Failure to Launch

Fool me once shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me.

Toronto FC twice in two years have flattered to deceive in their participation in the Nutralite Canadian Championships aka the Voyageurs Cup.

In back to back years needing just a tie to clinch the title TFC has come up short – last season at least looking like they cared in the penultimate game against the Montreal Impact.

Last night in Vancouver in contrast the team looked complacent, not interested and like the bunch of underachievers that has too often “graced” the turf at BMO field. This leaves Toronto needing an unlikely 4-0 win over Montreal to claim the championship.

During night’s 2-0 loss to the Whitecaps there were obvious signs that this team cannot deal with even modest expectation or mental pressure and the sniping continued after the game as head coach Chris Cummins and the players themselves called each other out.

TFC Captain Jim Brennan was lucky to escape a red card in the second half when he appeared to get away with a head butt as things spiralled out of control for the visitors.
"The better team won on the night, no doubt about it," said Cummins. "We didn't play well enough.
"I have to question hunger, desire, passion. Vancouver had that and we never did. I've openly questioned that and they (his players) are questioning that as well. If you don't show that passion, that desire, that willingness to compete, you are going to get nothing in this game. And that's exactly what happened to us."
The time has come for the fans to start calling (loudly) people out as well starting with “Director of Soccer” Mo Johnson.
The lack of depth as in year’s past is apparent in the Toronto FC line up who were missing leading scorer, Amado Guevara of Honduras, and American defender Marvell Wynne because of international duty.

Beyond missing what undoubtedly is their MVP in Guevara this appears to be a team in serious need of a kick in the pants either literally or figuratively and the infusion of a key player would go far to address this. So far Johnson, despite having the capability under the league’s arcane economic rules in two seasons to address this has failed to deliver.

The on-field problem is not just a Voyageurs’ Cup issue either this is a team that has now lost three of their last four games giving up eight goals in the process as the psychological boost of playing for new coach Cummins and the outstanding play of rookie keeper Stephen Frei have both faded as early season promise settles into mid-season mediocrity and the stated goal of making the play-offs is beginning to look more and more tenuious.

The good thing is that the team itself has a chance to step up and address the issue with an upcoming run of four games in league play that not only are winnable against teams with fewer points than them but games they should be expected by themselves, the management and the fans to win.

The time has come to step up and be counted and prove that the teams marketing slogan – “All ofr One” – is more than just words.