Given their recent entire history, it seems faintly ridiculous to be disappointed by Toronto FC II losing. Then again, a game like this was due at some point. Not the loss, but an honest soccer match against a decent opponent who weren’t having a sh*t night.

OCB were more interested in turning over players than the ball; FC Tucson were so hung up on playing bunker-and-counter tactics, their box became a shooting gallery; and Ignite’s forwards treated their last match like a Chris Wondolowski World Cup heritage night. The Flamingos of Madison just wanted to play.

Besides a coach not hell-bent on imposing a playing style, Madison also had experience on their side. Their starting XI included a pair of old NASL bruisers, three draftees loaned in from Minnesota United who’ve passed their first-year probation, and a fringe squad member of the Panamanian national team.



Another Game, Another Keeper

Ali ‘The Loan Ranger’ Curtis and friends chose the run-up to this game to unveil the latest addition to TFC II’s many options in net. Hearts loanee Kevin Silva brings the Red Youth’s goalkeeping stocks up to four, or six including the academy kids who warmed the bench in Tucson and Lansing.

Quite what Silva offers that TFC II doesn’t already have isn’t quite clear, unless we count his experience garnered sitting in the dugouts of Scotland’s third division while on loan at Raith Rovers.

I haven’t ruled out this game of goalie Buckaroo being part of some elaborate scheme to dupe stronger opponents into thinking Caleb might be rotated out at some point. The USL League 1 D3 roster freeze doesn’t kick in ’til September, so watch this space.

Attack of the Port Williams Terrier

Besides an early saved chance, lone striker Jordan Perruzza was largely invisible up top, so bereft was he of service. Reasons include the absences of Srbely and Captain Tsubasa, a bad night at the office for Griff Dorsey, and the fact Jacob Shaffelberg’s only human.

Restored to the starting XI after Rabasca tried him out as an impact sub against Lansing, Shaff proved to be the Reds’ most potent offensive weapon.

Big moments included serving up vice-captain Adolfo Ovalle’s would-be stoppage-time equalizer that was scooped off the line, and his successful pursuit of Paulo Jr. halfway down the pitch to head off a counter-attack.

Oh, and he scored an equalizer. Individual brilliance, as one Ned Zelic might say.

.@jacobshaff2 sliced and diced ‘em straight to the Week 6 Goal of the Week!#WeAreOne | https://t.co/KslF5qiVuZ pic.twitter.com/f46BJ8XXJe — USL League One (@USLLeagueOne) May 9, 2019

Maybe Don’t Use The Swartz…

Credit to Rabasca for giving me license to make Space Balls references about a match played on May 4th, but I’m not sure it was really worth it.

In fairness to first-year draftee Trev Swartz, this was only his second game of pro soccer, and he hardly embarrassed himself in Tucson when he filled in on for left-back while Terique Mohammed was away on GA Cup detail. Thing is, Terique was on the bench in Madison, so this may be another midfielder-to-fullback conversion job like Vanney’s attempting with Laryea.

Hopefully there’s a time limit on this experiment.

With Dante Campbell and Julian Dunn effectively locking down their left wing, the Flamingos soon got wise to the vulnerability on Toronto’s left and funnelled almost every attack through there. Not all Don Smart’s efforts came off – there’s a reason the guy’s playing at this level – but he still ran rings around Trev.

There’s no pinning the first goal on Swartz, but the second goal’s a different story. He was running side-by-side with Smart to the edge of TFC II’s box, then passed him by and turned round just in time to see the Jamaican help right-back ‘Manly’ Carter Manley put the hosts 2:1 up.

Tellingly, Rabasca replaced him with Terique three minutes later. Lesson learned?

How Many Corners?

Heading into this game, TFC II were doing very well off of set pieces. They accounted for three of the kids’ five goals, so God only knows what went wrong in Wisconsin.

It didn’t seem to matter who was taking them – Griff, Trev, Luca ‘The Fluker’ Petrasso and Jordan Faria all took turns – but of the 13 (!) corners Madison conceded, TFC II produced nothing with any of them. The most tangible result was when an in-swinger from Griff bludgeoned Wyatt Earp Omsberg so hard, it caused a break in play.

During their hunt for a late equalizer, the Reds won a couple of free-kicks in very promising positions. Trying to make lightning strike twice, Petrasso biffed his straight into Ryan Coulter’s hands, but a certain left-back called Terique came damned close.