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    Guest

    #TFC4TFC

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    As we all know, Toronto FC is the last MLS team standing in the CONCACAF Champions League. As such, they now fly the flag of MLS against the Mexicans, with the hopes and dreams of the (North) American soccer fan hanging on Ashtone Morgan and company.
    Across the league supporters of all clubs will surely throw their loyalty to Toronto. From Colorado to Columbus, the MLS fan knows that what’s good for Toronto is good for them.
    Ok, maybe not. One has a hard time picturing the Hudson Street Hooligans gathering at their local watering hole to cheer their Canadian brethren on (while wearing their precious, matching t-shirts). Columbus is an extreme example, but there will surely be fans in every MLS city that would rather stick a fork in their eye than to see the Reds win.
    And that’s to say nothing of the fans of Montreal and Vancouver. Their ambivalence is deeper rooted and was covered by Squizz yesterday.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    We saw this same discussion last year when MLS attempted to convince fans across the league that they should get behind Salt Lake in the final. The Twitter hashtag #MLS4RSL was subject to widespread discussion with more than a few fans loudly telling the league that they were not interested in getting behind the Utah club.
    There were many that did support the initiative – probably a majority, actually – but the message remained clear. Deciding to back SLC should have been a personal choice, not something the league tried to guilt you into.
    The issue is even more complicated this year. TFC, of course, wears two hats in the CCL – one official and one not. Although they are a MLS team they do not represent MLS in this competition (technically no one represents MLS in the competition as the American teams are competing under the USSF umbrella). Rather, Toronto is Canada’s team.
    As such, many American fans that did get behind RSL last year are less inclined to do so with Toronto. They simply don’t feel the same connection to TFC as they would an American team. With that in mind, it will be interesting to see if MLSSoccer.com pushes #MLS4TFC, or if they take a lower key approach.
    Hopefully it’s the latter. As mentioned, the connection isn’t as strong with TFC and that feeling goes both ways. Call it a chip on our shoulder if you wish, but Reds fans have always felt like outsiders in the MLS family. Five years of anti-Canadian chants and banners, over the top criticism from well known American bloggers and a small but loud minority of MLS fans that still openly call for the Canadian clubs to be booted out of the league have created that.
    Additionally, if you spend any time around league officials you quickly realize that Canada is an afterthought. During meetings at MLS Cup weekend in Toronto references to the importance of “this country” winning the 2022 World Cup bid were commonplace.
    Fair enough. We are guests in the league. The outsider status is legitimate. However, it stands to reason that Canadian fans would be less attached to the league as they are their team. Clearly, that’s the case. There are a lot of TFC fans that outright dislike MLS – a strange oxymoron, but nevertheless true.
    There will be plenty of American fans that chose to support TFC against Santos and that’s fine. However, you won’t likely see TFC fans asking for that support. It’s not personal, it’s just that when you’re an outsider you should never rely on the support of others. Besides, TFC fans aren’t really that interested in sharing glory with those that normally ignore them.
    Forget #MLS4TFC. For the rest of the CCL it’s all about #TFC4TFC.
    Guest
    So how 'bout that game Wednesday night, eh?
    You can forgive Toronto FC fans for still revelling in the afterglow of that 2-1 win in LA a couple of days ago. After all, their club has hardly showered itself in glory during its five-plus year history.
    The historic win is, indeed, much reason to celebrate. And what an incredible way to kick off the hope-filled 2012 campaign.
    That's where the reality sets in. TFC has yet to even kick an MLS ball in anger, and yet the team is still coming down from arguably its highest high. And they need to do it fast, because tomorrow brings about the MLS season opener in Seattle, against a side that suffered an embarrasing exit from the same competition in which the Reds are somehow the final Major Soccer League team standing.
    Both clubs could be facing a Champions League hangover, ironically on the most alcohol-fuelled night of the year.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    While Toronto is on an emotional high and in possible danger of losing sight of its 2012 league debut, the Sounders are coming from the complete opposite side of the spectrum.
    Seattle's players could use the spanking they received in Torreon against TFC's future semifinal opponents as motivation, and come out hostile and determined to take their frustrations out on the visiting Toronto squad. One would imagine that the 40,000+ in attendance at CenturyLink Field will be out for blood after having seen their team taken behind the woodshed in the midweek.
    That said, the Sounders could also react to the CCL loss in much the same way that TFC's previous opponents -- the LA Galaxy -- did following an emotionally-charged loss to RSL. Seattle could let the stink of a poor performance linger, allowing the eager Reds to snatch a victory.
    However Seattle reacts, Aron Winter needs to have his players ready for anything. That means having brought the TFC players back down to Earth in time to adequately prepare for the wounded animal that is the Sounders squad. Just like he did in advance of the game on Wednesday, Winter needs to get the Reds up to their opportunistic best, because a well-timed Toronto goal on Saturday night could be all it takes to unravel a fragile opponent.
    Questions, questions, questions: With the focus finally shifted onto the league, one has to wonder if Winter will alter the gameplan from the tooth-and-nail strategy employed in both CCL matches so far this year.
    Will he continue to employ the modified 3-4-3 with Torsten Frings marshalling the backline, or does he give his captain a bit more free reign and revert the tactics back to a 4-3-3 formation?
    Also, given Milos Kocic's heroics two days ago, does the goalkeeper "platoon" system stay in effect, or will Kocic be given the nod in front of the massive Seattle crowd?
    How much playing time will guys like Danny Koevermans, Joao Plata and Julian de Guzman get, given that all three were subbed out on Wednesday and at least two of them (Koevermans and de Guzman) are not quite at 100 percent fitness?
    Does Luis Silva, who has a slight touch of the flu, get the nod in the attacking midfield role, or does Eric Avila step in?
    These are just some of the questions that face Toronto FC as it embarks on the first step of a long league campaign, one that got just a little bit longer thanks to the midweek success.

    Possible Starting XI:
    Seattle Sounders FC
    Gspuring
    Johansson ----- Hurtado ----- Parke ----- Gonzalez
    Evans ----- Alonso ----- Rosales ----- Fernandez
    Montero ----- Estrada
    Toronto FC
    Kocic
    Eckersley ----- Harden ----- Aceval ----- Morgan
    De Guzman ----- Frings ----- Avila
    Soolsma ----- Johnson ----- Plata



    Seattle Sounders FC v. Toronto FC
    Saturday, March 17, 2012. 7:00pm PDT / 10:00pm EDT.
    CenturyLink Field. Seattle, WA.
    Watch: Sportsnet One, MLS Live
    Listen: Sportsnet 590 The Fan, FAN590.com
    Rudi Schuller contributes Toronto FC, MLS, and Canadian national team content to the 24th Minute. He is MLSsoccer.com's beat writer for all things concerning Canada's men's national teams, and he has spent time as soccer editor for Reuters' online publications. He has also contributed to Goal.com and other soccer media. Follow Rudi on Twitter, @RudiSchuller.
    Guest
    Today, we’re joined by Jeremiah Oshan – the north American editor at SB Nation and a writer over at Sounder at Heart to talk about their game vs Toronto this weekend, what exactly happened against Santos the other night and what awaits Toronto in the next leg of Champions league.
    We’ll also break down that legendary win by Toronto over LA, talk about some of the strange substitutions and talk about Montreal’s latest signing.
    The archived show is now up
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Our next show is Monday
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    Guest

    Semi-final to be played at BMO Field

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Tom Anselmi confirmed today that Toronto FC will play its semi-final match in the CONCACAF Champions League at BMO Field.
    Speaking on the Fan 590, Ansemli pointed out that that the Reds open their season at BMO just days before the mid-week game and that they play at home again the following weekend.
    Additionally, he suggested that the logistics of playing at Rogers Centre on such short notice would make things difficult.
    He did suggest that they were open to going back to the Rogers Centre for the final if Toronto were to qualify.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Guest
    These are the images and emotions from Toronto FC's 2-1 win over LA Galaxy. All photos are courtesy of Chris Hazard at Hazard Gallery.
    He is shooting for Canadian Soccer News again this year and made the trek down to LA to capture this game.
    You can purchase these and other photos here
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]

    Killing time

    Getting a foot in

    The own goal

    Johnson's goal

    Silva's near miss
    Guest
    These are the images and emotions from Toronto FC's 2-1 win over LA Galaxy. All photos are courtesy of Chris Hazard at Hazard Gallery.
    He is shooting for Canadian Soccer News again this year and made the trek down to LA to capture this game.
    You can purchase these and other photos here
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]

    Celebrating Soolsma

    Thoughtful Frings

    DeKlerk saluting the traveling support

    Danny Koevermans with the fans after the game
    Meanwhile, back in Toronto.... this was happening


    Guest

    SoccerPlus Extra - March 15, 2012

    By Guest, in SoccerPlus,

    Much attention is given this week to the Montreal Impact's spectacular home-opener at the Big O.
    Hear former Chicago Fire Justin Mapp compare his experience on two expansion teams (after being in Philly halfway in their inaugural season). ENGLISH INTERVIEW
    Chicago's French trainer Tony Gouaux talks about the importance of passion and the sense of belonging to the city of Chicago conveyed by head coach Frank Klopas.
    Former Ultras 212 president (Montreal Manic's fan club) Tony Incollingo says he hopes Saturday's game will break the attendance record for a pro soccer match in Montreal, but confesses he does not recognize himself in the present-day Ultras.
    Canada's U20W rookie national team coach and former IMFC keeper Andrew Olivieri says his team still have catching up to do with the US following a 2-1 loss in the CONCACAF Championship final.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Click here to listen to this week's interview show.
    Guest
    As a long-suffering Toronto soccer fan told me on Wednesday night, in the aftermath of TFC's improbable 2-1 road win over the L.A. Galaxy, "we're entering new territory here. We're breaking new ground."
    Indeed we are -- or the team is, anyway. TFC has, of course, never made it this far in the competition; in fact, no Canadian team has ever made the semifinals of the continental tournament (the CONCACAF Champions League, or its predecessor, the CONCACAF Champions' Cup, which dated back to 1962).
    So while that long-suffering Toronto soccer fan, and his like-minded TFC diehards, are still reveling in the team's surprisingly awesome start to 2012, it must be asked: What do other Canadian soccer fans think?
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    Sure, the comments section below will descend into immature bickering, ad hominem attacks and keyboard-hero posturing. Unfortunate, but an inevitable reality of the Internet age. But given that this is unprecedented territory for the game in this country, I think it's a question worth asking.
    As the winners of the Canadian Championship, TFC is (ostensibly) our nation's representative in the tournament. And as the sole Major League Soccer side left in the competition, it's (theoretically) logical for fans of the league (and other teams therein) to support the side in order to... uh... I dunno. As a "take that!" to the Mexican league, I guess? That's what the #MLS4RSL campaign was about when Salt Lake made the final last year, right?
    Still, it's tough to expect ardent fans of one club team to suddenly back another out of some supposed fealty to the league in which they play. And it's even tougher, in many cases, to find folks outside of Toronto willing to throw their support behind a Hogtown pursuit. Sure, there seemed to be a groundswell of support nationwide for Montreal's Cinderella run to the quarterfinals in 2009 -- but, for reasons too numerous to even list here, suffice to say that Toronto ain't Montreal.
    But now that I've gone and broached it, remember 2009? Impact fans surely do. A marvelous, glorious evening at the Big O in the first leg ended with a 2-0 victory, as the team headed down to play Santos Laguna in the second leg. And then... well, utter disaster. No need to say much more about that.
    TFC's semifinal opponent? Santos Laguna, of course. So is there any sense of a desire for redemption there, Impact fans? Is it a matter of the devil you know being better than the devil you don't? Or would you rather just see both of these teams pound each other to a pulp?
    And Vancouver, Edmonton... are you, in a roundabout way, hoping for further TFC advancement in this edition of the CCL insofar as it will clog their schedule and, perhaps, make them easy pickings during a potential final in this year's Canadian Championship? Or is the idea of backing the team simply too much to bear?
    And to soccer fans everywhere in the country... is Toronto FC carrying the Canadian banner in this competition? Are you linking this monumental accomplishment to greater things for the game in this country? Or is it just a nice little story about a team to which you continue to feel no sense of connection?
    There's no right or wrong answer here. Everyone is entitled to their individual reaction. But it's a discussion worth having since, as we've said, this is brand new territory. There are only a few more "firsts" left in Canadian soccer, so let's make the most of each and every single one of them.
    So, back to the original question... Toronto FC in the CONCACAF Champions League semifinals. Thoughts?
    .
    Guest
    Clutch.
    It’s not really a word often used to describe Toronto FC.
    Inept.
    Futile.
    Painful.
    Those are words often used to describe the Reds.
    But, clutch? No, that’s for other teams -- teams with history and style and success. Toronto has streamers, tazers and keepers scoring on them in injury time.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    But, maybe that’s changing. Maybe this is now a club that will inspire positive adjectives. Like, clutch. I’ll start now:
    Toronto FC put in a clutch performance last night in pulling off a stunning upset over the defending MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy.
    Yeah, that really happened. Hard to wrap your head around, eh? A killjoy – and there will always be one – will talk today about how TFC parked the bus at times (they were technically lined up in a 3-4-3, but in reality there were five across the back, with Torsten Frings playing as a sweeper. At times it was an 8-1-1) and if it wasn’t for a heroic (another positive adjective!) performance from Miloš Kocić the result could have been different.
    The result wasn’t different though. It wasn’t because over the 180 minutes TFC was the more deserving team. LA has more talent and are undeniably sexier, Toronto had something the Galaxy could only wish they had – four goals.
    That is the bottom line in football – outscoring your opponents. And Toronto did that. As a result it’s Reds’ fans this morning wondering if they dreamed it all and Galaxy fans crying in their tall skinny chai lattes.
    So, what does it mean? Other than the obvious trip to Mexico to play Montreal’s favourite team Santos Laguna that is. Does it mean that the Reds were lucky last night, or that they now make their own luck?
    Could it be that the Galaxy are in trouble, or that they were just tired.
    Or could it possibly mean that TFC is actually good?
    We’re going to need some more evidence before we can speak to that, but there is little doubt that TFC was good enough last night.
    They were clutch, even.
    Guest
    As Duane Rollins wrote in this space recently, the opening season MLS match between Vancouver and Montreal drew an impressive television audience in Canada of over half a million viewers.*
    But in the U.S., FC Dallas versus New York Red Bulls attracted a relatively paltry 82,000 viewers to debut of MLS on NBC Sports, suffering the ignominy of having fewer viewers than several hunting and fishing shows.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    That 82,000 figure does represent an improvement on the 68,000 or so average that Fox Soccer was doing with its MLS broadcasts last year. But as this writer notes, it's hard to dress up those 82,000 viewers as anything but a disappointment, considering the hype behind this match and the fact NBC Sports is available in more homes than FOX Soccer.
    To me the bigger story is MLS' ongoing failure to capitalize on the general explosion in popularity of soccer on U.S. television. ESPN and Fox posted some of their biggest audiences ever for the English Premier League last season, with about four and a half times as many people watching Premier League matches on Fox than were watching MLS. World Cups set U.S. viewing records every four years now, and Spanish-language channels are putting up big viewing numbers too.
    It's not like the suits at MLS aren't aware of the issue. And as Don Garber points out, as long as attendances continue growing there's not much more the league can do except acknowledge that the process will take time.
    But back to the Canadian TV numbers. While MLS struggles mightily and loses to European soccer in the U.S., those 563,000 viewers that tuned in to watch the Whitecaps and the Impact are more than the 438,000 who watched last year's Champions League final on Sportsnet. Yes, comparing combined French and English markets to English-only isn't an apples-to-apples thing (see note below), but the two numbers sitting beside each other point strongly to the growth of club football in Canada in a relatively short time.
    *Even more impressive in my eyes is that almost half of that figure came from RDS and its French market, which is about one-fourth the size of the Canadian English-language TV market.
    Guest

    The lesson of Milos

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    Even if you’re not a tennis fan, you’ve likely heard about the remarkable rise of Milos Raonic. Last night the 21-year-old GTA native took a set off of Roger Federer before ultimately falling to the Swiss legend. He’s won two tournaments already in 2012 and is the highest ranked male Canadian player of all-time in singles play.
    Commentator and former world No 1 John McEnroe practically gushes when talking about Raonic. Sports Illustrated wrote that he “will win majors” one day (note the “s”) last month. In short, the kid’s the real deal and is poised to be a superstar playing one of the world’s most popular games.
    Raonic is eligible to represent Montenegro. Although he has lived in Canada for most of his life—for all of the life he can possibly remember, having moved here when he was three – many Canadian tennis fans fear that he will switch his loyalty. Although tennis is a popular participation sport here in Canada, it is far bigger in Montenegro. The thinking is that he has a greater potential for fame and glory outside of Canada.
    This is where Raonic’s story is relevant to Canadian soccer (as an aside, Raonic is also a big soccer fan – something the TFC front office might want to make note of). We don’t need to provide the laundry list of names that have left the Canadian fold to pursue what they see as a better opportunity elsewhere. Canadian fans can only dream of hearing one of those guys say what Raonic did when asked about his future national loyalty after a match at the Australian Open.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    “I want to make a singles career, I enjoy it more and I want to make a difference in Canada with it. I feel if I were to achieve my goals it could make a great difference to the growth of tennis in Canada and help to produce more top players in the future.”
    Refreshing, eh?
    The thing is – and this is a point that I’ve made in the past and have been derided for – the choice of staying Canadian is probably also better for his marketability. Staying Canadian also would have been better for the marketability of any of the unmentioned soccer players too.
    Think about it. Raonic is already close to a household name in this country and he is only ranked No 27 in the world. As McEnroe said on the broadcast last night Raonic is the infamous big fish in a small pond. It would be the same if, say, a kid from Calgary ever signed for Manchester United.
    If such a kid existed, he would have a massive profile in a country desperate for a global superstar in a game it is starting to truly embrace. Corporate Canada would be all over the story of theoretical Western Canadian star playing for one of the world’s marquee clubs.
    If this kid were to chose to play for England (to pick a country totally at random) he’d probably just be a respected, but middling player that would never totally be accepted as one of their own.
    Beyond enjoying Raonic for the great sports story that he is, soccer fans and soccer players with “options” would be wise to watch what happens with his career over the next few months. It says here he’ll be the biggest Canadian sports star (not chasing rubber disks) by this time next year.
    Guest

    Vote Bobby

    By Guest, in Onward Soccer,

    Now is the time for all good TFC supporters to come to the aid of their capo.
    Toronto FC is running a Dream Job contest, seeking a soccer fan to become “the face of the club and showcase their skills in front of the camera by conducting player interviews and being on web and television.”
    Essentially, that means taking over for Andi Petrillo. She did exactly that for a year or two, and has since moved on to Hockey Night in Canada. Petrillo was not loved by TFC supporters, who found her – frankly – fluffy.
    And now that she’s gone, perhaps the single most mad and passionate of all Toronto FC’s rabid red supporters is squarely in the race to replace her.
    Even if you’ve never heard of Bobby Brasz, you’ve certainly heard Bobby Brasz.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    He’s the loony with the megaphone, leaping and fist-pumping on the wooden capo stand in front of Section 113 at BMO Field. Bobby fires U-Sector into a frenzy, sending songs and chants, anguish and angst soaring into the chilly lakefront air.
    Bobby knows everyone by name. Bobby hugs everyone before every game. And Bobby desperately wants to win his Dream Job.
    He was doing great off the start. After a few days, he stood second only to some poor doomed so-and-so with “Impact” in his nickname – as if anyone with any verbal link to That Team in Montreal (apparently accidental, but still unforgivable) would ever have a chance here.
    But then came The Night Of The Leggy Blonde Things.
    Overnight – and out of nowhere – slim, light-haired young women with media degrees started getting hundreds of votes, even though no one connected with the supporters had ever heard of them.
    Sure, I get it. New to the business, brutal job market, you do what you do etcetera so there. No crime there. We were all doing exactly the same thing for Bobby.
    But the burdensome message was clear: TFC needs a media type here, and leggy and blonde won’t hurt.
    Well, the support rallied, and we all got Bobby through to the next round. He then created an impassioned video for himself, and is still in the running – along with an ever-growing legion of Leggy Blonde Things.
    Now, to be fair and honest, Bobby is not what you’d call traditional media material. He’s not just rough around the edges, he’s jagged. Oh, a sweet, sweet teddy bear to be sure – but jagged. He says and does exactly what he feels, purely and instantaneously.
    The man can fire multiple F-bombs through a megaphone in tight, confined spaces like nobody’s business. He is unlikely to be anybody’s choice at Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment to step into the Petrillo slot.
    All the more reason to vote for him, yes?
    Any and everyone is entitled to vote once every 24 hours, times however many computers you have access to. There are three possible voting days left before the finalists are announced, this Friday at 5 PM.
    Last Wednesday, in the run-in to the ‘Dome game, I caught Bobby away from his megaphone long enough to ask him why he wants to do this? My fear – reasonably – is that MLSE would sharply limit what he could say – and how he could say it. His answer was simple – almost heart-breakingly so.
    The fella needs a job. The fella needs to pay his rent.
    And who the heck am I to argue with that?
    I’ve been voting steadily for Bobby throughout, and will continue to do so. It’s not for me – I’ve come to realize – to guess in advance what The Suits might do to Our Bobby.
    But I will throw down a challenge to The Suits.
    Once you’ve got your Leggy Blonde Thing – hire Bobby anyway. Give him a spot. Give him a slot. Don’t clean him up – much. No F-bombs, sure, but Bobby is a character’s character, and you’ll never get a finer, purer, more honest representative of the true spirit of the TFC support.
    This guy works his throat off, has been there from the beginning, and will be there till the end. When he sings “Toronto Till I Die,” he means it. And he makes sure the rest of us mean it, too.
    He’s exactly as far removed from a Leggy Blonde Thing as MLSE will ever get, and it would be amazing if they’d be brave – and bold – enough to take this challenge on.
    Regardless of whether he wins this contest, Bobby Brasz deserves a shot at representing the club he loves.
    Let’s all vote early and often, and demand he be given the chance.
    Onward!
    Guest
    A week removed from Toronto FC's Biggest Game Ever™, and we're faced with a sequel which is actually bigger.
    That's just the nature of Champions League football, of course, especially in the knockout stages. But while tonight's game has bigger implications than last Wednesday's monstrous Roger Centre affair -- at least from a competitive standpoint -- it certainly won't feel like it.
    Toronto pulled in nearly 48,000 fans for the first leg of this tie, but as has been widely reported/debated/scorned, LA will only max out at 7,500 hardy souls for the return leg. If they're lucky.
    Regardless of the small-time feel of playing tonight's match in front of assorted friends and family, the game is massive.
    And more importantly for TFC, the game is winnable.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    And win they must. Sure, the Reds could technically advance with a high scoring draw (2-2 sends the match to extra time, 3-3 or higher gives Toronto the aggregate on away goals), but the practicality of going blow-for-blow with a team loaded with offensive talent and actually prevailing is marginal, especially away from home.
    The smart thing for TFC to do is to win outright, and against LA's tired legs, that outcome is a distinct possibility.
    Bruce Arena gambled over the weekend by playing most of his preferred starting XI in the Galaxy's league opener against Salt Lake. Nine of the eleven in LA's starting lineup had also kicked off just three days previous in the emotionally-charged match in Toronto, and, after a hard-fought first half, they fell apart in the final 20 minutes of the RSL match, losing 3-1 to a depleted-but-motivated opponent.
    Fast forward four days and Los Angeles now has to face a rested TFC side in what will likely be another high-octane contest. Arena has gone on record stating that he plans to change up his roster for tonight's game, but the LA coach is a creature of habit and will probably throw his big guns into the fire anyway.
    Arena will also likely employ an even tighter counter-attacking game than usual, as is prudent when a team -- the home team -- has the edge on aggregate. That means a potentially frustrating night for TFC fans as they watch their team attempt to break down a notoriously stingy defence with even more reason to conserve energy than normal.
    What Toronto does have going for it, other than the obvious rest advantage, is the returning Julian de Guzman, who will look to give the stagnant TFC midfield a boost at its most needy hour. With Torsten Frings playing organizer to a (perpetually) patchwork defence, the Reds had almost no link-up play in the midfield last week, and de Guzman is just the man to remedy that.
    A feisty JDG could provide that certain something that was obviously absent at the Rogers Centre, as long as he shows up to play.
    Not to be forgotten is Nick Soolsma, who like de Guzman will be available for selection following a suspension from the first leg. The Dutchman's comfort on the ball and ability to whip in a quality cross could see him placed into the starting lineup in place of Joao Plata, who was ineffective after a great opening 20 minutes last week.
    If Soolsma starts, Plata could be used as a late weapon to be unleashed upon LA's even more tired legs as the game progresses.
    Apart from the two returnees, don't look for Winter to tinker with his starting squad too much. Neither Ryan Johnson nor Danny Koevermans are in danger of losing their spots, and young Luis Silva has certainly earned the right to start in his hometown.
    The backline doesn't look to change at all, and, after a couple of blunders last Wednesday, Stefan Frei will be given the chance to put in a less eventful 90 minutes in goal.
    It's all or nothing for TFC tonight, and for once, it doesn't look like "nothing" is a surefire bet.

    Projected lineups:

    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Saunders
    Franklin ----- Boyens ----- DeLaGarza ----- Dunivant
    Donovan ----- Beckham ----- Juninho ----- Magee
    Buddle ----- Keane
    Toronto FC
    Frei
    Harden ----- Frings ----- Aceval
    Eckersley ----- Silva ----- De Guzman ----- Morgan
    Soolsma----- Koevermans ----- Johnson



    Los Angeles Galaxy v. Toronto FC
    Wednesday, March 14, 2012. 7:00pm PDT / 10:00pm EDT.
    Home Depot Center. Carson, CA.
    Watch: Rogers Sportsnet One, Sportsnet.ca, CONCACAF.com
    Listen: Sportsnet 590 The Fan, FAN590.com
    Rudi Schuller contributes Toronto FC, MLS, and Canadian national team content to the 24th Minute. He is MLSsoccer.com's beat writer for all things concerning Canada's men's national teams, and he has spent time as soccer editor for Reuters' online publications. He has also contributed to Goal.com and other soccer media. Follow Rudi on Twitter, @RudiSchuller.
    Guest

    What happens when the party is over?

    By Guest, in 24th Minute,

    In the days that have followed TFC’s 2-2 draw with LA in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal much of the talk has remained positive.
    People are looking at the ways that Toronto might be able to win. They see a tired LA team and find opportunity.
    The truly ambitious look ahead and see the Seattle Sounders up a goal heading into their second leg. Like LA, Seattle is probably a bit better than TFC, but not unbeatable. The road to the final is right there is front of us.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    It’s rare to see the Toronto faithful so full of hope and positive thinking. Collectively this is a group that would run their own mother out of town if she missed her mark on a particularly important corner (unless she tries really hard and gets more from her limited talent than she should. Then they’d retire her number).
    There is a risk here though. Yes, there are lots of legitimate factors you can point to that suggest that a TFC win is possible. There are a lot more reasons to think LA will take it – two away goals and a talent gap not the least of those.
    So, what happens if the Reds lose tomorrow? Will the good will #OccupyRogersCentre created be lost? As stated, Toronto sports fans are a fickle bunch. And, their patience for TFC re-builds is about run out.
    There has been so much attention placed on the quarterfinal tie that the regular season opener Saturday is lost. It’s a tough one as Sounders fans are going to be out in big numbers and Seattle is no pushover. It’s entirely possible – the odds suggest probable – that the Reds will be out of the CCL and 0-1 to start the MLS season by this time next week.
    Talk about a buzzkill.
    That’s going to be 2012 though. The fans are very much on edge. If they came back in 2011 they did so with the knowledge the season was going to be a write off. They weren’t happy about it, but they knew deep down that Toronto would be horrible last year. They were willing to accept some more losing, so long as Aron Winter and company appeared to be progressing. It’s unclear that the team will get the same pass this year.
    When you play the most important game in your club’s history off the top of the year it can be hard to face the rest of the season. However, come 48-hours from now we’re going to need to do that. The CCL has been a nice distraction from what promises to be an absolute vital year for the Reds.
    Guest
    The word miracle is often thrown around to describe events and happenings that are merely impressive, surprising or coincidence. Sports writers and commentators are especially guilty of describing the games they cover in this manner, whether they do it with their tongue planted firmly in cheek or not.
    Exhibit A. The gist of this article (scroll down for the list) from the Mexican football portal mediotiempo.com is that "miracles" really do exist in the Concacaf Champions League. In fact, based on the examples provided it looks like they exist relatively often.
    [PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
    The author dug up eight unfancied comebacks over the course of the past 10 seasons. But is Pachuca's reversal of a 2-0 first-leg deficit against Costa Rica's Saprissa in the 2004 quarterfinals really a miracle? Or UNAM's fightback against Marathon in 2010? I'm sure for the fans of those winning teams they may have felt like a miracle occurred in the moment, but the more sane of them would probably conclude in later days and weeks that either their side's true quality eventually shone through or they were simply lucky.
    Canadian soccer fans will remember Montreal's capitulation against Santos Laguna in the 2009 quarterfinals most famously. The Impact went into halftime of the second leg in Mexico carrying a 2-1 lead in the match and a 4-1 advantage on aggregate. That meant that Santos needed four goals (and no more from Montreal) to advance. The Mexicans got those four in the most heartbreaking fashion for Montreal fans, with two of them coming in deep in injury time.
    We may arguably be approaching miracle territory here. Athletes and fans across Latin America often reference God when being interviewed. Since miracles are often attributed to divine intervention I'm sure some Santos fans to this day swear God was on their side during injury time. Although it does raise the question of what God has against the Montreal Impact? Also why would He chose to intervene in the quarterfinals and not in the semifinals one month later when Santos lost to Atlante?
    The criterion used to debate whether this thrilling finish or that shocking upset qualifies as a miracle is endlessly subjective. But leaving aside the question of whether miracles even exist, and working under the assumption that for a sporting event to qualify it has to be big and carry a long-lasting impact, there's one miracle-related question that can't be avoided on this website. We've heard many times, that it will take a miracle for Canada's men to qualify for the World Cup.
    Given the momentum the club game seems to have gathered in the past five or so years in Canada, alongside the overall growing popularity of the sport, I fully expect Canada to qualify for the World Cup about as much as it misses out over the second half of my life. Therefore saying that it would take a miracle for Canada to ever qualify would be off target. (If there's such a thing as being more miraculous than a miracle, Canada winning the World Cup might approach it.) But in this go-around, with this group of players and the opposition Canada faces, would Canada's qualification for the 2014 World Cup really be a miracle?
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