If you’re scoring at home, the tally is now Toronto FC 1, Vancouver Whitecaps 1.
The game, of course, is most-players-lobbed-out-of-games-for-excessive-goal-celebration. Eric Hassli, at home against New England for the ‘Caps, and now young Tony Tchani for the Reds, for doing a Lambeau Leap into the North End Elite after scoring his first goal for the club, whilst already under a yellow card.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]A dubious yellow, at that. Tchani got singled out after an impromptu round of shove-love with several of the Columbus Crew, on the sidelines in the 36th minute. Javier Martina seemed to be far more involved, but it was Tchani who stopped the card.
I’m not all that seriously questioning the excessive celebration call. But there’s been some howling inconsistency. So far this year, I’ve seen several happy MLSers leap into the fans after scoring. The letter of the law certainly discourages such acts of transparent joy and fan-base building, but it would be very helpful all ‘round if we could have some consistency.
It’s hard enough to score goals in this league, without having to guess about the post-goal rules.
As for the match – a 1-1 draw against Columbus that has left many in the extended TFC camp feeling referee David Gantar played significantly too large a role in the proceedings. Toronto still never defeated the fan-hated Crew, and this – one of their better efforts of the season, overall – would have been a dandy place to start.
Alan Gordon continues to be one of the more entertaining MLS players to watch. He didn’t exactly get stuck in at striker, but he served up two very nice balls early from the midfield to spring Martina on a brace of early chances.
Gordon also set the table for Julian de Guzman’s neatly struck assist on Tchani’s goal. De Guzman had a few telling moments, and offered fine service going forward – something I feel has been lacking in his overall performance since he joined Toronto FC.
The back four is still shaky. Interesting that Columbus has essentially used the same defensive line in all their games this season, while the Reds can’t seem to find four guys they can’t keep from breaking up.
Dan Gargan remains under fire at right back. Yes, he made a nice running, sliding break-up in the second half, but the save was only needed because Gargan himself had served up a needless, noxious unforced cough-up about 40 yards out from his own goal.
And while communication still seems to be a significant issue back there, I’m not sure it contributed that much to Columbus’s eventual tying goal. TFC centre back Adrian Cann certainly seemed to have good position on the Crew’s Emilio Renteria, standing right behind him, covering ground, ready to move whichever way the play would go.
The ball from Sebastian Miranda came in head-high, but on a very flat trajectory. No real way for Cann to get a head on it himself, in other words. Cann had everything covered except exactly what happened next, Renteria twisting his body for an unlikely header, which amazingly soared past Stefan Frei and caught the twine just inside the left goalpost.
Cann could have been more aggressive, perhaps, but that would have risked Renteria rolling off the contact, and having a clear look at goal.
The ongoing pattern, this year, is that Toronto FC oh-eleven can find ways to draw, instead of lose. Yes, this could easily have been a win, but unending late collapses have seen former editions of the Reds exit many a match like this with nothing to show.
A collective step forward, I think – but I’d still like to see Aron Winter select four at the back, and stay with them for a month.
Onward!