East Side Stand Up

It was the Giovinco show on Saturday as the Atomic Ant did it all, scored, set up countless chances for his teammates and was continuous a threat in the final third. A 1-0 win over Portland was not comprehensive and had shaky moments down the stretch, but a win is a win. BMO Field is still far from a fortress, but it was another step in some players linking up and creating - now it's a matter of finishing and TFC could start to become a threat week in week out.

TFC are dropped 2-1 by the woeful Houston Dynamo in the home opener. A renovated, bigger and 'better' BMO Field made no difference on the product on the field as Toronto couldn't overwhelm one of the poorer sides currently in MLS. There is no positive spin on this one, this should have been three points and all the work done in the last two league wins is undone and the uncertainty that had been quelled returns with two tough games ahead in the Voyageurs Cup and away to New England next weekend.

TFC down Orlando City and collect what was the expected three points against an expansion side. There has yet to be a comprehensive ninety minutes from the team, however, to come away with a road win is all that matters at this point with Philadelphia and the home opener looming.

... but alas it was not meant to be this week as TFC were undone all by themselves in a 3-2 loss to the Chicago Fire. It's hard not to look at two defensive sequences, and especially Warren Creavelle's red card that lead to the winning goal. While we discuss the positives that came from the match, it is also a question of if or when a "must win" has to happen? Without a doubt before the home opener, but with the recent form, who will that be?

The Reds had similar defensive breakdowns as the senior side in a 3-2 loss to the Charleston Battery. However, it was encouraging to see relative unknowns playing live and offer some tangible displays to confirm who are the future senior side players. Goals from Jordan Hamilton and Babouli reinforced their potential and the midfield looks the part. How it all comes together over a full season will remain to be seen, but there is certainly some players to watch through the year who will be close to making the jump.

Michael Bradley's favourite ref once again has a hand in the Reds dropping points as his straight red on Justin Morrow was the catalyst in a 2-0 loss to the Columbus Crew. It was far from a perfect match from TFC though, as the Crew looked to be the better side and with a man advantage made their chances count in the second half. There will still be questions out of this game heading into Salt Lake in two weeks, especially defending and trying to get the offence firing on all cylinders.

In a near carbon copy to last season's opener - two goals from the new DP striker - are there similarities to be concerned about? That's what Paul Marhue and George discuss off the top. It's an improved team from last year with better components and the lads are feeling good and excited about the potential of the team. They look at the result, who stood apart, ahead to Columbus next weekend and how much we can expect from the first seven road games of 2015.

That's right - we are back for our seventh season covering Toronto FC and have tried our best to avoid the marketing hype we fell for in 2014. Kamal Hylton and Aaron Neilsen are on board to try and keep it as balanced as possible as we discuss how the starting eleven is shaping up, the pros and cons of all the off season signings, what our predictions are for the year and how TFC II fits into the bigger picture.

It's a new year, a new draft, but will it be the same TFC? Aaron Neilsen joins the pod to flex his expertise in the NCAA and offer his thoughts on Toronto FC from the very top down to the bottom. We discuss the hiring of Robin Fraser, gaps in the roster and if the draft can address any of them. We also talk about Cyle Larin and what his emergence as a top North American prospect means for Canadian soccer.

Joined by East Side Stand Up’s Paul Marhue, we run through seven questions we felt were pertinent to TFC from 2014, in the offseason and heading into 2015. From who or where would your key signing be if you were only able to bring in one player to what would you want Toronto FC’s identity to be under your reign? We brought in four other voices to weigh in on the questions and also offer a spectrum of opinions. RNO’s own TFC beat reporter, Steve Bottjer leads it off, analyst Aaron Neilsen follows him, JC Plante and Eric Anderton round out the discussion from a supporter perspective. The answers run the gamut of ideas and opinions and as always we are hoping to give the listener as many voices as possible to consider.

Ian Clarke and Steve Bottjer take a few days off after the New England loss to reflect on 2014. They discuss almost everything surrounding the club from the ground up, going over Jermain Defoe, Greg Vanney, Michael Bradley and Tim Leiweke. As well what is in store for 2015?

The Reds once again drop points at home and a 1-1 draw was all it took to finally take this season off life support. It's not eight straight seasons without the playoffs and there isn't much indication things will be on the right track moving forward. From failed DP signings to questionable quality depth, it will be another off season with plenty of questions from the front office to the sidelines right onto the field.

Well anyone who has watched this team over the last three months knows it's "match" but with two games left, Columbus could still mess it all up. However, New York made a statement they are primed for the playoffs in beating Toronto 3-1. We go over what that loss means to TFC's playoff hopes, the impact DP signings has had this season, what the coaching carousel is looking like and a bit of speculation as to what 2015 could look like.

A 1-0 loss to the Houston Dynamo all but confirms the Reds don't have what it takes to be a playoff contender. At home none the less, Toronto could not take out a 10-man Dynamo and even though they are not mathematically out of contention, one will have to seriously question the remaining motivation and self-belief the team will have with three games remaining, two of which against New York and New England who will both be fighting to stay in the post season picture.

Toronto FC came alive in the second half and show character inconsistently seen this season in a 3-2 win over the Portland Timbers. Down 2-0 in the first half, Nick Hagglund scored a brace and Michael Bradley took a free kick that found the back of the net for a critical three points. Anything less than a win would have all but been a nail in the coffin on the season, and now Toronto will have five important games to round off the year. We will see if whatever was said at the half is enough to see this team through the last month of the season.

Toronto FC down a Chivas USA side who now haven't won in eleven matches, 3-0 at BMO Field. It was what would be expected against such a woeful opponent and still leaves questions as to where this TFC side sits - which will likely be answered next weekend when Portland comes to town. There were positives to take from the match, such as another Gilberto goal and Steve Caldwell returning to the starting eleven. However, with Jermain Defoe supposedly returning next week, will the fragile mentality of the club be disrupted? With six games left TFC need to win at least three and draw one to be legitimately in playoff contention. Time is running out.

The final stretch of 2014 requires group therapy as Toronto are fighting, but not getting much help from the refs, as they drew 1-1 with Chicago in another must win match. Michael Bradley did not mince words and it's hard to argue that MLS referees are not up to the quality of the league as Dave Ganter had a howler in the final minute to call back what was a hard fought goal from Gilberto. With seven games to go, TFC will need to start winning at home and it begins next Saturday against Chivas USA.

The one TFC fans feel every year when they realize AGAIN the team won't make the playoffs? Well anyone who watched the Reds lose 2-0 to the Philadelphia Union are likely feeling that as despite the roster and potential, the poor mentality and confidence is too much to overcome. Another heartless display leaves much to be desired at Toronto are in free fall and there is little evidence where or how it will be reversed.

It's hard to stay positive after a display like this, in a game with playoff ramification. It was over before it really ever began as Toronto were downed 3-0 at home by the New England Revolution. There's no sugar coating this, it was a brutal display by TFC who never really showed up and their key players were never in the game. With the final third of the season to go, this team will need to turn things around quickly and drastically if they are to make the playoffs.

As a supplement to our first Canucks Abroad article on RedNation Online, where we look at the Canadians playing overseas who we will be watching closely this season, we also spoke with Canadian attacker Randy Edwini-Bonsu. Randy filled us in on his career in Europe and how his season has been going in the 3.Liga of Germany with Stuttgarter Kickers.