AFTER 90: A pretty big (bloody) deal

Difference makers.

SEATTLE SOUNDERS - 1
Clint Dempsey - 68'

TORONTO FC - 2
Jermain Defoe - 17'
Jermain Defoe - 24'

WHAT WE EXPECTED:
A shaky start for a TFC squad in need of instant chemistry in a hostile environment. A draw would have been sweet, we planned for a 3-1 loss.
WHAT WE GOT:
A hard-working, composed win spearheaded by Jermain Defoe's debutante balls and the tireless leadership of Michael Bradley and Steven Caldwell. While they had to absorb tremendous Seattle pressure in the 2nd Half, they didn't capitulate. That's new.

THE GOOD:
- The dominant leadership (and head) of Steven Caldwell who anchored the back and made his co-defenders better.
- The reassuring presence of Julio Cesar. Not a knock on Bendik but you can feel TFC's defence breathe easier with his experience.
- Michael Bradley. Period. Defoe will get the plaudits but Bradley was everywhere. A boss.
- Jermain Defoe - what can you say? A poacher. His goal tally this year will only be hampered by his service. Does what it says on the tin.

THE BAD:
- Slow starts in both halves. On another day an opponent will make them pay if they come out that flat-footed.
- The bruises left on Doneil Henry's chops after a boot to the face.
- Silly free kicks given as the game wore on. Maybe due to exhaustion but TFC were lucky they weren't costly.
- The bench. Yes there are injuries but not too many guys available at the moment who can come in and change the face of the match for The Reds. Bright Dike is missed.

THE MALARKEY:
- 39,000 Seattle fans singing "Can you hear Toronto sing?" to the 100 TFC fans in attendance. That's just poor audio science.
- TFC's Jackson may be the angriest man in Brazil but his natty all-white boots are full on Tito Jackson.
- When did Chad Barrett turn into an oversized Oompa Loompa?
- The Clint Dempsey/Jermain Defoe Tottenham Hotspur reunion ended much the same way as their time at White Hart Lane together: Defoe scored more goals and Dempsey still looked like an overpaid twonk.

PLAYER RATINGS:
Julio Cesar 6.5 / Mark Bloom 6 / Steven Caldwell 8 / Doneil Henry 7 / Justin Morrow 6.5 / Jackson 6 (SUB: 90'+ - Ashtone Morgan N/A) / Michael Bradley 8 / Jonathan Osorio 7 / Alvaro Rey 6 (SUB: 66' - Bradley Orr 5.5) / Dwayne De Rosario 6 (SUB: 63' - Andrew Wiedeman 5) / Jermain Defoe 8

THE YORKIES' TFC MAN OF THE MATCH:
Jermain Defoe

 

Sigi Schmid: not pleased

THE MATCHUP: "Tossed salad and scrambled eggs, we're starting again..."

Snacks are ready...

SEATTLE VS. TORONTO
CENTURYLINK FIELD - SATURDAY 4:30PM ET
TV: TSN

WHY SHOULD I WATCH THIS?
- C'mon now people! It's the dawn of a(nother) new era! What better town to unleash your big bloody eels than one with a famous seafood market?
- Which TFC DP's will play on Seattle’s "horrible turf"? Gilberto has been ruled out but will Jermain Defoe and Michael Bradley play a big role?
- How deep is our love? We mean "how deep is our bench"?
- Requiem for a Goalblerone. Just how will ex-Toronto favourite, now Sounders # 1, Stefan Frei perform against the club he called home for so long?
- A chance to feast your eyes on the biggest crowd TFC will likely play before this year and a chance to cozy up to the inventors of the sport. Apparently. Also Bigfoot sightings - there's always a chance.

MANUFACTURED DERBY NAME:
"The XBOX Reboot"

THE DUEL:
Osvaldo Alonso vs. Michael Bradley and/or
Clint Dempsey vs. Jermain Defoe

WHO ARE YA?
Seattle, Washington... the birthplace of caffeine, modern soccer and Spoonmen. Home to wild roaming herds of Sasquatch and fictional psychiatrists.

Of all the cities you can travel to on an MLS away day, Seattle should rank high. Direct flights into Soundgarden International Airport offer the away supporter a quick transfer into the city where you can visit sites such as the World's Tiniest CN Tower, the actual house from "Harry and the Hendersons" and the mystical Starbucks within a Starbucks inside an actual Starbucks.

On the way to the match, keep your ears alert for the "Puget Sound" which is the audible self-satisfied sigh of 30,000 Sounders supporters acknowledging their own awesomeness.

WORTH A 1000 WORDS:

CenturyLink. Halftime.

 

ON THIS DAY IN TFC HISTORY:
March 15, 1997: 12-year-old Maxim Usanov's life turned down an ugly pugilistic path when he punched a tiny show pony at a St. Petersburg agricultural fair.


And... If you like this kind of malarkey but wished it could be shoved down your ear canal - we've got you covered! The Yorkies and Waking The Red join forces on the latest episode of The Vocal Minority Podcast... "Get used to it" here...