luvgravy

HT: 1-0 FT: 3-1 1st ICT: McKay 1st Opp: Rooney Time of 1st Goal: 28'

HT: 1 - 0 FT: 2 - 0 1st ICT: Mackay 1st Opp: Wotherspoon Time of 1st Goal: 38'

HT: 0 - 0 FT: 1 - 2 1st ICT: McKay 1st Opp: Aird Time of 1st Goal: 52'

HT: 0 - 1 FT: 1 - 2 1st ICT: McKay 1st Opp: Higginbotham Time of 1st Goal: 19'

HT: 1 - 0 FT: 1 - 1 1st ICT: Watkins 1st Opp: Ngoo Time of 1st Goal: 31'

HT: 0 - 0 FT: 2 - 1 1st ICT: Doran 1st Opp: Lasley Time of 1st Goal: 54'

HT: 1 - 1 FT: 2 - 1 1st ICT: Christie 1st Opp: McGowan Time of 1st Goal: 23'

HT: 0 - 0 FT: 1 - 1 1st ICT: Mackay 1st Opp: Imrie Time of 1st Goal: 32

Hey now...

A couple points here. Canada is usually pretty competitive at the youth stages. It's when we start hitting above U20 that we run into issues. Football (soccer) in North America is generally dominated by overall athleticism and falls apart as a more technical/tactical approach is needed. Some of this is due to our lack of full time professional soccer available in Canada. We are still heavily reliant on shipping our talent overseas for "seasoning". It's difficult for us to improve quickly as our most talented players tend to get drawn in by other nations with better international opportunity. Hargreaves for ENG aka: the whore, Jonathan De Guzman for NED aka: the traitor, Asmir Begović for BOS (people are so pissed at Asmir they don't even have a name for him) to name a few. Even now we find ourselves trying to woo players (Junior Holliet at QPR) to commit to the national side. Inverness has had as much Canadian content as any side in the Scottish game over the last 20 or so years (Hastings, Xausa). If the Canadian Mens National Team needs anything it's strikers. Please take care of Calum...we need him in Canada as much as Inverness does.

Alright...so I need to update my ICT gear (haven't bought one for a bit). Can someone help direct me towards the best size to get? I'm in a North American large these days (41" in the chest or so) so I think I'm leaning towards the Errea XL but with people saying they're a little more generous sizing this year should I go with a L?

I'm not sure how you'll top the salmon/bear wrestling to be honest.

I've seen this type of transformation tried before first hand here in Toronto. Aaron Winter got a year and a half to try and bring the Ajax model to the club. He failed miserably as the style of play did not fit the players on the team nor did that style fit well against the league he was managing in. We had the same articles posted in the press about players "buying in" and all. Didn't change the fact we lost boat-loads of game and decimated the fan base and our credibility in the league. I guess I'm encouraged that Yogi has seemed to shift tactics to match the players he's got atm....but I'm wary of the ability to achieve such lofty goals for this team in this league.

Next you'll be suggesting Paul Mariner or Aron Winter ....... although I would pay good money to see Bob De Klerk squaring up to Derek Adams Kreis wouldnt be a bad shout, very good manager, proven track record on this side of the pond with a largely unglamorous club. I wonder though, if he (or any other manager that earned their stripes in MLS) would be able to cope with any league outside MLS ... in very much the same way as we see managers coming into MLS from outside who struggle to adapt to a single entity league with a parity structure. I'd fight to be the first in line to punch Mo Johnson...that was simply for you Scotty. Kreis was somewhat a serious suggestion, but I do agree it would be a bit of a longshot. Ideally you'd bring him in for a year under someone to mentor while he learns the league. I'm not sure anyone is up for that type of scenario though and it seems a lot of work. He does impress with his preparation and organization though.

I completely spaced on this until now. I've paid up for the boys and I.

What about Mo Johnson? I'll get my own coat thanks...

I know many of you won't have followed the leagues across the pond, but I'd highly recommend Jason Kreis. His team is still in the playoffs over here, but he would be worth sniffing around IMO.

Toronto Whitecaps! Who?! I'd take the Whitecaps squad as a replacement in TO if I could.

You're too far west SP. And they claim that it's only us Ontarian's that are oblivious to the rest of the country :P Toronto has many, many streetcars.

Here...I'll give you an outlier for all you stats types: 1 St. Marys, Ontario, Canada 2.St. Marys, Ontario, Canada 3 1994/5ish - thanks to Scotty's old Rivals site. I didn't get to my first game until July 28th, 2009. 4 Ingersoll, Ontario, Canada

Interesting topic and one that comes up quite frequently with Toronto. Not a year has gone buy without some type of glamour friendly being played (mid season at that) with some team from Europe or South America on their pre-season warm-up tour. Ticket prices run 1.5-3 times regular game prices depending on what seating level you're in. At the start they were viewed with disdain by many but as time goes by that's turning more and more to open hostility (for a number of reasons...poor play...poor management...etc.)

Well played IHE! I think we might have nicked the game but we tired in the end....perhaps I'll leave my snowshoes at home next time.

HT: 1-0 FT: 2-1 1st ICT: Foran 1st Opp: Sandaza Crowd: 3,111 1st Yellow Card: Tokely

HT: 1 - 0 FT: 2 - 1 1st ICT: Foran 1st Opp: Thompson Crowd: 3,162

HT: 2-0 FT: 4-0 1st ICT: Foran 1st Opp: Stokes Crowd: 46,234