Letter bag: Boycotting the MLS Cup is not the answer

I agree that a boycott of the MLS Cup would be an ineffective way to show dissatisfaction. I'll write more on that in the days ahead, but for now a letter I received from a supporter in Seattle.

I was reading the Du Nord blog this morning and he had some links to stories about the disenchantment that TFC supporters have with MLSE. I can empathize with how the RPB, U-Sector and others are feeling about the direction that management is taking your club and how they are gouging your pocket book with an increasingly inferior product. I live in Seattle and have had this with the Mariners for almost a decade now.

In the spring of this year, Mr. Rollins campaigned hard for the MLS Cup to be played in Toronto. At the time, I believed that TFC deserved to host the game. I still do. This was a deserved reward for the great support that the fans of soccer in Toronto gave to their Club and MLS in general. In reading the different articles in the Globe & Mail, Toronto Sun and others, I was reading the comments and a few were talking about having to purchase this years MLS Cup to get next years Season Tickets. If this is correct, than MLSE is obviously handling the MLS Cup game sales terribly and they deserve to get a severe backlash on this matter.

I wish I had the answer for what an appropriate response to MLSE should be for their strong arm tactics of getting every last $$$ out of the TFC faithful, however the response should not be supporters purchasing their tickets, boycotting the game and then not even offering their tickets for resale to supporters of the Clubs that will be in the match. The consequences for this will be greater to the supporters of soccer in Toronto and MLS than the Executives at MLSE. If this happens, do you really believe that MLS will ever play another Cup final or All-Star match in Toronto? This will also give the haters in all the other MLS clubs, Bill Archer comes to mind, more ammo against TFC and their supporters groups as being whiney arrogant blowhards.

MLS is on the cusp of being a relevant League in North America and I beleive that having less than a sell out at BMO for the Final would be a step backwards for the growth of a sport that we as supporters love. I implore you to use your influence on the TFC supporters with your blog or pod cast to try and discourage this form of boycott against MLSE. I think that if you boycotted their overpriced food and drink at the stadium as well as any merchandise for TFC would be a more effective tack to take.

Thanks for hearing me out.

Matt W
North End Supporter (SSFC)

Free TFC (v Arabe Unido)

To: MLSE

The Undersigned are calling for the final competitive game of Toronto FC's 2010 season (October 19 versus Arabe Unido) to be free to attend.

We feel that several factors would make this gesture appropriate.

They are:

1) - The continued failure of the club to be competitive in a league that is designed to promote parity.

2) - Four years of front office turmoil that has seen more than 80 players come through and five head coaches.

3) - Continued use of images of the supporter's groups and references to their loyalty and passion in the team's marketing.

4) - Annual per game ticket price increases that have seen the season ticket prices for said supporters increase 116% from 2007.

In light of these factors we feel that MLSE, in an act of good will, should acknowledge the dedicated support that has made TFC so successful during the four years by offering free tickets to the Oct. 19 game, or an equivalent.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

Sign here.


--

Since MLSE has offered a free exhibition game to Leafs fans the last two years there is precedent to this. They could accomplish it by crediting the accounts of those that have already bought tickets, sending an offer to season ticket holders that did not pick up the CONCACAF Champions League games and then offering them on a first come, first serve basis. A block could be held back to give away to local charities.

It was pointed out to me that CONCACAF might expect a cut of ticket sales, thus making this more difficult for MLSE to do. Although, based on the level of frustration and anger out there, it would be good business sense for MLSE to eat those costs and get this done, an equivalent value credit/ticket would be OK too.

You may be tempted to be cynical. Don’t be. This is a very specific thing that we, as fans, can ask for. If you feel that the ticket increase was uncalled for show them by signing this. No, it won’t make up for a lot, but it would be something that could be done.

This blog has a good reach, but it doesn’t reach a lot of casual support. Please spread the message.

No live show today

Nobody wants to hear us bemoan last night's loss any further anyways.

We'll be back on Friday.

DeRo says he's sorry

He appeared on The Fan 590 this afternoon and said he was sorry:

Listen here.

Sober Second Thoughts: keeping sane in the crisis

If only last night happened in July, rather than in the middle of a now two month long funk. If TFC had tied the best team in MLS back then people would be less likely to feel so empty right now.

Then again if I had $999,999 more in my pocket I’d be a millionaire. People are empty, this team is broken and the season is over. We could delude ourselves with talk of four game winning streaks and another late season collapse by the Rapids, but the truth is that’s never going to happen.

Angry supporters, meaningless games and bickering players. That’s the TFC experience for the rest of 2010. Only two more weeks to renew your season tickets!

As I’ve written before the only way to keep yourself sane for the last month is to treat each of the last four as individual experiences, all containing the possibility of salvation. If you can enjoy the small moments then maybe you can enjoy the rest of the season on some level. It’s imperative to disconnect yourself from the whole to appreciate the individual parts.

There were times last night where that did happen. Jacob Peterson’s goal was possibly the nicest goal I’ve ever seen TFC score live. That it was Peterson made it even more enjoyable. There was also an odd feeling of satisfaction in being one of the 10,000 that were there despite it all. Loyalty, even blind loyalty, has value. As much as I’ve sometimes been at odds with the North End Elite, credit where it’s due. They were there last night as was U-Sector and Red Patch Boys. Walking out of the stadium I had a brief chat with a well known RPB. His feeling was that the biggest positive that came from the game was an increased harmony and coordination amongst the south end groups. Whatever keeps you sane, we agreed.

As the CBC’s John Molinaro wrote, this team is at a crisis point. Everything around it is at a crisis point. And there doesn’t seem to be a way out. That kinda sucks.

About all TFC fans can do to find hope is to remind themselves that other teams, the Red Bulls this year and the Galaxy last, have turned things around very quickly.

That’s true, but it’s probably not getting much traction on the season ticket renewal lines.

Becks: he's got a temper, eh?

Watch it quick as it won't stay up long. Beckham confronts fans after New York game Friday.

Canada v Greece Feb. 9

A very reliable source has told me that the CSA will make an announcement today about a friendly match for 2011. It will likely be for the Feb. 9 date.

Details are thin right now. I'll update if I learn more.

It's Greece. Interesting...

It's the stadium, stupid

John Pugh, who is the man behind the PDL Ottawa Fury, has joined the leadership group behind the Lansdowne Live project in Ottawa.

those that recall the MLS expansion decision may remember that Lansdowne Live was the opposing group to Eugene Melnyk's effort to convince Ottawa to build a stadium out by his hockey rink in Kanata. Lansdowne Live, which looked to rebuild Lansdowne Stadium in Ottawa's hyper-trendy Glebe neighbourhood, eventually won the day and with that win dreams of MLS in the capital, however tenuous they were, died with it.

However, the Lansdowne Live plan did call for some soccer. Although a cynic might have guessed that it was an effort to appease the soccer nuts into supporting Lansdowne Live in the stadium debate, yesterday's news might ease those concerns a bit. Certainly it is good news that someone already involved with the game at a fairly high level in Ottawa is in the group. You would likely rather have a PDL owner trying to lead the group into D2 soccer than a junior hockey owner.

Suddenly Ottawa finds itself with two competing groups looking to bring soccer to the region. Neil Malhotra, a local real estate developer, and Lansdowne Live. Both groups have the money. And both groups now have an understanding of the sport.

Sadly, both groups have a flawed stadium plan. In Malhotra's case he wants to convert the former AAA baseball stadium into a soccer facility. That's not without precedent, but it would take a significant investment to make it workable.

Lansdowne Live has a brilliant location (the Glebe is very nice with lots of watering holes nearby and is a short hop to the downtown core) and the stadium will be nice. The CFL's third kick at the can in the capital is scheduled to play there starting in 2013. But, that's the problem. It's a Canadian football stadium, with all that entails -- FieldTurf, lines on the pitch and more than 25,000 seats.

If it was just the challenge of trying to market a D2 soccer team playing in a Canadian football stadium it would be one thing. However, the new D2 standards set out by the USSF last month make this more complicated. Those rules state that all D2 teams must be playing in a soccer specific stadium within five years. I don't hear anyone in the Lansdowne Live group talking about building another stadium.

That's what Ottawa fans need to be aware of. On paper, yesterday's move looks promising. In reality it's hard to see how it advanced the cause. If D2 soccer is coming to Ottawa it still seems like it's going to have to be driven by the Malhotra group. Or, better yet, as a cooperative effort from both.

If the two groups worked together some more money could be generated to make the former Lynx Stadium a proper home to soccer, allow Lansdowne to be used for big games and allow for the two groups to combine forces to market the team.

Ottawa's a small city. It's not really big enough for two groups to be fighting over the same small piece of the sports' market pie.

Tom Anselmi on DeRo: disappointing

Whether you like Bob McCown (when it comes to the sport he's Canada's answer to Jim Rome -- except that McCown isn't a jock sniffer) or not, you should take 10 minutes and listen to his interview with Tom Anselmi from last night.

The Fan doesn't let me embed, so click here.

Even the fact that McCown dealt with the topic is interesting. He rarely ever has soccer topics and even more rarely talks TFC. However, this obviously caught his attention.

For all of his anti-soccer bluster -- which is mostly for show -- he does ask Anselmi pretty much everything a soccer-focused journo would (I can't say I would have handled the interview much differently, other than to directly ask him about Preki's parting shot about board meddling).

What all the fuss is about

For those who have not yet seen it, DeRo's celebration:



It's too bad we are talking about the celebration because that's one hell of a goal...

It's Called Football - Guest: John Molinaro

Today, we're joined by John Molinaro of CBC Sports to talk about Dwayne DeRosario's controversial goal celebration, if he's worth DP money and if should he stay on as captain after this year.

And we also get into what the fallout will be from TFC missing the playoffs once again, if its time for MLS to re-think its DP strategy and which Canadian soccer personality you'd want on your side in a fight.

Second chances and the Toronto Football Club

TFC plays tomorrow night. Many may have blocked that fact out and many more might "forget" to show up (90 per cent chance of rain by the way), but it's true. Actually, it's as close to a playoff game TFC is going to see at BMO this year.

So, the Reds should be happy to take any advantage that they can get.

Although it's hard to imagine a missed practice, which is all SLC's travel issues really caused, is going to make that much of a difference.

In light of the current negativity it is worth reminding fans that TFC is still in the mix in the CCL. If they can beat SLC tomorrow they will enter the last match day with a better than average chance of advancing. It's all they have now (realistically). You would hope the players realize it.

That said, SLC understands that they will clinch with a win. And, they are pretty damn good. SLC drew TFC 0-0 earlier this year at BMO. They looked the better team that day in a game that turned out to be foreshadowing for the rest of the year. So, no one should be expecting a win. Hoping is another thing altogether.

I enjoy telling you I told you so, but the mood right now around the fan-base and the tepid ticket sales for tomorrow’s game underline a point that I made a great deal back in July. The CCL is for the geeks. It is clearly not held up as being anywhere near as important as the league by the vast majority of people that go to games at BMO -- even those that actually understand what it is. If you disagree, you also must think that a win tomorrow is going to suddenly make 2010 a success.

Still, it's something and TFC fans should be grateful for. The players too. You don't typically get second chances in North American sports to salvage something out of lost seasons. TFC has.

There is even a TFC player with some experience playing in this sort of game. Two years ago Houston was upset in the first round of the playoffs, thus ending its drive for an historic third straight MLS Cup. Then they had to wait nearly a month to play a make-up game in the CCL. Houston won that game and advanced to the quarterfinals. To a man, the players all said that it was important to them to erase the disappointment of falling in the playoffs with a good performance in the CCL.

Hopefully TFC can do the same.

Something to cheer you up

Since most Canadian football fans need to be cheered up, click here.

A Canadian hat-trick in a decent European league. Who knew?

Ambivalence and DeRo

There is something a little off about the captain of a sinking ship asking for a raise just as the mast disappears beneath the surface of Lake Ontario. Even if it’s widely understood that the ship sunk because of the quality of the deckhands wasn’t good enough and the captain once won the America’s Cup while steering another ship, it’s still a little, well, ballsy.

Yet here we are. Dwayne DeRosario, undeniably TFC’s most talented offensive player, making a very public call for a raise after scoring a beautiful goal – when down two at home in a must win game. Obviously, San Jose immediately went back down to score the goal that put the final bullet in the pretty much already dead playoff hopes of TFC.

In case people didn’t understand what he was trying to get at during the game, DeRo repeated himself to the CBC’s John Molinaro after the game.

The reaction to his demand was mixed. It’s probably been more mixed than DeRo would have anticipated. He’s very popular, but Toronto sports fans don’t react well to players calling for more money. That’s doubly the case for skill players where the Larry Murphy Rule is king.

For those unaware, the LMR says that T.O.'s sports fans will hyper criticise skill players who fail to make an immediate impact, while simultaneously forgiving the failings of less skilled players that are "gritty." To this point, DeRo has been an exception to the LMR. We will see whether this changes things. Based on some of my comments in the piece below, it might. There are calls to move him.

That would be a mistake. DeRo is good and this team would be down with DC United if he wasn’t there. But, what do you do with this? To answer my own question, look at it logically.

First, is DeRo a DP? Under the old rule of one per team, not really. He was a max player. Under the new rule, with three per team available, an argument can be made. That’s especially the case when you look at all of the other things that he does for the team. If you were to walk to the inside gate at the ACC you’ll see a 20-foot high image of DeRo on the wall. He’s beside Jim Brennan and Julian de Guzman in the club’s effort to brand the team. Brennan was taken care of earlier this year and JDG is very well taken care of. Although a $400,000 plus salary is nothing to sneeze at, you can understand why DeRo would like to make the figurative move from Leaside to Forest Hill.

Complicating things is that DeRo was criminally underpaid during his peak years in Houston and San Jose. In a perfect, cap-free world I’d absolutely argue that DeRo should be given a beyond generous contract to finish things out.

The problem is it’s a cap league. However, since a DP is only a $335,000 cap hit that’s the number you need to worry about. Is DeRo worth a $335,000 hit to the cap over the next couple years? He probably is.

Is he worth it enough to plug your nose and set a poor example by giving into a public demand for more money? There’s the question you need to ask yourself.

D$Ro

DeRo wants a raise.

He's probably right. His timing sucks. That's all I have to say on the subject (for now).

Sober Second Thoughts: The end

The prevailing emotion after the DC United game was anger. Yesterday, for those that still did care, it was mostly sadness. One game short of a fourth full home season and it it feels as if whatever we once had in that stadium -- Paul Beirne calls it "an authentic football experience" -- is gone. Yes, there remains a core in the south end that sing and try to make each game an experience of its own. However, those folks have always represented the minority. Even when 100 foot billboards of section 113 were being hung in Toronto's gigantic downtown mall that image of the chanting, half unglued nutter didn't represent the core in that stadium.

For the south end to have an impact it needs to feed off energy in the rest of the stadium. If there is any energy now, it's negative. I'm not sure anything positive has ever emerged from 19,000 negative voices.

I could take this space today and give you a breakdown of the game. I'm not sure what that would accomplish. The team isn't good enough. Period. The end. I could also use this space to talk about what it needs to do to get better. We have to next March to talk about that though. So, I want to talk about us, the supporters.

I don't want to lecture, so I won't. I'm not here to tell you how to cheer for this team, or even if you should still cheer for the team. I do know that there were a lot of empty seats at the start of the game and the place never really filled up. In the second half of the game you could move in the south end. So, it wasn't just the so-called prawns that were staying away. I also saw the reaction when the North End Elite put up their dollar sign tifo. A significant amount of people in the east stand applauded.

A word on that: I think it's a bit simplistic to say that the lack of enthusiasm in the stands is entirely the fault of MLSE increasing tickets. However, it didn't help. I don't have an issue with the NEE's message. I've always said protesting should be reserved to things that have to do with our ability to enjoy the team -- ticket prices speak to that. My issue is when people protest losing. Losing is part of sports. I also wish they didn't chose to put the banners up in the 24th Minute.

I found myself in a reflective mood as I was travelling home from the game. Several hours had passed. I had enjoyed a beer with the core members of U-Sector. Although that part of the night was still healthy, the community that has evolved around this team is very important to many people, I couldn't shake the feeling that the TFC experience has changed. The party is over, so to speak. A certain purity has been lost. Although that was probably inevitable, it's still sad.

The question, then, is how can we find a new, mature experience. The naive boosterism of 2007 is probably not healthy long-term and the irrational anger at the Galaxy game in 2009 (following the loss to Vancouver) wasn't very sophisticated either. A little balance would be nice.

As would a little loyalty. And winning. Winning won't cure all, but it will help a great deal. TFC will miss the playoffs for a fourth straight year.

No MLS side has ever gone five straight.

#LAvNY LIVE LIVE LIVE BLOG!!!1!

Since it's the BIGGEST GAME IN THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD! i figured a live blog was in order.

Join me at 10:45 p.m. EDT. If you're lucky I'll be drinking.

It's Called Football - Guests: Carmine Isacco, Paul Beirne

Today, we're joined by Carmine Isacco, former TFC assistant and now coach of the York Lions and Portugal FC, to talk about their season's, the need for more Canadian coaches and the role of CSL in development.

Then we're joined by TFC director of business operations, Paul Beirne, to talk about the recent rise in ticket prices and what the motivations were.

We'll set up the TFC game vs San Jose and talk about a Wall Street journal story that points out that 5 players account for 30% of the salaries in the league.

Duane (arrogant central Canadian) v Mel (man of the people)

Apparently I'm debating Mel on the Some Guys Talking About Round Kicky Ball podcast today after ICF.

The topic of the debate will be why I hate the Maritimes, or something like that. I'm sure it will be a reasoned debate about the merits of playing Canada games outside of the major metropolitan areas of the country. I fairly confident it's not an ambush and that no one is going to whip frozen fiddleheads at my head. Although I can't be sure.

More info here. And, listen here.

Geographical Correctness and other problems in Canadian soccer

Some Canadian Guys Writing About Soccer are on a mission to bring a Canadian men’s national team game to Moncton, NB. You can read why they think it’s a good idea here. If you agree with them, they are asking you to sign a petition, which can be found here.

I encourage you to sign the petition if you agree.

I don’t. And, here’s why.

Although I appreciate the sincerity of what they are arguing and I understand the underlying logic, I simply think it’s misguided. The entire focus of the CSA right now should be on providing the men’s national team with the best possible environment to win games in. Although spreading the gospel to the Maritimes and getting a few thousand pro-Canadian fans in the stadium would be nice it would also be the equivalent of putting vanilla icing on a mouldy cake.

Or, to use another analogy, it would be like Mamma Mia! putting together a touring company before opening the play on Broadway. Or, doing liposuction on a triple bypass patient. Or...

You get the point. Support for the Canadian national team program needs to be solid in the core before you can possibly start to grow it in the hinterland. There is simply no pent up demand for a men’s soccer game in Moncton. Such an event would be treated as a one-off by the locals. Yes a few kids might get hooked, and that’s great, but it would do next to nothing to increase the overall profile of the team (especially when you factor in that the type of opponent the game would have to bring in would be a lower ranked team. You can’t play Brazil in Moncton with 10,000 temporary seats).

Other than the United States you do not find too many soccer powers moving national team games around their country out of a misplaced sense of fairness, or misguided effort to grow the brand. Yes, Canada has played Spain, Germany and Mexico in provincial towns from time to time, but, um, Canada was playing. That’s why the game was in a provincial town. Established programs placed the dog game somewhere where the hicks might buy in. I don’t think that’s what Squizz and the boys have in mind.

There are two ways that Canada can create a situation where a game in a place like Moncton makes sense. They could win more and they can make a Canadian national team game a happening place to be. Both factors are tied into the other.

Let’s look at the scoreboard side of the equation for a moment. You need to make the players as comfortable as possible to give them a good chance to win. That means putting them up in nice hotels, reducing the distractions and making sure the travel arrangements are first rate.

Let’s look at travel. Using four Canadian regulars – Paul Stalteri, Mike Klukowski, Dejan Jakovic and Lars Hirschfeld – I used Travelocity to find flights from their club teams to Moncton (Canada sends its players commercial). I then compared the total travel time to get to Moncton to what it would take to get to Toronto.

In all cases the travel time was shorter to Toronto (although in Stalteri’s case only by one minute). The numbers were 13 hrs 27 min from Oslo, 12 hrs 22 min from Mönchengladbach, 7 hrs 52 min from Washington, DC and a whopping 33 hrs 12 min from Ankara, Turkey. The equivalent to Toronto was 11 hrs 55 min, 12 hrs 21 min, 3 hrs 15 min and 17 hrs 30 min. So, 66 hours 55 min total travel time to Moncton and 45 hrs 2 min to Toronto.

Since the CSA is always worried about money, the cost for the flights to Moncton was $1,164, $1,174, $1,180 and $1,610 for a total of $5,128. Toronto came in $1,326 cheaper at $3802 total ($1,105, $952, $562 and $1,183). Expand that over an entire roster and it’s a big savings (enough to off-set the difference in hotel prices between Moncton and Toronto (Actually, the Ramada Crowne Plaza in Moncton is $170/night right now and only $120 a night in Toronto, so...)

Putting the costs aside, let’s examine whether playing a game in Moncton helps to build the national team support base. The logic is if you expose them they will come and they will stay. The problem with that thinking is that to generate a loyal following you have to follow-up on new support quickly. If you go out to Moncton next spring and play a one-off 99 per cent of the crowd will treat it as a nice day out. They won’t go looking for other ways to support the team since the team won’t likely be back their way for a long time. Meanwhile you’ve missed an opportunity to build on a developing supporter base elsewhere.

And here is where I’m going to piss some people off. Before you start typing the angry Centre-Of-The universe comments below, take a moment to reflect on the argument. Also, understand that the main push of my stance is for consistency, not necessarily consistently playing 10 minutes from my condo.

I don’t care if every game is played in Toronto. I just think it makes a lot of sense on a lot of levels. Because of circumstance Toronto have, by numbers, the biggest pocket of potential support for the national team. Although it was disappointing to see as many Peruvian fans with 905 area codes at BMO this month, it was nice to see the group of 500 active Canadian fans that filled the south end. You would at least double that for a World Cup qualifying game.

It is important to tap into that support that is sitting there. If you neglect it, it will go away. Yes, games in Toronto will be attended by lots of fans supporting the visitors. I’ve got news for you – there would have been Hondurans in Moncton if a World Cup qualifier were played there – Latin American ex-pats will travel to see their team, far more than Canadians will.

If you want to hold every Canada game in Moncton, I’d support that idea. It would be an odd choice, but it would allow a supporter’s base to grow there and, eventually, provide Canada with a true home advantage. With all due respect 5,000 soccer moms with thundersticks won’t accomplish that even if they are wearing red.

If we could pick Vancouver up and move it 3,000 miles closer to Europe (and get grass in BC Place) they would have the same potential to generate the rabid, pro-Canadian fan base it needs. Right now, however, the best chance and most logical chance to try and build something is in T.O. (and I haven’t even touched on the media advantage there is to playing in Ontario).

People worry about a potential fan in Moncton (or wherever) not getting turned on by the Nats because they never get to see them play. I don’t. It’s a TV world. I discovered the sport and the Canadian national team on the boobtube, others will too. If you create an exciting, pro-Canadian atmosphere and the the team starts winning a bit then you will create demand where there simply is none now. Once you have that demand then by all means take the show on the road.

Then, it might have some benefit. Now, it would be just more fumbling in the dark.

No November friendly for Canada

If you are waiting to see who Canada will add to the schedule for the November FIFA date, you might want to quite waiting. It was confirmed to me this morning that there will be no friendly on the Nov. 17 FIFA date.

If you look down at my Canada Friendly Watch you'll note that the CSA has done OK so far. With eight games through nine international dates they are on pace to meet the goal of 85 per cent success at booking friendlies. The only concern I have is that the pre-World Cup period may have artificially bumped that number up as everyone was looking for games.

During the actual dates Canada is firing at 5 for 8 rate - so not quite 85 per cent.

Typically Canada schedules a North American camp in early January and plays a game during that stretch. After the Ukraine game next month that could be the next time we see the Nats.

Carl Robinson (briefly) speaks on TFC

Many thought that when Preki arrived it was an accident waiting to happen and so it proved

Carl Robinson

Robinson, in his typical classy way, was understated with his words. However, it was clear. Getting rid of Preki and Mo Johnston was the "right choice" for TFC.

It might have been the best thing for both Robinson and TFC for him to move on last year. However, it was handled in an extremely disrespectful way and that all of the former coach.

Note: It should be said that Robinson lost his father this past week. I'm sure he'd appreciate well wishes via Twitter @CarlRobinson33.

O'Brian White called by Jamaica

The "debate" has been mostly forgotten by now since he hasn't looked at all ready to play internationally, but Jamaica has called up O'Brian White for the Oct. 10 friendly against T&T. No word on whether he's accepted the call, which would not cap tie him.

White grew up in Jamaica, moving briefly to Toronto as a teenager, before going to the NCAA. So, this should hardly be viewed in the same way as an Asmir Begovic, Owen Hargreaves or Jacob Lensky. Oh yeah, Jonathon de Guzman too. God there are a lot of them, aren't there?

White also played for the Jamaican youth set-up, so God speed to him.

I'm more intrigued by the fact that Jamaica called him up. Maybe the Reggae Boyz are in worse shape than I thought.

CONCACAF: stuck in 1982

Just when you want to take the CONCACAF Champions League seriously -- and most of us in Toronto really, really want to take the CCL seriously -- you take a close look at the thing.

Even when you look past the (allegedly) corrupt refereeing, three quarter empty stadiums and reserve side line-ups you can still find some issues.

Take scheduling. After the infamous German - Austrian scoreless draw at the 1982 World Cup, which saw both teams advance, most competitions have moved to a scheduling plan that sees the final games in group stages played at the same time. That way you don't have any funny business.

Here is the CCl schedule for the final match day:

October 19
Toronto v Arabe Unido - 8 p.m.
Santos v Municipal - 8 p.m.
Seattle Sounders v Saprissa - 10 p.m.
Real Salt Lake v Cruz Azul - 10 p.m.

October 20
Toluca v FAS - 8 p.m.
Marathón v Monterrey - 10 p.m.
Olimpia v Puerto Rico - 10 p.m.

October 21
Joe Public v Columbus Crew - 8 p.m.

So, just like every other week then. Although you can understand that there are logistical issues with playing the games at the same time, for competitive and integrity reasons it needs to happen.

To take this argument Toronto-centric for a moment let's consider this realistic scenario:

Next week Toronto guts out a win at home against Salt Lake (that won't be easy, but it's not impossible) and Cruz Azul does what everyone expects and beats Arabe Unido in Mexico.

That would make the standings Cruz Azul 10, RSL 9, TFC 7, Arabe Unido 3 heading into the final match day.

Then Toronto beats Arabe Unido at 8 p.m. Oct. 19. With the win TFC goes to 10 points and sits on top of the group as RSL and Cruz Azul kick-off. Then they watch hopelessly as the two teams play knowing that there is a result that benefits both of them.

Like Germany and Austria in that World Cup game 28 years ago the two teams could hold a tea part in the centre circle and still advance with the 0-0. A win by either team would advance TFC (a RSL win would actually eliminate the Mexicans, which is an interesting possibility).

Salt Lake will probably want to win the group, and the US - Mexico rivalry would likely prevent any sort of "understanding" but the optics of it will be terrible.

It might not come to it. Salt Lake is going to be difficult to beat next week and if the Reds don't get the full three points this discussion is irrelevant. But, that doesn't mean that we shouldn't explore it.

The region needs a strong club competition that inspires confidence in all its members. The CCL is a work in progress.

Note: Yes, you can say the same thing about the MLS schedule. Thanks for asking.

It's Called Football - Guest: Denzel Eslinger, Daniel Squizzato

Today we're joined by Denzel Eslinger, from RSL SoapBox, to talk about the CCL results and discuss who has the upper edge in Champions League heading into the final two games.

Then we're joined by Daniel Squizzato, whose petition to bring a CMNT game to Moncton is starting to generate a buzz, to tell us why it can work there.

And we'll also weigh the rumours about Owen Hargraeves and Jay DeMerit headed to the Vancouver Whitecaps and discuss MLS' strategy to promote big markets and forgive their bigger roster stars.

Apologies for the earlier problems. The correct show is now posted. Thank you for your patience.

It's Called A Post-Game

After what can only be described as one of Toronto's best defensive performances of the year, stealing a point from Cruz Azul in Mexico, we breakdown the players who raised their game, those who have no right being on the pitch most days and what this means for their chances going forward.

We talk about the lineup selections and what the motivation was going in, Nicholas Lindsay's first start and his potential, as well the fury surrounding the news of a raise in ticket prices, going into next year.

Putting the ass between me and U

I wouldn't normally cut and paste the majority of a newspaper article, but I wanted to capture this before the web editors get a hold of it.

An advance story in the Salt Lake Deseret News for tonight's CCL game between SLC and Arabe Unido. Read the highlighted section

Never before will scoring the first goal be so important than it is tonight for Real Salt Lake.

Make no mistake, the club is more than capable of overcoming a deficit — it has in all three previous CONCACAF Champions League matches — but the circumstances in this match are different.

Arabe Unido has proven it will do anything to get a result. It already embarrassed itself and the sport once during the competition with its stalling antics at Rio Tinto Stadium, and there's no reason to think it won't try and flop its way to a victory again in the return leg in Panama....

(snip)...

A third win would virtually secure RSL's advancement.

Cruz Azul beat Toronto in Mexico City on Tuesday night to improve to nine points in Group A, while Toronto is still stuck on three points after a third straight loss. RSL can improve to nine points and leave Arabe Unido stuck on three points with a win of its own.

Under those circumstances, three unlikely scenarios would need to pan out for RSL not to advance. It would need to lose its last two group games, Toronto would need to win its last two group games, and Toronto would have to beat RSL 3-0 or by any four-goal margin when they play in Canada on Sept. 28.

"I think this is a huge game for our club, this game can kind of help put us in the driver's seat a little bit, so I think we're going down there to get three points without a question," said Grabavoy.

You can read the whole thing here. As of 12:20 p.m. EDT it had not been edited.

Look, I've written on deadline before. I get that you write stuff before and the pressure of trying to do more than one thing at once can cause things to slip through -- that's what the desk is supposed to be for. But if you made a mistake like that outside the toy department you could be fired. When I did an internship at a daily I was told by the managing editor that he knew of people that were let go after their probation period for spelling a name wrong. His message was clear - journalism gets enough criticism from outside. A journalist needs to be perfect. What's pedantic in most areas of life could be a serious hit to your credibility as a journo.

In this particular case, MLS fans deserve better. It illustrates how little attention many reporters pay to the league. Do you think the late NFL result would get misreported? Sadly, most readers of that story won't come to places like this. They will take the report at face value. They now believe that a win tonight by RSL will all but clinch their advancement. It won't.

The reporter, James Edward, likely made an assumption. He figured that he could get away with it based on years of history. The unpredictability of sport bit him in the ass.

I'm sure there are a lot of legitimate pressures on Edward. Newsrooms have been stripped to the bone in recent years and journalists are overworked and expected to do too many things. That sucks. However, he writes about sports for a living. There are thousands of people out there -- capable people -- that would kill for his job. He needs to do better.

As a MLS fan/blogger I can laugh at the silly little MSM error. As someone with a j-school diploma hanging on my wall I can't find much funny about it.

UPDATE: I was informed that the correct version ran in the print edition. To be clear, James may not be entirely responsible -- the web editors may not have updated after he updated. However, as a writer the responsibility of accuracy - on all platforms -- remains on you.

Sober Second Thoughts: Making history-ish

TFC is back in the mix in the CONCACAF Champions League. Last night's draw, although ugly and not likely to ever be repeated, puts the Reds in a position where they have a decent chance of advancing if they win both of their remaining home games.

It's not a sure thing. Even if TFC wins out they could miss if they end up tied with SLC and fail to reverse a three goal difference next week against the poorly named football club from Utah.

Still, though, after the 4-1 loss last week to SLC it was nice to have a little hope back. Combine last night's gritty draw with Saturday’s dramatic win and TFC fans are downright giddy today (well, those not firing off angry e-mails to their ticket sales reps that is).

By the numbers, TFC became the first MLS club to end a CCL round with a winning record against a Mexican team (to be clear, that figure is not including the CONCACAF Champions Cup records. The last MLS side to beat a Mexican side in the CCC was Kansas City in 2002 - 3-2 (1-2, 2-0) on aggregate). It does include Montreal's record as a D2 team. The Impact drew Atlante 0-0 at home and lost 2-1 in Mexico.

The Reds also became just the fourth team from an American-based league to get a draw in Mexico.

So, it was impressive. Regardless of how the rest of the CCL plays out for TFC I don't think it can be argued that they embarrassed themselves. That said, you would expect the Reds to beat Arabe Unido at home. So, it will come down to SLC next week.

Who needs playoff games at BMO? The next two home games are playoff games in all but name.

Nick Dasovic's brief MLS head coaching career now stands at 1-1-1 in all competitions. The season ticket anger aside, it's been a remarkable turnaround in attitude amongst most TFC supporters. Although both the playoffs and the CCL remain outside of TFC's control things don't seem as hopeless today as they did after the DC game.

Hope -- that's all any football fan really wants. For too long having some in Toronto seemed naive. Today you can feel a little better about yourself for believing just a little.

TFC v Cruz Azul preview: pray

I’m not sure TFC fans realized how improbable the 2-1 home win against Cruz Azul was. It was the first win over a Mexican team by a MLS team in the CCL history. If you take that win away, the league’s record against the FMF is 0-3-10.

MLS has been been outscored 14-34 in those games. It’s not pretty. And, that’s not even considering the league’s road record in Mexico. That’s simple to remember: oh-for-forever. Your father was playing tag at recess the last time a team based in an American league won in Mexico.

So, it’s a perfect time for TFC to make some history, right!

*cough*

Or, not. Reds fans must enter into tonight’s games with eyes wide open. The best MLS teams have struggled a great deal in Mexico. TFC, God love it, is not one of the best MLS teams. A close loss would be acceptable. A draw a cause for celebration. Survival is the key tonight.

And if TFC wins against the very long odds?

Repent.

Chad's rant

Chad Barrett’s sideline interview with reporter Andi Petrillo is quickly becoming the stuff of urban legend. If you’d like to watch it, a download link is here


This is what was said:

Andi P: ...you can tell that this Houston team is a well rested team, but what’s happening right now that is allowing them to have that time and space to play with the ball?

Chad Barrett: There’s no liveliness. There is no energy. I don’t know what’s going on right now. We didn’t come to play. It’s pretty obvious; everyone is just letting everyone else do their own work. We’re just marking space and if we keep doing that we’re going to get slaughtered.

Andi P: What needs to happen right now with yourself, Maicon Santos up front to make sure that you get those goals?

Chad Barrett: we need to stop defending – get the ball up to us, get the ball to our feet. The couple of times that we did get the ball to our feet we did look kind of dangerous. The finishing piece hasn’t been there. But, you can’t really expect the finishing piece to be there when you get two, three chances. We need the team to step up, we need everyone to get going and we need to come back and try and win – the truth is we’re doing kind of well. To get slaughtered like that and only be down 1-0 is amazing.

EDIT: His post game scrum -

The ticket price debate - not as out there as you might think

I touched on this below, but the ticket price comparison between England and TFC is worth exploring on its own.

Although there is some truth to the argument that it's not fair to compare a stadium of 70,000 with BMO Field's 21,000, you have to wonder whether the comparison should be dismissed outright.

Perception is reality. Yes, MLS has far less TV money to fall back on and travel costs are much, much higher than an EPL team. That doesn't matter to Joe from Woodbridge when he calls into the Fan 590 to bitch about ticket prices.

Although the EPL is a million miles away from MLS on the pitch, it's only a 7-hour flight from Toronto (more than 20 direct flights a day from YYZ). Since many TFC fans are also fans of an English club you would have to think that there might be some that are thinking that there are better ways to spend their football cash.

If you're in the expensive seats you are spending $4,000 a year for a pair. Add parking and food/beverages you are looking at about another $50 a game, for a season total of about $5,000 a year.

A round-trip flight to London for two is about $1,600. For six nights of a hotel you are looking at $1,200 ($200 a night in London is doable. It would be less in other parts of the UK). Since I could have got pair of tickets at Eastlands for the Liverpool game at about $100 let's budget $500 for tickets to five games (you could likely see two games on a Saturday another on Sunday and, if you were lucky, two more during the week). That would be a total cost of $3,300. That would leave $1,700 to enjoy the sights of England and to get to the stadiums.

If you want to follow TFC you can still get out to a few games a year when it fits in your schedule.

To me you would get more value out of getting out to a stadium week after week to support your home town team. But, that opinion is not shared by everyone. I can understand the appeal of doing a trip like I've outlined above every year.

Hopefully MLSE also understands that.

Sellin', sellin'. Anyone sellin'

The TFC season ticket numbers are out. As expected, there has been another increase, both in cost per ticket and in the overall sticker price. The latter is the most shocking to the system as the package includes four more games than in 2010, including the 2010 MLS Cup.

The Globe has an interesting comparison to the costs in England. Although I already knew that it would be cheaper for me to watch City than TFC, it is a bit startling to stare the fact in the face.

The reaction is about what you would expect it to be.

Although I am not anti-corporate and recognize that MLSE is actually allowed to make money on this thing, I do understand the frustration regarding even a small cost per game increase. I doubt the operating costs have increased to the point that MLSE would be at risk for losing money if they held the line on tickets for one year. They made a cold business decision -- something they are often criticised for -- and they will probably get away with it for now. However, when you are talking about establishing long-term relationships, it was a mistake to inch up the costs this year.

It's especially problematic when you consider the sticker price increase. They have added the MLS Cup while taking away the international friendly (which means that if a friendly is booked next year it will be sold separately like we saw with the Real Madrid game). So that's a wash. The biggest difference is the two extra regular season games plus two additional NCC/CCL games. If TFC does not win the Voyageurs Cup the tickets not used will be refunded. So MLSE is engaging in a little up selling. As someone that wants to see full houses for V-Cup and CCL games I don't have as much of an issue with that.

Ultimately I'll be in the stadium next year. I'll be there until they carry me out in a box (which, if I don't get my ass back to a gym sometime soon might not be far off). However, I'm not who MLSE needs to worry about. That would be the "prawns" and the come for the party crowd. And they are at a breaking point.

Sober Second Thoughts: Yes, that really happened

TFC forgot to show up for 45 minutes, looked horrible for long stretches and statistically Houston dominated all aspects of the game.

Obviously Toronto won.

Football is a funny game sometimes. Just when you want to poke a fork in your eye something like DeRo's second half performance jumps out and sucks you back in. There is a reason Scarborough's own is one of MLS' all-time best. Although you are not hearing his name mentioned outside of Toronto for the league MVP I dare you to find a player more valuable to his club than DeRo.

If he gets hot again and drags this team into the playoffs it will be a crime not to recognize him with the award. They have to make the playoffs though.

But, let's not talk about the playoffs right now. They remain a long shot, especially with all but one result going the wrong way for TFC this week. Getting into the post season will require some help. So, forget it. Instead, as I wrote earlier tonight, enjoy each game on its own merits. If TFC fails to make the playoffs tonight's win will not have felt any less good.

Three points. Enjoy the ride wherever it takes you. That’s what it's all about.

Tonight raise a glass and breathe it in. Tonight is why we watch this sport.

Note: Tonight's win was the first time in team history that TFC had won a game with a 90+ stoppage time goal. It was only the third 90+ goal ever and first since 2008.

The purity of the chase

At the time I called it the most important meaningless goal in Toronto sports history. When Danny Dichio lobbed the ball over New England’s Matt Reis with practically the last kick of the 2007 season it didn’t change anything. Toronto was still in last in the east, it still had major problems that needed to be addressed and New England still was cruising on its way to a second straight MLS Cup appearance.

It was just a draw, at home. One point. Nothing more. Except that there was more.

Dichio’s goal set off as joyous a celebration as I can remember. Although clearly more localized, the only comparable thing I can think of was the streets of Toronto following the 1992-93 World Series wins. Seriously. TFC fans stormed onto the field, danced and sang and refused to let go of what was a magical and unexpected season. Our sport had arrived. We didn’t care about the big picture stuff. It was all about the moment and the purity of the chase for three points.

It was clearly never going to last. The discontent could be heard as early as 2008. Very few of Toronto’s fans are 96ers (those that have been following MLS since the beginning). Not many even remember the CSL days. Rather than having evolved as domestic soccer supporters they were parachuted into the situation from their favourite Saturday morning pub. Most were fans of big clubs that won a lot. This is not meant as a slam of those supporters but the truth is many of them lack the will to stick with a club through highs and lows.

We’re seeing it this year. Although in many cases it’s bluster, there are people – even people that have stood in the supporter’s section – that are saying that they are giving their season seats up. While TFC still draws better than most MLS teams, it isn’t hard to get a seat at face value, or below, seconds before kick-off. You just have to know where to look.

I think it’s safe to say that the novelty has worn off. Those that are still in the stadium and still following this club week after week are there because they have always been there (following domestic soccer) or have fallen hard for the weekly grind of it all.

TFC entered its second era last week when Mo Johnston was fired. It’s time that the fans of TFC looked to move into their second phase too. Everyone is entitled to support a team how they see fit, but everyone in that stadium has been around MLS long enough now to know a few things – that nothing is ever a sure thing (even our support) and that there is always going to be more heartache than glory.

So, if you are loudly proclaiming that you are getting rid of those seasons, or tempted to play the role of Cynical Bitter Fan at the next home game, then maybe you should ask yourself a direct question: Why are you putting yourself through the grief?

This isn’t really important, eh? We watch sports and cheer for our favourite teams to enhance our lives. If TFC is really making you miserable then don’t go. I don’t mean that in a don’t-let-the-door-hit-your-ass-on-the-way-out kind of way but rather as a sincere suggestion. Give your tickets to someone that can enjoy the experience for what it is, without the burden of expectation.

The rest of us also need to ask ourselves a question. Although we should never lose sight of our desire to win – that’s what makes sports so compelling, the chase for reflected glory – we should ask ourselves why we can’t also find a little balance.

Forget the playoff chase. Forget that O’Brian White has a terrible first touch and forget that TFC seems allergic to winning. Instead strip it down to the basics.

It should be about the purity of the chase. Each game represents hope, a chance to make amends for past mistakes. We all need to find a way to take joy from the simple victories.

I don’t ever expect to see a pitch invasion following a meaningless home draw again, but it would be nice if we all remembered that this is supposed to be fun.

It's Called Football - Guest: Brian Zygo

Today, we're joined by Brian Zygo from The Orange Slice in Houston to help set up the game against Toronto FC this weekend.

We'll breakdown the loss to Real Salt Lake and what it means for their CCL hopes, talk about the recent homegrown signing and the improbable season's for TFC Academy and Milltown FC.

Only two teams didn't lose to Brazil in the summer of '94...

Just cause'



Only 24 teams made it to USA '94. Just two from CONCACAF. Canada finished second in qualifying and really were screwed in the final game against Mexico.

Just imagine what it might have been. Canada playing its group games in Detroit. Kids inspired.

(sigh)

At least we had this goal. I guess.

(G-L has updated his classic Canadian clips)

Nick Dasovic: in good company

HT to long-time Canadian, Toronto Blizzard/Lynx and TFC supporter Dave Bailey for unearthing this little bit of trivia.

In 2000 current interim TFC head coach Nick Dasovic started his journey to becoming a manager by taking his UEFA B licence. He was instructed by Scottish youth coach Tommy Wilson.

In the class that he took there were surely several eager and highly qualified people. Many have gone on to be successful, I'm positive.

Then there was Jose Mourinho.

Yes, Dasovic was in the same UEFA B licensing course as the Special One. Clearly, that must mean something!

The dream team TFC style

On yesterday’s It’s Called Football former Canadian international and current CBC commentator Jason deVos indicated that he would be interested in joining TFC’s new management structure. That was welcome news to most that have followed deVos’ post playing career. He’s smart and passionate guy that is dedicated to the growth of soccer in Canada.

Interestingly, deVos also suggested that TFC should not be looking for a single person to manage its football operations, but rather should be looking to emulate the model in Vancouver where there are several voices involved in football operations. deVos said that one of the biggest errors TFC made with Mo Johnston was giving him all the power – there were no checks and balances that Johnston had to go through to make a player decision.

Although most of the speculation will be on what coach the Reds will bring in to replace Preki if Nick Dasovic is deemed not ready, the far more important hire is on the management side. It’s unclear just how much influence the sideline manager has in a pro club. It’s far more important that you get quality youth coaches than field bosses. Development is pretty much done once a player is on the senior roste, the manager’s job is to motivate and not get in the way of the talent (something Preki failed to understand).

The general manager, however, builds the team. That’s where you need to make sure you are spending your money wisely because they will define your club more than any other individual.

As stated, three or four good minds are better than even the best mind. With that in mind, here is my dream TFC management group.

Director of Soccer Operations - Earl Cochrane

If TFC goes with a leadership by committee approach, I have no problem leaving the Director of Soccer Operations job in the hands of the man that currently holds Mo’s former job on an interim basis. Cochrane has a done a great job on the academy side and has deep connections in the Canadian soccer world. Importantly, as a man who has been involved since the beginning, he has an understanding of both MLS rules and MLSE corporate culture. The person in this position should lead and shape the football staff around him, but won’t necessarily be making the calls on player acquisitions. This is a position that aims to strengthen the bond between the football club and community and the senior team and academy. It is the top football job, but roles are delegated.

General Manager – Jason de Vos

De Vos has a strong knowledge of the Canadian player pool and the Canadian system. As well, he has strong connections in the UK. Acting as the face of the football operations department, de Vos’ role will be fully focused on identifying and recruiting players. He will not be responsible for negotiating player’s contracts. That role goes to Cochrane. By separating the two roles you force the two men to work together and provide that check and balance that Johnston lacked. As a well known soccer personality in Canada de Vos will also be the public face of the football operations department. When a new signing holds his strip up for a photo it will be de Vos standing beside him. He’ll be the voice that does the annoying radio interview the day after a tough loss.

Senior assistant to the General Manager, Latin development - Carlos Restrepo

To be clear, my naming of Restrepo here is more as an example of the type of person that might fill the role than a call for him in particular. One of TFC’s greatest failings in its first four years has been a lack of contacts in Latin America. In a league that demands teams to find value in players that’s a problem. If you can consistently identify and sign players from Latin America you will very likely be successful – a player you sign for $60,000 from El Salvador might cost you $150,000 if he’s English. Restrepo, who currently manages Olimpia, is a fairly young manager that has been all over Central and South America. Maybe he’s not available, but there has to be someone like him out there that can represent TFC’s interests in that vital market.

Senior assistant to the General Manager, North American development - Sasho Cirovski

Cirovski is a very successful NCAA coach at Maryland who just happens to be Canadian. As important as it is to have a grasp of the Latin market you also need to understand the bread and butter – North America. De Vos can handle the Canadian pool, but bringing in a guy that has been in the NCAA for as long as Cirovski has would be a tremendous benefit to the club. He’ll have an understanding of what’s out there in the college game that others with less experience might not have. One problem with attracting Cirovski is that he might not want to leave his NCAA position. That’s understandable as it’s a good gig with great job security. If that’s the case I’d look to see if there is a way to make this position a consulting one.

Obviously when you make a list like this you are never going to be 100 per cent accurate in your predictions. Individuals listed might not be available. However, if TFC were to go with these types of people to fill these types of roles then I think we’d see more success.

The (new) coach speaks

I don't normally embed a press conference, but Nick Dasovic's first is worth a listen:

Preki's words: It's all your fault

It's a couple of Canadian guys making those comments. That's all I have to say about that
Preki

Not sure what their nationalities have to do with anything, but Preki has granted an interview with Jeff Carlisle of ESPN. He blames his failings on everyone but himself.

It's best if you read it and make your own judgment, but I will say this - I'm sick of people saying this type of thing:

"The last two to three months there were some really challenging and difficult circumstances. At some point down the line, I'll say more."

Don't hint at things. Say them outright. That way people can look into them. Otherwise we can just speculate.

My speculation? Preki wanted Dasovic fired and MLSE refused.

Sober Second Thoughts: What did you expect, really?

The thing about fairy tales is that they aren’t real.

In the closing moments of last night’s 4-1 loss to SLC, as I sat and watched the #TFC Twitter feed I was struck by how unrealistic some people’s expectations were. Somehow it was expected that the changes at TFC would make the club a different team in just 36-hours.

That thinking is, of course, the stuff of the Grimm brothers. Firing Mo and Preki didn’t suddenly give the club width or a skill in the final third. For 2010, the damage is done. All that we, as fans, can do is sit back and hope that the club can find a way to return to the form it had in the spring. Since Preki ran them into the ground and they are playing CCL games on top of the regular schedule, that’s going to be hard.

However, if you are tempted to suggest that the team is playing “without heart” or “lacks intangibles” or some other Joe Morganesque nonsense you should probably check yourself. The truth is the problem with this team is harder to deal with emotionally, but simpler to comprehend.

It’s not good enough. If you think TFC is losing because they aren’t trying hard enough you can then convince yourself that if they were to just try harder they could win. Last night, playing either the first, second or third (depending on your perspective) team in MLS they demonstrated just how far they are removed from being a championship contending team. It can be turned around quickly, but quickly needs an off-season transfer window.

Everything that the fans demanded after Saturday’s loss has been granted. Mo is gone, Preki too. If you are one of the folks that won’t be satisfied until MLSE doesn’t own the team then I hope your Lotto Max numbers come through for you – for about $60 million you might have a chance to make the Reds your very own personal football club. You can fire the coach every week and charge ¢15 admission if you want.

So, if you are still angry today you’re angry because you think that a football club should win 90 per cent of its games and that adversity as a fan means losing the Champions League final to Barcelona. Support the Rags. You’ll be happier.

The rest of us might want to look to the positives from last night. Despite the score line, there were some. Surprisingly Nicholas Lindsay looked confident in his debut (I only say surprisingly because it’s always surprising when a teenager immediately steps in and doesn’t look like he’s about to wet himself). As a legitimate wide player he might be the most likely academy graduate to have an immediate impact. I say start the kid in Houston. Why not?

The team also looked willing to attack all night. The effectiveness of that attack wasn’t any better than in previous games, but they were moving in the final third, unafraid to push a little forward. Under Preki they would have been playing for the 0-0 from the first whistle (and lost 2-0, instead of 4-1. The bottom line isn’t much different).

The downside to those players pushing forward is that they aren’t as tight at the back. With Nana Attakora at home dealing with some family issues last night got a little ugly. Against good teams they will likely get burned. I can live with that because I recognize that moving forward the only road to a contending team is one that doesn’t go 499 minutes between goals.

The real test will come Saturday. Houston isn’t a good team. Although I can live with a blowout loss on the road to a team that has not lost at home in more than a year and plays at altitude, competing with those teams in the 8-16 range is a reasonable expectation.

Next Tuesday in Mexico, however, could get ugly. You’ve been warned.

The best things in life: Introducing a weekly column on the business of football

Mike Newell is the author of the Football Saves All blog. Every Thursday he will be contributing to this space a column on the business of football. This is his first effort.

By Mike Newell

A global game, a global business

I found it interesting that during the global economic meltdown, with some of the largest and most important institution crumbling under the weight of bad financial decisions (Lehman Bros, GM, Chrysler, RBS etc..) Soccer seemed to be completely impervious to this. Now of course when I say this I mean the big world clubs as many of the smaller clubs REALLY felt the brunt of the economic down turn. Clubs like Portsmouth, West Ham, Crystal Place, Valencia, Lazio, Nice, Rangers have all had to make what were in effect austerity measures to stay afloat and out of administration, and in the end this was not even enough to save Pompey and Crystal Place from bankruptcy.

The Real Madrid's, Manchester United's Inter Milan's and Barcelona's of the world kept on chugging and spending as record levels. This time last year during the crush of uncertainty around the world economy, Real Madrid signed Kaka to a then World Record fee of 56 million Pounds. Less than a week later they signed Cristiano Ronaldo to an 80 million Pound deal breaking the record they set 6 days earlier. In total Real spent 224 Million Pounds on new players in the "silly season" in 2009.
See breakdown below.

Real Madrid Player spending Between June and August 2009 (In Great British pounds)
Cristiano Ronaldo - £80m
• Kaka - £56m
• Karim Benzema - £35m
• Xabi Alonso - £20m
• Raul Albiol - £12.7m
• Alvaro Negredo - £4.2m
• Alvaro Arbeloa - £3.5m
• Esteban Granero - £3.4m
= Total: £224.8m ($359m)

No other business on earth at that time aside from the repossession industry was spending that kind of money in that short period of time. Other teams mentioned above spent well over 50 million dollars on new players and transfer fees. So many soccer writers and concerned supporters like myself have started to wonder, is there any thought given to football's place in the global economy?

It is now undeniable that major football clubs are in a small way linked to the free market economy. With many of these teams being owned either out of debt a la Manchester United, Liverpool or through the trading floor in the stock exchanges (almost every major team has some type of bond scheme). One has to wonder if football needs to be governed in a similar fashion to the financial industry.

UEFA president Michel Platini has been pushing for club financial responsibility by forwarding the concept that club may not spend more than they make in a fiscal year. Platini has also been pushing for a penalty for clubs who disregard the rule, the popular one being that the club would be barred from entering lucrative European club competitions like Champions League and Europa League. This particular measure if allowed to stand could cripple clubs like Manchester United, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Chelsea and the like who count on Champions League football as a revenue generator.

Many soccer writers in Europe point to the lack of quality soccer in the MLS North American league, but one thing they cannot touch is the overall financial health of the league. In an age where teams are filing for bankruptcy or in massive debt, the MLS is expanding and growing at a rapid rate. This is partly due to the salary cap structure that has been in place since day one. I agree with most that in order to attract the best players the MLS will need to raise its cap, and that current players deserve more money. However I believe that a salary cap does provide the teams with a level of self control when it comes to spending that the majority of teams in Europe do not have.

Is a Salary Cap the way forward for other leagues around the world? In some cases I believe it is, for others it will have to be a case of mixing real world economic factors into the traditions of soccer business, which until this point has been stuck in a very distant past.

More homegrown success

From TFC PR:

Toronto FC announced Wednesday that it has signed Toronto FC Academy forward Nicholas Lindsay to a professional contract. Lindsay becomes the second home grown player to sign with Toronto after defender Doneil Henry signed last month. Lindsay fills the final roster spot available for these players and will not count against the 24-man roster. He is currently travelling with the club while they are on the road for three games in nine days.

“We are very happy to have Nicholas onboard and it’s a clear indication that our Academy staff is doing the right things with these athletes, said interim director of soccer, Earl Cochrane. “ He has grown in every facet of the game in the last year and we are excited by the prospect of him training on a daily basis with the first team. In many ways Nicholas is the ideal MLS player – incredibly athletic, quick, strong, and confident and has a great head on his shoulders. I’m convinced he will be a big part of Toronto FC’s short and long-term future.”

“Nicholas is a player that has joined in with the first team on numerous occasions already,” said interim head coach Nick Dasovic. “He’s shown a lot of promise in games against Vancouver and Bolton when he’s been called up. He’s a player that has a lot of pace and can strike the ball with both feet. We look forward to having him aboard full time.”

Lindsay, 18, has made two appearances already for the first team this season. The forward made his debut against the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Nutrilite Canadian Championship on June 2nd coming on as a substitute in the second half. He also was subbed in during the clubs Friendly match against Bolton Wanderers on July 21st. Lindsay made perhaps his biggest statement as an Academy standout when he scored a hat-trick against famed Chilean giants Colo-Colo in a Friendly back in June.

Lindsay has previously represented Canada in the Danone Nations Cup back in 2004, and has been the recipient of several MVP honours as part of his various club teams that include the Brampton Blast, and Brampton East. The forward was also a member of the Ontario provincial team.

It's Called Football - A look back on Mo Johnston's legacy

Today, the day after the firings, we will do an entire podcast, dedicated to the Mo Johnston era.

Looking back from Danny Dichio's retirement to First Wave to what's next for the Scotsman - we'll discuss the man who has defined, for the good and the bad, Toronto FC for the last four years.

We're joined by Jason DeVos, from CBC Sports, to help break down his tenure, talk about some of the stories that haven't surfaced yet and he even hints at being open to working with Toronto FC in the future - provided there were some changes first.

24th Minute rewind: Preki: promise or problem

This was originally written on March 10, 2010. You can see the original post here. Since I'm ultimately a petty man, reading the comments on the original post warms my heart.

By now most will have seen Andrian Serioux's ripping of TFC and Preki. If not, take some time now to read the report from Gareth Wheeler.

The article stands on its own. There is no point breaking it down.

However, it does bring up something that has been concerning me for some time. What if rather than being a savour, as most TFC fans feel he is, Preki is actually the worst thing to ever happen to this team?

He continues to alienate veteran players and his media skills leave a lot to be desired. He runs the team into the ground in training -- did you see how lacklustre TFC looked against New York in the Disney tournament? An exhibition event, sure, but...did you see how lacklustre Chivas looked in the playoffs the last couple years?

When It's Called Football last had Nick Green on we asked how Chivas would adjust to not having the genius (as we've been told) Preki coaching. His answer would not have warmed the heart of a TFC fan. He said that Chivas was probably "relieved to be rid of him."

There is little doubt that Preki is a bit of a hardass and there is also little doubt that TFC probably needed a little of that to get the dressing room straight, but there are other issues at play here. The intensity that he demands in practice can be questioned -- will it create injuries, is it possible to keep up over a long season where playoffs are at play, etc.

Preki is also tactically inflexible. He seems to want to push players into a system, rather than build a system around players. That makes me wonder whether he will utilize Julian de Guzman in the box to box role most of us -- including those of us that played in a World Cup -- think he's best suited for in MLS.

Maybe these are just pre-season nagging doubts and Preki really is a great thing. However, after three years of unfulfilled promises from TFC about improved play I think it's fair to take a wait and see position.

Kicking him when he's down

One thing I’ve learned in my past career is each coach has their own religion, something that he likes his players to believe in and I think the type of religion that Preki had wasn’t tactically sound where he could actually teach young players, give them some type of guidance
Julian de Guzman

The speed in which players have spoken out against the Preki era at TFC has been remarkable. Generally, athletes tend towards politically correct inanities when talking about their former coaches. They fear that they will run into them again at some point.

It seems that no one at TFC -- players, staff and management -- is shedding a tear over Preki moving on.

If you look carefully you'll see that the criticism isn't just about him being a hard-ass either. Above de Guzman is questioning his tactics. That jives with what I was told last week (through a third party) when a player said "(Preki) doesn't know what he's doing."

One of the biggest complaints at Chivas was that Preki ran the players into the grounds in training. That complaint resurfaced here in Toronto. The problem with that is that it tends to wear teams down, making their performance worse down the stretch. Chivas was awful in the playoffs. Toronto has not scored in 491 minutes in September. You do the math.

A lot of people are questioning why Preki had to be let go today. Perhaps the better question is why was he hired in the first place?

Statement from Mo Johnston

From TFC PR:

“I'd like to take this opportunity to express my deepest gratitude for being given the role as inaugural Head Coach and Manager, Director of Soccer Operations for Toronto FC. This club has grown to become one of the finest teams in MLS and it's been an honour to be part of it from the beginning.

I'd like to express my thanks to Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment for the opportunity and support they've shown over the years. This is a first-class organization and it has been a dream to work for this company.

During my four years in Toronto I've grown to love this city and country. I would also like to express my appreciation to the phenomenal supporters who have created the foundation for a successful club. I believe these supporters and this club will be the driving force in the growth of soccer in Canada. The establishment of this club will prove to be the turning point in the development of this sport.

I wish everyone involved with the club the greatest success. TFC will always be in my heart.”

No Mo time for TFC

The Mo Johnston era is over. Preki's too. It's a day that few thought we'd see this soon.

As late as yesterday evening I spoke to a TFC insider and asked if there was any chance that Johnston would be removed. His response was that he should be, but he doubted MLSE would do it. I can't say I'm disappointed that he was wrong.

TFC's problems started in 2007. Although there were legitimate issues at play -- the Canadian requirement was challenging, for instance -- Johnston made a difficult situation impossible out of the gate. He used the expansion draft as trade leverage rather than a way to find useful depth players. He forced players like Coner Casey to come to Toronto when they had legitimate and understandable reasons to want to play elsewhere (developing a reputation for being heartless with players is not a great way to start a franchise) and he woefully failed at finding useful Canadian players. There was also his habit of waiting until April to fill out his roster. So, lots of issues.

Even drafting Mo Edu can be questioned as he had to know that he was not long for the league. Selling him got a lot of allocation, but that only lead to Johnston using it to overpay for player after player. Maybe you do have to pay more to get a player to come to Canada (although I question that thinking as football is a global game. American players are less resistant to playing in Canada in MLS than they might be in the NBA or MLB), but all that means is that you need to be extra diligent in offering contracts. MLS is about finding value. Johnston rarely found value.

In the past I joked that the Red Patch Boys public discussion board was actually TFC's general manager. The public demands that TFC sign Julian de Guzman; Mo signs Julian de Guzman. JDG wasn't the only player that seemed to be pursued because the fans wanted him. Few of those signings have worked out.

What Johnston was good at -- understanding and working MLS rules to his advantage -- is not as rare of a commodity as many think it is. It's also more the job of an assistant GM than your Director of Soccer. I asked a person I trust about that and his response was blunt. "There are hundreds of agents out there that can do that. Bring one in and make him an assistant. Then go get a guy from Europe that knows the sport. Let the assistant worry about MLS rules. Let the director build a football team."

Then there was the relationship with First Wave sports management. It was once described to me as "too close for comfort" by someone deep within TFC's front office. No one has ever been able to pinpoint anything unethical about that relationship, but the perception lingered. At best, Johnston was guilty of over relying on the advice of First Wave. Those early Canadian signings had a lot to do with poor advice received from the agency.

That's the thing about Johnston. There was always something that didn't quite feel right about him. To be clear much of what is whispered can't be proven. Still, smoke and fire and all that. Not having whispers around the club can only be a good thing.

With the roster freeze tomorrow it is unlikely that today's move will mean much for the current roster. Decisions will be made about several players in the off-season. You don't need to be an expert to figure out which ones will not likely be back with TFC. Without a significant decrease in salary it's unlikely that we will see Nick Garcia, Jacob Peterson or Raivis Hscanovics back with the club next year. Mista will need to do something special over the last 10 games. It wouldn't shock me if Julian de Guzman were quietly told to explore his options for 2011.

How the club reacts to today's news will be interesting. It's a big ask to think that TFC can turn things around and pull itself back into the playoff race. It would need some help, but that's not the biggest issue. One of Colorado, Seattle or san Jose will fall back, of that I'm sure. The issue is there still isn't anyone that can consistently score on this team. The CCL is, of course, still in play. The first indication of the new direction will come tomorrow when the line-up in SLC is announced. If I were in charge the best XI would start.

Regardless, it will be a nice change to focus back on the scoreboard. Above all else today's moves speak to that -- giving the fans back a little hope. That's why it had to be now, not in six weeks.

As for Preki, most of us can be a little more empathetic. It's hard to see how he had much of a chance. That said, what you saw was what you were always going to get with Preki. I don't think he was the right fit for this market and I don't think this market was the best fit for him. He'll bounce back somewhere.

Five coaches in four years. That will be the focus a lot of places tomorrow. The criticism is legit. However, the past does not matter as much as today's moves do. The instability of the last four years was on Mo. How the club moves forward is all that matters. These moves needed to happen.

As for Johnston's replacement, there will be plenty of time to debate that over the next few months. For now, supporters can get back to doing what they are most comfortable doing -- supporting.

That’s because the wish of most has finally been granted: Mo is Gone.

TFC to make major announcement

Working every angle I can to find out before, but so is everyone else...

What I do know is that there was a very lengthy meeting by TFC and MLSE senior management yesterday (I was told it lasted 5-hours) and that they wouldn't hold a press conference to tell us that the PR director was leaving.

Mo, or Preki? Or both?

Speculate away...

UPDATE: No one is talking. Like, NO ONE...

But, there is a feeling that it's likely Preki. If anyone is down by BMO and can report anything (people you are seeing, noise you are hearing, etc. text me - 647-408-7764 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              647-408-7764      end_of_the_skype_highlighting

Also Paul Beirne told me the 5-hour meeting had nothing to do with today's announcement

EDIT 2: I was told by an inside source that both Mo and Preki have been fired. At the same time Steven Goff also reported it.

Edit 3: The Globe and Mail is now reporting that both Mo and Preki have been fired.

Edit 4: It's Called Football is going live for a pod at about 11:10 a.m.

It's Called Football - Guest: Bob Lenarduzzi

Today, we're joined by Vancouver Whitecaps president Bob Lenarduzzi for a great interview as he talks about the moves the club continues to make, what changes they expect when joining MLS and what he sees for D2 soccer in the years ahead.

We'll also get into the latest chapter of the soap opera that is TFC, talk about if its time for Jeff Cooper to step aside in St. Louis and what Russia's schedule announcement today could mean for MLS.

Canada v Brazil: Not a mismatch, really

The ongoing TFC soap opera has distracted me from posting an update to the Canadian u-17 girl's World Cup efforts. If you have not been paying attention the girls are 1-1 in group play and take on Brazil tonight.

Canada beat Ghana 1-0 to start the tournament, and looked awful, and then played a fairly even game with Ireland, but fell 1-0 on a brilliant Irish goal. Lucky for the Canucks, Ghana went out and beat Brazil, so the group is all tied up at three points.

For Canada it's easy. Win and you're in (because Brazil and Ireland have scored more goals than Canada a draw will eliminate the young Canucks)*.

The game can be seen on CBC Bold tonight at 7 p.m. EDT.

Watching the Ireland game I was struck by how much the girl's game parallels the men's here in Canada. Although Canadian women are more competitive internationally that's more of a reflection on the depth of field than it is on the relative strength of the women. Yes, on a good day Canada can go out and play with mid-level powers (they struggle a great deal with the elite powers and can be outright embarrassed by them if it's an off day), but overall the program is still far from where it should be.

For the record, where Canada should be on the women's side of the game is competing to win World Cups.

There have been advancements. Since Carolina Morace came in on the senior and u-20 side the program has tried to move away from its boot and chase approach to the game. They do play with the ball on the ground more and try to maintain possession. It's not as apparent at the u-17 level, but there are differences in how the teenagers play the game than you would have seen 10 years ago.

The problem is the rest of the world is getting better too. With that overall improvement, Canada seems to be slipping back. I would argue that if FIFA had a u-17 girl’s event in 2000 Canada would have been one of the favourites. Now, a quarterfinal appearance will be considered a success.

What keeps Canada in the game at all levels of the women's game is its athleticism. Canuck girls and women are a hardy bunch, tall and strong. It was clear against Ireland that the Canadians were physically superior. Tactically, however, the Irish girls were the more skilled. It made for a decent game -- it really could have gone either way -- but I left it feeling that Ireland would be better off 10 years down the road than Canada.

It comes down to coaching. In Europe there are plenty of people that have grown up exposed to the highest levels of the game on the men's side. It stands to reason that those people can bring that expertise to the women's and girl's game to improve the overall quality. This is the first FIFA event that Ireland qualified for. I suspect this group of girls will be at more.

I do believe Morace understands that Canada needs to be more than just athletes if it is to ever win a Women's World Cup. I also appreciate that she has yet to truly get her hands on the group of girl's that make up the u-17 program and that this fall's Women's Gold Cup will be more telling. Still, it would be nice to see our girls play a little football from time to time, rather than just try and run past the opposition.

* Beating Brazil today is not as long a shot as you might think. The Brazilian women's program is actually struggling a great deal, with next to no resources being put into it. Girls still struggle to find organized ways to play the sport and it's only because of the sheer numbers that play informally that the program can continue to be competitive on the world's stage.

Preki rumours

Since the Preki - Nick Dasovic feud rumour is now out in the open there is little sense sitting on it any longer.

Just prior to the Canada-Peru game I, along with a few other people I suspect, was told that there had been a meeting between the TFC assistant coaching staff and management. The topic of the discussion: Preki.

Apparently Preki's bombastic style was wearing thin and there was a call to install Dasovic as the head coach. Obviously that didn't happen.

The question is did the alleged meeting happen? I did not report it at the time because it was coming from a single source. I'm still reluctant to, but Gareth Wheeler put it out there yesterday. So, we might as well lay out the facts and allow readers to make their own mind up.

Again, this came from a single source. I trust the source, but I it is always better to wait until there is more than one person telling you. Unlike the child's game of broken telephone, you want the info to filter through a lot of different people. It's only then that a clearer idea of the truth emerges.

After I spoke to the source, I followed up a couple of different places. I was told that there were some players that were questioning Preki's knowledge (that's not really shocking. Players often question the coach), but no one could say with certainty that there was a meeting. I'm not prepared to conclude one way or the other right now. I simply don't know and haven't been able to find out.

We do know that Dasovic was AWOL on the weekend. Since we haven't heard from him we can only speculate as to why.

We can, however, look at whether it is reasonable to fire Preki. It seems to me that if you brought the guy here you should have had a good idea of what kind of team he was going to build. There have been no surprises. Considering how empty the roster was at the start of the year it's a minor miracle that TFC was as strong as it was for as long as it was. That early success was based on much improved defensive play. Preki does deserve some credit there. In the past a leaky back-line was a major problem for the Reds. Not so much now.

That said, he has shown no ability to get the team out of its current offensive funk. Former strikers often struggle to coach offense and Preki is no exception. TFC has now gone 491 minutes (in all competitions) since its last goal. That's 2007 bad.

So, a mixed bag.

Last season I argued that Chris Cummins should have been kept on. It wasn't because I had a deep appreciation for his coaching abilities. Rather it was a reflection that the club needs some coaching stability. The best argument for keeping Preki might come from that thinking.

Changing the coach every year will get you nowhere.