That hurt.
Not the loss of a point – points frankly don't matter much anymore. The playoffs are a farfetched idea that would require TFC to play at Supporter's Shield pace the rest of the way. What really hurt was the way that it happened – piercing, soul crushing, devastating.
In the moments after, I received a message from a Montreal Impact supporter expressing their empathy for the way it shook out. When fans of your biggest rivals are feeling for you, you know that things are going bad.
I'm sure that many TFC fans were less charitable. Actually, I'd imagine that TFC's biggest critics last night were their own frustrated fans. Seven losses in a row will get to anyone. It's hard to watch when you are emotionally invested in a team. It's really hard to watch when there are no easy answers for what is going wrong.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
The Reds played OK last night – better than OK in the second half. Salt Lake is a fine team and if this was a normal season you could focus on the positives – Julian de Guzman's best MLS game of the year, Eric Avila's good form and the way that the team stepped up the intensity after the break being the most encouraging.
But, it's not a normal game. The reaction is not going to be normal. It would be unrealistic to expect it to be.
It's likely that for most the impulse will be to react with anger in stadium next Saturday – rage they will claim is directed at management, rather than the players. It will be impossible to tell the difference.
I am not here to tell you how to be a fan. If you want to boo and create a negative environment at the stadium Saturday there is little anyone can do to stop you. As stated, your frustration is understandable. No one likes what's going on.
However, I am going to suggest that you take a different approach. If you really feel that MLSE and TFC are not giving their full effort towards winning then you need to do the only thing that will really resonate with management – not go. A sea of empty seats will convey your dissatisfaction far more effectively than any banner, chant or in-stadium protest.
When you are in the supporter's club culture it's easy to get lost in the echo chamber. Whereas you might think that there is widespread interest in a protest, there isn't. The vast majority of fans in the stadium want to enjoy themselves during the game. They might boo from time to time and you likely could get them to agree with you that “MLSE sucks” while waiting in line for a beer. But, that's as far as it goes. For them, TFC is a distraction, not the all-encompassing lifestyle it is for you.
That means that any of the following (all ideas I've read on the message boards) will not have the desired effect:
- Cheering all of DeRo's touches.
- Wearing DC United black
- Leaving seats after opening kick-off
- Sitting down in supporter's section.
Rather than having any sort of meaningful impact, those ideas will alienate you with the vast majority of supporters in the stadium.
So, stay home. Write your ticket rep to tell them what you're doing so the club gets the message that they need to improve or they risk losing your loyalty.
By staying home you make your statement in a way that you're comfortable with, while allowing those that do go to make their statement the way they want to.
For every supporter that feels that they have to stand up to the club and voice their anger there is a supporter that feels as strongly that their role is to support the players. Many feel that you should sing loudest when the team is losing. They can't do that effectively when there is a cesspool of negativity in the stands.
Those type of supporters are unfairly labeled as naive, or, even, as part of the problem. They're not. They have a different perspective on what it means to be a supporter – less Italian Ultras, more Fever Pitch. You bitch and moan all week about the club, and use lots of dark humor, and are as critical as anyone about them, but when the game starts you support. Fully. Loyally. Till you die.
As most know, I'm a lifelong Manchester City supporter. As a blue I tell you with full sincerity that I am proud of the number 35. Of course I would have liked to see more success over the years, but the essence of City to me is the faith and loyalty that “35 years and we're still here” represents.
It's why I'm no more proud of the club today than I was when a top 10 finish was a great year. Don't get me wrong – I LOVE winning now. But, winning isn't why I support City. I support the club because something about it spoke to me all those years ago. Today, it's become like family to me.
You don't shit on family when they're down. You try to help them up.
Again, I am not trying to tell you how to support. But, if you saw the devastation on the player's faces last night after Salt Lake's winner you must understand that they are as hurt and confused by the losing as you are. Likely, more so.
To me if there was ever a time to support Toronto FC, it's now.
You have a week to decide TFC fans...