It's a Saturday night, and I didn't want to watch the damn game at a pub on an f'ing delay for whatever reason MLSE had in mind. And technically, should "f'ing" begin with an "an" instead of an "a", because if you say it, it's more like 'effing'... semantics.We've got a damn rain delay. Sure, there's thunder and lightning, but big deal. Let's get on with it alread. An interview courtesy of Tony "OOOOOOOOOVERRATED" Meola talking about the glory days. I didn't realize the MetroStars had glory days.
The pre-game has been going on and on (and on) about the importance of Giants Stadium. Sure, the place, historically, is important, but I question the sentimentality to the people who went to the ground and watched soccer felt endeared over a stadium where they were the secondary tenants.
Toronto is currently lying in the bed that they've made. Mediocre play and weak late game collapses has put them not only on the outside looking in, but needing other results to fall into place. Hopefully the off-season, if any one of them truly cares, will allow them to work on mental toughness.
But it's OK. Because we'll sing for them like they're heroes that have accomplished something... let me know when that happens (and no, the NutCan isn't good enough)
1 - The first mistake is made - The Chad is starting. Again. Also, the legend that is Giants Stadium has puddles in front of each goal.
2 - GOAL - Kanji gets a half chance splitting Attakora and Gomez and buries it from about 16 yards out. Two mistakes, two minutes.
For the record, I did joke that Angel would bag 4... so we'll lose by 5 now.
6 - Angel loops a volley way over the bar. He's totally trying to meet my expectations.
10 - Guevara lets a skidding ball go from 25 yards out just wide of the goal. You know, for range, the gridiron lines ain't so bad.
11 - Coundoul mistimes a cross and The Chad lets a ball back into the box, set for White only for him to get 30% strength on it and die in the water.
12 - De Rosario leaps for a header ahead of the NYEB keeper and puts it wide. Push you red bastards, push...
14 - Guevara rifles a shot back in from a spoiled clearance forcing a leaping save from Coundoul. Pretty uncharacteristic stuff from Toronto. I could get used to it.
OK, The Chad comment was unfair and I apologize. Old habits and all... until he shanks a sitter, that is.
16 - Serioux has a go from 18 yards out, Coundoul with a diving stop. WHERE WAS ALL THIS SHOOTING FOR THE FIRST TWENTY-NINE GAMES?!
18 - The Chad makes a marauding run into space and Coundoul comes out to just beat The Chad with a slide tackle and takes Barrett out. Replay shows that there might have been a bit of malice from the NYEB keeper, but I didn't see anything with it.
20 - The Chad comes back on. He's OK folks.
Looks like NYEB has survived the shooting gallery. For the American readers who "don't understand SOCKerrr", this would be the equivalent of the end of the first quarter.
27 - Corner punched away by Edwards (I got his name right this time) but it is strange that I get nervous with the play by play team name-drops Andrew Boyens' name?
You know, I can't wait for New York's new stadium. 8000 people won't seem as pathetic in a 27,000 seater...
29 - You know when you see a low, fast cross and you get a little excited? Cronin just let one of those suckers in. They're usually the kind of cross that ends up in goals. Sadly cleared by NYEB back four.
32 - SUB - The Chad is done, Gerba in. This is a new role for Ali Gerba because he's got more than 3 minutes to make a difference (eat it Cummins)
33 - GOAL - Kanji lays the ball off, one sweet touch and a low right shot puts NYEB up 2-0 and Angel bags his 11th of the season. Three more and I'm Nostradamus.
I'm starting to think I pissed away $5 more for 'the rest of the season option' with the MLSnet live streaming account. There is a chance they can make it with a tie, but that means we need to score something.
35 - A cross allows for White to loft a ball over top of the bar. Not by much.
38 - Guevara free kick from 20 yards out JUST misses the right post on a free kick. I remember those halcyon days where Guevara would have 5 shots a game... it's like reliving the glory days.
45 - DeRo half-volley shanked wide left. At least they're shooting.
1 Minute of added time
HALF-TIME : I get the feeling that swearing here won't make up for the fact that it's frustrating.
With 45 minutes left of a disappointing season remaining, here we go.
48 - Brennan cross gets into the NYEB box, bounces around and Cronin lets an attempt just go wide.
51 - Cronin crosses to the left, headed down by Gerba to be left for White, only to be cleared away by the defenders.
Shep Messing, NY Cosmos goalkeeper and Playgirl centerfold (it was in the Cosmos documentary) is claiming that Toronto needs to put more pressure and chase the game being down 2-0. Messing hasn't watched many TFC games apparently. Now he's talking about how Vitti must be disappointed for being on the bench. Messing hasn't watched ANY TFC games apparently.
57 - I can hear the Toronto away support singing the PAOK song "Oooooh, Toronto... I'm goin crazy, oh yes it's true..." except the irony is that it's undying instead of stress-driven.
59 - YELLOW - O'Brien White gets a booking going up in the air and elbows his opponent. No intent in it, but I am not an official.
63 - GOAL - Angel. Who cares how. I need two more for my prediction to be true.
66 - SUB - Vitti in, Brennan out. Cummins has waited how many games to bring back the 4-3-3?
67 - Coundoul with two saves in a minute, a point-blank header from Gerba and then rushes a challenge to prevent another opportunity. I've got my man of the match chosen cuz it's nobody in red...
68 - GOAL - Kandji. Edwards gets caught out in a mistimed challenge. Ha. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH... I don't see New York playing any Redbullnaccio any time soon.
74 - Gerba loses his marker, gets a header down past Coundoul, but not past the post.
75 - Now Gerba is swinging at everything. ABOUT TIME.
76 - Vitti shoots (haven't said that in forever) diving stop from Coundoul, pushes it to Gerba who shoots wide at a bad angle. Fackin'ell...
77 - SUB - White out, Sanyang in. At FOUR-nil?
87 - DeRo scores from a very offside position.
90 - Angel is subbed off. My prediction has been officially quashed.
3 Minutes of additional failure
90+3 - PENALTY - Bad foul from Serioux, but mandatory, hauling down Kandji. No booking.
90+4 - GOAL - Mbuta converts.
FINAL SCORE : New York 5, Toronto 0
Man of the Match : Bouda Coundoul. Excellent.
Goat of the Game : where do you start? You can properly blame Edwards for one goal. The other three is the gaping defence. Our forwards aren't fully taking advantage of their opportunities, and aren't getting enough quality ones to begin with... a la midfield service.
Ref meter : 3 out of 5.
For the record, I'm going to start writing this at the 73rd minute, to save myself from reminiscing over this abomination of a display and insult of a season. We sign players that don't fit our playing style and show no attempt to shape to that talent. The talent is above average, but the result is sad.
With their backs against the wall, Toronto FC FAILS. Hell, with a lead, Toronto FC USUALLY FAILS. But it's OK. Because we got grass. A designated player. Some of the best Canadian footballers on the planet, which would be competitive in MOST LEAGUES (not all).
If I can say anything positive about Mo is that he's drafted very well. O'Brien White and Sam Cronin have been OK and excellent respectively. And Frei too. Frei has been outstanding, and as much as I didn't want to see Sutton go, it made sense. Identical keepers, one younger and cheaper than the other.
Free Agents, he's done well.
Trades have been pathetic at best. We're trading like an expansion team. And we get guys who don't want to play here, leave and resume their old pace of goal scoring. There MUST be a better reason why people don't want to play here.
With the talent we have, even our somewhat unstable back four, this result is unacceptable. Thankfully our last game was played on the road, because the Yorkies may be the only supporters who would be visibly and vocally upset by this display. And that would put us in the minority in the south stand somehow.
My sense of ha-ha is gone for this season. And with a 15% ticket increase next season (like this past one) only MLSE will continue to be truly in on the joke.
See you next season. *sigh*
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