The lights went out twice in Carson, California last night, but LA scored twice in the overtime portion to eliminate Houston and win the west.
I would like to salute myself for tactical wizardry in the area of PVR programming. I did not stay up all night to watch this, I pvr'ed it to watch Saturday morning. Click to continue reading...

BMO Field finally turned into a fortress in 2009. (Getty Images)

2009 was expected to the be year that Toronto FC turned the corner and really made a splash in Major League Soccer. The moves were made to get local star Dwayne De Rosario at the start of the season and things looked promising early on but midway through the first full month of action manager John Carver stepped down and if you ask me the club never really rebounded from that change.

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I'm not going to lie, I've given up on trying to figure out how the different scenarios for this weekend's matches need to play out for Toronto to make the playoffs. The numbers are too much for me, so I'm going to just sit back and hope for a TFC win against New York and everyone else to lose. I guess that's not entirely possible, but at least we know that if Toronto wins, they have a much better chance of making it in than if they lose!

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Congratulations! You've made it to the last home game of the year. Is it meaningful? Quite possibly.
As it turns out, this time around we are in a position to actually visit Mr. Post Season for once. There is still a chance that the whole thing will collapse around us as expected, but you can dream. Click to continue reading...

Today was a little lesson in redemption. I guess it is possible to bounce back. TFC looked a tougher team today, Cummins seemed a smarter coach and I might not have been alone in feeling that I was a more confident fan.
It was cold down by the lake this afternoon. Cold in temperature and cold creeping into the heart as so many elements of this week's game seemed to mirror chilly aspects of last week's game. Click to continue reading...

Sorry for the lengthy absence - I am back. And seething with anger. This isn't exactly going to be a warm-fuzzy post about how I love TFC. It's a little negative, so brace yourself for it.
If football matches were only 75 minutes long, we'd be 3 points off of first in the league, and we'd have a playoff spot locked up. Click to continue reading...

Running around a bit today, so here's a feel-good story. I hadn't read this comment in full when I posted my story about De Ro scoring the golden goal; amazing how resonant it was north of the border. Here's Duane Rollins in his own words:
That game hooked me. I was writing for a B. Click to continue reading...

Stillkicking is lost in the North Woods this weekend, so I'll be filling in for the time being.
What is there really to say about this game? Personally I had a new experience during this one, I managed to sleep through most of the second half, something I have never done before. At least during a TFC game. Click to continue reading...

I love Seattle. It's a great city. Nice people. Peroshki's are tasty. Pike Place is kinda neat. Even that random gum wall thingie in the bowels is a talking point. And The Pink Door is a wonderful restaurant and their hostess is the best looking MILF I've ever seen charming and friendly. Click to continue reading...

For those of you who paid attention to my very inactive Twitter feed, I was on holidays all week. I'm back now, and here's a quick summary of what's happened in the past week at Toronto FC...
On August 12, we signed Haitian international left-back Lesley Fellinga, who had previously played in the Eredivisie at Heerenveen. Click to continue reading...

This is the fourth in a recurring series where we look at the DC United season, five games at a time.
Results: 1-2-2. 9 GF, 11 GA
Standings: Third place in the Eastern Conference
Statistical Leaders: Christian Gomez (3 goals, 2 assists), Luciano Emilio (3 goals), Bryan Namoff, Jaime Moreno, and Fred (1 goal, 1 assist each)
Most frequent lineup:

What we liked:

• The Christian Gomez of 2007 - In the first half of the season, there was a wide variety of candidates for DC United's MVP: Quaranta, Pontius, Moreno, Gomez, maybe even Wicks or Jakovic.

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Ahh, long weekend here in 'The Canadas' (we've discovered that we have readership in Sweden and Malaysia) and I'm at home with nothing to do except get on my perch and comment about pro footie. For those of you who are wondering, I am not standing watching the match at home. I tried it once, kinda felt stupid. Click to continue reading...

DeRo vs Nigel Henry/ Photo by Paul Giamou

• 5.4 million homes tuned into the Univision broadcast of US-Mexico in the Gold Cup final. The 5-0 Mexican win was the Nielsen ratings winner in its time slot in many markets. The top 5 markets in terms of ratings were:

1- Los Angeles

2- New York

3- Miami

4- Houston

5- Dallas

Considering the Mexican-American population in the New York and Miami markets is minimal, compared to the other three top markets, the ratings there (especially in NYC which hosted the match after all) reinforce my belief that MLS would be wise to ignore attendance and bring a second team to New York and return to the Miami market.

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So that was Toronto's soccer team playing in Toronto's soccer stadium last night.
I have just returned from a great holiday and I am finding it hard to fall back into old routines. Perhaps this is a part of a great holiday, you return home and find yourself in a strange state. You start to see many of the old familiar things in a new light. Click to continue reading...

Yesterday's 1-1 draw with Houston wasn't very satisfying at all. It was one of those ties that feels like a loss - and when you add in that Chicago, DC, and Columbus all won their matches yesterday, the feeling doesn't get any better.
Once again we are left to rue missed opportunities. Chad Barrett had a couple of opportunities, while one volley by Danny Dichio sticks out in my mind. Click to continue reading...

Is De Guzman the Answer?

If you are a Reds fan by now you probably have heard the rumors of Julian De Guzman possibly landing here at TFC. Many are excited at the fact that this could be our biggest signing yet. Bet is De Guzman the answer to all our problems?

There is no doubt in his quality as a player.

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A roundup of some stories today of interest to Canadian soccer fans.

• Some Canadian Guys Writing About Soccer have uncovered speculation that Simeone Jackson will be leaving Gillingham for the Championship and signing with Leicester City for a tidy sum of cash.
• Duane at the 24th Minute is reporting that Tomasz Radzinski is doing his best Energizer bunny impersonation and staying at FC Lierse in Belgium 2nd Division for at least 2 more years.

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It was an ugly win, but it was a win nonetheless. Three more points to our total locking us up in a tie with Chicago Fire for first in the East for the time-being. Let's just say I'll take it.
After the busiest start to a season in our club's brief history, the guys were coming into this one well rested having not played any matches in two weeks, and if you ask me, it showed. Click to continue reading...

I have to see it as a positive for the maturation of the game in this country that we are now involved in conversations that the rest of the world has been having for generations - club or country?

The flash point today (to bring you up to speed in case you haven't heard) is the now confirmed fact that TFC has made a significant offer to our favorite midfielder Julian de Guzman.

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Ahhhh, revenge is tasty. Canada opens the 2009 Gold Cup with a 1-0 win over Jamaica. The CONCACAF goal scoring machine Ali Gerba was the man who inflicted the damage at the 75th minute after being beautifully set up by Mike Klukowski.

Overall, a decent game from the boys, but not a commanding performance.

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Could this guy be kicking it with DeRo at BMO?
According to this week's MLS Extra Time, Shep Messing claims that 28 year old Canadian International defensive midfielder Julian De Guzman of Deportiva de La Coruna and his agent met with Mo Johnston, who gave them a great DP offer and that they are thinking it over. Click to continue reading...

I am capable of rattling off the excuses. Playing only four nights since your previous game has to be tough. You have to factor in both jet lag and elevation adjustment when you travel from Toronto to Utah. Playing New York twice in a row must spoil a team for facing teams that have more going for them (example- every other MLS team). Click to continue reading...

According to CanadaSoccer.com, we're only going to be missing two players during the Gold Cup. None of Dwayne De Rosario, Adrian Serioux, or Nana Attakora are included in Stephen Hart's side, but Kevin Harmse and Ali Gerba are.
Looks like it was club over country for DeRo and Serioux.
Click here to see the final team. Click to continue reading...

Let's face it, we didn't beat the Impact's best team 6-1 on Thursday. That doesn't matter though - we needed to win by four, and we pulled off the improbable. Before the match, I would have honestly bet someone $1,000 that we wouldn't do it. I was certain it would be one of those "oh well, we created enough to win by four. Click to continue reading...

Toronto FC 6 - 1 Montreal Impact. DeRo with three, Guevara with two, and Barrett with one. I cannot believe what just happened. I'd written them off - everyone had. Now I'm eating my words, and I've never been happier to do it.
No time to comment now. Enjoy the celebrations! Click to continue reading...

When I saw Chad Barrett wasn't in our starting eleven on Saturday, I knew we were going to score more than once. And we did, we scored two. Ali Gerba must have been watching from his private box thinking to himself "finally - a team that really, really needs me...".
It was a really ugly win, but three points is three points no matter which way you look at it. Click to continue reading...

There was a sadness in the air at the end of today's game. A few Toronto players took the time to applaud the supporters, but it seemed as if the fans had no energy or awareness of them, never mind return the salute. I have read comments on some fan forums that have complained about players not saluting the supporters no matter the outcome of the game. Click to continue reading...

Prior to the start of an active June for the US National Team we take a trip around the United States looking at USL and MLs. We start in Seattle with the PDL's Seattle Wolves and Director of Public Relations Alexander Caulfield. A native of Merseyside we discuss not only the Wolves but the 2008-09 season for Liverpool Football Club.

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Today's video highlights from MLSnet.com including DeRo's Houston homecoming. Click to continue reading...

I'm just throwing this out there...Is Amado Guevara in MVP form?
From midfield, he has 5 goals and 4 assists in 10 games. As I mentioned in my match report from the win against the Revs, he's on pace for 15 goals and 12 assists. Now, I can be realistic and admit that he won't keep up that pace. Click to continue reading...

The streak is alive! Going 5-4, I have now posted two consecutive weeks over .500, allowing me to inch ever closer up on the season at 21-33, good for a .389 mark. Overall, I think that's not bad since pure chance would have a mark of .333. (I decided early on that if a result is a tie, that's a loss for me since I could easily have predicted a tie. Click to continue reading...

This game is a hard one to capture. Forgive my scrambled brain, I can't decide if I was joyfully entertained or toyed with.
If you want the simple, positive version of what happened Saturday night, Toronto played DC United to a draw and gained a road point from a stadium where none had come before. Click to continue reading...

Of all people...Kevin freakin' Harmse. After scoring just 2 minutes in, I was hoping we'd put a few more goals in, but it wasn't to be. Nonetheless, a win is a win and three points are three points. This year's Nutrilite Canadian Championship is a must-win in my eyes, so I'm content with a clean sheet at home to open things up. Click to continue reading...

Wednesday night at BMO Field it was the meeting of the hot team and the cold night, but the result was not what many had been expecting. Toronto won 1-0 and every element of their team was functioning at a high level. I take that back, clearly finishing their scoring chances and beating the offside trap are two elements that need work. Click to continue reading...

Wow. Embarrassing start. Respectable comeback. Bull shit penalty call. Embarrassing finish. Tim Weyland is by far and large the worst referee in MLS - and that's not just because of his display tonight - he's had many bad games before. Who cares though. If we were a competent team we wouldn't have conceded those first two goals. Click to continue reading...