South Couch Report : Colorado v Toronto

Colorado Rapids as the Caribou of Colorado.

Apologies for the lack of activity around these parts this week. Due to schedules, illness and unexpected things, it’s been a rough week getting recording/match reporting up. We expect full service to resume this coming week.

Thank you for your continuing patronage.

The Part I Write Before :

Babies everywhere.

Bold Predictions :

  1. Debutant gets a point
  2. Colorado concedes a goal at the end, as per tradition
  3. Toronto gets a point

On to the Match :

2′ – GOAL Moor gets on a cross and stops it, and clears it, but finds the foot of Price who buries it far left side. That’s a start.
CRAPIDS 1, BABY ROBINS 0

15′ – Long ball over the top, Badji and Telfer battle for the ball at the edge of the box and Telfer wins cleanly. Well done by the debutante.

25′ – Badji breaks into the box, fires towards the bottom left corner but Irwin makes the save.

29′ – Aketxe gets the ball into the box, does a sweet little step to lose his marker and give himself an opportunity for a shot but fires over the bar.

40′ – Badji you really ramping up his pain-in-the-ass-to-defenders status drying a free kick at the edge of the box. Ensuing free-kick was terrible and right into the wall.

Halftime Mood: Optimistic. This side looks like an average MLS side, and that’s meant as a compliment.

45′ – SUB – Zavaleta in for Hernandez

54′ – Badji bolts down the left side of the pitch outrunning Zavaleta. Cuts in fires a shot wide of the net.

56′ – SUB Morgan in for Spencer

63′ – Oh look, it’s Badji. He’s on the end of a cross and just heads the ball over the bar.

76′ – SUB – Moor comes off for 17 year old debutant Julian Dunn. Go on son.

77′ – PENALTY – Badji gets around Fraser, Fraser give him a slight knock, Badji takes a few steps before stumbling. Soft, but fair.

77′ – GOALGashi fires it down the middle as Irwin dives to his right.
CRAPIDS 2, BABY ROBINS 0

79′ – Serna has a go from 20 yards out forcing Irwin to tip it around the post.

89′ – Ricketts gets in annnnnd Howard saves it. So much for that collapse.

90+2′ – Gashi gets on the end of long pass 12 yards in front of goal, smashes it but Irwin makes a tremendous stop.

90+4′ – Aketxe free kick 25 yards out fires it just over the bar. Oh well…

Full Time : Colorado 2, Toronto 0

Man of the Match : Irwin was excellent.
Goat of the Game : Nahhh…
Ref Rating : 4 out of 5. Toledo didn’t make himself the focus.
I Am Not The Gaffer, But… : Masterstroke.
In Case You PVR’d It : Unless you want to see what the future looks like, it’s cool.

Bold Predictions Results :

  1. Failed it.  Everyone held off the scoresheet.
  2. Failed it. So close though…
  3. Failed it. Way less close.

Raise your hand if you thought this was going to be a disaster of a match after that first goal went in. It’s OK, I did too… Moor as a captain would probably happen all of the time if it weren’t for having a more captain-like presence at the club like Bradley. It suits him… Badji, now that guy is a piece of work. Got booked, flopped a bit, made a nuisance of himself. Now if he could give good promos, we’d have a top-shelf heel on our hands… Too bad about the terrible weather in Colorado. What else could’ve kept the fans away in large numbers… I wonder if Spencer is going to bag one. Is he a killer on TFC II or something?… If Aketxe can put one of those free kicks under the bar in, say, the next six attempts, I’ll be smitten with his acquisition. Felt he had a good game… Are we (supporters) expecting a even more B-side (or C-side?!) to be played against Houston? I’m ok with that. They played today like a middling MLS side, which is impressive in a bizarre way.

Man, I’m looking forward to Tuesday, if only for the idea that Chivas is in for some stereotypical “Canadian weather”. Good news is that the forecast is calling for sun for the rest of the week past Tuesday, so that’s amusing.

Player Ratings: Irwin 6.5, Moor 6 (Dunn N/A), Hernandez 6 (Zavaleta 6), Telfer 6, Hasler 6, Fraser 6, Chapman 6.5, Aketxe 6.5, Hamilton 6, Ricketts 6, Spencer 5.5 (Morgan N/A)

Unused Substitutions: Patterson-Sewell, Bradley, Daniels

Author: Mark Hinkley

Mark is a full-time graphic designer, full-time smart ass and full-time logo, stadium and kit nerd. When he isn't writing ridiculous match reports or redesigning logos for his own amusement, he's salivating over the day that promotion and relegation occurs in MLS. You can follow him @kitnerdmark on the twitterz.

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1 Comment

  1. This game is a validation that what is happening down in the Academy (this and journos’ reports of TFCII) is going in the right direction. Together with the bench guys showing that they have real MLS skills and creativity. Now things have to be woven together and put in a 90 minute effort at nearly a mile above sea level.

    Aketxe is showing he can shoot, give him a few months and the shots will eventually be on target and few more months and he will learn to assess and play the ball to his teammates to the positive.

    Badji, isn’t he the guy that had some real sitters against us in the SCCL and missed? Like the incy-wincy spider who crawled up that waterspout (you may use the itsy-bitsy pronunciation) his perseverance paid-off.

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