CONCACAF Champions League Archive

1

Toronto FC the last MLS team standing in CCL

By
Steven Sandor
– 03/15/2012

Milos Kocic: Robbed Robbie Keane late in the match

If, last July, someone was to predict that Toronto FC would be the last MLS team standing in the CONCACAF Champions League, they’d have been offered some pretty sweet odds.

But, there it is — after TFC played a cagey road game Wednesday in front of a smattering of Los Angeles soccer loyalists at the Home Depot Center, the Reds are the only team to qualify for the CCL’s final four. A second half goal from Nick Soolsma, combined with sterling performances from forward Ryan Johnson and goalkeeper Milos Kocic, gave the Reds a 2-1 win over the Galaxy in the second leg of their CCL quarterfinal, and a 4-3 triumph on aggregate.

The Reds will now face Herculez Gomez and Santos Laguna in the semifinal. And it won’t be easy. The Mexican powerhouse smashed six past the Seattle Sounders Wednesday.
Read the rest of this entry »

Share
0

The 11′s super-duper MLS 2012 season preview

By
Steven Sandor
– 03/07/2012

The 11’s Steven Sandor, Mark Polishuk and Aman Dhanoa held a virtual round table, discussing how they foresaw the 2012 MLS season.

Will the Galaxy repeat? Will any of the three Canadian teams make the playoffs? Who will be the MVP?

We tallied up our votes, and came up with our list of how the teams will finish, who will win MLS Cup and who will be the league’s MVP. No need to play the season, now. We have it all figured out.
Read the rest of this entry »

Share
1

Galaxy’s Keane: Rogers Centre turf “could be dangerous” (WITH VIDEO)

By
Aman Dhanoa
– 03/07/2012

Robbie Keane

As Toronto FC held its second practice at the Rogers Centre on Wednesday morning media had its first look at the artificial turf on which the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League quarter-final will be played — and it wasn’t a pleasant sight.

Up close it was evident that this type of turf wasn’t of the highest quality and had a plastic look — almost like the first examples of this type of surface used years ago. From up above it did not look any better. It looked as though two different types of turf were stitched together to make one and patch lines were visible all over the field. One side also looked more worn than the other.

This is not exactly the type of playing surface used in a professional tournament like the CCL, especially in a high-stakes quarter-final. But with the early March weather, the match was moved from the grass surface of BMO Field to the Rogers Centre. And then it became known that it was too expensive for MLSE to truck in real grass for just one game at this time of year.

When asked about the turf, TFC Head Coach and Technical Director Aron Winter didn’t have much to say, positive or negative.

“No, I didn’t expect it, but it’s good,” said Winter when asked if the turf was what he expected. But he did think it was an improvement on what was used in the Buffalo Bills game last fall. “Yeah, it’s better, much better.”
Read the rest of this entry »

Share
0

Despite shortened preseason, Winter says TFC is ready for CCL quarter-final

By
Aman Dhanoa
– 03/07/2012

Danny Koevermans

Entering its biggest match in franchise history, there is no question that TFC will be playing the role of underdog on Wednesday night.

Playing in the warm confines of a sold-out Rogers Centre and in front of its biggest crowd ever, TFC’s home field advantage in the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal will be crucial to the team’s hopes. But, on the pitch it will be a completely different story.

The Galaxy is the defending MLS champ and was almost unbeatable last season. But anything can happen in football, especially when the season starts anew. As stated since the match-up was announced, TFC Head Coach and Technical Director Aron Winter is not focused so much on LA. as he is on his own squad.

“We’re going to play our own game,” said Winter. “We know their strengths and weaknesses.”
Read the rest of this entry »

Share
1

TFC has very little time to fix its defensive problems

By
Steven Sandor
– 02/26/2012

Geovanny Caicedo

Toronto FC’s brass made a decision not to prepare for the season like the other MLS teams do. While other teams have been playing preseason games for weeks, TFC had been bunkered in Toronto.

Now, after Toronto played just its second preseason game — a 2-2 draw against third-division side Orlando City at the Walt Disney World Classic — there will be those who wonder if the lack of preseason game action will help or hurt TFC long-term.

That’s because the Reds need to transform two new South American central defenders, Geovanny Caicedo and Miguel Aceval, into a solid partnership. Neither player’s English is strong. And, what’s more troubling, is that on Saturday they looked like they need a heck of a lot longer than a week and a half to become a solid central defensive partnership.

While Aceval will take credit for the equalizing goal, a left-footed free kick that caromed off the arm of Orlando defender Anthony Pulis, he and Caicedo had a few lapses in the first half of the match, including a comedy of errors that led to John Rooney’s penalty-kick opener.
Read the rest of this entry »

Share
0

Winter: Stinson, Morgan won’t miss TFC’s CCL action due to Olympic commitments

By
Aman Dhanoa
– 01/27/2012

Ashtone Morgan... TFC expects him to be called up to Olympic team camp in March

No alarm bells are ringing just yet but with the Olympics training camp just weeks away the Canadian Soccer Association has yet to announce its 30-man roster.

With the Olympics being a U-23 event, the CSA should not have too much trouble assembling a roster with the best available talent and generally has a good relationship with MLS clubs. So the lack of an announcement does seem strange.

Perhaps it may have to do with the length of time that players would miss from their clubs – up to five weeks if Canada qualifies for the Olympics.

Toronto FC Head Coach and Technical Director Aron Winter has not received official word from the CSA regarding call-ups for any of his players, but they are likely to be defender Ashtone Morgan and midfielder Matt Stinson. Winter has had discussions with the CSA and insists none will be absent from the biggest matches in team history – the CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals.

“No, nothing official,” said Winter during TFC’s media day. “But those two guys (Morgan and Stinson) should be called up, but we have spoken also with the coach of the national team (Tony Fonseca) at the moment because they’re coming together I think in the beginning of March.”
Read the rest of this entry »

Share
0

CONCACAF gets it right with Champions League rethink

By
Steven Sandor
– 01/14/2012

To say the last couple of years have been rough for CONCACAF is an understatement. FIFA shot down the region’s push for another World Cup place. President Jack Warner was turfed for taking bribes. General secretary Chuck Blazer went out the door. The Gold Cup has been dogged by allegations of match-fixing.

But, finally, CONCACAF has got something right. The re-think of the CONCACAF Champions League, announced this week, was badly needed. The changes will take place in time for the 2012-2013 edition of the tourney.

If this is an indication of the directives we’ll see from CONCACAF under the stewardship of new general secretary Ted Howard, we can hope that the regional body is turning a corner. Because it showed that it understood that a tournament that’s largely held in empty stadiums with little or no TV audience can’t survive. Some drastic measures had to be taken.

“This new format will streamline the first phase of the competition,” Howard was quoted on CONCACAF’s website. “It will alleviate schedule congestion on both domestic and international calendars.”
Read the rest of this entry »

Share
0

Plata and Toronto FC have “agreed to terms” on new multi-year deal

By
Steven Sandor
– 01/11/2012

Toronto FC announced Wednesday that it “has agreed to terms” with Ecuadorean Joao Plata on a new multi-year deal.

Selected in the fourth round of last year’s draft — because many teams were scared off by Plata’s five-foot-two frame — the LDU Quito product enjoyed a productive first season with TFC, and became a fan favourite. His maestro performance, though, came in arguably Toronto FC’s most important win in its short franchise history — the 3-0 triumph over FC Dallas that guaranteed the Reds’ progression into the quarter-finals of the CONCACAF Champions League. Plata set up Danny Koevermans’ opening goal and then finished the hosts off with two wonderful goals of his own.

But the wording of Toronto FC’s press release is important. “Agreed to terms” was used instead of “signed.” There is a difference. Read the rest of this entry »

Share
1

Beckham’s return is no guarantee of a start at the Rogers Centre

By
Steven Sandor
– 01/03/2012

Toronto FC’s marketing department will no doubt be enthused over the news that David Beckham looks to extend his stay with the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Now, the March 7 first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League quarter-finals, to be held at the Rogers Centre, has another bit of sizzle that can be used to sell tickets outside of TFC’s hardcore fan base.

It will be the Galaxy and the Reds’ first competitive game of the season, but there will be some interesting points to ponder. First, Beckham has a history of skipping games on artificial turf — and the game at the Rogers Centre goes on the fake stuff. Through a series of scheduling woes and nagging injuries, Beckham only made one appearance at BMO Field before the surface was changed to grass — that was the 2008 MLS All-Star Game.

The Galaxy has a home opener on the grass three days after the Rogers Centre date, then the second leg against TFC. Basically, three games in a week. Can Beckham’s 36-year-old legs handle them all? Or would it be prudent to rest him for one of those dates?
Read the rest of this entry »

Share
0

Rogers Sportsnet reports soon-to-be-Rogers-owned TFC to play at Rogers-owned venue

By
Steven Sandor
– 12/21/2011

Rogers Sportsnet is reporting that Rogers Centre will house the March 7 CONCACAF Champions League match between Toronto FC, which will soon be part-owned by Rogers, and the Los Angeles Galaxy.

There is absolutely no reason to doubt this report (CLICK), considering Rogers owns both Sportsnet and the Rogers Centre, and will soon own 37.5 per cent of Toronto FC.

Toronto FC itself has yet to officially announce the venue of the CCL quarter-final first leg, even though a cynic might want to say that Rogers getting the scoop on a venue that it owns and a team that it will soon have a stake in is kind of like an official announcement.
Read the rest of this entry »

Share
Older Entries
Newer Entries