And so it goes...
Another season and another attempt to justify the barely justifiable. TFC fails to make the playoffs for a record fifth straight year. It wasn’t really close this time. With just 33 points, it was the second worst season of the five – the virgin year was five prorated points worse. There were times when it was bleak. Very, bleak.
And, we’ll get to that over the course of this week. CSN will break down the good, bad and ugly (and where to go from here) of the 2011 season in the coming days. Literally – the five part wrap-up series starts later today (Part I – What Went Right; Part II - What Went Wrong (Tuesday); Part III – What Went REALLY Wrong (Wednesday); Part IV – Report Card (Thursday); Part V – Where to go from here (Friday)).
Now, however, it’s time to analyse one last game. I guess. The season kind of ended Tuesday. Saturday’s affair was more of a kick about. Both teams looked as if they had one eye on their watch and a suitcase packed in the dressing room. Intensity was not the game’s strong point. Defending appeared optional at times (although that could have been the skill on display. Keep in mind that New England was worse than TFC this year).
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
The crowd was there to give Joao Plata an ovation and to drink one last overpriced beer. They would have stuck around for the team’s thank you lap, but the 2:49 p.m. westbound Go Train wasn’t going to wait for them.
Even the hardcore supporters were reluctant to get too caught up in the moment – there was no danger of a 2007-like pitch invasion. Although most see promise, they’ve been promised improvement before. Those that support Canada as well get another trip into the stadium as well, so it didn’t have the feel of a season finale. The season isn’t over until they board up the concessions at BMO – or something like that.
Within that light it’s really impossible to make any judgements about the club based on its play on the day. Sure, similar issues that caused problems all year – inability to defend set-pieces, inability to, well, defend at all, etc – but in holding those up as AH-HAH! moments is pointless. We knew going into Saturday that they need to improve the back.
We didn’t discover it in the 46th minute against New England.
And that, really, is all there is to say about Saturday. As for the season on the whole...
As stated, there is lots more to come on that.