaching of the team as they do not seem prepared to defend properly and are often looking unorganized. The other half of the problem is that the personal to play defense are just not their with all the injuries. The team added Iro which is a plus and gives them another decent defender but they need at least 4 of them and they are well short of that number right now.
The problem that I see for TFC is that they do have some good defenders who are out for the season the most notable of them is Adrian Cann. So if they were to go out and make trades to bring in more quality defenders then they would have a bit of an overload come the start of next season when everyone is fit. So if you are planning for the long term you might just have to kiss any sort of playoff push goodbye and just make due with what you have and then work to improve things for the next season when you know who will be fit. I personally think they will not make a lot more changes this season in the back line but I hope that they do bring in a top class centre back. Not someone of Iro level but instead someone who would be among the best defenders in the MLS. The club needs to make a big move in the back line but now is not the ideal time to do that barring De Guzman moving back to Europe.
So we have our first two games for the new look TFC in the books and it is clear that they still can't defend and that the wins are not just going to start pouring in now. The club still has a long ways to go but at least as these players all settle in I expect the team to only get better. In fact I would still say that despite continuing the losing ways TFC are better now then they were before all the roster moves.
Against FC Dallas Winter put in 6 of the new players for the starting lineup meaning that the club eclipsed the 100 players all time mark and then some. They also had more then half of their starting 11 players being fresh faces which was almost certain to result in a bit of a settling in period. I won't be getting in to the actual match but the fact of the matter is that you could see the need for yet more patience. The team still had a fair few areas that are in clear need of improvement and if not for an impressive effort from Frei things would have been a lot worse then the 1-0 final score. The other thing that struck me was that Koevermans clearly had not played in a match of late and seemed to lack sharpness in front of goal. Training can help a lot but for both Danny and Frings they went from being in their offseason to jumping straight in to the middle of a season so it might take them a while to get up to pace. Speaking of Frings though he was one of the best players in the game for TFC. He provided a sharpness and edge to the midfield and his passes were instrumental in almost all of the chances that TFC did manage to create.
On the weekend things looked a whole lot worse for TFC as the team continued to defend terribly and this time Frei was not able to stand on his head and keep the scoreline close. An awful stretch of around 10 minutes saw the team conceding goals like it was going out of style. The 3 goals in 9 minutes was more then enough to sink Toronto on the day and made sure that new comers Koevermans and Ryan Johnson picking up their first goals for the club was not enough. In the end the score was 4-2 for Kansas City and for TFC it was the 4th straight defeat and 6th in their past seven matches. There is no point in trying to sugar coat it at this point as we can all see that TFC are struggling and have a long ways to go still before they are really competitive in the MLS. The problem is that no one on the team seems to know how to defend properly. It is not just the back 4 that are to blame for this, but they do get their share of the blame, but also includes the midfield who seem lost more often then not when they are trying to track back and cover. There is a part of this that has to be attributed to the coaching of the team as they do not seem prepared to defend properly and are often looking unorganized. The other half of the problem is that the personal to play defense are just not their with all the injuries. The team added Iro which is a plus and gives them another decent defender but they need at least 4 of them and they are well short of that number right now.
The problem that I see for TFC is that they do have some good defenders who are out for the season the most notable of them is Adrian Cann. So if they were to go out and make trades to bring in more quality defenders then they would have a bit of an overload come the start of next season when everyone is fit. So if you are planning for the long term you might just have to kiss any sort of playoff push goodbye and just make due with what you have and then work to improve things for the next season when you know who will be fit. I personally think they will not make a lot more changes this season in the back line but I hope that they do bring in a top class centre back. Not someone of Iro level but instead someone who would be among the best defenders in the MLS. The club needs to make a big move in the back line but now is not the ideal time to do that barring De Guzman moving back to Europe.
So we have our first two games for the new look TFC in the books and it is clear that they still can't defend and that the wins are not just going to start pouring in now. The club still has a long ways to go but at least as these players all settle in I expect the team to only get better. In fact I would still say that despite continuing the losing ways TFC are better now then they were before all the roster moves.
Sunday, July 03, 2011
Nutrilite Canadian Champions!
For the second time this week Toronto FC were taking on the Vancouver Whitecaps. Having beaten them 1-0 in a fairly dull league match thanks to a penalty earlier in the week TFC were feeling confident that they would be able to get the result they needed in the second attempt at the second leg of the NCC final. In case you have forgotten, it was a good while ago, Toronto FC were totally outplayed in Vancouver but managed to steal a 1-1 draw in the first leg. Then the second league again saw Vancouver being the better side by a clear margin but heavy rain and thunder storms had other ideas as the unsafe weather conditions led to the match having to be abandoned a rescheduled for the next time Vancouver were in town. That meant that Canada's club championship was now set to be fittingly decided on Canada weekend.
The weather on saturday was once again calling for rain and a good chance of thunder storms but thankfully it held off and we can finally say that this seasons Nutrilite Canadian Championship is in the books. The two teams made their agendas for this match fairly clear earlier in the week when you looked at the teams that they selected for the MLS match. TFC, who are currently ravaged by injury, fielded a fairly strong side as they looked to end their 10 game winless run while the Whitecaps rested several players as they were seemingly willing to give up 3 points in the league in exchange for improving their chances at winning the Voyageurs Cup. The move on Vancouver's part was a bit of a tricky one since giving TFC the win in the league was sure to restore some of their battered confidence and give the players increased hope that they would be able to win again on saturday. After all this week was one of great optimism around TFC as they finally ended their winless run as well as announcing the signings of two former internationals.
Toronto FC came into the second leg with a lineup that was almost the same as it had been on Wedensday night as only Julian De Guzman and Maicon Santos were brought in. Vancouver on the other hand made a drastic 7 changes from midweek. The match kicked off in a fairly lively fashion with the first real chance falling to Santos after a quick counter attack and some ver questionable decision making by the keeper left him in all alone chasing after the bouncing ball. By the time Santos was able to catch up to the ball he was almost on the goal line and was unable to hit anything but the side netting with his effort. In the 20th minute though it was the Whitecaps who would open the scoring thanks to a beautifully taken free kick by Sanvezzo who stepped in with his right and fired a shot in to the top corner that gave Frei no chance of making the stop.
Toronto almost found an answer only 5 minutes later as a lively run from Plata opened up the Whitecaps defence and his ball allowed De Guzman to fire in a shot that was well save by Cannon but came back off the post to Martina who's effort had to be cleared off the line. That chance was followed up with more scrambling and more chances for TFC but in the end they could not convert and the ball eventually went out for a corner. It was clear that TFC were going for the win in this one and the signs of life were encouraging for the home fans having seen their side already go down 2-1 on aggregate.
Just before the half there was another moment where the Whitecaps were left wondering what their keeper Cannon was thinking. He came well out of his box to claim a long through ball but the ball bounced off of his chest and ended up landing at the feet of Martina who was then staring at a wide open net. Martina slid his shot in goal wards but some great hustle by Jay Demerit allowed him to get back and just barely clear the ball from off the goal line, or did he? This one will go down as yet another case for goal line technology as the ball was definitely most of the way past the goal line before it was cleared but the question was whether or not it was completely across and personally I can not say having watched the replay a number of times. I think that the right call was made in this case though as it was far to close to tell and awarding a goal would have been very harsh for Vancouver. The Whitecaps went into the halftime break leading the game 1-0 and the final 2-1 so the job for Toronto was a simple one. If they wanted to win the NCC then they had to find a way to come back and win this match in the second half.
The signs of life that TFC had shown in the first half carried over into the second as they again came close to levelling the score in the opening minute of the half. Once again it was a lively run by Plata that got things started as his low cross into the box eventually ended up at the back post where Soolsma turned it toward the back of the net but it ended up being picked up by Cannon. Cannon once again looked shaky as he failed to deal with the low cross. The pressure continued for TFC and only a few minutes later a ball into the box ended up at the feet of Plata who was brought down and awarded the penalty. This time Cannon did not look the least bit shaky as he got across well to push Plata's spot kick up and over the bar. Unluckily for Cannon though the assistant referee caught the fact that he had taken several steps off of his goal line before the shot was taken which meant that the penalty was going to have to be retaken. Cannon was absolutely furious at the decision and was only going to be made more angry by the fact that this time Plata stepped up a sent him diving the wrong way. Plata who had been right in the middle of most of TFC's chances was rewarded with the goal that made it 1-1 on the night and all even at 2-2 on aggregate.
The 2-2 scoreline would have meant extra time and maybe penalties but with Toronto on top in terms of the run of play they looked to press their advantage. A lovely ball over the top once again opened up the Vancouver defence and once again it was the pace and skill of Plata that got on to the end of the ball allowing him to bring it down at the top of the box before running in and sending a low cross into the middle past several defenders before it eventually wound up at the feet of Yourassowsky who fired it home giving Toronto its first lead of the match. The Whitecaps tried to find some fight back but the couple of chances that they did create were well dealt with by Frie and after 93 minutes of play Toronto FC were hoisting their third straight Voyageurs Cup.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
TFC's Big Day
Toronto FC fans everywhere knew that we would be able to expect a fair bit of activity once the summer window opened as it was clear that the club was in need of improvement, and in some cases just more bodies, in almost every position. It was also clear that some of the clubs under performing players were in danger of being moved on. With that in mind today's announcement by the club that they had gone out and secured two new designated players really should not be a shock. Even more so when you consider that both signings had been strongly linked to the club by almost every media outlet that offers speculation on the team.
For Toronto FC today was a big day and many fans are going to be hoping that this serves as some sort of turning point in the future of the club and from here on out it will all be looking up. I personally think that these two signings are a great beginning but it is nothing more then that. A lot more needs to be done to address the teams needs. They have still not replaced the scoring that they lost when the traded away De Rosario or found a striker to take some of the pressure to score off of Alan Gordon. They also still need to go out and at least do some sort of patch job on the back line as injuries and other factors have left the team short on defenders able to play at the MLS level. Today in the press conference announcing the signings Aaron Winter made it quite clear that this was only the beginning as he indicated that the team would be looking to make a number of trades which could see the club moving out any number of players included De Guzman who has consistently under performed since joining the club.
The first of today's signings that was announced was former German international Torsten Frings. He has played much of his career as a defensive midfielder, same position as De Guzman, and was capped 79 times by Germany. Most recently he played for Werder Bremen where he played in over 300 games in his two stints with the club. Frings is now 34 years old and in the later stages of his career but it is clear that he still has loads of ability. Despite being a defensive midfielder Frings has a proven ability to chip in some goals from time to time having scored 67 of them in his career that spans over 500 games now. He will bring composure and experience to the centre of the park for Toronto FC and the club will be hoping that he is able to play on for at least a few more years despite his age. He joins the club on a multiyear deal as a free transfer and will be eligible for selection on the 20th against FC Dallas.
The second signing of the day starts to address the scoring needs of the club. Danny Koevermans is a Dutch striker and he also joins the club on a free transfer having signed a multiyear deal as a designated player. Kovermans is a former Dutch international, even though he only played 4 games for the Netherlands, who has a proven scoring record in the Eredivisie. In his club career he has scored 136 goals in 253 matches which is a good rate for a striker but his pace has fallen off a bit since he joined PSV in 2005. Toronto FC will probably be looking for him to chip in a goal every other game and provide a veteran presence in the attack as well as giving a much needed increase to the depth. His arrival will hopefully also make Alan Gordon and Maicon Santos better as they will be under slightly less pressure now to do all of the scoring.
Lost in the big news of the signings was the fact that TFC had a match tonight against their Canadian rivals in the Vancouver Whitecaps. I was unable to watch the game but having seen the highlights I got the sense that it was a very even battle with neither team generating much in terms of offensive chances. The only breakthrough in the game came as Soolsma cut inside and then out before Janicki brought him down just inside of the box. The referee showed no hesitation in awarding the penalty and I have to say that it was the right call. Soolsma was given the chance to finish off his play by taking the spot kick which he calmly converted to the left of the keeper. It was the only goal of the game as TFC were able to bag a 1-0 win over the White Caps which is only their 3rd win of the season but it was enough to see them jump over three teams and into 5th in the East. It also means that TFC are now 4 points up on Vancouver in the battle for the best Canadian team. That battle will continue on the weekend when the Nutrilite Cup finally wraps up with the second leg being replayed at BMO Field.
For Toronto FC today was a big day and many fans are going to be hoping that this serves as some sort of turning point in the future of the club and from here on out it will all be looking up. I personally think that these two signings are a great beginning but it is nothing more then that. A lot more needs to be done to address the teams needs. They have still not replaced the scoring that they lost when the traded away De Rosario or found a striker to take some of the pressure to score off of Alan Gordon. They also still need to go out and at least do some sort of patch job on the back line as injuries and other factors have left the team short on defenders able to play at the MLS level. Today in the press conference announcing the signings Aaron Winter made it quite clear that this was only the beginning as he indicated that the team would be looking to make a number of trades which could see the club moving out any number of players included De Guzman who has consistently under performed since joining the club.
The first of today's signings that was announced was former German international Torsten Frings. He has played much of his career as a defensive midfielder, same position as De Guzman, and was capped 79 times by Germany. Most recently he played for Werder Bremen where he played in over 300 games in his two stints with the club. Frings is now 34 years old and in the later stages of his career but it is clear that he still has loads of ability. Despite being a defensive midfielder Frings has a proven ability to chip in some goals from time to time having scored 67 of them in his career that spans over 500 games now. He will bring composure and experience to the centre of the park for Toronto FC and the club will be hoping that he is able to play on for at least a few more years despite his age. He joins the club on a multiyear deal as a free transfer and will be eligible for selection on the 20th against FC Dallas.
The second signing of the day starts to address the scoring needs of the club. Danny Koevermans is a Dutch striker and he also joins the club on a free transfer having signed a multiyear deal as a designated player. Kovermans is a former Dutch international, even though he only played 4 games for the Netherlands, who has a proven scoring record in the Eredivisie. In his club career he has scored 136 goals in 253 matches which is a good rate for a striker but his pace has fallen off a bit since he joined PSV in 2005. Toronto FC will probably be looking for him to chip in a goal every other game and provide a veteran presence in the attack as well as giving a much needed increase to the depth. His arrival will hopefully also make Alan Gordon and Maicon Santos better as they will be under slightly less pressure now to do all of the scoring.
Lost in the big news of the signings was the fact that TFC had a match tonight against their Canadian rivals in the Vancouver Whitecaps. I was unable to watch the game but having seen the highlights I got the sense that it was a very even battle with neither team generating much in terms of offensive chances. The only breakthrough in the game came as Soolsma cut inside and then out before Janicki brought him down just inside of the box. The referee showed no hesitation in awarding the penalty and I have to say that it was the right call. Soolsma was given the chance to finish off his play by taking the spot kick which he calmly converted to the left of the keeper. It was the only goal of the game as TFC were able to bag a 1-0 win over the White Caps which is only their 3rd win of the season but it was enough to see them jump over three teams and into 5th in the East. It also means that TFC are now 4 points up on Vancouver in the battle for the best Canadian team. That battle will continue on the weekend when the Nutrilite Cup finally wraps up with the second leg being replayed at BMO Field.
Wednesday, June 08, 2011
Gold Cup: Day 3 (Canada Day)
June 7th was setting up to be a very big day for Canadian Soccer but in the end the results were not quite we would have all liked to see. The afternoon kicked off with the Women's National team playing their final warmup friendly in Budapest against the Hungarian team. The women would have been hoping to rediscover their scoring touches and hopefully fire a few past the Hungarians but that was not to be. In the end they got the win that they wanted thanks to an 88th minute goal from Matheson which was enough for the 1-0 win. The win set the stage well for a great day for Canada with the mens team preparing to play in the evening and it also ensured that the Women's team would be going into the World Cup feeling pretty good about themselves. The match was also the 100th cap for captain Brittany Timko making her only the 7th Canadian woman to reach that mark. (Women's World Cup preview coming later this month)
Now we get to the Gold Cup. The first match last night opened up play in Group C with Panama taking on Guadeloupe in Detroit. In the early stages this match looked like it was going to be yet another lopsided score as Panama took a 2-0 lead in the first half only to see Guadeloupe have a player sent off to the second questionable red card in as many nights. Having been reduced to 10 men Guadeloupe could have folded but they were ready to put up a fight. Things only got worse for them though when they opened the second half by conceding a penalty which was converted by Gabriel Gomez to give Panama a 3-0 lead. Even though Panama was up by 3 the game had seemed a lot closer then that based on run of play. Both sides were creating chances and it was fairly balances but everything seemed to be going in Panama's favour in the first hour. After the 60th minute Guadeloupe began an impressive fight back led by Brice Jovial who plays for Le Havre in France. Jovial would net goals in the 64th and 78th minute to hand Guadeloupe a lifeline but it was all to little to late as time ran out on them before they could salvage anything. To the other teams in the group it should now be clear that Guadeloupe are not a team that you can take lightly as they will never give a game up and it also showed that both they and Panama possess the kind of quality needed to give Canada and USA tough games.
The second match was the one that we have all be waiting for basically since June of 2007. Ever since the last meeting between Canada and the United States ended so badly Canadian soccer fans have been left with a really bad taste in their mouth. The Canadian supporters would have been hoping to get a measure of revenge in Detroit for the recent struggles that we have had against the Americans. I for one was hoping that for the first time in my life Canada would get a win over the United States in a competitive match. With all the hope among Canadian fans I almost forgot that Canada was still the major underdogs for this match. Spend enough time around passionate fans and they might just have you believing that Canada can hold their own against anyone in the world. That is a good thing though since fans really should have an almost blind faith in the teams that they support.
The game itself went nothing like we had all hoped. Canada's Josh Simpson made a promising run down the wings to start the game off but his cross was over hit and after that the run of play became all USA. The Americans were dominant in possession and creating all sorts of chances in the early minutes. The breakthrough came on 14 minutes when a play that seemed like it was no real danger. Jozy Altidore picked up the ball in the book and he was held out wide but his low shot was hard enough that it snuck under Lars Hirschfeld before he could get down to stop it. Hirschfeld probably should have done a lot better with the strike as he was in position to make the save and the shot came from a poor angle.
Following the opening goal Canada seemed to be rather stunned. The players were all passing off the ball like they didn't want it. Other then a bending effort from De Rosario just past the half hour mark that barely missed bending into Howard's top corner there was little to be excited about for the Canadian fans. It appeared that the choice to go with only Jackson up front left Canada without a really threat in attack as their buildup play was not good enough to provide Jackson any support and Jackson was not big enough to serve as a target man against the American centre backs. The second half of the game began with more of the same as the Americans controlled the run of play and were the only ones really generating any chances. They were rewarded for that dominance in the 61st minute when Clint Dempsey got in at the back post to tuck home a low cross from Altidore.
Having gone down 2-0 and not shown much in terms of being able to get forward and attack Canada were forced to make some changes. The moves that Hart did make gave Canada much more of an edge with Ali Gerba being able to generate probably the two best chances of the game for Canada. Gerba first forced Howard to deal with a powerful effort which would have been heading into the top corner until Howard got his hand on the ball and forced it over. Gerba's second chance was probably even better as the ball fell to him in close after a scramble in the American box but a great reaction save from Howard kept Canada off the board.
Based on the late surge from Canada they were probably a bit unlucky to not get a goal for their efforts. I think that in the end the Americans showed that they are still the better team and that they have the quality to control the pace of matches like this one. Canada showed that they have more questions then answers at this point as they need to find a way to generate more and play with a bit more edge in their attacks. The game might have been a lot different if say Tim Howard was in Canada's net since it may just have ended up 2-1 Canada but we can only work with what we have and despite the early mistake that led to Altidore's goal Hirschfeld put in a solid effort.
The real highlight of the match for me was seeing the excited and loud bunch of Canadians that had travelled down to Detroit for the match. Section 118 of Ford Field was filled with a bunch of familiar faces from the game at BMO and folks that came down made the best of their trip. Despite Canada giving them very little to cheer about they were in full voice for more then 90 minutes and deserve to be considered the man of the match for this one. Well done to the Voyageurs and anyone else who made the trip down, I wish I could have joined you.
Up next for Canada is a trip down to Tampa Bay where they will play Guadeloupe on Saturday at 6 PM EST. The team will likely feature a few changes from the group that started against the Americans. I can see Peters, De Guzman, Gerba, and Borjan all getting starts in this one in hopes of improving the teams attack as well as tying down Borjan as a Canadian international. I more complete preview of the next game will be up in the coming days!
Now we get to the Gold Cup. The first match last night opened up play in Group C with Panama taking on Guadeloupe in Detroit. In the early stages this match looked like it was going to be yet another lopsided score as Panama took a 2-0 lead in the first half only to see Guadeloupe have a player sent off to the second questionable red card in as many nights. Having been reduced to 10 men Guadeloupe could have folded but they were ready to put up a fight. Things only got worse for them though when they opened the second half by conceding a penalty which was converted by Gabriel Gomez to give Panama a 3-0 lead. Even though Panama was up by 3 the game had seemed a lot closer then that based on run of play. Both sides were creating chances and it was fairly balances but everything seemed to be going in Panama's favour in the first hour. After the 60th minute Guadeloupe began an impressive fight back led by Brice Jovial who plays for Le Havre in France. Jovial would net goals in the 64th and 78th minute to hand Guadeloupe a lifeline but it was all to little to late as time ran out on them before they could salvage anything. To the other teams in the group it should now be clear that Guadeloupe are not a team that you can take lightly as they will never give a game up and it also showed that both they and Panama possess the kind of quality needed to give Canada and USA tough games.
The second match was the one that we have all be waiting for basically since June of 2007. Ever since the last meeting between Canada and the United States ended so badly Canadian soccer fans have been left with a really bad taste in their mouth. The Canadian supporters would have been hoping to get a measure of revenge in Detroit for the recent struggles that we have had against the Americans. I for one was hoping that for the first time in my life Canada would get a win over the United States in a competitive match. With all the hope among Canadian fans I almost forgot that Canada was still the major underdogs for this match. Spend enough time around passionate fans and they might just have you believing that Canada can hold their own against anyone in the world. That is a good thing though since fans really should have an almost blind faith in the teams that they support.
The game itself went nothing like we had all hoped. Canada's Josh Simpson made a promising run down the wings to start the game off but his cross was over hit and after that the run of play became all USA. The Americans were dominant in possession and creating all sorts of chances in the early minutes. The breakthrough came on 14 minutes when a play that seemed like it was no real danger. Jozy Altidore picked up the ball in the book and he was held out wide but his low shot was hard enough that it snuck under Lars Hirschfeld before he could get down to stop it. Hirschfeld probably should have done a lot better with the strike as he was in position to make the save and the shot came from a poor angle.
Following the opening goal Canada seemed to be rather stunned. The players were all passing off the ball like they didn't want it. Other then a bending effort from De Rosario just past the half hour mark that barely missed bending into Howard's top corner there was little to be excited about for the Canadian fans. It appeared that the choice to go with only Jackson up front left Canada without a really threat in attack as their buildup play was not good enough to provide Jackson any support and Jackson was not big enough to serve as a target man against the American centre backs. The second half of the game began with more of the same as the Americans controlled the run of play and were the only ones really generating any chances. They were rewarded for that dominance in the 61st minute when Clint Dempsey got in at the back post to tuck home a low cross from Altidore.
Having gone down 2-0 and not shown much in terms of being able to get forward and attack Canada were forced to make some changes. The moves that Hart did make gave Canada much more of an edge with Ali Gerba being able to generate probably the two best chances of the game for Canada. Gerba first forced Howard to deal with a powerful effort which would have been heading into the top corner until Howard got his hand on the ball and forced it over. Gerba's second chance was probably even better as the ball fell to him in close after a scramble in the American box but a great reaction save from Howard kept Canada off the board.
Based on the late surge from Canada they were probably a bit unlucky to not get a goal for their efforts. I think that in the end the Americans showed that they are still the better team and that they have the quality to control the pace of matches like this one. Canada showed that they have more questions then answers at this point as they need to find a way to generate more and play with a bit more edge in their attacks. The game might have been a lot different if say Tim Howard was in Canada's net since it may just have ended up 2-1 Canada but we can only work with what we have and despite the early mistake that led to Altidore's goal Hirschfeld put in a solid effort.
The real highlight of the match for me was seeing the excited and loud bunch of Canadians that had travelled down to Detroit for the match. Section 118 of Ford Field was filled with a bunch of familiar faces from the game at BMO and folks that came down made the best of their trip. Despite Canada giving them very little to cheer about they were in full voice for more then 90 minutes and deserve to be considered the man of the match for this one. Well done to the Voyageurs and anyone else who made the trip down, I wish I could have joined you.
Up next for Canada is a trip down to Tampa Bay where they will play Guadeloupe on Saturday at 6 PM EST. The team will likely feature a few changes from the group that started against the Americans. I can see Peters, De Guzman, Gerba, and Borjan all getting starts in this one in hopes of improving the teams attack as well as tying down Borjan as a Canadian international. I more complete preview of the next game will be up in the coming days!
Friday, June 03, 2011
Gold Cup Preview: The 1812 Derby
This weekend the CONCACAF Gold Cup kicks off in the States and the attitude around the Canadian mens national team is that they are in it to win it. It is going to be a tough task for the Canadians who will almost certainly have to get past the Americans and the Mexicans if they hope to win for the first time since 2000.
For most Canadian soccer fans when you mention the Gold Cup there are two images that come to mind. The first one, hopefully since its a lot happier, is of Canada winning it all in 2-0 thanks to goals from De Vos and Corazzin. Canada triumphed over Columbia that year down in Los Angles but the high point of the tournament was almost certainly when Richard Hastings scored a 92nd minute golden goal to give Canada a 2-1 win over Mexico in the quarter finals. The image of Hastings celebrating with his shirt on backwards is engrained in the minds of many Canadians and has to be among the happiest moments in our national teams history. The other image that the Gold Cup triggers is one that makes passionate fans annoyed, angry, or sad but either way it is one that has stuck with them all. The image comes from the semifinal of the 2007 edition of the tournament when Canada was playing the United States. With Canada down 2-1 late in the match it appeared that Atiba Hutchinson had levelled the game. He latched on to a through ball that had deflected off a defender before calmly slotting it home. The only problem was that it was wrongly flagged for offside by the assistant and the referee went along with him. I don't often remember who was the referee for a match that took place almost 4 years ago but I can tell you that on that day the refs last name was Archundia who has reffed in the World Cup but to me he will always be remembered for June 21, 2007 at Soldier Field in Chicago when he cost Canada a chance to beat the United States.
But that is all in the past now and 2011 gives Canada another chance to make a magical run to the title. Several members of the current squad were on that 2007 team and they will be looking to get a measure of revenge when they take to Ford Field in Detroit on Tuesday to play against the United States in what is sometimes referred to as the 1812 Derby. The Canadians open up with what is by far the toughest game of their opening round group stage. After the match against the Americans on June 7th they have dates with Guadeloupe on June 11th and then Panama on the 14th. With the set up of the Gold Cup it is not crucial that Canada beats the United States but for the momentum and national pride that would come from such a match it makes the game a lot more important. Canada can get through to the knockout stages by finishing either first or second in the group or be one of the two best third place teams. With only 12 teams in the whole tournament and 8 needing to advance to the quarter finals it is key that Canada finds a way to win at least one match in the group stage.
For the sake of seeding it will be beneficial to Canada to win as many games as possible since that will likely give them the easiest draw in the next round. For example if Canada comes in second in this group which is where I would expect them to end up at the very least then they would get to play the winner of the group featuring Honduras, Jamaica, Grenada, and Guatemala which would not be the worst draw imaginable. On the other hand though is Canada finds a way to win the group then they would get one of those two best third placed teams.
On paper the Americans have to be the favourites for the June 7th match. They have won the Cup 4 times in the past, are fixtures in the World Cup, and are ranked 22nd in the world by FIFA. As recently as 2006 the Americans were ranked number 4 in the world which was probably a very favourable ranking but it does illustrate the quality that their side possesses. Canada on the other hand is probably ranked a bit unfairly at 75th. Despite the apparent gap though the two teams have played each other fairly close in recent meetings but that match in 2007 was the last time they met at this level having avoided playing each other in the 2009 Gold Cup and in World Cup 2010 qualifiers. If you look back into the history of this rivalry you will see that for the past 2 decades it really has been all the United States as Canada has not been able to claim a win over their neighbours to the south since a friendly back in 1985. The players on this years team might not know when the team last beat the USA but they will know that it has been a long time and that is something they will be desperate to change. A win against the USA could go a long ways towards increasing the profile of the mens national team in this country as well as erasing some of the pain of 2007.
For the Canadian National team the start of 2014 World Cup qualification in the fall is going to be the priority but if they can go deep in this months Gold Cup it would give them priceless experience as well as momentum going into that qualifying campaign. So a win over the USA would be a massive boost in getting the ball rolling towards 2014. Canadian coach Stephen Hart seems to be confident in his sides ability to go out and compete in a tough group and hopefully make a run into the later stages this summer. He has a confidence which seems to have spread to the players who are going into the match next week with a belief that there is no reason why they can not come away with a positive result. If Canada can put together a similar performance to the one they did against Ecuador and cut out some of the sloppy errors that came from lack of time on the field together then they really should be in with a chance of coming away with something. It is clearly going to be a tough ask but if Canada goes out and gives its best there really is no reason why they can not get something from it.
Canada's roster for the Gold Cup has a nice mix of veterans who have played in the tournament before including members from that 2007 team along with some fresh faces. De Rosario is the only player left who tasted victory in this tournament back in 2007 and he will certainly be looked upon to provide stability in the midfield and use his experience to be a leader in this team. Along with Atiba Hutchinson he will be key in driving the team forward and controlling the tempo against an American team with a very strong midfield. With a veteran core in the roster Hart will be looking to some of the fresh faces to bring new energy and a desire to prove themselves at this level which could help to boost the team and set the foundations for a brighter future. The likes of Tosaint Ricketts and Simeon Jackson will want to show what they can do at the senior level to ensure that they will be with the national team for a long time to come. Another new face who will be asked to contribute is Milan Borjan who seems likely to be the teams first choice keeper as he is set to make his competitive debut for the national team against the United States. A strong showing from him in the Gold Cup would set him up as the number one keeper going forward which would provide some nice stability at the back end.
For most Canadian soccer fans when you mention the Gold Cup there are two images that come to mind. The first one, hopefully since its a lot happier, is of Canada winning it all in 2-0 thanks to goals from De Vos and Corazzin. Canada triumphed over Columbia that year down in Los Angles but the high point of the tournament was almost certainly when Richard Hastings scored a 92nd minute golden goal to give Canada a 2-1 win over Mexico in the quarter finals. The image of Hastings celebrating with his shirt on backwards is engrained in the minds of many Canadians and has to be among the happiest moments in our national teams history. The other image that the Gold Cup triggers is one that makes passionate fans annoyed, angry, or sad but either way it is one that has stuck with them all. The image comes from the semifinal of the 2007 edition of the tournament when Canada was playing the United States. With Canada down 2-1 late in the match it appeared that Atiba Hutchinson had levelled the game. He latched on to a through ball that had deflected off a defender before calmly slotting it home. The only problem was that it was wrongly flagged for offside by the assistant and the referee went along with him. I don't often remember who was the referee for a match that took place almost 4 years ago but I can tell you that on that day the refs last name was Archundia who has reffed in the World Cup but to me he will always be remembered for June 21, 2007 at Soldier Field in Chicago when he cost Canada a chance to beat the United States.
But that is all in the past now and 2011 gives Canada another chance to make a magical run to the title. Several members of the current squad were on that 2007 team and they will be looking to get a measure of revenge when they take to Ford Field in Detroit on Tuesday to play against the United States in what is sometimes referred to as the 1812 Derby. The Canadians open up with what is by far the toughest game of their opening round group stage. After the match against the Americans on June 7th they have dates with Guadeloupe on June 11th and then Panama on the 14th. With the set up of the Gold Cup it is not crucial that Canada beats the United States but for the momentum and national pride that would come from such a match it makes the game a lot more important. Canada can get through to the knockout stages by finishing either first or second in the group or be one of the two best third place teams. With only 12 teams in the whole tournament and 8 needing to advance to the quarter finals it is key that Canada finds a way to win at least one match in the group stage.
For the sake of seeding it will be beneficial to Canada to win as many games as possible since that will likely give them the easiest draw in the next round. For example if Canada comes in second in this group which is where I would expect them to end up at the very least then they would get to play the winner of the group featuring Honduras, Jamaica, Grenada, and Guatemala which would not be the worst draw imaginable. On the other hand though is Canada finds a way to win the group then they would get one of those two best third placed teams.
On paper the Americans have to be the favourites for the June 7th match. They have won the Cup 4 times in the past, are fixtures in the World Cup, and are ranked 22nd in the world by FIFA. As recently as 2006 the Americans were ranked number 4 in the world which was probably a very favourable ranking but it does illustrate the quality that their side possesses. Canada on the other hand is probably ranked a bit unfairly at 75th. Despite the apparent gap though the two teams have played each other fairly close in recent meetings but that match in 2007 was the last time they met at this level having avoided playing each other in the 2009 Gold Cup and in World Cup 2010 qualifiers. If you look back into the history of this rivalry you will see that for the past 2 decades it really has been all the United States as Canada has not been able to claim a win over their neighbours to the south since a friendly back in 1985. The players on this years team might not know when the team last beat the USA but they will know that it has been a long time and that is something they will be desperate to change. A win against the USA could go a long ways towards increasing the profile of the mens national team in this country as well as erasing some of the pain of 2007.
For the Canadian National team the start of 2014 World Cup qualification in the fall is going to be the priority but if they can go deep in this months Gold Cup it would give them priceless experience as well as momentum going into that qualifying campaign. So a win over the USA would be a massive boost in getting the ball rolling towards 2014. Canadian coach Stephen Hart seems to be confident in his sides ability to go out and compete in a tough group and hopefully make a run into the later stages this summer. He has a confidence which seems to have spread to the players who are going into the match next week with a belief that there is no reason why they can not come away with a positive result. If Canada can put together a similar performance to the one they did against Ecuador and cut out some of the sloppy errors that came from lack of time on the field together then they really should be in with a chance of coming away with something. It is clearly going to be a tough ask but if Canada goes out and gives its best there really is no reason why they can not get something from it.
Canada's roster for the Gold Cup has a nice mix of veterans who have played in the tournament before including members from that 2007 team along with some fresh faces. De Rosario is the only player left who tasted victory in this tournament back in 2007 and he will certainly be looked upon to provide stability in the midfield and use his experience to be a leader in this team. Along with Atiba Hutchinson he will be key in driving the team forward and controlling the tempo against an American team with a very strong midfield. With a veteran core in the roster Hart will be looking to some of the fresh faces to bring new energy and a desire to prove themselves at this level which could help to boost the team and set the foundations for a brighter future. The likes of Tosaint Ricketts and Simeon Jackson will want to show what they can do at the senior level to ensure that they will be with the national team for a long time to come. Another new face who will be asked to contribute is Milan Borjan who seems likely to be the teams first choice keeper as he is set to make his competitive debut for the national team against the United States. A strong showing from him in the Gold Cup would set him up as the number one keeper going forward which would provide some nice stability at the back end.
1- GK- Lars Hirschfeld | NOR / Vålerenga Fotball
2- D/M- Nik Ledgerwood | GER / SV Wehen Wiesbaden
3- D/M- Mike Klukowski |
4- CB- Kevin McKenna | GER / FC Köln
5- CB- André Hainault | USA / Houston Dynamo
6- M- Julian de Guzman | CAN / Toronto FC
7- M- Terry Dunfield | CAN / Vancouver Whitecaps FC
8- M- Will Johnson | USA / Real Salt Lake
9- F- Rob Friend | GER / Hertha BSC
10- F- Ali Gerba | CAN / Impact Montréal
11- M- Josh Simpson | TUR / Vestel Manisaspor
12- M- Pedro Pacheco | POR / CD Santa Clara
13- M- Atiba Hutchinson | NED / PSV Eindhoven
14- F- Dwayne De Rosario | USA / New York Red Bulls
15- D- Dejan Jakovic | USA / DC United
16- M/F- Tosaint Ricketts | ROM / FC Politehnica Timiþoara
17- M- Simeon Jackson | ENG / Norwich City FC
18- GK- Milan Borjan | SRB / FK Rad
19- M- Marcel de Jong | GER / FC Augsburg
20- D- Jaime Peters | ENG / Ipswich Town FC
21- M- Jonathan Beaulieu-Bourgault | GER / SC Preußen Münster
22- GK- Haidar Al-Shaïbani | FRA / Nîmes Olympique
23- M- Issey Nakajima-Farran | DEN / AC Horsens
Thursday, June 02, 2011
Canada v Ecaudor in Photos
Me in the stands before the game. Face paint crayon = itchy!
Calvin outside of Gate 3...all alone
Canadians warming up before the match
We finally found some other Canadians!
I hope they were praying. They needed all the help they could get.
Canada's Starting 11
Getting the flags out!
Red to the front of me, yellow to the right..and everywhere else
Norwich's Simeon Jackson with the ball
More Jackson, he had a solid game
De Ro setting up the corner
Party after the goal. Canadian players just returning to the field
Getting scolded for jumping into the crowd I guess
De Guzman on for the second
We all laugh at the yellow football team, the yellow football team!
De Guzman!
De Rosario taking a free kick
De Ro and my man of the match pick Hutchinson
Right after the match. Ecuador still going after the ref
Players coming over after the game to salute the home fans
Great bunch those Red Patch Boys are
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