Arsenalist

I really don’t know what kind of quality to expect of the MLS. There were times where both teams looked so horrible, it was almost unwatchable. Unbelievably bad passing, attempts to make plays that are completely uncalled for, weak clearances, fractured skill, untimely runs, you name it, it was there. The difference between the two teams was that Columbus had the resolve of overcoming the one goal deficit while Toronto FC for the most part wanted to sit on it, absorb the pressure and wait for time to run out. There are few things in this world more pathetic than Miguel Canizalez’s corner which ended up about 15 yards off the far post when we were desperate for a game-tying chance. The only other thing that might be more gruesome to watch might have been Collin Samuel’s attempted back-heel pass to Chris Pozniak which was stopped short by the ground. These are just two of many such plays Toronto FC made in their 2-1 defeat to the deserving Columbus Crew at BMO Field last night. But hey, we at least scored, that should count for something, right? Something? Anything?

The first half was better than the second but that still doesn’t change this being one of the worst midfield performances of the season. We didn’t bother to play our formation and at times I thought we were actually playing a 7-2-1. Our passing was so bad that I lost track of how many times we passed the ball directly to the sideline! Yes, directly through either mistimed runs, mistimed passes, inaccurate passes or just very poor clearances. After we opened the scoring in the second minute we looked like we might threaten for a second but it was going to be a long shot at best. With Cunningham still unable to find that elusive defense breaking turn and Collin Samuel settling for shots well outside the area it was more a hope of scoring rather than a plan to score.

I’ve come to expect things like Maurice Edu wildly flailing at an open goal from six yards out (there goes the European club interest) and Cunningham hitting it straight at the goalie on a one-on-one breakaway, it just wouldn’t be a Toronto FC game without somebody missing some gifted chances. Maybe I’m so harsh on the team today because I had just seen Arsenal’s demolition of Derby County a few hours earlier and the lack of quality, pace and skill in the MLS was in full contrast to my earlier experience. Even then, I would’ve been content if we had played more like Columbus. The Crew deserved to win this game, there is no doubt about that. They withstood our first half pressure, mounted pressure in the second half and played very hard coming off a heart-breaking loss to Kansas City.

We looked very tired in the second half and were unable to do anything of real substance. I thought Mo Johnston dropped the ball in not making a defensive substitution when Columbus was making their game-tying bid. Fresh legs go a long way when it comes to defense and although Kenny hung himself out to dry on their first goal, a defender should’ve stepped up and bailed him out. There were about seven other TFC players in the box and they all watched. But even after that MoJo ignored the warning signs and failed to counter Columbus bringing on the speedy and powerful Jacob Thomas. What happened next? Thomas beat two of our defenders, Brennan for strength and Boyens for strength and pace. 2-1, game over.

Carl Robinson should just take himself out of the game if all he’s going to do is lay the ball off to someone knowing very well that the play isn’t going anywhere. It says a lot when your back (Brennan) is creating more chances than your attacking midfielder. He’s got to play through-balls into the area and hope and pray that his strikers can latch on to one of them and do something. It’s much better than laying the ball off to Brennan on the side and have him supply a cross for Samuels or Cunningham who don’t have the height to manipulate it into something more.

The following was our squad for this game:

Of these Cunningham, Edu, Dunivant, Marshall and Brennan are the only players that deserve a guaranteed spot for next year. The rest are components that can stand to be greatly upgraded. Pozniak and Samuel are both a waste of roster spots and need to go, they’re simply not good enough. Does it really matter who we play next? Not really, so why not just empty our bench and see what the youngsters have got. They can’t be that bad that Johnston doesn’t dare to use any of them. We got nothing to lose.

Grab the feed.