The magic of the Ex. What used to be a cultural festival and a major part of any calendar is just an endless advertising festival. Good thing I can escape it and find refuge in BMO Field where the ball is brought to me by a shipping company, the bench is brought to me by a law firm and starting XI is brought to me by rum.
*sigh*
Its like the usual circus has bled out into the parking lot.
(note : save this space for perfect “clown” gag after the match – brilliant!)
I know everyone else gets up for this derby, but I do not. I offer no ill will towards Montreal. Far more inclined to see Sporting KC or Real Salt Lake have their points kept from them than Montreal ever will. That being said, if games at home were only against Canadian teams during the CNE, I would be all for it (there’s a free, good idea MLS, you’re welcome).
If I read my news correctly, no Dider Drogba who is out due to being slow and old. No Piatti, so there goes the goals. Now it’s just a matter of Toronto not failing and lighting up the midway (I wonder who that’s brought to me by?)
On to the Match :
7′ – Williams has a Howler and leaves Oduro with a one on one with Konopka, beats him but can’t find the empty net.
23′ – YELLOW – Warner takes down Oduro from behind because Cheyrou was lying down and didn’t kick it out. Still a booking.
31′ – Cheyrou falls again and once they get him up its straight down the tunnel
33′ – SUB – after 5 minutes of warming up, Altidore has achieved match fitness and has come on for Cheyrou, playing a man down for 2 mins. Sure.
35′ – GOAL – Giovinco passes off to Osorio on the right who slots a pass towards Bradley who slyly redirects it past the keeper in the far post.
ROBINS 1, CHEESEMAKERS 0
41′ – Montreal are abysmal and here’s why, ball in the six yard box, and Konopka is down, Oduro slides and redirects it heading towards goal, but slowly. Konopka lunges for it to swipe it off the line… only to find a Montreal player dead centre and skies the ball towards the sky chair. Magical.
45′ – Giovinco has a low curler 20 yards out heading towards the right post but the keeper gets his hand to it.
Half-Time Mood : It feels like the goals could start flying ANY MINUTE. That, or it’s a psychosis of some kind
45′ – SUB – Lovitz off for Morgan.
51′ – SUB – Giovinco has had his final knock and comes off for Findley. This game should end with Toronto scoring no more. #prediction
55′ – GOAL – aaaaand I’m wrong. Bradley down the wing finds Osorio, takes a touch and fires it off the cross bar. Rebound finds Altidore who takes the half volley and buries it. I’m sorry Jozy. You’re back to good now.
ROBINS 2, CHEESEMAKERS 0
68′ – Oduro’s pace is killing Kantari but his finish it making Konopka’s job easy, as Dominic loses his marker, but Konopka goes down to stop the attack.
74′ – GOAL – Montreal pull one back as Oduro takes a pass from the left side and nutmegs Morrow sneaking it under Konopka
ROBINS 2, CHEESEMAKERS 1
77′ – Findley does a plus drawing a foul which results in Ciman’s second yellow and that means he takes a nap. That exceeded expectations.
4 minutes of extra time
Full Time : Toronto 2, Montreal 1
Man of the Match : Bradley
Goat of the Game : Kantari got burned plenty.
Ref Rating : 3 out of 5
Kit Spotting : green and grey striped Alianza Lima away. Gorgeous.
I Am Not the Gaffer But… : I’d have put in Hercules Gomez for Cheyrou or Giovinco but I certainly wouldn’t have put in Findley
In Case You PVR’d It : watch from the 30th minute until the 77th. Skip the start and end.
Due to a far-from-terrible-and-useless substitution performance, I’ve decided to quantify what it will take to shift my opinion of a certain “forward” on the team, and the qualifier is “goals or assists or tackles that are deliberate, and no fluky crap”. This number can increase with incidents of “weak play, ball movement lacking confidence, brutal passing”.
Number Of Positive Things Findley Needs To Do For Me To Stop Hating On Him : 6
Kantari was having a bit of a nightmare defensively today. He had a chance for glory in front of the Montreal net, but after that, he was chasing Oduro’s shadow… Sad to hear that Montreal supporters weren’t allowed to bring a tifo today. I’m always amused what the come up with. The google one was very clever, but the haul of trophies one is hilarious winning many of them when they were a provincial welfare club… Findley wasn’t completely terrible or a liability. He was playing near the minimum expectation level of a player of his pedigree and wage packet… My favourite gaffes were the halftime scoreboard showing the badges of Toronto and Orlando and at the end where the public address announcer reminded us the next home game was against the New England Revelation. Top flight stuff… I am now convinced that Osorio is one killer move away from being an absolute nightmare for right-backs in the league. He was doing a good job pulling defenders into the corner and dribbling out of it,but can’t quite “beat” then with any regularity…Had the supreme pleasure of running into old neighbours from 113. Brandon and Julie are doing great. We miss them a lot… Full marks to the Montreal supporters sitting in the south end and taking the verbal abuse like a champ. It’s just banter, nothing more. Anyone else who wants to make it more than that isn’t here for the game.
Player Ratings : Konopka 7, Morrow 5.5, Williams 6, Kantari 5, Lovitz 5 (Morgan 6.5), Cheyrou N/A (Altidore 7), Warner 6, Osorio 7, Bradley 7.5, Delgado 6, Giovinco 7.5 (Findley 6)
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