Toronto FC: TFC Discussion

[LeafsTFC]

because the game looked like 3rd level soccer. It wasn't even entertaining.

Well no one is forcing you to watch. And some people can consider a game entertaining even if the skill level isn't at the top or feature the "best of the best". I love watching the World Juniors and the Memorial Cup despite the fact that a lot of the best players aren't in it.

 

[Quarter]

It's odd to see everything going on here on the heels of the highest-scoring playoff by any team in MLS history. Were people just lulled into a false sense of security by it? It's weird. If Toronto converts any of the chances they had last night, no one cares... but now there's an uproar focused on quality of MLS as a league because they couldn't? That doesn't make any sense.

 

[LeafsTFC]

also im guessing the parked bus was Chelsea-Bayern? When it was 1-1 at PK? So..Chelsea got a shot and scored? also they had 9 shots, 3 on target, and 44% possession so I dont quite get the "park the bus" reference..

Chelsea used that strategy for almost the whole knockout round. They may have gotten a few shots on goal in the final game but they used that style not just in the final game, like Seattle did.

http://worldsoccertalk.com/2012/05/22/despite-winning-champions-league-chelsea-not-winning-admirers/

http://www.theroar.com.au/2012/05/24/chelsea-teach-barca-real-ugly-football-lesson/

Tons of other examples too that didn't lead to an outcry to changes the rules or a determination that the tourney was "bush league", like Greece at the 2004 Euros, Inter-Barcelona Champions League semi in 2010 and to an extent, Portugal at this year's Euros

 

[AllDay28]

Well no one is forcing you to watch. And some people can consider a game entertaining even if the skill level isn't at the top or feature the "best of the best". I love watching the World Juniors and the Memorial Cup despite the fact that a lot of the best players aren't in it.

you just compared world juniors (like 19 n under) to professionals playing soccer trying to be on the same level as europe what?

 

[AllDay28]

Chelsea used that strategy for almost the whole knockout round. They may have gotten a few shots on goal in the final game but they used that style not just in the final game, like Seattle did.

http://worldsoccertalk.com/2012/05/22/despite-winning-champions-league-chelsea-not-winning-admirers/

http://www.theroar.com.au/2012/05/24/chelsea-teach-barca-real-ugly-football-lesson/

Tons of other examples too that didn't lead to an outcry to changes the rules or a determination that the tourney was "bush league", like Greece at the 2004 Euros, Inter-Barcelona Champions League semi in 2010 and to an extent, Portugal at this year's Euros

I'm confused. you brought up Chelseas play for winning as if it was revered and yet im reading about how it hindered the game.. so I dont get your point comparing it to the MLS Cup? Cause the MLS Cup sucked just as much and hindered the sport

 

[LeafsTFC]

you just compared world juniors (like 19 n under) to professionals playing soccer trying to be on the same level as europe what?

No, I said that some people (myself included) like to watch a sports tourney even if it doesn't feature the best players in the world in the applicable age bracket or whatever. This year's World Juniors won't feature McDavid, Marner, Matthews, Laine and lots of other good players who are u-20s but I'll still watch. I'll still watch the Memorial Cup even though lots of the best players in the CHL won't be involved in it. When I lived outside Toronto in rural Ontario, I would still go watch the local OHL team play even though I knew only a small handful of those guys would ever play an NHL game. People on this board love watching the Marlies when many of them will only get a cup of coffee in the NHL.

I mean you have the right to not watch what you don't want to watch, but some people enjoy the sport and enjoy watching people play it who are way better than the average person, even if those people won't be the best in the world.

You can also not watch the 2012 Champions League and argue that Chelsea didn't really park the bus, but by making that argument, it becomes really obvious that you don't follow the sport extensively.

 

[LeafsTFC]

I'm confused. you brought up Chelseas play for winning as if it was revered and yet im reading about how it hindered the game.. so I dont get your point comparing it to the MLS Cup? Cause the MLS Cup sucked just as much and hindered the sport

My point was that parking the bus is not something unique to MLS. Your post suggested that European soccer fans would choose not to follow the MLS because a team won a final playing defensively the whole game and waiting for penalties. That's exactly what teams in Europe do often, so if Euro fans don't follow the MLS for that reason, they're being stupid and hypocritical.

Of course, as you said, people often don't follow the MLS because the skill level is lower. I get that and accept it. But it can still be entertaining to watch a sport even when the skill level is lower. I'm not a CFL fan but lots of its proponents talk about it being a more exciting game to watch, despite the fact that 3rd string NFLers are better football players than almost all CFLers.

I don't think the MLS cup sucked and if it "hindered" the sport, it only did so to the extent that countless of other similar matches in Europe "hinder" the sport

 

[Epictetus]

how is this any diff than parking the bus and going to a shootout? im confused.

in the end, I was trying super hard to get into soccer. for a few yrs now. but last night sent MLS back about 20 yrs as its the laughing stock of most euro fans who stayed up to watch this joke.

TFC wasn't parking the bus. They legitimately were trying to score.

In the old 'golden goal format', you had neither team trying to score. Both teams were afraid of making mistakes.

You could make the case that TFC knew even if they went for it and conceded a goal, they would still have a chance to equalize in the remaining extra time period. In golden goal, this is not the case. Hence, nobody wants to risk attacking.

Also, that Montreal-Toronto semi-final was very entertaining to a lot of fans, European football fans included. If the final hurt the league, I'd be willing to bet that the semi-final helped the league, at least in Canada.

 

[AllDay28]

my fav quote about last nights game from a European.. "That game was abhorrent. Congrats though"

 

[Walshy7]

my fav quote about last nights game from a European.. "That game was abhorrent. Congrats though"

yeah, you need to know going in that its not a high level. If you go in expecting premier league you will be disappointed, in fact if you are expecting English Championship level you will be disappointed it is equivalent level of League 1 on the English football tier system.

edit: with a sprinkling of premier league level players throughout the league

 

[AllDay28]

yeah, you need to know going in that its not a high level. If you go in expecting premier league you will be disappointed, in fact if you are expecting English Championship level you will be disappointed it is equivalent level of League 1 on the English football tier system.

edit: with a sprinkling of premier league level players throughout the league

I definitely went in thinking it was below avg. Its just frustrating to lose that way. And it did nothing to help MLS Soccer going forward.

 

[AllDay28]

i got banned from the Impact thread because readng it, you'd think Seattle was located in Quebec

 

[Clark4Ever]

lmao montreal board celebrating our loss as if they won the championship. embarrassing.

anyhow. penalties to decide a championship game is a joke, zero shots on net and winning it all... take your soccer ball and go home. thats ridiculous

Did you expect any less from the most classless, fickle fans in professional sports?

They're still reeling from the conference final. The bitterness looks good on them.

 

[Walshy7]

I definitely went in thinking it was below avg. Its just frustrating to lose that way. And it did nothing to help MLS Soccer going forward.

you know what will not help mls more? having different rules than the rest of the entire world in a cup final game. FA Cup, league cups of all nations and the world cup play the 90 min + 30 min ET + Penalties so while last nights game result wasn't the greatest, it would be so much more embarrassing if they had say a golden goal format. I saw some highlights of a mid 90's? MLS (was it NLS then?) it was a final and it wasn't penalties it was like each player got a breakaway and dribbled in on goal i laughed loudly at that.

 

[AllDay28]

you know what will not help mls more? having different rules than the rest of the entire world in a cup final game. FA Cup, league cups of all nations and the world cup play the 90 min + 30 min ET + Penalties so while last nights game result wasn't the greatest, it would be so much more embarrassing if they had say a golden goal format. I saw some highlights of a mid 90's? MLS (was it NLS then?) it was a final and it wasn't penalties it was like each player got a breakaway and dribbled in on goal i laughed loudly at that.

I dont expect rules to change. I think the rules are stupid. However, I dont think you can really find many examples of a team winning a championship with 0 shots. Ppl say Chelsea and stuff but they still scored. portugal scored in extra time, all these teams generated shots and didnt play scared or as some call "defensive". MLS was already a laughing stock and now it just lost any euro fans (who stayed up til 3-4am) that they gained from MTL-TOR.

 

[Walshy7]

I dont expect rules to change. I think the rules are stupid. However, I dont think you can really find many examples of a team winning a championship with 0 shots. Ppl say Chelsea and stuff but they still scored. portugal scored in extra time, all these teams generated shots and didnt play scared or as some call "defensive". MLS was already a laughing stock and now it just lost any euro fans (who stayed up til 3-4am) that they gained from MTL-TOR.

seattle played well defensively that game plan fails more often than it succeeds. TFC played and tried to win thats all you can ask for if it wasn't for a "wondersave" (it was very good, but didnt have alot of pace on it) we would have won in regular time, but they are the breaks. Seattles game plan was to try and nick one on the counter attack or win on penalties.

I'm not sure MLS is trying to tap into the euro market anyway. They have 350 million people within in the USA and Canada to appeal too, im sure any fans lost in those 2 countries are upsetting to MLS not someone in France, UK or Germany who have access to alot better quality every saturday. I bet they didn't even know it was on

 

[Raymondo316]

I saw some highlights of a mid 90's? MLS (was it NLS then?) it was a final and it wasn't penalties it was like each player got a breakaway and dribbled in on goal i laughed loudly at that.

Yeah it was truly terrible
Was surprised to hear it even lasted a season let alone 4

 

[Walshy7]

Yeah it was truly terrible
Was surprised to hear it even lasted a season let alone 3

haha what absolute bush league

 

[AllDay28]

seattle played well defensively that game plan fails more often than it succeeds. TFC played and tried to win thats all you can ask for if it wasn't for a "wondersave" (it was very good, but didnt have alot of pace on it) we would have won in regular time, but they are the breaks. Seattles game plan was to try and nick one on the counter attack or win on penalties.

I'm not sure MLS is trying to tap into the euro market anyway. They have 350 million people within in the USA and Canada to appeal too, im sure any fans lost in those 2 countries are upsetting to MLS not someone in France, UK or Germany who have access to alot better quality every saturday. I bet they didn't even know it was on

Fair. Can I say I also agree 100000% on the save being overhyped? In the moment I get it, but that ball couldn't of floated slower if it tried.

I'm just sour. I wouldnt of cared losing 1-0 with 1 shot on net, but I'm just sour.

 

[Vexed]

I mean seriously. Anyone who knows soccer knows that the away team in a cup final is going to be set up to defend. That's not why we lost though, we had plenty of chances and were great at killing the counter (unlike against Montreal). The reason we lost is because we weren't clinical in front of goal. This one is all on TFC players.

They don't care about European fans. The way the teams were set up and how the game played out isn't what would turn them off anyways, to them its the poor touches, hoof ball and over the top physicality (in comparison).

Rule changes to avoid this sort of thing would be stupid and besides their hands are tied in a lot of ways by FIFA.

 

[Moncherry]

I understand all the detractors posting in this thread, felt the same way having to suffer through the Blue Jays playoff runs.

 

[Walshy7]

I mean seriously. Anyone who knows soccer knows that the away team in a cup final is going to be set up to defend. That's not why we lost though, we had plenty of chances and were great at killing the counter (unlike against Montreal). The reason we lost is because we weren't clinical in front of goal. This one is all on TFC players.

They don't care about European fans. The way the teams were set up and how the game played out isn't what would turn them off anyways, to them its the poor touches, hoof ball and over the top physicality (in comparison).


Rule changes to avoid this sort of thing would be stupid and besides their hands are tied in a lot of ways by FIFA.

i agree with the 1st 2 but no one complains about more physicality and i dont even think MLS is more physical than EPL, for sure maybe other euro leagues like La Liga and Ligue 1. A lot of the extra physicality is 2 lesser skilled players running into each other where are higher skilled player would get around the same contest

 

[Pinto]

Fair. Can I say I also agree 100000% on the save being overhyped? In the moment I get it, but that ball couldn't of floated slower if it tried.

I'm just sour. I wouldnt of cared losing 1-0 with 1 shot on net, but I'm just sour.

I'm as sour as anyone here, especially being in attendance, but as someone who's played keeper for the last 14 years that save was every bit as awesome as being talked about

 

[DueDiligence]

I dont expect rules to change. I think the rules are stupid. However, I dont think you can really find many examples of a team winning a championship with 0 shots. Ppl say Chelsea and stuff but they still scored. portugal scored in extra time, all these teams generated shots and didnt play scared or as some call "defensive". MLS was already a laughing stock and now it just lost any euro fans (who stayed up til 3-4am) that they gained from MTL-TOR.

We all get your point since you've made it about 20 times now.
The biggest problem with the game was playing it in minus 6 Celsius weather. You could see many players were not comfortable last night especially the more skilled ones.

 

[Giuseppe Sallo]

As an avid euro soccer fan (support juventus)... Didn't watch the game for two reasons:

1. The curse, seems like its on our side and I just knew we'd lose in dumb fashion.
2. The weather. MLS needs to clean up the long layoffs, definitely had an impact.

Can you imagine striking a nall w/o getting blisters?!

Congrats Seattle?! I guess. TFC should be proud, big accomplishment but I feel for them.

Ps: My brother in law is Portuguese (he knows how it feels to win this way), and he said the pk format should be abolished for the finals; too much at stake. Seattle knew they had a chance, that's why teams play hesitant.