Toronto FC

Toronto FC stepped onto the pitch as Major League Soccer’s last team remaining in the semi-final round of the CONCACAF Champions League, the tournament for clubs from North and Central America and the Caribbean.  They earned that right by upsetting the defending MLS champion Los Angeles Galaxy 4-3 on aggregate.

They are proudly the first team from Canada to progress this far into the tournament, and they were greeted by nearly 19,000 screaming fans, most of whom wore the team’s colors—the stands were a sea of red.  The weather was perfectly fitted for the home team, as the rain and winds were not something the opponents from Mexico were used to.

They would leave the pitch with a man advantage, as Santos Laguna’s Oscar Mares received a red card in the 77th for a studs-up, two-footed challenge after his touch while attacking let him down.  Yet with all this, the team limped into the match and had to fight for a draw at home against a very strong Santos Laguna squad.   

After the two thrilling performances against the Galaxy, the team went on to drop their league and home openers to Seattle and San Jose, giving up three goals in each game.  Throwing a bit of salt in the wounds were the losses to injury of their star captain Torsten Frings, as well as vice captain and goalkeeper Stefan Frei.

American international striker Herculez Gomez dealt Toronto their first blow, grabbing a crucial away goal and the game’s lead in the 30th minute.  Carlos Quintero found space on the right side and sent a ball that beat Toronto’s defense, allowing Gomez to tuck it past goalkeeper Milos Kocic into the left side of the net. 

Seven minutes later, Toronto’s Dutch striker Danny Koevermans was given a yellow card, meaning he would miss the away leg serving a suspension.

While Santos set up to defend a set piece, Koevermans tried to catch them off guard with a quick shot, which fell harmlessly into the hands of Santos’ keeper Oswaldo Sanchez. Evidently unaware that his team had asked for their ten yards, he was carded for not having waited for the referee’s whistle, and things looked to go from bad to worse.

But on the ensuing re-take, Koevermans stepped off the ball, still furious at the call, and defender Miguel Aceval took it, driving the ball low and inside the near post to tie the game.  The goal will be listed as unassisted, but Terry Dunfield held the Santos wall in-check, allowing the ball to fly by it and out of the reach of Sanchez, who was guarding the far post.

From there, Toronto kept the pressure up, and the game’s best chance was theirs in the 64th minute, when Julian de Guzman’s perfect cross was redirected by striker Ryan Johnson.  Only the extended forearm of Sanchez tipped the shot just wide of the net, keeping the game level.  The Reds kept the pressure up until the end, but couldn’t take advantage of the extra man in the final 13 minutes, as the game became chippier and the teams became more heated.

In an ugly display at the end, Quintero head-butted Toronto defender Ashtone Morgan away from the ball as the final whistle blew.  He was shown a red card, and walked over to Morgan, who lay on the ground, barking at him to get up.  Benches cleared so quickly that Toronto coach Aron Winter couldn’t see or tell what happened.  On the contrary, his counterpart, Benjamin Galindo, claims that Toronto defender Aceval left the bench to throw a punch. 

All in all, Toronto managed to pick themselves up and dust themselves off after 12 Santos fouls and two red cards.  They outshot Santos Laguna 14-10, earned more corner kicks 12-1, and showed no signs of being intimidated by the underdog label in the 1-1 draw,

Now the walking wounded must take an even bigger step, and get a result in Torreon, Mexico, on April 4.  As if the roster wasn’t depleted before, they must play without their striker Koevermans, and their defender and lone goal scorer of the night, Aceval.  They must say goodbye to the comforts of the Red Sea and walk into a Sea of Green.

They must get that critical away goal back, while limiting a team that scores at will in its backyard.  Yes, they’ll be underdogs yet again, if not more so.  American Gomez for Santos summed it up best, as reported on Toronto's website: “If we score 6-1 against the best team in the MLS, (their last match against Seattle on Mexican soil), can you imagine what we can do to Toronto.”

But the Reds will have MLS in their corner, vying to become the 2nd MLS team to reach the finals in the last two years.  They’ll have Canada in their corner, still looking for its first representative in the CONCACAF Champions League finals.  They’ll want it for themselves, as they’ve never been this close and have already overcome so much.

And in a year in which Canada is going to the Olympics at the expense of the United States, maybe that’s all Toronto will need.  

Toronto FC will host a very tough Mexican side, Santos Laguna, at BMO Field tonight in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League Semi-Finals.  

Toronto drew Santos after a great victory against MLS Champions LA Galaxy just a few weeks ago.  Santos demolished Seattle in their quarterfinal, winning 7-2 on aggregate. 

Coming off of a high from two well-played fixtures against LA, Toronto FC has come crashing down in league play, losing both their league and home openers to Seattle and San Jose with disappointing play. 

Not only is Toronto playing terrible football, but they are also suffering with injuries to captain and star player Torsten Frings and goalkeeper Stefan Frei.  

Toronto's defense has been terrible in their two league fixtures, giving up three goals in both of their MLS games.  As if their defensive problems were not enough, Santos is a high-scoring side.  

Hopefully the crowd at BMO can be the difference in this match; however, Toronto should be considered huge underdogs in this CONCACAF match. 

Toronto should aim not to concede in this match; if they can squeeze out a 0-0 draw or 1-0 victory, this would be a great step towards the second leg. 

The second leg in Mexico is going to undoubtedly be extremely difficult; however, Toronto must focus on keeping a clean sheet and not conceding any away goals. 

This game might be a tough one for the Toronto faithful; however, Canadian and MLS pride rides on this side as they are the last remaining MLS team in this competition and first Canadian team to reach this stage of the CONCACAF Champions League. 

Toronto play host to the San Jose Earthquakes this Saturday at BMO Field.  This will not be Toronto's first home game this year, but their first home MLS competition. 

Toronto will be without captain and star player Torsten Frings this Saturday as he suffered a hamstring injury against Seattle last week.  Frings will be absent from the squad for about six weeks due to this injury.  Julian de Guzman will wear the captain's band for The Reds in Frings' absence. 

Toronto will likely field a young and very inexperienced back four again this week.  Frings had been filling in at central defense the past few CONCACAF and league fixtures due to past injuries to Adrian Cann and Dicoy Williams.  With Frings' injury, Toronto's back four will likely read: Richard Eckersley, Ty Harden, Aaron Maund and Ashtone Morgan.  

Hopefully, Aron Winter chooses to employ much safer tactics for this match as he has been deploying a very nervous and ineffective high offside trap in the past few fixtures.  Toronto escaped lucky against LA Galaxy. However, a speedy Seattle team forced Toronto to pay for running their chances with the offside trap.  

San Jose will come into town with a home win against New England and a road loss in Houston thus far this season.   

Toronto will look to reestablish BMO Field as a fortress, as their home winning ways all but completely subsided during the 2011 season.  

Winter will have some difficult decisions to make in the upcoming weeks, as Toronto will play five games in 14 days, beginning with this Earthquakes match.  

Players to watch:

Ryan Johnson, TFC

Ryan Johnson has been the offensive leader for Toronto so far in 2012.  He has scored in all three of Toronto's last three competitions.  Look for Johnson to be a creative spark-plug in the offensive third. 

Chris Wondolowski, San Jose

Former Golden Boot winner Wondolowski has punished Toronto in the past, he already has one goal to begin the 2012 season.  Look for him to be a threat early and often.  

Forecast:

Despite unusually high temperatures this week in the greater Toronto area, Saturday holds a 70 percent of precipitation with a chance of thunder showers.  Temperatures should be ideal a cool 11 to 15 degrees Celsius.  

Toronto FC has failed to make the playoffs in its first five seasons in MLS.  While the south end of BMO Field continues to be a loud, boisterous sea of red, the fanbase that is scattered around the rest of the stadium is becoming a bit more fickle.

With 47,658 fans packing the Rogers Centre for a Champions League quarterfinal match, you may think that support for TFC is as strong as ever, but looks can be deceiving. 

A telling tale is that I have been on a waiting list for season seats since the inaugural season, and for the first time ever I had season seats offered to me.

You also have to take into account the opponent they faced at Rogers Centre, the Los Angeles Galaxy, whose star power (Beckham, Keane and Donovan) is likely responsible for filling half of the seats that night.  What are the chances they sell 47,658 seats for the semifinal first leg against Santos Laguna? 

Torsten Frings brings an element of credibility to the team, and his skill and workman-like approach has quickly made him a fan favourite in Toronto.  However, the team still needs a true soccer star for the fans to get behind.

While hard work and determination pull at the hearts of the fans, it's skill, offensive brilliance and goals that captivate the mind.  For the past two decades, Alessandro Del Piero has been doing just that.

I will admit I am not overly familiar with the rules regarding designated players in MLS, but to borrow a basketball analogy, TFC needs to put on a full court press to bring Del Piero to Toronto.

While he and all other stars crossing the Atlantic to play in the MLS will always gravitate to the big markets of LA and New York, Toronto could still make a few strong selling points to the Italian striker.

He is Looking to Move Abroad

Del Piero's contract ends at the end of this season, and speculation is that he is looking outside of Europe for employment, specifically China, Japan, the United States or the Middle East.  While Canada does not figure in, we may be close enough to peak his interest, and he would still get to visit LA and New York at least once per year.

This is Your City

New York and LA boast their own soccer stars (Henry and Beckham, respectively), as well as a variety of stars in basketball (Kobe Bryant, Blake Griffin, Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire, Chris Paul), baseball (Derek Jeter, A-Rod, Matt Kemp) and football (Eli Manning).

Toronto, on the other hand, is devoid of any major sports stars.  Del Piero would easily be the No. 1 star in the city.

Home Away From Home

While the history, architecture and food won't compare to back home, Toronto has one of the largest Italian populations outside of Italy in the world.  Just take a trip into Little Italy during this summer's Euro 2012 tournament, and you will witness the passion for soccer on display.

He could also ask the Raptors' best player and fellow Italian, Andrea Bargnani, how well the fans and citizens of Toronto have treated him over the years. 

Show Me the Money

Toronto FC will need to pay a hefty price to land Del Piero, with other teams vying for his services, but is it not an investment worth making?  You would think jersey sales alone would bring back a return on investment.

When a player like Julian de Guzman makes a shade under $1 million per season, is it out of line to offer the Juventus star an annual salary in the $4-6 million range?

It may be wishful thinking.  It may just be a pipe dream, but big-time soccer stars looking for work don't come around every year.  If you want to prove to the fans that you are serious about winning, then this is a move you have to make.

The Leafs and Raptors continue to disappoint, and Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment has taken a beating for the way they run their teams, from making poor decisions to being unable or perhaps unwilling to make risky moves.  Fans have become disenchanted with management and think that they are only looking out for their bottom line.

Success in sports is never guaranteed, and nobody knows this better than the fans.  All the fans demand of the players is that they go out there and put in their best efforts.  They just want them to try.  When it comes to bringing a star like Del Piero to BMO Field, they just want management to do one thing: try.

Ryan Johnson has been on fire as of late.

After a sub-par 2011 season, the striker/winger has recently been finding the net with some beautiful goals.

Johnson has scored three goals in three games thus far this season with Toronto—one in each of the CONCACAF quarterfinal legs with LA Galaxy, and again this past Saturday against Seattle Sounders.

Johnson was a spark plug in the CONCACAF matches in the past few weeks.  His speed has exploited opposition defense and his deadly accuracy in finishing and crossing lifted Toronto to glory. 

Jamaican native Ryan Johnson arrived in Toronto in the middle of last season from San Jose Earthquakes, July of 2011.  

Now an MLS veteran of six seasons, Johnson is finding the form that he lacked throughout his early career. 

He was drafted in 2006 by Real Salt Lake and after just seven games, he was traded to Chicago Fire where he appeared in just three more games that season.  

Johnson found his ways overseas with Swedish club Osters in 2007, when he failed to earn another contract in Chicago.  

In 2008, Johnson headed back to the MLS with the San Jose Earthquakes, finally finding a permanent home. In 99 games, he registered just 17 goals.

Johnson's trade to Toronto may have sparked a bit of revitalization in his game.

In only 13 games with TFC, Johnson has scored four times. He has been a spark plug as of late, scoring and creating offensive chances.  

Toronto will be looking for him to continue his form and lead them to a top-three spot and a playoff berth in 2012. 

Toronto fans will be hoping that this is indeed a breakout season for Johnson, and that his goalscoring luck doesn't fizzle anytime soon. 

With the CONCACAF quarterfinals officially a rap, here are my initial reactions and comments on the LA Galaxy/Toronto FC game.

It was a nerve-wracking CONCACAF quarterfinal second leg, and The LA  Galaxy targeted the weak Toronto defense play after play. However, this was a very sloppy match overall for both sides. 

Toronto started with the same formation they used last Wednesday in Toronto for the first leg of the CONCACAF Quarter finals. With LA clinching a late 2-2 tie in Toronto, the pressure was on for a win. 

Unfortunately, this game wasn't a big draw in Los Angeles, and the stadium wasn't anywhere near its capacity of 47,000 fans. This ambivalence set the tone for the match.

The game had a sluggish feel to it in the early minutes of the game. Toronto struck first, off the head of Ryan Johnson.  LA quickly responded to the goal, challenging Toronto's very high defensive line play after play. Although a  few questionable officiating calls went Toronto's way, the score remained 1-0 heading into the half.  

Despite being narrowly beaten on every long ball the Galaxy chipped over the slow and outnumbered Toronto defense, this same pattern continued into the second half. Landon Donovan beat his man to the box and sent in a low cross across the 6 yard box toward Keane. Ty Harden was there to intercept the pass but directed it toward the goal. LA would tie the game with Harden's own goal.  

A quick Toronto counter caught the laboring Galaxy napping midway through the second half.  Another great play and ball from Ryan Johnson met a streaking Nick Soolsma who buried home the eventual game winner.  

LA continued to press throughout the remainder of the game, but this time Toronto held on for the win, securing their spot in the CCL semifinals against Mexican team Santos Laguna, who demolished the Seattle Sounders today by a score of 6-1.  

Man of the Match goes without a doubt to Milos Kocic who was outstanding in net for Toronto FC.  He single-handedly kept the game alive with breakaway saves on both Buddle and Keane. His performance was breathtaking.

Congratulations go out to Toronto FC who have made history with this win. They become the first ever Canadian team to reach the semifinal round of this continental tournament.  

The CONCACAF quarterfinals began last Wednesday when LA Galaxy clashed with Toronto FC at the Rogers Centre.

I was lucky enough to be at attendance for this star-studded game.  Despite being played on artificial turf and being indoors, this game had everything a fan from either team could have hoped for. 

It was announced that over 47, 000 people were at attendance for this match.  The stadium was jumping, enthusiastic and ready for greatness.  

Toronto, the underdogs of the match despite being at home, sent the home fans into a frenzy early with an early strike off a corner kick.  A fortunate bounce ended with the ball on Ryan Johnson's foot, which he quickly sent in behind the keeper to give Toronto an early lead in the 12' of play.  The crowd erupted and the sound was deafening.

Just five minutes later, the fans exploded again.  A rookie midfielder landed his head on a Torsten Frings cross just inside the top of the 18-yard box.  He placed his header beautifully just inside the goalpost to put Toronto up by two early.  This goal was absolutely beautiful, if you haven't already seen it you must watch it.  

Toronto was up two early and in control of the match. However, a goaltending error changed the course of the match. In the 29' Mike Magee was gifted a goal after a Donovan cross was slapped down back into play and onto the foot of Magee by Stefan Frei.  Magee had the open net and put LA on the board silencing the Toronto faithful.  The score remained 2-1 heading into half.  

The second half saw a few changes. Beckham began to drop back deeper into defense, as he distributed the ball throughout the pitch.  This second half also got a bit scrappy, with several players picking up knocks.  There were chances at both ends, however, the tying goal would be earned very late to spoil the win for Toronto.

After being completely covered with streamers at every corner flag, Beckham would find more than just streamers thrown at him on this occasion.  Two beer cans were thrown in Beckham's direction as he set himself up for the corner that would crush Toronto's night.  

After voicing his displeasure, Beckham sent in a kick that created a scramble in the Toronto box. Donovan found his foot on the ball and sent it in behind Frei, tying the game for the Galaxy.  LA players rushed the scene of the accident and while Beckham scolded the crowd. Donovan blew kisses to the Toronto fans. 

This was a very exciting contest that Toronto, by all rights, should have one.  Each LA goal was a gift of poor work in the box.  Despite the result, the home crowd went home happy earning a draw and having a chance of continuing in this tournament with a win (or tie if more than 2 goals are scored) in Las Angeles.  

*The CONCACAF officiating was absolutely horrendous in this match, I believe both teams and fans will agree to that.