Pre-Match/Match/Post-Match Thread - NCC - Toronto FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC - July 2, 2011 (R)

Re: Pre-Match/Match/Post-Match Thread - NCC - Toronto FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC - May 25, 2011 (

So.....

TFC hoists the trophy if :
1. they win the game ; or
2. The final score is 0-0

Whitecaps win if:
1. They win the game ; or
2. The final score is 2-2, 3-3, etc

The game goes to ot if:
The final score is 1-1

 

Re: Pre-Match/Match/Post-Match Thread - NCC - Toronto FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC - May 25, 2011 (

Anyone else think Aron Winter should rest some regulars for Sunday's game vs. Colorado?
(The defence should be fine playing 2 games in a short span...more worried about midfielders/forwards).

Realistically, there is no way that a full starting XI playing on Sunday will be rejuvenated for Wednesday, taking into account the following factors:

- the game is on Sunday as opposed to Saturday...leaving only two days rest
- does Toronto fly out of Colorado on Sunday night or Monday
- game is being played at altitude


Vancouver has a bye-week so they will be fully rested. Thordarson did the same last weekend, resting some/many regulars to focus on the game with TFC, although that plan ended up back-firing on him huge.

It really comes down to which is more important...league play or the NCC+CCL.

Not to mention TFC's depth has taken a hit due to injuries.

Interesting to see what happens.

 

Re: Pre-Match/Match/Post-Match Thread - NCC - Toronto FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC - May 25, 2011 (

Having just seen the Rapids game, I think Vancouver is going to have an advantage in regards to fitness and energy...some of the TFC players were pretty spent at the end of the rapids game.

I'd love a win in this one, but I'm really struggling to see how we can win. It's gonna take some huge energy from the "12th man" to get this one won.

Come on TFC! Let's bring it on Wednesday.

 

Re: Pre-Match/Match/Post-Match Thread - NCC - Toronto FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC - May 25, 2011 (

here's what i would do:[LINEUP-4-3-3]Plata, Santos, Soolsma, Sturgis, Tchani, De Guzman, Yourassowski, Cann, Williams, Eckersley, Frei[/LINEUP-4-3-3]
I'm hoping that Tchani will be fit, and Peterson wont. Sturgis played will today, which is more than i have ever been able to say about Peterson, so i would play him in Peterson's spot even if he is fit.

i would play a more defensive point forward, with Sturgis along side De Guzman in D-mid and Tchani playing attacking mid

Plata and Soolsma need to switch wings several times to confuse the defenders

 

Re: Pre-Match/Match/Post-Match Thread - NCC - Toronto FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC - May 25, 2011 (

The only change I'd make to that is use Cordon (or Peterson if he can go) in place of Sturgis.

Peterson and Sturgis are very different type players and not normally interchangeable. Sturgis gives you nothing going forward. He can defend well, much better than Peterson, but in possession he's like a wind-up toy that only goes backwards; Peterson, on the other hand, is very fast and always inclined to attack, which I'm sure is why Winter favours him.

I'd like that idea if we could persuade de Guzman to get more involved offensively like he does when he wears the Canada shirt. We really have a position open at A-Mid that badly needs to be filled. (Tony Tchani isn't what I have in mind, at least not now. He's got a lot of developing to do.)

It appears that MLS defenders have already discovered how to control Plata: put the muscle on the wee man and poof! where'd he go? So switching them would only disarm Soolsma (very much a right-side oriented player as I see him) without helping Plata.

 

Re: Pre-Match/Match/Post-Match Thread - NCC - Toronto FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC - May 25, 2011 (

I disagree. GeDuzman offers nothing going forward and he has an awful shot on him. Tchani on the other hand has a little Yaya Toure about him, and I think he could be useful going forward. Tchani might be better pushed up the pitch, and also he offers a bit of height that we are sorely missing sometimes.

Agreed on the Plata and Soolsma switching wings thing. Leathers had Plata all stitched up last week, switching the wings a couple of times could be a good thing for Plata (and Soolsma).

 

Re: Pre-Match/Match/Post-Match Thread - NCC - Toronto FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC - May 25, 2011 (

the differences you mentioned are the exact reasons i would favour Sturgis in this game over Peterson. last game the defense was abysmal. Peterson can move forward fast on the ball, but I think Sturgis passes forward better. with Sturgis and De Guzman playing right in front of the center backs, we can prevent Vancouver from cutting infront of the defenders and prevent goals like the one on Wednesday. with Tchani playing in the middle in front of them, Vancouver's only option will be to attack down the flanks, where they will be stopped by Eckersley or Yourassowsky

De Guzman doesn't need to get forward, i want him to stay back and hold alongside Sturgis to break down counter attacks. Your right about Tchani not being the solution to the #10 spot, but he's better than anyone else we have, and he brings a physical presence to the attack

Soolsma seems to be two footed, so he should be able to play either wing. if the defenders don't know who they're going to be defending, they wont know how to defend them

 

Re: Pre-Match/Match/Post-Match Thread - NCC - Toronto FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC - May 25, 2011 (

Soolsma is a two-footed player, who needs to be on the right. Martina also enjoys the right side, but isn't as important. Soolsma's game is built around either getting a cross in with his right, or a cut in on his left. He is the most prototypical winger on the team. Lacks athleticism. Claims to be hitting the gym.

Stefanovic revealing that he approached the coaches to try him at the #10 and they did speaks a lot to Winter's character. Stefanovic has the most upside as a player on the team, and is arguably the most talented (on paper). Winter was smart to let him have a shot and show what he can do. (if you were starting up a team and could take one TFC player it would be him). He did well in Colorado, but is a bit too selfish on the ball to play #10. He is a good passer but seems to lack confidence in his teammates. If he stopped dribbling too much he could be the answer....

I think you start Martina- Santos- Soolsma up front and bring in Plata after defenders are tired, so he can tear them apart.
Gargan is learning to get forward, and doing a decent job!!!!!!! my god

 

Re: Pre-Match/Match/Post-Match Thread - NCC - Toronto FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC - May 25, 2011 (

I would like to give Stevanovic another shot at CAM and Yourassowsky at LB to ad a bit more pace and width to the attack.

[LINEUP-4-3-3]Plata, Santos, Soolsma, Tchani, Stevanovic, De Guzman, Yourassowsky, Williams, Cann, Eckersley, Frei[/LINEUP-4-3-3]

 

Re: Pre-Match/Match/Post-Match Thread - NCC - Toronto FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC - May 25, 2011 (

As long as we don't play Peterson, I'm happy. One thing that has me worried is that plata's been called up for equidor's game on Saturday. Does this mean that he'll miss Wednesday's game?

 

Re: Pre-Match/Match/Post-Match Thread - NCC - Toronto FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC - May 25, 2011 (

Plata isn't joining Ecuador until they head in for their Canada matchup.

 

Re: Pre-Match/Match/Post-Match Thread - NCC - Toronto FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC - May 25, 2011 (

Thank goodness. Tim Drodge said that he had already left, so i was getting worried

 

Re: Pre-Match/Match/Post-Match Thread - NCC - Toronto FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC - May 25, 2011 (

Can't say that I know who Tim Drodge is, but Luke Wileman was saying during the Colorado game that Winter and Mariner had spoken to Ecuador and had confirmed that Plata would be finishing the week with TFC. This would most likely rule him out of the 28th game against Union though.

 

Re: Pre-Match/Match/Post-Match Thread - NCC - Toronto FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC - May 25, 2011 (

I wasn't suggesting de Guzman take over as our attacking mid(!), just that having Sturgis back there would allow de Guz more liberty to move up in support of our attack. (de Guzman is a better player than you're giving him credit for being and he actually has a decent shot - wouldn't call it good, but it's very far from "awful" as you put it.) The thing is, we only use three mids: parking two of them in front of our backline sounds like chickenshit anti-football to me.

 

Re: Pre-Match/Match/Post-Match Thread - NCC - Toronto FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC - May 25, 2011 (

I like it, that line up would be my choice, potentially Martina starting though, we shall see

 

Re: Pre-Match/Match/Post-Match Thread - NCC - Toronto FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC - May 25, 2011 (

That's a good squad. Except Martina to start, plata in the second. Vancouver is too tough.

 

Re: Pre-Match/Match/Post-Match Thread - NCC - Toronto FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC - May 25, 2011 (

anti-football or not, it's what's needed to break up vancouver's attack. last game Vancouver should have scored five goals. for this game we need to counterattack quickly and not let all the midfielders get too far up the pitch like they were for Vancouver's goal last week

 

Re: Pre-Match/Match/Post-Match Thread - NCC - Toronto FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC - May 25, 2011 (

This is TFC's most important game all season...

seeing how I doubt we'll make a playoff spot

0-0 scrapper... I doubt each team will finish with 11 a side.

 

Re: Pre-Match/Match/Post-Match Thread - NCC - Toronto FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC - May 25, 2011 (

I really would like to see Dunfield leave for the Gold Cup squad on a red card note...

 

Re: Pre-Match/Match/Post-Match Thread - NCC - Toronto FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC - May 25, 2011 (

I wouldn't worry about Réal Esteli too much, this game v. Whitecaps will probably be much more difficult than facing the Nicaraguan champs.

 

Re: Pre-Match/Match/Post-Match Thread - NCC - Toronto FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC - May 25, 2011 (

Dicoy described the games with Vancouver like war on the pitch. Here's hoping the Reds treat it as such!

<--them's fightin' faces!