THE SOUTH STAND REPORT - Toronto v Tottenham... or Robins v Your London EPL Club

Ah, it's a good thing we made that trade today. Sure we weren't gonna get De Marcus Beasley but we did get Warren Creavalle and I hear he should make it in time for this all important friendly.  I read that his flight was delayed, so maybe he can make it in the second half.  *fingers crossed*

This was your typical exhibition fare : kids and bench get a run out and super try for everything, visitors just screw with us effortlessly and not run up the score too much.  Eric Lamella bagged two identical goals, which I've been told, is a special sight as he's (a) Spurs record signing and (b) was injured for most of the year.  Tourists up 2-0 at the half.

Second half, I'm not exactly sure what happened.  Either Spurs new substitutes took them lightly or Toronto's new subs started playing with creativity (probably the prior), as Lovitz sent Weideman through and bagged a nice goal with sublime composure. Later in the half, Jordan Hamilton bagged one of his own with a brilliant strike from the edge of the box. One of those two will likely move on to a career in real estate some day.  Creavalle no showed.  [He was never expected to make it. ~ Ed.]

Spurs were having none of that, shifted into (what had to be their) 2nd gear, maybe 3rd, and with 5 minutes remaining, Andros Townsend undoes poor Hagglund, and rockets it past Quillan Roberts.  Top marks and it looks like he does it all the time.

FULL TIME : TORONTO 2, TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 3

Money grab or not (it is), the one thing I like to take away from these international friendlies (aside from the obligatory half and half scarves) is to get a glimpse to the gulf of quality between TFC and whomever our opponent is.  Spurs were out there for a kick-about and made Toronto look pedestrian, and I'm very OK with that.

We, as footie supporters, are subjected to satellite TV (or dodgy internet feeds) and get to watch world class club football.  We know it's better, but we rarely have a measure of by how much exactly.  I don't know if we need to do this annually, and by the success of the gate, there should be one next year, but every couple of years is good.  It's nice to be reminded that, even though we signed all of these players that have drastically improved the calibre of football in Toronto, it's still nowhere near we'd like it to be. And to be fair, there isn't enough talent to go around 18+ clubs in the US to ever close up that gulf.

Understanding how the tourists are, and a large portion of the season's ticket base is, I understand that the following suggestion would be deemed "unfavourable" : I would like to propose that every year we have an exhibition against lower league teams.  Could be De Grafshaap, Shimizu S-Pulse, Lucern, Perth Glory... it doesn't matter.  The game should be a meaningful measure as to where the club and the league actually sits in relation to the rest of the planet, as meaningful as an exhibition can be.  I'd be far more interested to see how this side plays against the champions of Finland, a side we could defeat (in theory) rather than Spurs, a team who should slap us around like we deserve it.

If the club and the league were as talented as they are financially successful and well supported, MLS would truly be a destination league and Seattle would be a top 20 world club.  But it's not, we're not.  Not yet.

Then, at least, it wouldn't feel so gratuitously commercial.

Kit Spotting People Who Got A Soccer Shirt As a Gift Once and Are Wearing It Today : Arsenal away,  Liverpool home,  Newcastle home, father and son home Reading, more than one Blackburn home,  Manchester United home, West Ham home and away, Villa home, Everton home, old Man City away.  It was odd, but I get it.

Real Kit Spotting - Guy down in front wearing Sporting KC (confirmed he was here for the weekend game, came early to watch the exhibition).  Big ups to him for travelling. This kid who showed up in a Junior kit is close.