I know something is deeply, severiously wrong in TFC land when I start agreeing with Cathal Kelly of the Toronto Star.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
It's very, very early in the morning in Peterborough, Ontario, and I am sleeplessly digesting video of Toronto's gut-wrenching 3-2 loss to the honestly-not-very-good Chicago Fire. This runs the season-opening losing skid to six games, including recent losses to the drab-and-dreadful Chivas USA, and a Montreal Impact squad that may yet prove to be one of the very worst teams in MLS history.
Kelly typically over-reaches off the top, writing off Toronto's playoff chances entirely. Even though MLS is far from the 50-50 coin-toss league it used to be, there are still 28 games left, and there is still some lovely talent on Toronto's roster.
Where Kelly becomes interesting -- and, I believe, accurate -- is when he starts running quotes. Reeling TFC coach/brainman Aron Winter pretty much says he still has to overhaul his roster. And player after player is graphically depicted showing utter disbelief.
Clearly, the players think it is the system, and not their own good selves, that is ultimately to blame.
The video evidence is mixed.
So hard to watch the start of this -- with returning captain Torsten Frings hairballing up his first touch, gifting the flameless Fire the fastest goal off the top of a match in Major League Soccer history. In front of chasming numbers of empty seats, as well.
But there is talent here, dammit! Newcomer Reggie Lambe scores a couple of hugely useful goals. The first is a singing strike from well out, catching some poor boob of a Chicago netkeep hopelessly tied to the wrong post. The second is a multi-layered team effort, good enough to count even though the sequence broke down pretty badly in the middle.
After that, though, both system and squad collapse.
As Santos Laguna clearly demonstrated in the CONCACAF Champions League -- and as both Montreal and Chicago have painfully reproven -- all you really have to do to utterly can-opener TFC oh-twelve is hoof a long ball from behind centre into the path of a speedy guy who can dribble.
At that point, it's no longer even a question of whether the bad guys will score. It's more about how much fun will they have doing it.
But what does Winter -- or anyone else -- expect when a team that chronically can't defend tries to skate through a professional soccer match starting only three defenders at the back?
Kelly catches player after player carefully choosing their post-game words. He neatly captures both what was said -- and how. For all the chronic differences I have with the man, these depictions have an appalling whiff of truth.
The hot, popular rumour backstage at BMO Field is that Aron Winter is on the way out. Paul Mariner, TFC's guy-in-the-braintrust-wot-has-actually-helped-build-championship-squads-in-MLS, has reportedly seen more than enough. His boss of choice, former New England Revolution head man Steve Nicol, is deliciously available.
If you look at TFC's recent form, it becomes all too clear that Winter has fatally face-planted. Forget the league. Look at the CONCACAF stuff. Yes, Toronto iced defending champions L.A. over two legs. But L.A. can't beat a dishrag right now. Yes, TFC drew Santos Laguna at home, but all three Mexican teams Toronto has played in CONCACAF over the years have dogged the away leg.
But I still love a lot of what's on this roster. Impressive youth. The speed and fearless guile of Joao Plata. Torsten Freakin' Frings and Danny Hi There Koevermans. Fine clutch goalkeeping -- and top-drawer edgy attitude -- from Milos Kocic. Any number of other lads who show pluck and promise.
Winter based his whole gig on the system. He's boosted the talent level nicely, but the talent is baffled by the system. If Kelly is even halfway accurate this morning, there is clear and mounting evidence that Winter has lost the room.
It's a room I can't imagine Steve Nicol would have any particular trouble finding.
And it's desperately long-gone time he got his chance.
Onward!