"Sepultureros" Didn't Need Help

Puerto Rico Islanders have an unofficial nickname of "Sepultureros" or in English - "The Gravediggers". Over the two legs of the Champions League Preliminary they didn't need help - Toronto FC brought it's own shovel and did all the work necessary to bury themselves.

Where does one begin with tonight's second leg? It is fair to think that most TFC supporters were expecting to see the club come out flying tonight, but instead of a cohesive unit we were offered up 11 men who happened to be wearing the same shirt. There was no evidence of a gameplan, no feeling of urgency and a seemingly shocking lack of motivation to do better. The urgency accelerated as the clock wound down but the team, the gameplan and the quality never reached acceptable levels. 180 minutes of football provided no goals and a shocking lack of good chances. Puerto Rico win 1-0 over two legs - and deserve it.

Throwing Chris Cummins under the bus will not achieve anything. Fabio Capello couldn't make a silk purse out of the sow's ear on the pitch tonight but the interim manager must at least share in the blame. How the club came out without the plan and motivation necessary is alarming. The change in attacking formation in the second half proved fruitless as the long range efforts were wishful at best but there was no further radical change from the bench. The only answer was to throw more and more attackers on the field and pray for a PRI mistake. While the Danny Dichio-Messiah legend is overplayed in Toronto, it is baffling that you wouldn't throw your giant hitman at their giant defenders for more than 20 minutes. In the end the best chance did ironically fall to Dichio's feet only to be denied by the post. All of the tactics were baffling.

The players must take their share in the blame as well. Far too many of the veteran leaders of this club where invisible tonight. The returning Amado Guevara was a non-factor while Carl Robinson and Jim Brennan added little. Brennan's crosses are in fact becoming weaker every game. Adrian Serioux put his body on the line again, and Dwayne De Rosario at least showed heart if not finishing, but the two hometown boys couldn't carry the other 9. It is sad to see that the passion for Toronto FC that made Torontonians make the very long trek to support the team in Puerto Rico wasn't shared on the pitch.

The most infuriating result, apart from failing to qualify, is that MLSE will gloss over this loss with one brief article on the TFC website and immediately get back to the circus that is Real Madrid. Sorry, MLSE/ TFC - this was the most important match of the season NOT an overhyped and underplayed exhibition next Friday which most real supporters were priced out of anyways. With that "the week that will make or break the season" was broke and a wall has been hit. Good luck getting that gravedigger's shovel back on the plane TFC, unless of course you are staying on for a few days to extend your Puerto Rican vacation. If so, I'm sure the travelling supporters who have to rush back to their real jobs will take it for you.