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Tuesday, March 13, 2012

THE MATCHUP: Toronto FC tools up for Home Depot decider

90% of the Galaxy crowd arrive for the match

LOS ANGELES VS. TORONTO
CONCACAF CHAMPIONS LEAGE QUARTERFINAL - 2ND LEG
(AGGREGATE 2-2)
 
HOME DEPOT CENTER - WEDNESDAY 10:30PM ET
TV: SPORTSNET ONE RADIO: THE FAN 590
 
THE KICKABOUT:
The atmosphere in the stands will be night and day from the 1st Leg of this CCL Quarterfinal but the competition on the pitch may very well surpass last week's tilt between Galaxy and TFC. Due to pre-existing restrictions by the neighbouring university campus, the attendance at the Home Depot Center is restricted to 7,500 maximum, taking away some of the advantage for Bruce Arena's team. With the fine weather, great pitch and quiet crowd, this is as close to a neutral site match as Toronto FC could have hoped for. Unfortunately the similarities likely end there.
 
Galaxy has committed themselves to winning the CONCACAF Champions League this year and there is little reason to believe they will rest on their laurels on Wednesday evening. The only technical advantage The Reds have over the talented Galaxy is rest. LA looked spent by the end of their Saturday league match against RSL which saw Bruce Arena play most of the same starting eleven he used last Wednesday. TFC meanwhile come in on seven days rest but regardless, have to play a better game than they did last week in a match where nothing less than a 3-3 draw sees them continue in this competition. There will be no room for more defensive miscues and the offence will likely need to be firing on all cylinders.
 
MANUFACTURED DERBY NAME:
"Biggest Game Ever II: The Biggering"
 
PLAYERS TO WATCH:
LOS ANGELES: David Beckham, Edson Buddle, Landon Donovan
TORONTO: Julian de Guzman, Torsten Frings, Ryan Johnson
 
THE ODDS:
- Plot to avenge the Beckham beer can incident failing as LA supporters forced to save distilled water bottle to help wash down prawn sandwiches: 2-1
- Galaxy managing to sign 4 new DP's before match: 8-1
- CONCACAF referees stopping play to get David Beckham's autograph: 10-1
 
WHO ARE YA?
As mentioned above, the tiny match crowd will be due to an agreement to cap attendance on school nights at the neighbouring campus of California State University - Dominguez Hills. (Go Toros!) While it may seem like an archaic policy for a pro club to have to deal with, it's not the first time Galaxy and the university have butted heads. CSU-DG put an end to Mike Magee's 2010 campaign to become Class Treasurer; refused to give accreditation for Landon Donovan's Learning Annex class "Intermediate Pouting and Whinging 101"; as well as banning "Chad Barrett's Charity Panty Raid for Kids Who Don't Read So Good" in spring of last year.
 
POST-MATCH HEADLINE: "REDS WITHSTAND HAMMERING AT HOME DEPOT - DONOVAN STILL A TOOL"

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