MLS A-Team Beats the Bejesus out of USL B-Team and Everyone's Whingeing

Second Half Action Between TFC and the Montreal Impact

First, last night's 6-1 tonking of the Montreal Impact by Toronto FC should be forever known as the Demolition Derby.

Second, a disclaimer. If you are a die-hard Toronto FC fan and read this blog because you think I am too (which would basically mean you don't really read this blog), you should probably 'X' out now and remove me from your RSS feed. You see, I actually die quite easily; after a hopeful but hardly revelatory first half, I walked out on the Nutrilite Championship's final game to watch Adventureland at my local rep cinema, missing four goals and TFC's first ever trophy.

BUT, the fact I did so, largely convinced that Toronto might get one goal more if lucky because frankly, I'd seen this song-and-dance before, gives the lie to the whingeing about a 'turkey shoot' emanating from Vancouver and Montreal fans alike. A respected fellow blogger, a Toronto FC supporter, contends Chris Cummins' side isn't six goals better than MTL, or at least not six goals better than their regular first team (which, to no surprise to anyone save the extrememly deluded football fan who's had too much mountain air, sat out a meaningless fixture).

I actually think Toronto FC have been two, three, four goals better than many teams this season; what has been awful has been our finishing. There have been countless times when Toronto FC have dominated possession and shots on goal against weaker sides only to scrape together a one goal advantage or a draw. Last night, Toronto FC had to not only finish but finish frequently, or they would die. Certainly DeRosario knew that, if not anyone else. So let's not pretend he's 19 and a promising up-and-comer from our reserves. This is a former MLS MVP, a Canadian playing for his hometown club in all-Canadian tournament to determine the best club in Canada, making mincemeat of a B-side backline from the USL. This isn't rocket science.

Even so, none of TFC's goals looked in particular like gimmes, except for Chad Barrett's clinching header in the last ten minutes. DeRo's hattrick consisted of a bycicle kick off a bad punch, a deflected strike from the edge of the box and beating the offside trap. Then Guevara, who with DeRosario looked the most up-for-it in the first half, put away a beautifully taken free kick. By the time Barrett made it five, Montreal were a heavier shower than the downpour on Saputo. Is it so unlikely a USL B-team would lose heavily to an MLS first team in search of a trophy? A first team whose specific problem all year has been bad finishing? A first team who knew they needed to score not a winner or two winners but four?

No. For all the bitchy fans who have grudgingly given TFC their due while railing against how utterly shit both Montreal and this tournament are, please remember this is the reason most Cups aren't awarded on a three team round robin. A situation like this was part of the deal going into the tournament and Vancouver fans shouldn't blame Montreal for sending out a shit squad in a tournament they were already out of. Should Montreal also take the blame for the Whitecaps 1-0 loss to TFC last month? Every game, every goal counts.

As for Toronto FC fans, read my last post. This could be the best thing for the club, forced to finish in time to win a cup, qualify for international play, and head strongly into the second half of a topsy-turvy league where scrappy, hard-fought goals are everything.