Michael Rabasca officially led Toronto FC II into uncharted territory on Friday night. Never has this team had so many points (seven!) just three games into a season. And all it took was for them to be relegated. Go figure!

Just so we’re clear, this isn’t quite the longest they’ve gone into a season undefeated. Jason Bent’s 2016 team managed a win and two draws before they dropped the ball, but with the way this season’s started? Watch this space.

In his pre-game, Lansing’s play-by-play guy (whose name escapes me) talked up the fact Lansing were the highest-scoring team in the league with seven goals, having netted seven, all by different players. For whatever reason, TFC II came out playing an absorb-and-counter game plan that often verged on ball-phobic: the Reds were out-possessed 71% to 29%.

Things were hairier than the average Wookiee at times, but TFC stole the three points by way of two set-pieces. I’ll go into the second-half penalty further down, but the go-ahead goal came via an 11th-minute free-kick from Luca Petrasso, who’s fast becoming the Jonathan of the Petrasso clan. Expect a ‘Goal of the Week’ nod for this one.



Watch Your Back, Eriq

Rabasca’s choice of goalkeeper threw me again this game. Having started ex-DC draftee Eric Klenofsky against Orlando with FC Zurich loanee Yann Fillion in reserve, he’s now picked first-team third-choice Caleb Patterson-Sewell in back-to-back games, with two different academy kids – this time 18-year-old Spencer King – as backups.

Whereas Caleb pretty much saved the draw against FC Tucson, he had far less heavy-lifting to do this time out, give or take one or two crucial saves. This is partly on Lansing’s forwards having a serious off-night, but also thanks to the returns of Julian Dunn and left-back Terique Mohammed. He and right-back Dante Campbell both got stuck in. They were also both booked before half-time.

Elsewhere, my prediction of ex-Boca U21 captain Franco Ramos Mingo (the envy of Forward Madison) anchoring the backline is looking even less likely unless Vanney poaches Julian Dunn. Amid some very good marking work, he pulled off a clean sheet-saving goal-line clearance, volleying away ex-Kaizer Chief Tumi Moshobane’s lob.



No Peace Prize For Noble

The robust defending wasn’t confined to the wings. Making his first start in USL D3, Noble Okello put himself about in the midfield more than both centre-backs combined. He came through the first half unscathed, but picked up a yellow in the 52nd for a gloriously mistimed shove.

This led to a very tense interlude later in when Okello looked suddenly determine to get in the ref’s face over a foul that’d been called in TFC II’s favour and didn’t involve him. I’m tempted to think Rabasca was taking precautions by taking him off for Gideon Waja.

Ignoble Okello?



Emile Heskey’s Banjo School?

It was once suggested that much-maligned England striker Emile Heskey ‘couldn’t hit a cow’s arse with a banjo.’ Well, one can only assume Lansing’s forwards have watched some of Emile’s instructional DVDs because they couldn’t finish to save their lives…



Need I say more?



Impressive Fito, Adolfo!

If that quartet of howlers doesn’t constitute Lansing throwing this game away, the penalty they conceded late in the second half surely does. During one of TFC II’s rare forays north of the halfway line, the ball fell to substitute winger Jordan Faria, who’s very speculative cross was palmed over the byline by a panicked Brandon Fricke.

There are grounds to believe there were some partisan production staff working this game. For starters, after the initial incident, the cameraman panned left and zoomed in on some hoarding. Then, the replay of Fricke’s handball was fantastically out of focus. Finally, after Adolfo ‘Fito’ Ovalle put the penalty away, the camera stayed locked on Lansing’s goalkeeper.

Give it ’til 1:56:13…

Still, nice to know there’s one defensive midfielder within the Toronto FC organization who can score penalties…