PBP: P/I/P Colorado @ Toronto, July 22 2017, 5pm

From a week old article in the Denver Post: http://www.denverpost.com/2017/07/11/shkelzen-gashi-injury-colorado-rapids/

“Everyone else, barring any unforeseen injury from now to then, should be available for Toronto,” coach Pablo Mastroeni said after Tuesday’s training session.

Mastroeni has said he expects the club to add two players in the coming weeks, including one who “will definitely raise the level of the group.” In the meantime he is using the hiatus to work on some of the team’s tactical shortcomings. Areas of focus are:

— Being more efficient passing the ball with a sense of purpose when building out of the back, rather than just passing it to get rid of it.

— Improving transition defense by reacting quickly to win the ball after losing it in the attacking third to prevent opposition counterattacks and keep the other team’s back line under pressure.

— Making adjustments to stop getting beat by long balls when the team is pressing forward.

 

It does seem to be a good time to be playing at Toronto with no Bradley, Altidore or Morrow. Long layoff for both teams it will be interesting to see how both respond.

Hope to see Saeid in the middle regardless of who else is out there.

 

1 - 0 Toronto, 1 - 0 Costa Rica (Rica rolled?) but fabulous Mediterranean coastal scenery in the 20th stage (time trial) of Le Tour de France in (around) Marseille -- and it will look familiar from when we were there about a month ago.

 

Giovinco had a muscle strain against NYCFC, but Toronto reports that he likely will be available for selection. I haven't seen any Rapids player capable of marking Giovinco, muscle strain or not. Ricketts, Osorio and Cooper will be available along with their newbie, Hasler. They have some guy named Moor on their back line, and I hear he's pretty good, not that the Rapids are capable of finding their net anyway. Toronto is simply too deep a team for the Rapids. The Rapids are 0-forever this year on the road, and that will continue at BMO Field. I see this as a 3-0 or 4-0 butt-kicking.

On that cheerful optimism, here are the PRO assignments:

REF: JUAN GUZMAN
AR1: Craig Lowry
AR2: Peter Balciunas
4TH: David Barrie

Or the anagram version:

REF: THE UNANAGRAMMABLE ONE
AR1: Cowgirl Ray
AR2: Inescapable Rut
4TH: A Rabid Diver

 

So far correct on one of my three predictions, and I forgot to use one of my favorite words 'penultimate'.

 

1-0 rapids-

 

1-1 seems optimistic even with the missing players. But as bad as the Rapids are, they have to get a point on the road at some point.

TFC will at least have probably have Gold Cuppers Osorio, Ricketts and Cooper available off the bench. That could make for some interesting subs.

 

Using a proper name (who is a soccer player):

Unjam Guzan

 

The Rapids have played so poorly on the road--truly amateurish--that I can't predict even a tie if they were playing a team a level down. If Sjoberg and Ford are the CBs, maybe I have some hope. Still, I predict 2-1 loss.

 

Bench for #TORvCOL: Powers, Berner, Gordon, Boateng, Castillo, Calvert, Watts.

Lineup notes: https://t.co/8Ysv46JA9f pic.twitter.com/SMf7rxnX0v

— Colorado Rapids (@ColoradoRapids) July 22, 2017

 

Giovinco and Vazquez starting. Moor on the bench.

Home sweet home

Here’s tonight’s @BMO starting XI vs. @ColoradoRapids#TFCLive | #TORvCOL pic.twitter.com/OdRyho1nUK

— Toronto FC (@TorontoFC) July 22, 2017

 

This is Pabloball, though. Who knows what mystical formulae he consults.

 

I got my wish at CB, but no Boateng? We were talking about him being a positive addition. Guess the team doesn't agree.

 

Behind already...

 

Amateur hour.

 

. . . and so it begins . . .

 

Anyone else think Burch might have played that play better?

 

I replayed it. I think he was balancing his checkbook.