Following the first leg of their CONCACAF Champions League quarter-final tie, Toronto FC headed into LA with a big task after getting a 2-2 result at home! Having to overcome the 2 away goal deficit or simply winning the match was never going to be easy.

With a slow start to the match Ryan Johnson took advantage of a great chance to give TFC the 1-0 lead in the first half. The second half on the other hand had a different feel, where LA realized they had to rise up to the occasion and started putting plenty of pressure on TFC  leading to an own goal by Harden. TFC was resilient with Ryan Johnson continuing to put his stamp on the game and setting up Nick Soolsma for Toronto’s second goal and the game winner!

Toronto FC’s game flaw consisted of their high back-line that they were lucky not to have LA penetrate. A non fatigued Galaxy side would have punished this Toronto formation. On the other hand, TFC’s defense dealt well with the crosses into the box in this match in comparison to the home tie, with Kocic playing a major role in controlling his box and keeping the ball out of his net.

Man of the Match: Milos Kocic

All in all, a decent Toronto FC performance versus a softer LA Galaxy led to this result. The next round in the semi-finals versus Santos Laguna will be a difficult task especially in the away leg!

Toronto FC will now remain on the road and face Seattle on Saturday before returning home for their MLS home opener which leads into the first leg of their CCL semi-finals.

Toronto FC ASN is on Twitter @TorontoFCasn! Follow us for live game action, breaking news and headlines covering Toronto FC, Canadian soccer and  MLS.

The picture above from the home opener shows the dramatic changes that happened to the team from the first kick to today, as well as showing the future of TFC as the Academy team lines up behind the senior squad.

The expansion draft has come and gone… Here is who is still here and who is gone and some thoughts on who I think will/should be here next year or not..

Also here is a little look forward on what is on TFC’s schedule.

The start of January will consist of the announcement of the CCL game/ticket info which will be played at the Rogers Centre (Skydome).
The 2012 adidas MLS player combine occurs from January 6-10th with the MLS Super Draft on January 12th, supplemental draft is January 17th.

Pre-season Games:
vs. Orlando City SC - February 25th 2012 6pm ET
vs. BK Hacken - February 28th 2012 6pm ET
vs. FC Dallas March 1st 2012 6pm ET
Possibly a game on March 3rd time and opponent TBD.

CONCACAF Champions League:
vs. LA Galaxy – March 7th 2012 8pm ET (Rogers Centre)
vs. LA Galaxy – March 14th 2012 10pm ET (The Home Depot Centre)

Feel free to share your thoughts at our Twitter @TorontoFCasn or in the comments section below. Feedback, discussions and opinions are all encouraged.

STILL HERE and will/should be KEPT:
Milos Kocic
Stefan Frei
Richard Eckersley
Torsten Frings
Eric Avila
Terry Dunfield
Ryan Johnson
Danny Koevermans
Joao Plata
Ty Harden
Andy Iro
Ashtone Morgan
Matt Stinson
Doniel Henry
Nick Soolsma
Julian De Guzman
Peri Marosevic
Jeremy Hall (New Signing)
Reggie Lambe (New Signing)
Dicoy Williams

STILL HERE but will/should be ASSESSED prior to new contracts/release:
Nicholas Lindsay - Will be interesting to see what Winter thinks of him in the off season after the season ending injury he will be given a chance to prove himself.
Keith Makubuya – Barely played, minimal impact.. will have to earn his spot.
Oscar Cordon – Impressed to start the season with a few appearances then went down hill from there.. Will have to earn his spot again.
Adrian Cann - Season ending injury and early contract disputes this season will not get him an immediate contract but will be invited to training camp for sure!
Elbekay Bouchiba – Hasn’t played a single minute in MLS, due to a season ending injury. His stay will depend on pre-season.
Mikael Yourassowsky – No work ethic in my opinion, when he got minutes he barely put an effort. He was brought in as a left back, never really played there.

RELEASED/Gone/Traded:
Nathan SturgisDanleigh Borman
Demitrius  Omphroy
Matt Gold
Javier Martina
Eddy Viator
Leandre Griffit
Kyle Davis
Gianluca Zavarise

What do you agree with and what would you change? Make sure to share your thoughts.

This post was written by @MahmoudShoblaq of @amersocc and @TorontoFCasn.

Toronto FC ASN is on Twitter @TorontoFCasn! Follow us for live game action, breaking news and headlines covering Toronto FC, Canadian soccer and  MLS.

After a 2-1 win at home, Toronto FC went into Nicaragua forced to put Real Esteli’s away goal  behind them and grind up a result.

A great performance by Ryan Johnson gave him a pair of goals and gave the team another 2-1 win, this time away from home giving them a 4-2 win on aggregate.

A hostile environment and a horrible field was what TFC had to face, but strong character from the young players mixed with experience excelled over the Nicaraguan side. Overall TFC played well vs. Real Esteli, it was evident with some of the mistakes made that the field impacted the play. On this day CONCACAF refereeing did not play a role in deciding the game.

Toronto FC will continue their CCL journey in the group stage versus Tauro, UNAM and FC Dallas or Alianza starting on August 18th.

On a side note, @TorontoFCasn made twitter headlines during the Toronto FC game as many TFC supporters expressed anger and disappointment after Rogers Sportsnet decided to show the game on tape delay. Whether that was the correct decision or not for Rogers, the fans were not happy. Fans rushed to find the best online stream to watch the game live and support their team. It will be interesting to see how Rogers approaches this situation and what they will do for future games.  We did our part in this and provided necessary coverage through twitter and provided live game updates.  Our voice made us trend in Toronto and in all of Canada, thanks to all those who follow us on Twitter and make our time worth while.

TFC continue their road trip as they head to face against D.C. United where former Toronto player De Rosario now plays.

The writer of this post and the person who runs @TorontoFCasn can be found on twitter @MahmoudShoblaq.

After the game Wednesday against Vancouver Whitecaps getting called off due to weather, TFC remained at home to take on Philadelphia Union.

The starting line up saw a few changes from the midweek Canadian Championship game. 
Keeper: Stefan Frei.
Defenders: Richard Eckersley, Dicoy Williams, Ty Harden, Dan Gargan.
Midfielders: Tony Tchani, Julian De Guzman, Mikael Yourassowsky.
Forwards: Nick Soolsma, Maicon Santos, Joao Plata.

This is a very tough game to talk about, it was a very horrible performance by Toronto FC.

In the first half TFC looked like they didn’t show up or were depending on mother nature to save them once again after falling down 2-0 after just 10 minutes and 3-0 by the half.

Second half changes provided a spark, with Javier Martina and Danleigh Borman coming on for Julian De Guzman and Dan Gargan. Danleigh Borman was what TFC needed  from the start of the game as he provided something that Dan Gargan did not provide at the left back position. With that in mind TFC was able to get themselves back in the game with Maicon Santos scoring a brace to make it 3-2.

Shortly after Maicon Santos’ second goal the Union scored another and that was when TFC fell apart letting in 2 more for a final score of 6-2.

It was a historical day with TFC suffering their worst loss at home and conceding the highest number of goals against in their history. Even Real Madrid didn’t score this many times against Toronto.

Luckily TFC has no midweek game and are staying at home next week, this will give them time to regroup and hopefully improve their performances.  On the negative side several players will be leaving for international call-ups which may have TFC short handed. Plata will be with Ecuador for their game against Canada on June 1st and against Greece June 7th. Julian De Guzman and Dicoy Williams have been called up by Canada and Jamaica respectively for the Gold Cup (June 5th – 25th) and are expected to be reporting to their teams this week. Therefore, TFC will likely be without Plata, De Guzman and Dicoy for some of their upcoming games.

On a side note, the TFC reserves tied the Philadelphia Union reserves 0-0.

Toronto will face  Sporting Kansas at BMO Field on Saturday June 4th.

Ratings for players from 1 (low) to 10 (high), ranked by position:

Toronto FC
Stefan Frei: 5
Not one of Frei’s best performances and maybe even his worst. Could he be to blame for all of the goals… no! Should all the work be put on him… no! But his performance was not the greatest, a bad clearance resulted in an easy goal in addition he almost let in what would have been the most embarrassing goal. All in all a bad performance but the defenders need to help him out.

Richard Eckersley : 7.5
Did well and may have been the best player on the field for TFC both defensively and offensively. The player with the most heart on the team on this day.

Ty Harden: 4
Should have been substituted way earlier in the game .Without Attakora or Cann on his side he is too much of a gamble .

Dicoy Williams: 5
Too much responsibly for him, the pair of Harden and Williams is not one that should exist.

Dan Gargan: 4
Another disappointing performance, was at fault for one or more of the goals in the first half.

Mikael Yourassowsky: 7
Did well overall, the effort and heart he puts into the game is what each player should be doing.

Tony Tchani: 5
Not his best performance, did not complete his passes and lost the ball too easily.

Julian  De Guzman: 5
DP? Not for much longer! With performances like this, TFC is lucky to have him be gone with the National team for a while. Lost the ball way too easily and was doing unnecessary things when he had the ball.

Nick Soolsma: 5.5
Has his moments and tries very hard but he is too slow.

Maicon Santos: 6.5
Did what he could in the second half for the team scoring a brace, but it was not his best performance overall.

Joao Plata: 6
Has his moments in the game and needs to be more consistent overall, but TFC shouldn’t be depending on him so much.

Subs Used:
Javier Martina: 6
Came on in the second half and provided something different but once Philadelphia figured his positioning out he was silent.

Danleigh Borman: 7
Provided the spark TFC needed from the start and contributed well in the second half.

Alen Stevanovic: N/A
Was only on for a short period of time and it was too late for him to make an impact..

After a draw against Chivas USA at home, TFC went on the road to face the San Jose Earthquakes who have yet to win at home this season.

The starting line up saw no changes from last week. 
Keeper: Stefan Frei.
Defenders: Ty Harden, Nana Attakora, Adrian Cann,  Danleigh Borman.
Midfielders: Jacob Peterson, Tony Tchani, Alen Stevanovic.
Forwards: Javier Martina, Maicon Santos, Alan Gordon.

TFC started the game defensively awkward allowing several dangerous shots by San Jose, after finding their rhythm they took the lead in the 27th minute through a goal from Gordon.  Tony Tchani, Danleigh Borman and Alen Stevanovic looked much more comfortable with the team after having several training sessions under their belts.  Stevanovic demonstrated great skill and looks like a great addition to the team moving forward.  Martina on the other hand did not have a great first half and was close to invisible. San Jose was able to find the equalizer through Dawkins after a good run on the left side in the 38th minute. The first half ended with San Jose taking 12 shots and Toronto taking 3, the Earthquakes also dominated 61 percent of the possession.

The second half continued to be entertaining, where Toronto was much more organized and created more opportunities. Martina came out from the shadows and contributed more – feeding several balls into the box. It is important to note that Nana Attakora was subbed off at half time as it was evident that his play has not been what TFC fans have been used to, this is his second time in two games that he has been subbed off at half time. TFC suffered a blow when Stevanovic was down injured and had to be substituted, he was becoming and integral part of the game on the left side with Borman.

There is still more to do for TFC but this performance would be considered a good one moving forward. The club will now head home for a 3 game home stint before starting their Nutrilite Canadian  Championship quest at Edmonton. Toronto will face the LA Galaxy on Wednesday at BMO Field.

Ratings for players from 1 (low) to 10 (high), ranked by position:

Toronto FC
Stefan Frei: 7.5
Did well throughout the game making some great stops that kept his team in the game. He could not have done much about the goal!

Ty Harden: 7
Did well at right back in the first half and slotted well in the middle in the second half. Becoming more comfortable and confident on the ball in each game.

Nana Attakora: 6
Still does not seem himself since returning from injury last week. His second time being subbed off  at the half in two games this time it was for De Guzman. He was not into the game which resulted in another disappointing showing. He also was shown a yellow for his troubles.

Adrian Cann: 7.5
A great performance by Cann, took over most of the defensive duties in the second half and was seen almost everywhere.

Danleigh Borman: 7
Seemed more comfortable and did well to contribute to the team offensively and defensively. Connected well with Stevanovic on the left side.

Jacob Peterson: 7
Did well overall and did well to slot back into defense in the second half.

Tony Tchani: 7
Did well throughout the game, got himself a yellow for his troubles.

Alen Stevanovic: 7.5
A great game for Alen, did well working with Borman on the left side where they created several opportunities. His work rate resulted to his contribution on TFC’s goal. Subbed off in the second half for Zavarise after getting injured.

Javier Martina: 6
Not his best game for TFC, was invisible for the most part and became more involved in the second half.

Maicon Santos: 6
TFC’s new captain did not contribute much and was subbed off early in the second half for Plata.

Alan Gordon: 7.5
Another decent outing, scored the goal for TFC and it certainly will not be his last. He is being praised and getting compared to the big number 9 – Danny Dichio.

Subs Used:
Julian  De Guzman: 6.5
Came on for Attakora and did well to orchestrate the middle of the park. If he continues on in this manner, his stay with TFC will be extended. He also got himself a yellow card for his efforts this evening, which is a habit that needs to change.

Gianluca Zavarise: 6
Came on for the injured Stevanovic, did well with the time given.

Joao Plata: 6.5
Came on for the under-performing Maicon and had several good runs but did not make the correct decisions to impact the game.

Alan Gordon - Photo Credit to Catherine Solmes

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After winning at home against Portland Timbers, TFC was expected to continue on a positive note against Chivas USA. All was changed when the news of Dwayne De Rosario being traded to the New York Red Bulls surfaced. On Friday afternoon the DeRo trade was confirmed, where TFC acquired Danleigh Borman, Tony Tchani and a first round draft pick in 2012 in return for Dwayne De Rosario. On the other hand, Javier Martina was voted MLS Goal of the Week earlier in the week for his second goal in the Portland game and Decoy Williams was signed.

TFC and Chivas Draw!
The starting line up saw several changes after trades and signings this week. 
Keeper: Stefan Frei.
Defenders: Ty Harden, Nana Attakora, Adrian Cann,  Danleigh Borman.
Midfielders: Jacob Peterson, Tony Tchani, Alen Stevanovic.
Forwards: Javier Martina, Maicon Santos, Alan Gordon.

TFC started the game on a rough note suffering an early goal deficit. After finding their rhythm they were able to get back into the game and find the equalizer. With DeRo gone and new players starting the match, it was expected to be a difficult afternoon for Toronto. Once again it must be reiterated that it is a building process and the team will learn to cope with DeRo’s absence.

Some positives were evident, as Martina showed great signs of class and will be an integral part of the club moving forward. Several team practices for the new players with the club will create harmony and consistency within the team. Toronto FC can only see themselves moving forward after today, keeping in mind players must remain healthy.

Toronto FC will need to perform and prove their fans that they are a competitive team to maintain the atmosphere BMO Field is used to. The game’s attendance is still considered great in comparison to MLS numbers but 18,968 is below TFC’s regular attendance numbers of 20000 or more. It was evident that there were  many empty seats which in turn made the television broadcast look very unattractive for those watching at home. Whether the attendance numbers are due to the DeRo trade or a lack of interest from fans after 4 unsuccessful season, it remains unknown. The club will need to earn their supporters back with several positive performances at home and on the road.

TFC will now head away from home to face off against the San Jose Earthquakes before coming back for a three game home stint.

Ratings for players from 1 (low) to 10 (high), ranked by position:

Toronto FC
Stefan Frei: 7
He may have not been able to do much about the goal, but did well with what came his way as the game went on.

Ty Harden: 6.5
Did well as a right back, contributed a few crosses on the attack. Still room for improvement!

Nana Attakora: 5.5
Came back from injury and may have been at fault for the goal. Not one of his best performances and was subbed off in the second half.

Adrian Cann: 6.5
Decent performance, with no visible mistakes.

Danleigh Borman: 6.5
Did well to contribute to the team offensively and defensively considering not practicing with the team prior to the game.

Jacob Peterson: 6.5
Did well on the set piece to set up Alan Gordon for the equalizer.  Subbed off at the half for De Guzman.

Tony Tchani: 6.5
Did well throughout the game for a player who has not practiced with the team, could possibly do more.

Alen Stevanovic: 6.5
Did well working with Borman, would probably wish Maicon Santos passed the ball for him to score the winner. Subbed off in the second half after getting injured. He is also another player whose contribution will become greater as time goes on.

Javier Martina: 7
Had a decent game showed great foot work and will be an integral part of the team.

Maicon Santos: 6
Captained the team for the day, scores a low rating today due to his horrible miss. Otherwise he is another player that will be an important part moving forward.

Alan Gordon: 7
A decent game, was at the end of several crosses and set pieces but did not do enough to create solid chances. Scored the equalizer and celebrated with class.

Subs Used:
Julian  De Guzman: 5.5
Came on for Peterson, still needs time to come back from injury. His distribution still lacking, got himself a yellow card for his efforts this afternoon.

Decoy Williams: 6.5
Another new signing making his debut, came on for Attakora who just returned from injury. From what was seen can easily take Attakora’s starting spot on the team.

Joao Plata: N/A
Came on for the injured Stevanovic, had little impact on the game.

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Martina wins MLS Goal of the Week!

Martina - Photo Credit to Catherine Solmes

TFC striker Javier Martina has won his first ever MLS Goal of the Week award for his amazing finish in the 2-0 win against Portlant Timbers at BMO Field on Saturday. It was his second MLS goal in his two appearances. Martina’s goal gave TFC the assurance lead that they held on with to win the game. The goal assisted by Frei has shown his striker’s instinct which gives everyone a taste of what he can bring to the team in the future.