An Eye towards the Top of the Standings

An impressive performance against Kansas City left TFC looking towards the top of the Eastern standings. Sure, they are still 3 points and four teams away from the top, but their 9 points is enough to put them on top of the West.

The KC match was similar to the previous win against RSL, except this time Toronto didn't let up in the second half. It was 90 minutes of pressure, with only a few real chances getting through to Greg Sutton. I look forward to keeping up the string of positive showings in the Thursday night matchup with RBNY, who are 2-1-1 to start the season.

Overall Performance: 9/10 - They should have scored a few times in the first half, otherwise it would have been a 10.

Greats - Amado Guevara & Carl Robinson with dominating performances in very different ways.
Goats - None, although Dichio could have finished better and put this match to bed much earlier.

Tomorrow night's match will have plenty of sub-plots, but in a very even Eastern Division it is only results on the field that matter. Based on recent play, I would be disappointed to see TFC drop any points at home. If Juan Pablo Angel is back in the lineup, look for a tough match. Expect Olivier Tebily to be in the lineup for TFC, which should bring a bit more confidence and toughness to the back line. Finally, look for Ricketts and Wynne to give NY fits up the right side with their speed.

With 3 points from this match, Toronto will have arrived as a force in MLS. The league has started to take notice, and with BMO Field turning into a fortress, there are good things in store for the rest of the season.

JSF.

Real Salt Lake, Kansas City and a New Face

Given that this post is a few days late, most of what needed to be blogged about Toronto FC's victorious home opener against Real Salt Lake has already been done. Robert's goal, Guevara's solid performance, Ricketts' debut and RSL's poor showing have all been covered elsewhere.


So what is left to be written? I thought it would be best to comment on the home field support that re-emerged after a much too long winter. Since TFC will enjoy this home support for the next four matches, we can't underestimate its importance. After all, according to Danny Dichio, we have the only "real fans" in MLS.


Just look at this sequence of matches: DC United beats TFC 4-1, RSL beats DC United 4-0 and TFC beats RSL 1-0. On the surface, this doesn't seem to make much sense, but when you factor in home field advantage, it becomes obvious that home sweet home makes big difference in MLS.


In its next four matches, Toronto faces KC, RBNY, Columbus and DC United in that order. Although the first three opponents have had decent starts to the season, I think there is a chance for 3 wins. 8 or more points out of these 4 matches would put Toronto in a great spot for a second half playoff run.

Having said that, KC should be the toughest of the bunch. I'm happy to play them next, as I believe TFC will still be riding on a high after the past two matches. I'm worried about a dip in form against the other squads more.

Finally, let me comment on the signing (finally) of Olivier Tebily. He comes with good credentials and helps fix one of the few weaknesses this squad now has. I've been harping on this a bit, but I fully expect Julius James to be a starting CB for TFC before the end of the season. What does this mean? Don't be surprised if Tyrone Marshall spends most of this season on the bench or playing for another team.

Sorry for the quick post...hope to have more time next week.

JSF.

Match Preview: TFC v. Real Salt Lake

I've stopped giving predictions on this blog since all it proves is that I don't know what the heck I am talking about...and I don't need any help proving that!


So I am not going to predict the outcome of the Toronto-Salt Lake match on Saturday. But I will tell you the things I know for sure:

• TFC fans will be pumped for this match, maybe even more than any match last season.
• RSL is a much more difficult opponent than LA was.
• TFC's midfield will have had a few days of practice to gel as a unit, which should make them more efficient than last match.
• RSL will be a confident team after a 4-0 drubbing of inconsistent DC United last week. On the other hand, RSL is one of two teams that TFC has a decent record against (the other being Houston).
• Carver will play a 4-5-1 again this week with Ricketts on the right, although I wouldn't be surprised to see him tinker with the Dichio/Cunningham playing time.
• Expect to see Julius James earn his first start in favour of Marco Velez.

Key Matchups:

• Wynne vs. Beckerman - Beckerman has had a good start to the season on the left side, and Wynne likes to take chances upfield. Should be an interesting battle.
• Guevara vs. Mantilla/Borchers - Expect Guevara to be much more active in this match, with the cooler weather and home crowd keeping things moving.
  

JSF.