TFC hopes for better start when it faces the Crew 18 Apr 2011 “A few seasons ago it was last five to 10 minutes we were giving up goals and now right when the game starts,” said defender Nana Attakora. “First 10 to 15 minutes, that’s not acceptable. We should start off fired up. Even if you need to kick it out, do what you need to do to not give up a goal. I feel like we’re killing ourselves right now starting off slowly. Even against L.A. we got lucky. All the coaches pointed it out. It’s something we need to fix.”
Change is the only constant for Toronto FC 15 Apr 2011 Five matches into the 2011 season and Toronto FC is still looking to find the right chemistry on the pitch. Perhaps that should not come as a complete surprise considering the club did trade away its captain and the face of the franchise after just the second match of the season. The constant changes to the lineup sure haven’t helped the cause in the short-term as management continues to preach patience to the fans and media who want the team to win now. The players can’t be feeling too secure, since coach Aron Winter has been public in his assertion that he is nowhere near finished making changes to his squad.
Shorthanded TFC and Galaxy squads struggle to score 14 Apr 2011 In a 0-0 draw with few scoring chances for either side, just about the only flash at BMO Field on Wednesday night was provided by the extra photographers on hand to catch an action shot of David Beckham. Toronto FC and the Los Angeles Galaxy each had a few attacking bursts throughout the game, but overall, both sides were lacking on offence — perhaps not surprising, given some of the personnel missing from each team's starting XI.
Rimando named MLS Player of the Month 4 Apr 2011 The Player of the Month voting wasn’t just a statement about Nick Rimando the goalkeeper, it was a statement about Real Salt Lake, the club.
Manchester United… or the CONCACAF Champions League? You decide! 28 Mar 2011 MLS confirmed that Manchester United, which thrashed the MLS All-Stars last season, will be back for more. Manchester United will provide the opposition for the All-Stars July 27 at Red Bull Arena in New Jersey, a year after the Red Devils dominated the best in MLS in Houston. But, will the game resonate with Canadian fans? That’s up for debate.
Morales wins battle of the Javiers for MLS Player of the Week 28 Mar 2011 Javier Morales’ performance was judged to be superior to that of Javier Martina. The Real Salt Lake midfielder was named the MLS player of the week by the North American Soccer Reporters on Monday. Morales scored twice and set up another goal as RSL decimated the Los Angeles Galaxy 4-1, only adding to Rio Tinto’s reputation as being the toughest place for a road team to go in all of North American pro sports.
Bravo! Mexican star named MLS player of the week 22 Mar 2011 Omar Bravo won the hearts and minds of soccer reporters across the continent, capturing the first Player of the Week award of the MLS season. Bravo, Sporting Kansas City’s Mexican Designated Player, scored twice as his new club travelled to Los Angeles and edged Chivas USA 3-2. As Bravo once starred for Chivas Guadalajara, the irony was too good to pass up.
The super-duper MLS season preview 14 Mar 2011 It’s become obligatory for every sports journalist to provide season previews for the league he or she covers. It’s automatic, and a great space killer! In that vein, The 11 presents its “waited until the last possible second before the regular season” season preview! Why the wait? Because it’s hard to figure out the East. The West? Wow, a lot of power and depth there. As for the East? Last season, New York and Columbus and six other mediocre to bad to awful clubs were in the conference. New York and Columbus left them all in the dust.
Toronto FC trades for Chivas USA striker Gordon 11 Mar 2011 Toronto FC has made a deal to try and get some more goals in the lineup. The Reds sent midfielder Nick LaBrocca, who they acquired in 2010 from the Colorado Rapids, to Chivas USA for American striker Alan Gordon.
Galaxy reserves too much for Canadian U-23 side 5 Mar 2011 The players in the Canadian U-23 camp had to settle for a split against the Los Angeles-based MLS teams. A Los Angeles Galaxy team without any of its three Designated Players — Juan Pablo Angel, David Beckham and Landon Donovan — had an easy time with our national Olympic hopefuls, winning 4-0 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.