They Didn't Lose!

Mood: Cautiously optimistic
State of Mind: Umm, yay for not losing?


WooHoo!!  They didn't lose! Start the parade plans now! What, too soon? OK, if not the parade then obviously we need to plan the V-Cup presentation ceremony...No? Still too soon?  Did I mention that they didn't lose? And what about that amazing clean sheet? *crickets* 


Due to work commitments I was unable to actually watch last night's match with the exception of a few snippets on an online stream.  Apparently I caught the highlights (such as they were) on my brief forays into the office to see if anything exciting had occurred. 


Highlight #1: Reggie Lambe clearing Shavar Thomas's header off the line (of course from a set piece) after Kocic couldn't clear himself enough space.
Highlight #2: The substitution gaffe that saw the sub board call for just about every player on TFC to be subbed out for Luis Silva, including Silva himself. It was hilarious - really, I cannot make this stuff up.
Highlight #3: Sanna Nyassi's goal being called offside.


After watching the Game In 6 (which could be used for insomniacs, as apparently could the game itself) all I can say is that if playing to a draw was the goal then mission accomplished. From all accounts it was an ugly performance and the 0-0 scoreline does not speak to some new defensive prowess by our Reds.  And obviously doesn't speak to any scoring prowess whatsoever. 


However, on a more positive note they did not lose - regardless of how they ground out that draw , or how dreadful it was to watch - it was not a loss and as such should be celebrated, at least a little.  This puts our boys in a decent place heading into the home leg next Wednesday at BMO Field.  A home town crowd (which will easily outshine the number of fans at the Big O even with the current apathetic mood) and our boys feeling more confident should bring the desired result. 


I know that they first have to get past MeRo & Mike Sanders this weekend but imagine if they again come away with a positive (i.e. not losing) result - suddenly they're on a roll!  Because that is often all it takes; just that one win (or not losing) to spark a team and get them back on the right track.  This has been a roller coaster of a season for us the fans and as John over at Waking The Red put it, "I Hate Myself For Loving You"; well he said "This" but still... As you know I don't usually feel that way, but oh there have been days....I do love my team, I really do, but this season has brought that love/hate feel at times. Or love/utter despondency...whatever version works best for you.


I leave you with my faith pretty much still intact and I'm reposting the song because a) it's awesome and b) it describes our relationship as fans with the team this year perfectly .  I'll post the usual links at the bottom so you can read some recaps from folks that actually watched the game.  See you Saturday!  Be there or be a parallelogram! 


Allez Les Rouges!

Rockin' Links: The Yorkies, Red Nation Online and in case you didn't click the link above John at Waking The Red

AmWay or the Highway?

Mood: Hopeful
State of Mind: New month - time for a clean slate
Location: Sadly not in Montreal


Tonight is the first step for our boys on the road to the only silverware they're in contention for this season. Yes it's time for the Canadian Championships or the Voyageur's Cup (cannot call it the AmWay cup - just plain wrong) to begin. The boys in red are in Montreal to take on the Impact in the first of two legs - the home leg is next Wednesday here at BMO Field.  Tonight is only the second of a total of five meetings between the two clubs this year and historically TFC have always been the winning team between these two rivals.

We like trophies

Less than four weeks after losing to that team from Quebec our boys in Red are (still) looking for their first (non-CCL) win of the season. A win tonight does not give them an MLS win, but I think we can all agree that any win could be just the tonic this team needs to stave off the ills of the 2012 campaign thus far.  When (yes I said when) they win it will serve to assuage the growing ill will by some of the fans towards Winter and the team and help to turn the tide of apathy that is threatening to take over.  

Reasons they'll win: 1. TFC own this competition the past few years having won 3 straight Voyageurs Cups. 2. Our Reds always seem to up their game in Cup competitions 3. Eric Avila and Aron Winter say they're the better team - I choose to believe them.
Reasons they might lose: 1. They haven't won a game yet this year. 2. Montreal has already beat them. 3. Montreal has been on a decent run of form lately having only lost once in their past four games.

Also on the down side of things is the continuing absence of both Nick Soolsma and Danny Koevermans from the starting XI as they still work to recover from injury. And the likelihood that we won't see the same XI as this past Saturday makes me nervous - as I've said, consistency is key for any team and especially one trying to play a 4-3-3.  Will we see a quick goal against and watch the Impact sit back and absorb our often anemic attack? Or will our boys start the game alert and actually press upfield?  Because when they go forward and take it to the other team that is when they've been most successful (relatively speaking OK?).  And with recent goal scorers Avila and Lambe both itching to continue to prove they deserve to be on the pitch each week, anything can happen.


However I can feel the tide turning for our team. In interviews they appear to a man, to be fired up and determined to get points, not just for themselves but for us the fans (because it is all about us, right?).  This is a new month, a new competition and time for a new beginning.  Let's put the past 6 weeks behind us and watch our team get back to winning games and playing the  game the way we know that they can; with fire, attack and movement. Let's see what we saw in Dallas and have seen flashes of this season - this is the time folks, the time they turn it around.


ALLEZ LES ROUGES!!


Les Links: You know what to do - The Yorkies, Waking the Red (James, Duncan and Dave), Red Nation Online

Road Trip Recap - Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Mood: Whee!
State of Mind: Still a bit tired, but mostly hey that was fun!
Location: Home sweet home (but missing my hotel room bed)


I can not believe that it took me until this year to go on a TFC Road Trip! The merriment, madness and meeting fellow supporter folk made it well worth the investment of both time and money. If you have hemmed and hawed about going on one of these trips, stop dithering and do it! I guarantee you will not regret it. 


The exodus began on Friday as Twitter was abuzz as supporters began making their way to Montreal via a wide variety of methods. Saw tweets from Porter, VIA, megabus and of course cars - it was a party on the highway as a tweet from the North End Elite put it.  We traveled by car and spent the 6 hours singing, car dancing and just generally being silly.  An excellent beginning!  The closer we got to Montreal, the more tweets we saw from the legion of supporters arriving, checking in and heading out to see the city (read: find beer). The impact of twitter, social media and smart phones cannot be discounted for trips like this - if you wanted to know where your friends or fellow supporters were; all you had to do was send out a tweet and in minutes you had a place to gather.


So finally we arrive and check in to our hotel - of course running into fellow TFC supporters doing the same thing; "Hi! How was your trip? So excited for tomorrow!" etc.  And although I don't normally post pics of stuff like this I can't help myself; wish I could have taken this home with me:

Giant bed! I fit sideways across it; seriously. I love this bed.  Yes I know this has nothing to do with TFC, you'll survive.

A little resting, relaxing, refreshing and then a quick check of the twitter machine (seriously; you need this!) to find out where everyone is and we're off!  One of the best (or possibly the best given the results on Saturday) things about going to an away game is meeting and connecting with your fellow supporters; especially if you're on social media - it's a great deal of fun putting faces to avatars and names - but it's the sense of community when you're out or at a game in 'foreign' territory that makes the away trip great. 

Friday & Saturday nights I got to meet several supporters that I had run into at previous events but also several I had only "met" in cyberspace and some I had no prior contact with at all. *Special thanks to Swiss for the drinks at Peel Pub on Friday! And thanks to the great band and the staff at Brutopia for making our Saturday night a little happier after our long day.*  Really all that matters is that we're all fellow TFC supporters - everyone is quick to smile, say hello, introduce themselves and make you feel welcome...truly fantastic.


Saturday was the big day - get up, get geared up and hit the Metro! A huge mob of us emerged at Viau Station and headed for the Big O where we had to wait for our security escort - considering the rancor between the two clubs and cities I didn't mind the wait. What I did find funny was that our escort did not stay with us the entire way; I don't know if that's the norm but it seemed odd. Finally get upstairs and in we go! Loved seeing our huge section of away support with flags, banners - just a loud, excited sea of red!!

 

The game; oh the game. Let's not dwell shall we? You were there, or watching at home and well, you know what happened. No life to our boys until they were down to 10 men and yes it's starting to feel like the TFC Time Machine has spirited us all back to 2007...Disappointing yes; am I sorry I made the trip? Hell No! Would not have missed being part of that for any reason. I feel that much more a part of the TFC community having gone on this trip.  I would also like to mention that although I wore my TFC red all weekend I did not get attacked or harassed by Impact supporters - well, there was a couple of them on our way to Brutopia on Saturday night but they were pretty harmless. Even at the match itself the vaunted Montreal Ultras weren't very, well Ultra - it all seemed more like ribbing and poking than true animosity. Oh and I may have been chirped by Noel Butler (of Oranges at the Half fame) while we crossed the street that night. All he did was mention we "needed some proper footballers but to never lose our support for our team" - regardless of who he was, it was a pretty classy encounter.

Best moment of the weekend? After the match there was a huge group of us on the same subway car and someone broke into "3 Little Birds" by Bob Marley; soon the entire car was singing along, smiling, laughing and putting our worries to bed. Don't worry, 'bout a thing indeed. 


This trip served to cement my love for my team and my community even more so than before - thanks for the memories everyone - you guys and girls are the best! I know there will be more highs and lows to share as the season progresses and I look forward to each and every one; well, maybe not the lows but hey,  misery loves company!  See you out there!


Allez Les Rouges!


Les Links: For actual recaps of the game itself visit the usual suspects (if you haven't already): The Yorkies, Waking The Red, Red Nation Online

First Kick, Or How I Learned To Love The MLS

MLS First Kick is tonight and well what does that mean? As a fan of TFC I should be a fan of the league itself, right?  I admit, until recently I only paid peripheral attention to what was happening in the rest of the league. Of course I was aware of the other teams but unless it was a game against TFC I didn't usually bother to watch a match, let alone learn much about the other teams. But this past year or so it occurred to me that I wasn't doing myself any favours by maintaining my ignorance. And quite frankly I enjoy watching much more now that I have a clue as to who some of the other players are - crazy, right? Knowledge is power, the more you know, know thy enemy, etc., etc...


While there isn't a single other team that I would actively cheer for, there is good football to be watched around the league. The past several years has seen the style and quality of play in the MLS improve noticeably. While still a very physical style of footy, the skill level and professionalism on display has increased dramatically. You no longer see 90 minutes of the punt and chase style of football (yes TFC, I'm looking at you - see? I can be unbiased, a little), more and more you see lovely movement through the middle, speedy overlapping runs and deadly set pieces. The quality is there and well worth even a little of your time. Besides, it is on us as fans to support the league in which our team plays. 


I have even found myself watching MLS matches in which my beloved Reds aren't (gasp!) playing - madness you say - I say get over it and watch a game.  If you're a fan of the beautiful game you watch - don't tell me that you don't get up at 8am on a Saturday to watch EPL (or Bundesliga, or La Liga, or Seria A) games - you know that you do. Why? Because you want to watch our favourite sport being played, no matter who's playing. I for one will be glued to my computer this evening watching the many First Kick matches; is TFC playing? No, but that doesn't matter - I'm excited that MLS is back!  This is why we're fans; embrace it!


And now the big question; will I be watching the Whitecaps/Impact match and what is my hope for the outcome? Of course I'm going to watch - both of our hated Canadian rivals playing one another - how could I not? I waffle between wanting to see a total mess of a match with tons of goals scored and hoping it's a boring, life-sucking, stultifying draw; still can't decide. I want neither of these teams to succeed this season (see, complete bias!) - but I'm Canadian; shouldn't I support Canadian teams - Hell no; this all about Club and has nothing to do with Country.  But I'll watch and so should you.


End-note: To get yourself truly up to speed on the upcoming season before 6pm tonight I highly recommend that you check out the following previews penned (typed?) by some rather knowledgeable fellows: The Yorkies' Eastern and Western Conference Previews, Waking The Red's Eastern and Western Conference Previews and Partially Obstructed View's MLS preview First Kick Weekend preview.