April 25, 2007 MLS Kansas City beat Toronto FC 3-0 (from Globe and Mail)
POSTED ON: 26/04/07
Toronto FC falls to 0-3
LARRY MILLSON
From Thursday's Globe and Mail
KANSAS CITY, Mo. —
THE SCENE: Last night's game marks the end of a three-game, season-opening road trip.
FAST FACT: Toronto FC hasn't scored a goal in three consecutive outings.
NEXT GAME: The team's home opener and first game at new BMO Field takes place Saturday against Kansas City. Game time is 12:30 p.m. (EDT).
Some day, a goal will come. Maybe even two or, dare we say, three in a game.
Some day there will be a victory — right now, even a tie would look good.
Those things will happen. Some day, perhaps even Saturday when Toronto FC plays its first game at BMO Field.
The new soccer-specific site should boast all the atmosphere that was lacking with a sparse crowd at the vast Arrowhead Stadium, where the Kansas City Wizards were 3-0 victors over Toronto FC in a rain-soaked game last night.
The first contest at BMO Field will be a rematch with the Wizards. But for now, it is 270 minutes and counting, not including stoppage time. No goals, no points. If this goes on much longer, we might have to switch from a clock to a calendar as Major League Soccer's newest team is 0-3 in games while being outscored 9-0.
Toronto FC shows the signs that can be expected of a new team trying to find itself — and often trying too hard in the process.
There were signs, on occasion, that the breakthrough goal could come for Toronto last night, but there was no consistency to its attack and there were times when its players were trying to do too much with the ball. They weren't doing enough to create the easy chances that can bring goals.
"Listen, we need a little bit of luck, we had some chances tonight," Toronto FC head coach Mo Johnston said after the game.
On Saturday, TFC will be able to use striker Danny Dichio, who was acquired last week from England's Preston North End. He couldn't play last night because of a visa situation and will add some height and size to Toronto's attack.
"There's no way [Kansas City's Nick] Garcia and [Jimmy] Conrad will be muscling him about," Johnston said.
The Wizards opened the scoring last night with a goal in the fifth minute by striker Eddie Johnson, who was given too much room to connect with his header.
"It was a very easy goal," said Johnston, who gave his players some time after the game to discuss what happened.
"I wanted to hear their expressions of what they felt," the TFC coach said. "I want them to point fingers at each other. We had 15, 20 minutes after the game because, right now, they have to start digging deeper."
Surprisingly, considering the flow of play, the Wizards led only 1-0 at the half, which ended with a Toronto surge. The second half started with Toronto pressing, but a couple of chances went awry and the Wizards were back on the attack.
Johnson and Carlos Marinelli took shots Toronto did not clear and Kerry Zavagnin scored in the 55th minute.
Yura Movsisyan made the score 3-0 in the 70th minute against a defensive effort that could have been better. And three minutes later, Toronto defender Andrew Boyens replaced Marco Reda.
Each team had three yellow cards.
"It's frustrating but we only have ourselves to blame," TFC defender Jim Brennan said. "We conceded [a goal] early and we had strategy that we wanted to go with and it didn't come off today.
"The thing at the moment is, we've had the three away games and we're looking forward to getting home and having the crowd behind us. … The atmosphere [at BMO Field] is going to be brilliant."
"The last thing we need to do is get negative," agreed midfielder Andy Welsh. "We need to be a positive team. We've all got to stand up and be counted now."
Toronto FC had two players acquired last week in the starting lineup. Left back Kevin Goldthwaite, who came over in a trade with Houston Dynamo, and right back Marvell Wynne, who was acquired in a trade with the New York Red Bulls, wore TFC colours. Johnston said both adapted to their new team capably.
Also playing for the first time this season for Toronto was Maurice Edu, who was the first player taken in January's draft. He had been sidelined with a pelvis injury.
Midfielder Ronnie O'Brien did not play for Toronto because of a knee injury.
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