AFTER 90: Mist opportunity

BMO Field: as seen from above tonight



Mother Nature is not a fan of chip buttys. Four out of five matchdays at BMO Field feature weather patterns / forces of nature that are taken out of the scary bits of the Bible. Frigid temperatures, searing heat, infestations of insects and today's Combo #5 of driving rain, mist, humidity and cold lake effect wind. As if we don't have enough to put up with in Toronto FC who were hosting the equally inept Chicago Fire tonight. Would 12,000 show up and 20,000 be announced? Would an ark be built for Bitchy The Hawk? Would Joao Plata simply blow away?
　
1' - It's wet but not too biblical as the match gets set to start with an impressive Chicago away support in the corner. Kick-off...
2' - Maicon Santos starts the match fast with a close-range effort
5' - Jacob Peterson brought down at the edge of the box. Maicon Santos drills the free kick into the Fire wall. Not a firewall.
7' - Dark grey skies looming in distance. That's good right?
9' - GOAL: Joao Plata takes the ball from the midfield, dazzles the Chicago defence and blasts a 25 yarder that stuns Jon Conway to give TFC the lead. He may be the real thing.
TORONTO FC 1 - CHICAGO FIRE 0
11' - Nick Soolsma showing some silky Dutch skills on the TFC counter-attack but pass to Santos goes out for a corner
15' - Ponchos outnumbering people 2-1
18' - Nick Soolsma having his strongest showing for TFC so far
20' - Dicoy Williams, Adrian Cann and Richard Eckersley having to cover for Dan Gargan's (yes he started) obvious shortcomings
25' - YELLOW CARD given to Julian de Guzman for a hard collision. He will miss the next match on suspension. Take that depth-chart!
28' - Gargan getting burned on the wing. Chicago has a game plan.
30' - Drizzle returns. Birds acting shifty.
32' - Plata mesmerizing Fire defenders with confident skills
37' - Chicago offence awakens. Marco Pappa don't pressure - we'll be losing sleep
40' - Wind acting shifty.
44' - Stefan Frei makes a massive save and Dan Gargan luckily escapes the MLS referee wrath in the ensuing scramble
　
HALFTIME: TORONTO FC 1 - CHICAGO FIRE 0
　
45' - Someone turned the page to Revelations. Wind swirling. Rain driving. Local wildlife hiding.
46' - GOAL: Joao Plata lays off a gorgeous pass to Maicon Santos who takes a speculative shot on goal - Jon Conway works on his Heurelho Gomes impression and the ball dribbles through his hands and into goal
TORONTO FC 2 - CHICAGO FIRE 0
47' - Nothing can go wrong now!
50' - Five minutes of driving rain and gale force winds have turned the pitch into a mess
54' - Rain is running the ink on my notepad. Please forgive the remaining report. I think it says "Plaza drivels to thy daisies"
60' - SUB: Alen Stevanovic in for Joao Plata. Surely that can't backfire.
63' - GOAL: Marco Pappa curls his free kick over the TFC wall - Frei didn't see the ball as it sliced into his goal. The crowd collectively inhaled nervously.
TORONTO FC 2 - CHICAGO FIRE 1
65' - Think a seagull just flew backwards overhead
68' - Soolsma's good game continues as he goes close on Conway
70' - Stevanovic playing well and draws both "oohs" and "ahhs" as he goes close on a stepover and shot
74' - Weather is truly throwing it down. Can't possibly get worse...
75' - GOAL: Dan Gargan is turned inside and out and Fire's Orr Barouch ends up sliding in the tying goal as the crowd all wonder why they put themselves through this
TORONTO FC 2 - CHICAGO FIRE 2
82' - Luckily Stefan Frei wasn't taking a call from any number of European clubs as his fingertips are the only difference between a draw and a loss as "The Goalblerone" makes yet another huge save
83' - SUB: Maicon Santos leaves the field for the "Doghouse Dreadlock" Javier Martina
86' - SUB: Matt Gold replaces Nick Soolsma in a defensive switch
89' - Toronto hanging on with all they have just to preserve a tie. Weather downgraded to Maelstrom
90'+ - Referee blows final whistle and ends any chance for The Reds to further self-destruct
　
TORONTO FC 2 - CHICAGO FIRE 2
　
As much as the weather was a big part of the story tonight, if the club uses it as an excuse - the groan from supporters will be heard across Canada. There is really no excusing a club for blowing a two-goal second half lead - at home - to an opponent who is winless in six games.
　
The disappointing fact will be how dominant TFC were through the first half of this match. The club was playing some inspired football lead by the talismanic teen Joao Plata. It would be easy to blame manager Aron Winter for making a bad substitution but that isn't really the case. Stevanovic was a solid sub for Plata and no manager would expect to see his team turn off their drive like a light switch. Blame can perhaps be placed for the inclusion of Dan Gargan which did directly lead to Chicago's tying goal but chastising Gargan alone is too simplistic for a club that is not ready to compete week-in and week-out at a high level. Much like tonight's weather, we need less storm clouds and more blue skies in the forecast.
　
PLAYER RATINGS:
Stefan Frei 7 / Richard Eckersley 7 / Adrian Cann 6 / Dicoy Williams 6.5 / Jacob Peterson 6 / Tony Tchani 6 / Julian de Guzman 6 / Nick Soolsma 7 / Maicon Santos 6.5 / Joao Plata 8 / SUBS: Alen Stevanovic 6.5 / Javier Martina - / Matt Gold -
　
TFC MAN OF THE MATCH: Joao Plata
TFC GOAT OF THE MATCH: Dan Gargan
　
TALKING POINT:
If you get worse at a job, can you demand a 30K pay raise? Discuss.