MLS - May 11 - Toronto (Away)

I’m very surprised at the tenacity and opportunism from tonight’s game. They basically got outplayed (shouts to Matty Ice for 9 saves - whoa) but got a penalty, a sweet sweet timely goal by “biblical” Malachi, and a third goal against the run of play to seal it.

They lost possession 60/40 and yet came out with the win. This is what good teams do - find a way. I’m kind of shocked because this is not what this team has done for the last two years. They deserve all the credit.
This is what the Rangers have been doing a lot this year. It’s like the two teams’ brains got swapped tonight.
 
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Well that was joyful.
Wolf played hungry.
I can believe a camera malfunctioned 2 months ago. I can almost believe that with no evidence, the league closed the investigation quickly and quietly. I don't believe that nobody on Toronto said anything at the post-game presser in March after Cushing supposedly punched a teenager at halftime. I think most probably that the kid made the accusation and his team didn't believe him but he's sticking to it so now they feel they have to back him.
I left the chat at halftime because as soon as we went up 2-0 everyone got so negative.
Owusu likes to shove people in the back then act innocent after they faceplant.
The OT Malachi was a prophet. A week ago Jones said his first goal was coming. There's your nickname.
 
The ref let the game get out of control, especially when he didn't card Rosted for taking out Malachi, TFC thought they had carte blanche to boss us around
Absolutely. It wax getting wild. Also, the Prince not making any play on the ball and pushing Freese. I thought keepers at least got a little extra protection.
 
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The goals were legit deserved goals.
Hannes' assist from beginning to end of the play was phenomenal.
No second yellow for Rosted was criminal. It was an intentional professional foul on a player headed toward goal. That's an automatic yellow.
Are we going to hear that SJ bit Tana? Are we going to hear that even more stuff happened in the tunnel?
Malachi's finish was sublime.
No surprise that Bakrar didn't make the XI, but surprised he wasn't in the 18.
What exactly are the circumstances that would lead to a head coach in MLS cornering an opposing player in the tunnel and punching him in the face? I just can't quite imagine that storyline. (Appreciate that TFC coach never said it happened. Every single phrasing was that he was told that it happened.)
Would anyone have taken the bet that Insigne would lay an egg on a damn good chance to equalize in the 80th minute?
I thought Santi should have been pulled as soon as Perea scored. Rest him for Wednesday.
Something happened in the 84th (I think) minute where Tolleson mentioned O'Toole. Wifey asked me, "When did O'Toole come in?" Not sure if that says more about the night wifey had or the night O'Toole had. (I thought O'Toole played relatively well. Though I think he backed up too much with Bernadeschi instead of challenging him quicker.)
Surprisingly fun night overall.
 
I mentioned a few weeks ago I noticed Revolution players going down the grounds crew tunnel in left field instead of into the 3rd base dugout. The team must have done this after the TFC scuffle that keeps getting alluded to
 
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(I thought O'Toole played relatively well. Though I think he backed up too much with Bernadeschi instead of challenging him quicker.)

Our left-side defense was so consistent last night it had to be a tactical choice. O'toole would be isolated out on the wing 1:1 on Bernadeschi with no help from Risa who stayed way back in the box. The help would come from Sands or later in the game Parks sliding into that gap between Risa and OT. My assumption would be that O'toole's job was to try to contain Bernadeschi until help could come. At least I hope that was the plan because if Risa was supposed to be the help he was leaving OT out to dry on nearly every play.
 
It looks like Tana did headbutt SJ at the beginning of the scrum in which case I think that SJ’s reaction was warranted.

Sean wasn't running at him with a hoarde of players and staff to have a nice chat. He wanted a reaction and got one.
 
From the Guardian article:

Cushing denied hitting a Toronto player.

“I can honestly say as head coach – I’ve done 348 games – I’ve never ever laid a finger on a player,” he said after Saturday’s game when apprised of the Toronto accusations.

How does Cushing know exactly how many games he's managed? Did he prep for this topic being brought up? Seems a bit sus...
 
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Absolutely. It wax getting wild. Also, the Prince not making any play on the ball and pushing Freese. I thought keepers at least got a little extra protection.
That was where our guys should have dropped the gloves. Another one of many lessons learned last night.

But leaving aside the circus at the end of the match, I was proud of our guys. They got punched in the teeth -- figuratively -- in the first 15 minutes or so and didn't wilt, grew into the match quickly and went toe-to-toe with an in-form TFC the rest of the way. And won. It was a phenomenal response to the failure against the Rapids.

Some of the performances were especially notable. We got one in Malachi for sure. Perea was everywhere and brings a dynamism we've been missing. O'Toole was tasked with taking on Bernardeschi and gave a good account of himself; he wasn't intimidated. Bernardeschi's goal came on a fortuitous rebound, not any failure on Kevin's part.

Tayvon likewise gave a good account of himself. A bad giveaway can happen to anyone, so while it wasn't good, it happens. I thought he had made a bad mistake on the second goal, but I was wrong about that one, mostly. He did get caught ball watching and didn't check his six, but at the same time he was man marking the opposing striker in a dangerous position, so it's really a team defensive failure more than an error on his part.

My bad. Endless apologies, Young Prince.

That Jones-Santi-Wolf line, though. Wow. And we finally saw the real Hannes last night. And not for nothing, but a running striker like Mounsef is going to get some shots with a fast, flowing attack like that one. (It's not hard to imagine us having two fundamental options in the plan of attack with two different lineups, one to run them off the pitch, the other focused on hold-up play at striker.)

We may just look back at this game as the turning point. In a way, having our capstone rejected by Colorado and getting a bad ref in a bullying game in Toronto may have been just what we needed. As an old acquaintance, a Marine gunnery sergeant, once told me, "Sometimes you gotta go through it to get there."
 
How does Cushing know exactly how many games he's managed? Did he prep for this topic being brought up? Seems a bit sus..
Cushing needs to be good at math.
Sassy Figure It Out GIF by CBS
 
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From the Guardian article:

Cushing denied hitting a Toronto player.

“I can honestly say as head coach – I’ve done 348 games – I’ve never ever laid a finger on a player,” he said after Saturday’s game when apprised of the Toronto accusations.

How does Cushing know exactly how many games he's managed? Did he prep for this topic being brought up? Seems a bit sus...
Bringing up an alleged incident months after it happens, claiming there are no cameras in one of the most famous stadiums in the country, and sitting on the news until it provides a facade of moral high ground is far more sus.
 
Bringing up an alleged incident months after it happens, claiming there are no cameras in one of the most famous stadiums in the country, and sitting on the news until it provides a facade of moral high ground is far more sus.
Seriously. The phrase "facade of moral high ground" says it all.

They tried to bully us, failed, picked a fight after the match and then tried to justify it all with a disgraceful lie.

Screw those guys. I can't wait until we play them again. I want to kick their asses so far up over their heads their mommas are gonna think God gave them an extra pair of shoulders.
 
O'Toole did what he could in isolation, and he mostly was able to close down on Bernardeschi when B decided to run straight ahead, but Bernardeschi blew by him cutting inside a gazillion times and each was potentially dangerous. It was a surprising defensive scheme, to say the least. I was terrified several times