After another disappointing game at BMO Field, TFC fans must try and remember that this is a re-building season. There will be many more nights like...
Wait, what?
They won? Really??
Well, then...
It’s hard to accept that TFC can pull off the odd good result, isn’t it? Following last night’s 2-1 win over Houston I spoke to several fans who expressed disbelief that they got to see the Reds win again. As irrational as it was, there were times over the last month when it seemed that it might not ever happen again in MLS.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]The truly scary thing about it is the win moved TFC to within one point of a playoff spot. Welcome to MLS, where it’s nearly impossible to fall out of reach. And that’s been my message all season. Yes, Toronto is pretty damn mediocre right now, but it is not the worst MLS side of all time as some like to argue. Suggesting that the Reds could find themselves in a playoff race isn’t the talk of a MLSE lackey, it’s the observation of someone that has followed this league for eight seasons now.
One of the most promising things about the game Saturday was the energy that TFC brought. In isolation a statement like that can be cliché, but there really was a jump to the club that Houston could not match. Part of it was likely the travel – MLS is one of the most home friendly leagues in the world – and some might have been the quickness and skill of Joao Plata (I promise that I will not refer to him as diminutive again after this one last time – but man is he tiny), but some of that might have also come from a club that is starting to become comfortable with each other.
Anyone that saw Plata’s teammates celebrating his goal with him would agree that it was a group that looked like it was sincerely happy for him. After the game, I witnessed Maicon Santos practically fall off his stationary bike laughing at the sight of Plata being surrounded by about 30 reporters. In the past, TFC has been a club with lots of fractions in the dressing room. Although we can’t ever know what goes on inside the room with 100 per cent certainty, it sure doesn’t look like that’s a problem now.
That the players seem to be happy and friendly with one another is hardly enough to guarantee that TFC is going to build on the performance moving forward, but it’s a good sign in a season that has lacked many positives up to now.
Embrace that Reds’ fans and try and enjoy the moment...