By: Nathan Terlesky
The first legs of the Nutrilite Voyageurs Cup are done, FC Edmonton has participated, and been eliminated for its first time in history. The interesting story from Edmonton’s perspective however is not the result, but the difference in the two games played against Toronto FC.
While much has been made of the red card issued in the first game, and its impact on the games result, the fact that FCE was outclassed and outplayed for most of the first game was clear to the most casual of observer. From mistakes by the keeper Baart, to bad back passes, and a general lack of chances, the game was not horrible, but was not ideal by any means.
To contrast this, the game against Toronto at BMO Field was almost a 180 degree change. The passes were crisper, the play was disciplined and the defense was solid.
While Paul Hamilton had several questionable plays in both league games and the first leg at Edmonton, he showed some terrific pitch awareness, and proved he’s a great asset to Edmonton. Edmonton is still missing a reliable attacking striker, but again, his long shot was dangerous, giving Frei his most challenging shot of the match.
To a fan of the club, this is a welcome sign. After an alright showing against Toronto, and a very poor result against Montreal, Edmonton needed to change something significantly.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]The club has not been entirely open with press releases (though some of this can be attributed to the lack of reporting by local press) and has not updated fans on the status of injured players, or discussed practices or coaching methods. The most I heard was during the broadcast when the reporters stated that Coach Harry Sinkgraven has been working with the defense since the game against Montreal. Whatever the change, it appeared to have a positive influence for FC Edmonton.
The team that played on Wednesday night against Toronto will be on a road trip for the next several weeks - perhaps it's a good thing as both wins have been on the road so far. It would be presumptuous to assume that FC Edmonton has turned a corner (two bad games doesn't make a slump, a one positive game does not replace a 5-0 loss) but I believe that had the team that played Wednesday night played an NASL team, it would have been a much different result.
One can only hope that the discipline that the team showed on Wednesday night, will continue to show up in future matches.
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Photo credit: Chris Hazard