When the Toronto Lynx (RIP) relegated themselves to the PDL (RIP) in 2007, their longest road trip went from being a 1900-mile flight to Puerto Rico to a 450-mile drive to Chicago. Since joining USL League 1 D3, TFC II’s has gone from a 1100-mile trip to Tampa to an 1850-mile tilt to Tucson.

My point? This league can’t get a Western conference quickly enough.

It’s also about as interesting as anything I have to say about last Wednesday’s game from a TFC II standpoint. Quite simply, the kids got blown out 3-0 in 25 minutes by FC Drogba’s reserves, including two unpreventable 25-yard screamers, and never really looked like mounting a comeback.

The performance wasn’t nearly as drab as the road trip-ending rout by Orlando City B back in mid-May. Understandable there might be some heavy legs, given the air miles and time difference on top of the five-day turnaround from the Madison draw, but you’d maybe hope for a bit more imagination than punting balls from 30 yards out like Terrence Boyd taking a penalty.

Possibly riding the high of his MLS debut against DC United, Griff Dorsey looked to be the only Red with any real chutzpah about him. After the umpteenth TFC II cross deflected harmlessly off a Tucson defender, the right-winger had the bright idea of trying to cut inside and rush the host’s backline.

The unilaterality (catchy word, no?) of these moves meant he had no immediate support, and the one time he was able to get a shot off, he drove it just wide. He was almost rewarded for his efforts late in the game with a consolation goal, if not for the intercession of left-back Kyle “BallBuster” Bjornethun, a 2018 TFC II cast-off who tackled Griff just in time to net an own-goal. Doneil Henry would approve.

In happier news, Rabasca went three-for-three in giving another academy kid their debut, subbing on 16-year-old Jacen Russell-Rowe in the 85th minute. Though not currently signed to a TFC II deal, you’d hope one can’t be far off, in light of his recent form (3 games, 2 goals) for the U-17s at the USSDA playoffs.

Speaking of the U-17s, there was finally another glimpse of Jayden “Primetime” Nelson, Canada’s top scorer at May’s U-17 World Cup qualifiers. Due to the bus Tucson parked in their penalty box for the second half, the Brampton boy couldn’t turn any of the tricks he did in his previous two sub appearances.

With the academy teams now out of action until (I think) September, and the U-17 World Cup not kicking ’til late October, the hope is Primetime and other kids might get steadier game time and (if I may be so bold) the odd start over July and August.

It would be remiss of me not give a special mention to the commentator for this game. Hats off to USL and VWL for finding a guy who has no trouble saying Srbely but pronounces Tucson “Took-son”. That said, he did say Matt (a 19-year-old Bramptonian) was a Californian in his early 20s (reading Trev Swartz’s bio) and also mentioned goalie Yann Fillion’s parent club FC Zurich were a Swedish powerhouse…