"2-2 and that's okay"
IN THE TUNNEL:A very late night for Reds supporters who have stayed up to watch "the best atmosphere in the league". You remember that right? Used to be D.C.'s then we came along. Then Seattle came along. And, then Portland came along. Sigh... at least we have those NutCan flags though right? Hello?... Tifos, chants and songs ahoy - it's time to sport some wood against those Timbers...
ON THE PITCH:
1' - Welcome to Portland where supporters arrive an hour before kick-off as opposed to 30 minutes after the match starts. Kick-off...
7' - Timbers fans chant that they "can't hear Toronto sing" since kick-off. The half dozen TFC fans in attendance must be so hurt
10' - TFC start the match on their collective heels and almost pay as Timbers' Eddie Johnson nutmegs Stefan Frei but hits the crossbar with shot. Piece of lumber preserved.
16' - Timbers' Kalif Alhassan uses Ty Harden as a traffic pylon and forces The Goalblerone to make a low stop. Yes, Harden is playing.
22' - Against the run of play Joao Plata carves open Portland's defence and rattles the post. In a counter-attacking stupor, Reds' players stand around like yokels calling for an offside while Eddie Johnson scores a GOAL: past a sprawling Frei. Brilliant.
PORTLAND 1 - TORONTO 0
25' - The celebratory log sliced by Timber Joey is slightly more mobile than Ty Harden
29' - Julian de Guzman gets a free look at goal but decides instead to give the Timbers Army a souvenir ball
36' - So many "sporting wood" puns going to waste
38' - YELLOW CARD: Ty Harden for being a big log
41' - As rare as a Pacific Northwest Bigfoot sighting - de Guzman takes a blistering shot that forces a save from Troy Perkins
44' - Timbers Army are admittedly awesome but deciphering their chants via a TV feed can be a challenge - last one sounded like "Empty!... Sleepy!"
45' + - Expansion Portland schooling expansion Toronto as halftime whistled and the teams head off
HALFTIME: PORTLAND 1 - TORONTO 0
45' - SUB: New Red Peri Marosevic in for Nick "Da Housecat" Soolsma
49' - Danny Koevermans catches Perkins off guard but the shot goes just wide
52' - Latest chant sounds like "Whoaaaa - Let's go have some eggs!"
55' - Torsten Frings sets up Plata who takes one step too many and is stopped by Perkins
56' - PENALTY: Andy Iro trips Diego Chara in the box and GOAL: converted by captain Jack Jewsbury
PORTLAND 2 - TORONTO 0
58' - Timbers chopping logs - TFC dropping logs
61' - SUB: An awful performance by de Guzman ends as Terry Dunfield comes on for his Toronto debut
62' - Only the post saves it from being 3-0 Portland as Eric Brunner goes close
68' - SUB: A strange switch as Javier Martina replaces the eternally useless Ty Harden. Frings drops back to cover the defence - a waste of his talents
70' - GOAL: Out of nowhere new boy Peri Marosevic curls the ball low past Perkins. Colour everyone shocked.
PORTLAND 2 - TORONTO 1
77' - Both teams going back and forth for another goal. Defence is just a rumour
81' - GOAL: Koevermans gets a flick off a low Plata cross and does what he's paid to do
PORTLAND 2 - TORONTO 2
82' - TFC have their usual post-goal nap and almost allow a Timbers goal if not for The Goalblerone’s paws
88' - Latest Timbers Army chant sounds... quiet
89' - Plata takes a long-distance shot forcing a one-handed save by Troy "The Family Restaurant" Perkins
90'+ - If any team was going to steal it in extra time it was TFC but a third goal just wasn't there...
FULL TIME: PORTLAND 2 - TORONTO 2
IN THE BATHS:
Very rarely in 2011 have we had the opportunity to call a TFC result a "moral victory" but tonight's draw is about as close as we'll likely get. While The Reds did admittedly come out flat in the 1st Half, they did show some strong character by battling to the very end off of the back of Stefan Frei's game-saving stops. The new blood injected into the line-up in the 2nd Half seemed to make a great deal of difference with Peri Marosevic's debut goal seemingly giving the team belief with 20 minutes left in the game. The change in attitude and poise that occurred after Julian de Guzman's removal from the game may entirely be a coincidence but will surely be noticed by many. Hopefully the upward swing in momentum on TFC will survive the 8 hour journey to Nicaragua now awaiting the club.
PLAYER RATINGS: Stefan Frei 7 / Richard Eckersley 6.5 / Ty Harden 5.5 (Javier Martina 6 ) / Andy Iro 5.5 / Ashtone Morgan 6 / Julian de Guzman 4.5 (Terry Dunfield 6) / Torsten Frings 7 / Ryan Johnson 6.5 / Nick Soolsma 5 (Peri Marosevic 6.5 ) / Danny Koevermans 6.5 / Joao Plata 7
THE YORKIES' MAN OF THE MATCH: Stefan Frei
TALKING POINT: Ty Harden vs a tree. Foot race. Discuss.
Posts
De Guzman is a lame duck as far as having a future at TFC. The company line via the GOL TV script is of rosy comments from the coaching staff about his role with the team but in actuality they are hoping for him to show some good form in order for de Guzman to attract other prospective employers. Either way, this is his last season with the club. Funds allocated to him could be better utilized for the acquisition of younger, cheaper, and (equally or more effective) players.
ReplyDeleteNot sure that Frings in the back four is that much of a waste. Winter's TFC = guys in the back with the ball - why not Frings moving forward with six ootions ahead of him instead of 5?
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