Trillium Cup... now with Trillium Saucer
IN THE TUNNEL:Half empty stadium? Check. Dirtiest looking cheerleaders east of the Mississippi? Check. Children's playground outside the ground? Check. Simmering racial undertones in the stands? Check. With all that in order, it's all systems go for the return leg of The Trillium Cup - MLS' weakest manufactured derby ever. Of course, the Toronto invasion of 2008 did add some meat to "The New Soft" derby (opposite of The Old Firm if you're wondering) but when TFC's true rival Montreal joins MLS next season for "The 401 Derby", this fixture will be just another Eastern Conference tussle. That being said, wouldn't it be a nice way to put this marketed "rivalry" to bed once and for all with TFC's first EVER win against Columbus? Now let's go think of reasons to hate Central Ohio...
ON THE PITCH:
1' - Columbus mascot "Crew Cat" coughs up a furball and sprays towards visiting TFC fans. Game on. Kick-off...
8' - Always enlightened Crew supporters chant "USA! USA!" during TFC corner kick. They truly won the War on Terror - Canadian evil-doers have been subdued.
9' - Bit of the old back and forth as Ryan Johnson hits the Crew crossbar with Crew forcing Stefan Frei into a leaping save on the counter-attack
15' - Reds managing some decent possession play but no finish yet
21' - GOAL: Mee-oow! Nick Soolsma's cat "Suarez" purring happily as his owner puts TFC ahead by pouncing (I know) on a rebound
COLUMBUS 0 - TORONTO 1
25' - Milos Kocic is a fine backup keeper but there is something more solid to The Reds' backline when Stefan Frei is between the posts. The Goalblerone.
30' - Crowd has fallen quiet. Must be writing down vaguely racist Canadian slurs
36' - Joao Plata forces Will Hesmer to save a sharp free kick. Plata playing like he's 5 Foot 5 right now!
37' - YELLOW CARD: Ty Harden just being Ty Harden
42' - GOAL: Possibly the best half of football TFC has played in 2011 as Plata drifts a great cross to Ryan Johnson's head who drifts it gently over an unexpecting Hesmer
COLUMBUS 0 - TORONTO 2
45' - Columbus fans boo either their club's first half performance... or foreigners
HALFTIME: COLUMBUS 0 - TORONTO 2
46' - Almost a dream start to the 2nd Half as Eric Avila hits the ball sweetly from a distance only for it to clang off of the Crew crossbar
47' - Due to Avila being American, Crew fans having trouble coming up with xenophobic insults to throw at him
55' - Frei back in form with good save against Andres Mendoza's attempt on goal
59' - So hard to really dislike a human boy named Dilly Duka
62' - An almighty collision as Frei and Emilio Renteria both challenge on a cross and neither of them look better for it. Both men coming off with Frei looking heavily damaged...
SUB: Milos Kocic in for Stefan Frei
67' - GOAL: Fresh off the bench, Crew's Tom Heinemann roofs the ball past a deserted Kocic and the game just got very hairy for TFC
COLUMBUS 1 - TORONTO 2
72' - Newly shaven-headed Julian de Guzman defending with gusto
78' - Kocic saves the lead as Crew nearly tie the game on close-range free kick
79' - SUB: Goalscorer Soolsma makes way for young Matt Stinson
81' - YELLOW CARD: Eric Avila get a MLS Mystery Card
82' - GOAL: Out of nothing an aggressive de Guzman blasts a 25-yard shot past Hesmer after tackling the ball away from Columbus single-handedly
COLUMBUS 1 - TORONTO 3
84' - A foreigner possibly puts the game away for TFC. Columbus fans can't contain their fury
86' - SUB: Danny Koevermans in for a limping Ryan Johnson
87' - GOAL: Andres Mendoza with a long range shot that rises over Kocic. Game has just taken another turn. A woolly affair
COLUMBUS 2 - TORONTO 3
89' - A whopping 6 minutes of extra time. Squeaky bum time!
90'+ - GOAL: de Guzman feeds a streaking Danny Koevermans who rounds a charging Hesmer and curls the ball into the empty goal. Plan the parade... the Trillium Cup is ours!
COLUMBUS 2 - TORONTO 4
90'+ - The longest extra time ever comes to an end. Bloody foreigners.
FULL TIME: COLUMBUS 2 - TORONTO 4
IN THE BATHS:
It took one of Toronto FC's most solid away performances ever to get a couple of monkeys off their back. Tonight's win was the club's first road victory of 2011 and happened to come against their "rival" Columbus Crew - a club they had failed to beat in five seasons. The Reds dominated in the first half but it was the second half where they showed strong character and some steely nerves. After Stefan Frei was injured and Crew quickly cut the lead to 2-1, many TFC observers awaited the classic Reds' collapse. On this night however, TFC kept their backs up and even managed to resist the temptation to fall into a defensive shell on their way to a win they can be proud of over one of the league's better teams. Little chance to celebrate their first Trillium Cup before heading to Mexico City for their CCL match against PUMAS - but tonight's result is more about hope for 2012 rather than any manufactured trophy.
PLAYER RATINGS: Stefan Frei 7 (Milos Kocic 6 )/ Richard Eckersley 6.5 / Ty Harden 6 / Andy Iro 6 / Ashtone Morgan 6 / Julian de Guzman 8 / Torsten Frings 7 / Eric Avila 6 / Nick Soolsma 6.5 (Matt Stinson 6 ) / Ryan Johnson 6.5 (Danny Koevermans 7 ) / Joao Plata 7
THE YORKIES' TFC MAN OF THE MATCH: Julian de Guzman
TALKING POINT: What should "The 401 Derby" trophy look like? Discuss.
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Prior to their 6-2 shellacking at the hands of the Sounders, the Crew had been a pretty in-form team over the last month. To go into their house and come away with a convincing victory is outstanding. There have been a lot of negatives but the entire playing and coaching staff deserve the praise this evening. Very strong perfomance by MOTM Julian but I felt all the starters (and a special call out to Kocic as a sub) did well this evening. Nice to see that the much maligned Iro was able to stick it to his old mates
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