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Saturday, June 25, 2011

AFTER 90: Real ugly in Utah

No need to be so rude Kyle Beckerman!

IN THE TUNNEL:
With the Gold Cup Final taking place simultaneously (smooth move Garber), the Women's World Cup starting tomorrow, The UEFA U-21 Final earlier today and the FIFA U-17 Championship under way - nearly zero eyes are on this match. Thankfully that means the horror of the Gargan-Sturgis-Zavarise midfield will reach few eyes...
 
ON THE PITCH:
1' - A beautiful night in suburban Utah. A smallish crowd made larger by the amount of sister wives in attendance. Kick-off...
4' - Natty Dread Kyle Beckerman takes a shot which Stefan Frei loses in the sun. Gets a kicking in the ribs from Alvaro Saborio on the ensuing rebound
10' - RSL passing the ball around like Utah legends Stockton & Malone
14' - Danleigh Borman clears a sure RSL goal off the TFC goal line that had beaten Frei a little too easily. All Real so far
20' - RSL testing the sun drenched Frei with long range shots
23' - Will Johnson forces a good two handed save from Frei. What a quality Canadian midfielder he is. Hey, I wonder what ever happened to that Julian de Guzman fellow?
35' - How can RSL supporters not sing "Jason Kreis... Superstar"?. Too blasphemous for Utah?
39' - GOAL: Like a cat playing with string. It was only a matter of time as Nat Borchers powers home a header from an RSL corner
REAL SALT LAKE 1 - TORONTO FC 0
41' - GOAL: Truly awful defending as the ball bounces over three Reds before landing at the feet of an unmarked Saborio who easily scores
REAL SALT LAKE 2 - TORONTO FC 0
44' - Can TFC's defence be written off as a charitable donation?
 
HALFTIME: REAL SALT LAKE 2 - TORONTO FC 0
 
45' - SUBS: Mikael Yourassowsky in for Joao Plata and Academy product Matt Stinson in for Javier Martina. 2/3 of the front line out says all you need to know.
52' - TFC always seems to play better when any chance of a result has long gone
58' - RSL have re-established full control of match
59' - See above. GOAL: Alvaro Saborio eats Doneil Henry for a snack and beats Frei easily
REAL SALT LAKE 3 - TORONTO FC 0
63' - Richard Eckersley's face is matching his hair in frustration
64' - SUB: Nick Soolsma in for Dan Gargan. It would be too easy to write a joke
66' - GOAL: The enigma that is Maicon Santos makes his once-a-game appearance and drives a long range blast past Nick Rimando
REAL SALT LAKE 3 - TORONTO FC 1
71' - Eckersley has become the pantomime villain at Rio Tinto garnering loud boos with every touch
80' - RSL are starting to put match in cruise control
83' - The TFC transfer window better have players pouring out of it like clowns out of a tiny car
88' - If the rest of the team had a portion of the fire in their belly that Eckersley has, this club would be in many more matches
90'+ - A poor match for TFC mercifully ended by the referee
 
FULL TIME: REAL SALT LAKE 3 - TORONTO FC 1
 
IN THE BATHS:
What can be said about this match that hasn't been said about majority of The Reds' away fixtures this season? Yes, the club is currently decimated by injury and a shallow roster but there hasn't been forward development in quite some time. The truth is that TFC is currently in a limbo state. Aron Winter's "revolution" has obviously gone as far as it can with the current crop of "talent" and anyone with any investment in this club is counting the days until the transfer window flies open. Sadly, by the time July 15th rolls around there is a very good likelihood that TFC will be the worst team in MLS. Even the most pessimistic Reds supporter (yes, it's likely me) didn't expect that this year.
 
PLAYER RATINGS: Stefan Frei 6 / Richard Eckersley 6.5 / Doneil Henry 5 / Ty Harden 5.5 / Danleigh Borman 6 / Dan Gargan 5 (Nick Soolsma 6 ) / Nathan Sturgis 5.5 / Gianluca Zavarise 6 / Javier Martina 5.5 (Matt Stinson 5 ) / Maicon Santos 6 / Joao Plata 5.5 (Mikael Yourassowsky 6 )
 
THE YORKIES' TFC MAN OF THE MATCH: Richard Eckersley
TALKING POINT: Can you order a transfer "bay" window? Discuss

6 comments:

  1. Wow, for a possession oriented attacking club, Toronto is not even capable of producing an entertaining product anymore.

    I do not believe this club can turn it around this season nor next and possibly even the one after that.

    Maybe it is time, to begin polling the complete loss of the STH base this season. I think we just fell over the precipice of no return.

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  2. ^I hear what you are saying but I doubt most STH even watched this game, save the supporters. Two losses at home to Vancouver should do the trick lol.

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  3. LOL article. Great work.

    One of those "clowns coming out the tiny car" needs to be an attacking midfield player. Zavarise flatters to deceive with his runs but contributes little else offensively.

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  4. First goal was mostly Frei's fault. A European caliber goalie would have attacked that ball 1st and worried about his health 2nd.

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  5. My money is on Montreal to be the first Canadian based MLS team to make the playoffs.

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  6. Reading this makes me wonder if successive wins could turn things around for the club both psychologically and financially as per Mr. Anselmi.

    Ok, though about it, and I don't think so.......now there is the seed of scary thought for the future. I wonder when Garber will pipe up from MLS HQ about the state of affairs at this organization?

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