Seriously.
Its been 4 months since my last heartbreak... And a week after that when I fell in love all over again (Dallas 0, Toronto 3). Then we waited. Good news flooded in. Plata is staying, Ecks signed, Suarez got his litter box changed. Its been a slow burn, but now we're at the cusp of an inferno (Thanks to @philbot101 for his woven tapestry of language).
Toronto sent the kids in against the Vancouver starting XI and held them to a 1-0 loss in the final of the Mickey Mouse Cup, but things are certainly looking up. Everything's gonna be alright! (Naughty By Nature was onto something...)
Onto the match!
3 - Frei makes a good save from a shot 20 yds out. Beckham woos the ladies with a cross that does nothing *swoon*
7 - Johnson with a cute back heel to Ecks who makes a run. Nothing there but an Ecks run is nice
12 - GOAL - corner from Frings, pinball, Ryan Johnson takes a half volley, buries it. Eat it Landon.
TORONTO 1 - LOS ANGELES 0
18 - GOAL - Frings loops a soft ball into the box and its headed by newboy Luis Silva. 45,000 people proceed to lose. Their. Shit.
TORONTO 2 - LOS ANGELES 0
29 - GOAL - cross over top of Frei ends up at the foot of the unmarked McGee and he pots it. Damn.
TORONTO 2 - LOS ANGELES 1
32 - The dome holds its breath for the outcome of a Becks free kick 25 yds dead centre. Mass exhalation as its stopped by Frei.
45 - Becks goes for a 50 yd chip over Frei... Goes very well wide.
Half time mood - cautiously optimistic.
Got to meet @WakingtheRed of Waking The Red fame and @kzknowles of West Stand Girl notoriety. Both lovely and received the amazing Yorkies Card Set (is it shilling if we aren't actually selling the cards? But I have some to give away...). @theyorkies1812 wanted to come along but I ditched him without telling him. My bad.
56 - YELLOW - Saunders catches the ball and steps clearly over the line, no call. Koevermans has a problem and tries to solve it. Gets a yellow for it.
57 - SUB - Plata off for Lambe, tactical surely.
62 - this match has gone from entertaining to an aeronautics display as a paper airplane contest has broken out. One landed on the edge of the box.
64 - Koevermans repeats the Beckham move. Misses by feet instead of sections.
68 - OMFG... Johnson cross, Silva deflection, Koevermans can't control it to get a shot off as the keeper was out of position. Heartbreaking.
70 - Frei bails out the pinball madness in front of him with sure hands.
71 - Convinced the 500 level thinks they're at a Jays game. In addition to the paper planes, they're trying to start a wave. I know it's a little boring but try and pay attention, will ya's.
Quote of the Match
I built a boomerang!
~ Two rows down with a paper airplane fail that once released would loop and return to him
77 - Johnson with a nice low cross and Koevermans gets there too early and slides his wide of the net.
80 - YELLOW - Frei gets a booking for apparently being angry and not playing for the LA Beckhams.
** Crowd announced at 47,658. Well done to TFC fans and to women who want to scream like an 11 yr old at Beckham **
88 - SUB - Barrett comes on. Sometimes, just sometimes, we miss the hustle...
89 - GOAL - Donovan wins the pinball game in the box. There goes the atmosphere... There goes the tie.
TORONTO 2 - LOS ANGELES 2
90 - SUB - Maund comes in, Silva off. Good debut for Silva.
The fourth official indicates there will be 4 extra minutes of added time to help LA get more away goals
90 +1 - SUB - Dunfield off for Stinson... 30 mins too late
Full Time : Toronto FC 2, LA Beckhams 2
Man of the Match : Frings was first class tonight.
Goat of the Game : Ty Harden was in coach most of the match, possibly even where the baggage is stored or on a different plane altogether.
Ref Rating : 1 out of 5. Seriously, how much can a ref be in a team's back pocket? It was brutal watching LA players push Toronto guys around and not so much as a twitchy eye from the officials. Too many people were star-gazing over Beckham, in fact 3 idiots in green too many. This discount ref school that produces such jokes must be by correspondence... I would like a proper explanation as to why Frei was booked?
It was a trip to be at a meaningful match with that many people there. Sure, there were dead spots but impressive. If the acoustics were better, LA would've been taken out of the match.
Toronto operated with a careful tone, however with a modicum of pressure, results happened. Two of them to be precise. Once they were up, they took the foot off the gas as if that would be enough with a team of $13 million of talent (estimated) in DPs plus a dearth of talent that can ruin a perfectly good match. And they were deservedly punished for that. Once Toronto settled being up 2-0, LA took the discarded reigns and controlled the pace of the match to their liking. Certainly Toronto's counter-attack will be a lovely added touch to a blossoming arsenal of weapons, but no matter how you try to spin it, LA is still the defending champions and they are not to be taken lightly. Ever.
Though the call for the tie being 'wrapped up' due to the 2 away goals, there are a few iotas of hope. (1) LA will have a raucous crowd of 6000 due to exams at the university where the Home Depot Center is (never forget that the words Major League in Major League Soccer is merely a name, not a designation). (2) Toronto has a history of doing the rediculously unlikely away from home when there's something on the line (ask Dallas and Montreal about a comeback).
Johnson showed off his killer instinct and a goal from newcomer Silva leaves supporters to believe that Toronto's offensive woes may finally be coming to a close.
And I feel a small amount of guilt calling Kosic the new number 1. Though he is good enough to be starting on any side in the league and be very good, Frei has proven to me that he is a bucket of awesome with a side of freshly made amazing. Milan will certainly get his time, but it's all Frei now.
Player Ratings : Frei 7; Eckersley 7, Aceval 6.5, Harden 5.5, Morgan 7; Frings 7.5, Dunfield 6 [Stinson N/A], Silva 7 [Maund N/A]; Johnson 7, Koevermans 6.5, Plata 6 [Lambe 6]
Posts
Ooh, I have notoriety now? Excellent! The cards are indeed fantastic - I honestly just love them. Thank you so much for my very own awesome set! Feeling very special and completely lording it over those who don't have their very own. :D
ReplyDeletewas good to meet up at half time. we both knew what was going to happen, and it did. feels like a wasted opportunity to me. cards are indeed very sweet, thanks again.
ReplyDeletewasn't all that impressed with frei tonight. I like his new more aggressive style, but it backfired on the first goal, and almost allowed beckham to score directly from a corner. work in progress.
From someone who was on the 500 level, the wave at least got people to make some noise. It was pretty quiet most of the night (at least in my section it was). Disappointed that the second half turned into, as you said an aerodynamics display but overall the atmosphere still felt like a 48,000 people game. So lots of fun.
ReplyDeleteSouth stand/100-level looked amazing last night btw
Very glad I could not see the wave from where I was...;) But I wouldn't have minded seeing the airplanes. I was in the south stands and it was loud & raucous. Very few moments of anything approaching quiet. Loved looking around the stadium and seeing that sea of red - let's duplicate it on the 24th!
ReplyDeleteWhy the hell wasnt eckersly marking on the first goal? obvious it was his man. Then why does winter sub in a rookie to guard Landon in the last few mins of the game. Dunfield was fine on corners following landon. Maund isnt ready. come on Winter, be smarter then that. Wasnt impressed with Ecks this game
ReplyDeleteI was up on the 500 level. The wave attempt was scattered and largely ignored.
ReplyDeleteI agree the refs were "California Dreaming"...
I spent most of the second half launching paper airplanes that had " I love the Yorkies " scrawled on them in blood and nary a mention.....