Mood: Meh
State of Mind: Still don't like this friendly
Location: No where near the Skydome tomorrow
I said I wasn't going to discuss the "game" tomorrow yet here I am. But I promise to keep it brief, really. Back in April I wrote this and I haven't changed my mind or softened my stance on this type of friendly.
I know a number of LFC fans that have been crazily excited about this game and I get that, I do. Although a number of them are less happy this evening having learned that none (or very few) of LFC's stars have traveled with team and will not be playing. However (as always) my main concern in all of this at this very moment is the health of our still fragile team. With the team finally starting to perform decently the last thing they need is to lose more players to injury. The schedule going forward is as unforgiving as the past month and TFC will need their players to be healthy if they hope to endure the rigors of both the MLS and CCL schedule.
And above all else our boys need a rest - especially Kocic, Frings, Dunfield and RJ - there is no need to send them out there against what is essentially the Liverpool reserve team. That's really it for me; not going to rehash anything else and am looking forward to next Saturday for our Reds' next actual game. But what's a post without some links? Check out The Yorkies, Waking The Red and Mike Gardner's post over at WTR for some final thoughts. See you next week!
For me, this type of fixture is a joke and a disgrace. Invariably, the price of a ticket is astronomical compared to a meaningful, regular season match. Second, as you point out, it usually works out as a practice game for the visitor's reserve team. It's all about making money and ripping off spectators, especially fans of the visiting team. I wouldn't pay $10 to watch this match, even if it was against Arsenal.......the Rogers Center isn't a soccer stadium; it isn't even a good baseball stadium. I assume the game won't even be played on grass (?). The manager must feel like losing his best players to an international fixture, concerned about how many fit players will return for the next meaningful match.
ReplyDeleteI see that many of the Liverpool regulars who were originally scheduled to play didn't arrive because of "FIFA regulations to do with mandatory vacation dates". The net result........a further rip-off for spectators attending the event. A similar incident happened at a cricket match earlier this summer........several of the star players from Pakistan not showing up supposedly unable to get their visas in time! It's false advertising, plain and simple. Unfortunately, there are still too many suckers in Toronto who don't get it and don't get angry enough about it.
ReplyDeleteThe timing and the cost were the main reasons that I didn't (and would not have) attended. And it of course was a practice game. The lack of Liverpool "stars" should have surprised no one.
DeleteI know several people that went and were excited for the Academy kids for their chance to play and how well they acquitted themselves. So that's the only positive (other than the thankful lack of injuries) that I can take away from that game.
Unfortunately MLS (and MLSE) are enamored of these types of friendlies and I don't see them disappearing anytime soon. I was glad to see that a large number of fans (many that I know and many that I do not) as well as fellow bloggers & more mainstream journalist types did not attend and spoke out against it. Hopefully this will continue and the anger felt will be more obvious and less able to be ignored.