Editorial: Time to end kid gloves for TFC

Most parents will tell you that if you coddle a child for too long then they will end up spoiled. Now it's unsure how long "childhood" lasts for your average MLS club but three years seems to be at least "young adult". Why then, is Toronto FC being treated so gingerly by most observers - both on the inside and the outside of the club? The second half of the 2009 season has been truly awful. Yes, there has been the good news of Julian De Guzman's signing and the faint smell of real grass in the air, but on the field, this team's position in the table has only been saved by the mediocrity of the teams around them. The difference between TFC and the other clubs however is that the others are not using tired excuses like being a "young" club but rather calling it like it is - "a bad season".

There are some very glaring weaknesses that The Reds have shown since their first season which most supporters would have expected to be long gone by late season 2009 but have nonetheless remained. Production from TFC strikers is as impotent as it was on day one in 2007 with no signs of improvement, especially with the stubborn inclusion of Chad Barrett and the misuse of Ali Gerba. The other major roadblock to improvement is the shocking lack of production on the road. After last week's loss to Galaxy, the club's recent road tally was 1 point out of a possible 12. It was after that game that the "kid glove" treatment of the team reached maddening new levels. There were absurd comments from manager Chris Cummins that TFC "dominated" the play but were beaten by some bad luck. Apart from the TFC staff, the broadcast team on Rogers Sportsnet called the loss "a good effort" despite the 2-0 scoreline and lack of good Toronto scoring chances. The running corporate line throughout the season from Mo Johnston and MLSE is that they are "building something special" in the long-term, but near the end of three seasons the excuse of being a “young team” surely has to end now.

This mythology was further propelled this week by the team's star Dwayne De Rosario who appeared on SUN TV's "The Grill Room". When asked about the season's lacklustre results the "only a third year team" line was trotted out by the Scarberian. The fact that De Ro said his decision to come to TFC was "the right move at the time" was unfortunately not probed further but his body language of late and the sheepish answers from most other Toronto players seems to illuminate a lack of real answers. The new DP Julian De Guzman has said the right things such as the "playoffs are now" for TFC but surely there must be unhappiness in the dressing room that a playoff struggle is the best this club could achieve. Bluntly put, three years is enough time for any club with the financial prowess of TFC, in any league, to build a winner. It is not too much for Toronto supporters to expect more than a "squeaky bum time" (thanks to Sir Alex Ferguson) win in the Canadian Championship and a humiliating crash out of Champions League. While it is true there are some positive moves for next year, the time for "young club" excuses is over. There should be no fear from inside or outside of the club to call a spade a spade and simply say "this has been a bad season". A bad year is not the end of the world but propelling weak excuses from one year to the next must end before we start hearing about the woes of "only a fourth year club".

TFC Media League - Round 6

The actual MLS playoffs may be around the corner but the race for the Graham Leggat Trophy is still in mid-season! The Toronto Star still holds a slim lead over its rival Toronto Sun but it was Rogers Sportsnet who made the big jump in the table this round. "The Teds" may make it interesting but the two dailys look like they may be the Celtic and Rangers of this league. Scroll down the right side of the page to see the table and follow who is Toronto's most TFC-friendly media outlet.

THE STARTING 11: Possible future Canadian MLS expansion clubs

First came Toronto FC, then Vancouver Whitecaps got an expansion team and now Montreal L' Beckhams are trying to join MLS. Throw in further interest from Ottawa and Major League Soccer has a sudden influx of Canadiana! Don't tell our friends to the south that a whole list of possible expansion clubs are lining up as we speak...

11. Eh! C Manitoba

10. FC Lokomotiv GO Train

9. Sparta Poutine

8. TimHortons Hotspur

7. Iglooventus

6. Notting-Craig Forrest

5. Beerussia Molsongladbach

4. Dynamo Nunavut

3. Roughriders FC/ Rough Riders FC (tie)

2. PSV Eindhoser

1. Real Regina

Late-night re-runs on TFC TV

If BMO ever decides to pull their sponsorship from Toronto FC, we'd like to make a suggestion - Nyquil. The nighttime syrup has nothing on a TFC road match for helping you get your Z's. The Reds went to Los Angeles on Saturday night knowing that all of their close rivals for the post season had dropped points earlier in the day. Add to that, the exciting debut of the club's first DP - Julian De Guzman! Surely this was the night that TFC would finally break it's road woes and stick it to Beckham & Co. right? Right? The line-ups were announced... the excitement was buzzing... Chad Barrett was starting. WHAT THE F**K?!!!

So the coaches' pre-game meeting went something like... "we just signed a great new distributing midfielder... how can we totally nullify his contribution? Yes, # 19 will do nicely." We are really tired of beating on Chad Barrett but a striker with 4 goals in 25 games is absurd. Chris Cummins claims that no one works harder in practice than The Chad, but hard work isn't always enough. You know what else works hard? Mules. But you still wouldn't enter a mule into the Kentucky Derby. Barrett wasn't the sole reason for tonight's 2-0 loss to Galaxy but his constant, useless inclusion is a symptom of what has become entirely inept management by Cummins (aka Mo Puppet) and his team.

TFC managed a decent start and De Guzman did show glimpses of his passing quality but then a beautifully crafted goal by David Beckham in the 9th minute changed the tone of the match completely. The Reds looked immediately deflated, lost what little shape they had and degraded into a bunch of guys with no form and no chemistry chasing after a ball. The 1st half petered out and the 2nd half only had a brief flash from Ali Gerba to rouse the viewers back in Toronto. As a reward, Gerba was a victim of Chris Cummins' sudden rash of confusing substitutions which added nothing, but did manage to confuse the formation that much more. The manically used subs also made it impossible for a cramped De Guzman to leave the game - brilliant. Galaxy controlled much of the play and Edson "I Could Still Be A Red - Idiots" Buddle scored the second goal late to nail TFC's Hollywood coffin shut.

Somehow, Toronto are still not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs which is more of a detriment as sane supporters will still have to hear phrases like "playoff push" for another week. Not to worry though, another road game next week, this time in Chicago, and no doubt another Barrett start, means that the math will inevitably catch up to this baffling squad. If you, like many of your Toronto compatriots, fell asleep in the 2nd half only to wake briefly at the end to hear Dobson and Forrest enthuse that TFC put in a "good" effort - its not true. After three years and countless line-up changes, "good efforts" would equal more than 1 out of 12 points on the road during a so-called "playoff push". I need the jumbo-size Nyquil so I can sleep through the next road match too.

Match Preview: T-F-C aims for Hi-Score on Galaxian

LA GALAXY VS. TORONTO FC
Home Depot Center -Saturday, 10:30PM EST
TV: Rogers Sportsnet

Toronto FC makes its annual trip to Hollywood, unless you count Chivas USA - which is Mexican Hollywood, to play the Nu-Cosmos, aka LA Galaxy, aka David & The Beckhams. This may be the last time us Torontos get to see The Beckham Show, barring a post-season miracle, as the tattoo/ coiffure enthusiast looks likely to drift out of MLS this off-season. That is of course if he doesn't become Le David du Beckham a la ownership du L'Impact avec le Fromage Saputo. The ownership rumour surrounding Goldenballs and Canada's second city still has a few frog legs but we would prefer to wager a real Nu-Cosmos (as in New York II) would be Beckham's likely fancy if ownership is in his future. Montreal just seems to lack a certain je nais c’est big.

As an aside to the usual pre-match banter, we are a little miffed with Toronto Mayor and TFC season ticket holder David Miller. With the Toronto International Film Festival in town, our fair city is currently home to a large chunk of Hollywood royalty. Surely City Hall could put a call into Los Angeles City Hall with a loosely veiled threat to, well let's just say, detain their precious celebrity commodities unless our boys leave with 3 points in tow. Just saying. They do worse in South American football.

LA GALAXY - 9-11-5 - 38pts - 2nd in WEST (4th OVERALL)
Up until last week Galaxy were easily the hottest team in MLS. They had only lost once since the end of June, not entirely coincidental to the return of David Beckham from his European loan excursion. However, it all came crashing down last week when LA allowed a club recorded 6 goals against - en route to a 6-3 drubbing by FC Dallas. That result was likely a blip on the radar as Galaxy have been a much improved team under manager/ Huckleberry Hound impersonator Bruce Arena this season. Beckham has been solid in his 7 games with the club this year but it is the somewhat unsung hero Landon Donovan who has been carrying the club with 10 goals and 5 assists. Donovan has always found a way to hurt TFC and will be as dangerous as ever. Two ex-Reds are in the team news this week as Alecko Eskandarian is out with a head injury (insert headgear jibe here) while Edson "Why the eff was he traded" Buddle returned from injury to immediately score a goal. Galaxy are definitely more of a unit this season than the collection of individuals of the past couple of seasons.

TORONTO FC - 9-7-9 - 34pts - 4th in EAST (10th OVERALL)
The Reds are coming off a sorely needed win over Colorado last week. The 3-2 victory was a scrappy, sloppy affair but still gave TFC a shot at the playoffs. To truly contend for the post-season though, the team must find a way to get some road wins. During the recent road swing, Toronto managed a paltry 1 out of 9 possible points. With a date in Chicago on the horizon next week, the road woes must be fixed now. The big news in this match will be the debut of the club's first DP Julian De Guzman. The former La Liga star will be well aware of David Beckham's midfield wizardry having played against him when they were both in Spain. Miracles can't be expected from De Gu but having him arrive at the same time that Carl Robinson has gone down with an ankle injury is a Godsend. Adrian Serioux is questionable with a neck injury so Nana Attakora will have to play a bigger role. Perhaps his confidence will be buoyed further after his first ever goal last week. Chris Cummins will still have a decision up front and I for one am tired of expecting him to bench Chad Barrett only to see him in the starting line-up every week. Does The Chad own incriminating videos of someone? Considering O'Brian White did more in two minutes last week than Barrett has done in 7 games we can hope for change. If not, someone better call the mayor's office fast.

MLS changes are a schedule for success

Sometimes the least glamourous of announcements end up having the best long-term effects. Major League Soccer has made some really poor choices during its short history, especially on the competition side. Just ask those early year strikers taking running penalty kicks in their ridiculous kits! Yesterday however, league commissioner Don Garber announced a change that could very well stabilize the league for years to come while taking a further step towards international legitimacy.

The Don told the gathered press yesterday that starting in 2010, MLS would be adopting some significant changes to the schedule. You could probably hear the combined yawn of the media attending - MLS schedule announcements don't stir the sports editors of North America to stop the presses. Despite the lack of sex appeal, the announcement that MLS will finally be switching to a balanced schedule and will also be taking a break during next year's World Cup group stage is very welcome news to any MLS supporter. The balanced schedule will see every club play each other twice, home and home, and will hopefully serve up an easier roster of matches to follow on a weekly basis. Meanwhile, the World Cup break will not make the MLS schedule become a very weak stepsister to the opening round of the behemoth that is the Coupe De Monde.

Hopefully, from a Toronto perspective, the ownership will embrace the new balanced schedule and not try to tinker with it too much to coddle the supporters in early April and to allow big money friendlies to have prime dates. Yesterday’s moves will likely be a blip on most North American football fans’ radars but it is a great step forward. If more changes are introduced to further the league’s move towards the rest of the world’s leagues then it will only be stronger for it. Of course, when you give real football supporters a little crumb, we just want more. Surely Mr. Garber’s email inbox is already full of questions about a single table. With a balanced schedule, it’s the next stop on the road to true legitimacy in the supporters’ eyes. Kudos to MLS for this move - now don't go and try to introduce a "Three Pointer" goal from outside the box!

THE STARTING 11: David Beckham's shocking demands before joining Montreal's MLS ownership group

TFC travel to LA this weekend to take on Galaxy and their hairstyle enthusiast / Milanese loan arranger David Beckham. However, over the past week Goldenballs has been rumoured with another Canadian club. Monsieur Beckham is apparently interested in joining the "Montreal to MLS" ownership group avec le Joey Saputo but before that happens, he has a few demands...

11. "Nasal Cockney" must be added to Province's official language act

10. Sir Alex Ferguson is invited over once a year to throw a hairdryer at the Montreal player of his choice

9. Victoriaville, Quebec must be immediately handed over to his wife

8. New Montreal away kit: just Calvin Kleins

7. Must be allowed to produce hilarious French-Canadian film "Bend It Like Bloc Quebecois"

6. Demands time to grow sexy new Samuel De Champlain hair-do

5. If Quebec separates from Canada, they have to take his wife too

4. Saputo Foods to market new line of "Beckham's Own Salami"

3. Cartoon snowman "Bonhomme De Neige" must live in the attic year-round for his sons' amusement

2. Montreal subway system to be re-named "METRO:Sexual"

1. Province's new name? QueBecks

With De Guzman comes De Questions...

For once there is a Toronto FC story that has no negative spin attached to it nor the nagging suspicion that there must be something evil lurking behind it. The Designated Player signing of Canada's most talented national team member, Julian De Guzman, is truly great news for the team and supporters alike in a year where good times have been rare. The only negatives being directed towards the signing have been from elements of support who would have liked to see TFC sign an aged star from Europe a la Luis Figo or Christian Vieri. Frankly, these views are entirely ignorant and show a lack of knowledge about football and usually come from casual "soccer" fans who only watch the World Cup or might watch The Reds for one half when they play against Beckham. However, despite all of the positives, a major signing does not come without repercussions and De Guzman's arrival will indeed create some questions that will need to be addressed in the near future.

WHO COULD BE ON THE WAY OUT?
The other shoe has to fall in the wages department. While it is true that only a share of De Guzman's salary goes against the cap, it is still Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment signing the cheques and they will want to trim some fat. With four midfielders making a healthy MLS wage, one of the two veterans Carl Robinson or Amado Guevara seem to be endangered species. With the emergence of Sam Cronin as a useful, and much cheaper, holding midfielder, the hard-working Welshman Robinson could be headed out of town. There would be a lot of steel if TFC played both Robinson and De Guzman together but Robbo's age and large wage seems to work against him.

WHERE DOES DE GUZMAN PLAY?
This question could directly influence or be the result of the above question. If one of the other pricey midfield pieces is moved out then De Guzman will fall into that spot. The Canadian national midfielder has terrific versatility and can play anywhere in the middle of the park. In his years with Deportivo La Coruna, De Guzman was the stalwart holding midfielder responsible for shunting the attacks of such juggernauts as Barcelona and Real Madrid while with the national team he has been an effective attacking midfielder capable of spraying pinpoint passes and getting open in channels. His positioning will likely be a product of someone else's departure but it would be a very strong midfield if all the pieces were kept for at least one more season.

CAN DE GUZMAN LEAD TFC TO THE 2009 PLAYOFFS?
De Guzman alone does not possess the skills to single-handedly transform TFC, but few players in the world do. Toronto is in a logjam of other very capable squads vying for the last playoff spot and The Reds have been inconsistent to say the least. De Guzman will be a great presence in the middle but five games is a short time to integrate into a new system, mesh with teammates' styles and take on the leadership role that his stature demands. His familiarity with Dwayne De Rosario and the other Canadian nationals will accelerate the process but he alone can't solve the often porous defence and the unreliable strikers. Making the playoffs will have more to do with a combined team effort as opposed to De Guzman doing it alone.

HOW DOES A DP CHANGE THE DRESSING ROOM?
For the first time in the club's history, one of the players on the squad is making a lot more money than anyone else. Other DP situations in MLS haven't seemed to be an issue with the rank and file but who knows what happens behind closed doors? It can’t be the easiest situation for De Rosario who arrived in the off-season as the all-conquering hometown boy making good, only to be trumped in the same season as the big star. The truth is De Ro will score more goals than De Guzman which will cement his stardom amongst the supporters but hopefully the chasm between their wages, and the wages of other veterans on the team, won’t make the green-eyed monster raise its ugly head.

WHAT DOES THIS SIGNING HERALD FOR THE OFF-SEASON?
Anyone who watches TFC faithfully realizes there are a few more holes to fill than just a star midfielder. As mentioned previously, there is a need for talent in the back four and the desperate need for a clinical finisher. It will be interesting to see if Mo Johnston rests on his laurels of this signing or if the sudden star power of TFC attracts a few more quality signings. Additional players arriving also depends on the appetite of the MLSE Board to spend further, but not adding to the puzzle would almost negate De Guzman’s worth.

DOES THIS START A CANADIAN MLS ARMS RACE?
With Vancouver set to join MLS and Montreal likely close behind, the pool for quality Canadian talent will shrink in a hurry. It will be very interesting to see if Whitecaps or Olympique du Montreal (we can hope, no?) will go out and immediately try to snap up other top Canucks. There are a couple more players out there worthy of big bucks but De Guzman may be the only one who could demand DP money. Toronto could very well try to corner the market on hosers before Vancouver starts signing.

No matter how you slice the De Guzman signing, it is good for TFC and good for Canadian football. Questions will always arise from such a massive shift in football culture so Toronto supporters can only enjoy the ride with De Gu and hope that one good step leads to another. Oh… and work on growing a Scarbo-Fro for next season.

3 Points to the Future

Whether or not TFC make the playoffs, and it is still an uphill battle, one thing was evident in today's 3-2 win over Colorado - the future is near. In the stadium, on the broadcast and most importantly on the pitch - change is in the air. That change is going to be necessary if this club is serious about moving forward and many of the pieces showed their potential today. However, much of the team's established baggage showed why it is time for deeper, potentially difficult, transition.

In a week where TFC celebrated the retirement of one hero and welcomed it's latest, today's scrappy win illustrated the need for a dedication in the off-season to trimming the fat. It was the players who have joined the club this year who showed all the determination and heart today and were directly responsible for the victory. It was some of the established players who nearly threw it away with lazy, uninspired performances.

Dwayne De Rosario, the club's true on-field leader, dragged the team through the 1st half, eventually scoring a great goal in the 19th minute making his tally 10 on the year. The match continued to be scrappy as the half wound down with Ali Gerba showing the best flashes and having one of his most solid physical showings as a Red. The two clubs went into the dressing rooms at 1-0 but as the 2nd half begun it seemed as if the usual TFC let-down had returned. The lethal Conor Casey equalized early for Rapids and sucked the air out of BMO before most of the Chip Butty Brigade had returned to their seats. Colorado continued to dominate until Chris Cummins went with a youth movement bringing in O'Brian White and debutant Lesly Fellinga in as subs. White barely had a sweat on before scoring a beautiful poacher's flick and putting TFC ahead. Young standout defender Nana Attakora added the third with his first ever MLS goal and despite some sloppiness and a second Rapids goal, Toronto grabbed an essential 3 points.

While the young dynamic Reds were making all the difference and De Ro was leading the charge, some veterans simply didn't show up. Amado Guevara gets some sympathy for just returning from international play but he simply disappears too many times for this team. His often selfish, lazy play and mock frustration at his teammates' supposed shortcomings has grown tired. All or nothing performances are not needed on this team. Captain, Jim Brennan is an undeniable favourite but seems to be losing a step every match. His once assured crosses are gone and defenders are getting by him with regularity. In the "Beat a Dead Horse Department", Chad Barrett amazes. He amazes by somehow making it into the starting line-up every week. It is not an effort problem with the Welfare Rooney but the fact that he has so little football intelligence as reflected by head-down runs and idiotic fouls like those witnessed today. There has to be some addition by subtraction this off-season with superior replacements.

The last glimpses of TFC 2010 came courtesy of the CBC TV broadcast. MLSE's Tom Anselmi was enthusiastically pumping the corporate "plan" to install real grass in time for next year. He glossed over the city council vote though and we prefer to stick with De Ro's assessment of "...believe it when I see it". The other choice peek into BMO Field circa 2013 was Danny Dichio plainly saying that after getting his coaching chops he'd "want to be manager of this club one day". That no doubt got a lot of Keegans in a twist in Toronto but hopefully it will only be when he is truly ready. 3 points then, a little closer to the playoffs but better is needed if TFC truly wants a shot at post season. If they fail in that quest, let's hope that today's optimistic signs are embraced fully and not with the usual half-baked off-seasons of the past three years.

Match Preview: Colorado II: Return To Sea Level

TORONTO FC VS. COLORADO RAPIDS
BMO Field - Saturday, 4:30PM EST
TV: CBC -- Radio: The Fan 590

Hey Colorado - do you like the circus? Well, let's hope so because without putting up the BMO Winter Bubble, the big top is definitely in full effect. The only thing not happening around TFC this week is talk of how poor they have played lately! Since we last met Rapid Colorado (apologies to Vienna and Bucharest etc.) The Reds have forced their homemade legend and cult hero Danny Dichio into retirement; revealed their "plans" for bringing grass to BMO Field (believe it only if you smoke grass); and today, excuse me while I re-hinge my jaw, have signed their first Designated Player in the way of Scarborough Afro-cultivator and former La Liga star Julian De Guzman! So... how was your week Denverites? One thing we can say about Toronto FC under Chairman Mo's tutelage - they are rarely boring. True, the news is usually infuriating but sprinkled in the midst is sometimes a glimmer of hope which keeps us addicted like shaking Field Turf junkies.

TORONTO FC - 8-7-9 - 31pts - 5th in EAST (11th OVERALL)
Make no bones about it, Toronto FC must win this match to stay even remotely close to the playoff hunt. The club's recent form is shocking and it is surprising that after only one win in seven matches they still have the post-season opportunity. Thank the Baby Jesus for MLS parity. Last week's disheartening 1-0 loss to our back-to-back buddies Colorado had Dwayne De Rosario steaming after the match and questioning his team mates "commitment" to the cause. It is going to take a much improved display from Chris Cummins' men to get 3 points tomorrow and as usual, the problem will come from the impotent strikers. If Chad Barrett starts - switch the channel to pro bowling. The task will be made harder with a possible injury to Carl Robinson as well as suspensions to Adrian Serioux and Amadou Sanyang. Amado Guevara will be back from international duty but whether his mind and energy follow his body on to the pitch is another story. Whether or not brand new DP midfielder Julian De Guzman will play, depends on his contract and transfer being finalized by MLS in time as well as his fitness.

COLORADO RAPIDS - 9-6-7 - 36pts - 3rd in WEST (5th OVERALL)
What Toronto saw from Colorado last week in suburban Denver is what we will likely see again. Perhaps the outlook will be slightly defensive but if TFC goes cold early, expect Rapids to go for the jugular. The Maroons are creeping their way up the table and know that with a few more points they can secure a playoff berth. The steady results as of late may very well set them in good standing against TFC's off the field distractions. The toothless (literally and dentally not figuratively) Conor Casey will be the main threat once again as he shows his wisdom (see what I did there!) in front of goal. With 12 goals, Casey leads MLS and is on track for the golden boot. If only TFC could have signed him... oh yeah... never mind. Pablo Mastroeni is still serving suspension so midfield duties will fall to the pinpoint passing skills of Mehdi "The Blues Brothers" Ballouchy with Omar Cummings helping out up front. If Rapids can ignore the circus then they can shoot TFC's season out of the proverbial cannon.