TFC 1 Houston 0: Dynamo? More Like “Two-Game Winning Streak, Fools! Bwahaha!”

By: Sam | May 17th, 2007

Scorers:
TFC- Welsh 25′

Analysis:
How’s that? Two game-winning streak, the latest at the expense of the defending champs and the likes of Brian Ching and Dwayne De Rosario. On a very rainy night, with the supporters braving the weather, Toronto brought it offensively, but moreso defensively. Sutton was impeccable, picking up his first clean sheet, but how about or back four? Ching-Boyens made me nervous a few times, but Wynne and Goldthwaite were swell and, well, don’t get me started on how well Jimmy Brennan played.
The passes at midfield were under control and well thought out, the first touches were most of the time smooth, and we seemed to always get to the 50-50 balls. The mids were coming back a lot it seemed, and at first seemed to get right back in the mix of things at the other end, but in the end of the game we were almost playing in a 8-1-1 formation. Not that I’m really complaining, all I wanted was a win and I got it!
And as much as we had to rely on Houston’s incapability of putting the ball on net and DDR’s invisibility, it’s super satisfactory to see three points. What’s more, we’re not last anymore. Not even last in the conference! Take that, DC! Well, we’re still the team we were at the start of the season, save a few face changes, but things are just going our way, it looks like. And I’m liking it.

Player’s grades:
Sutton: 6,5/10 - Well, a clean sheet, what else do you want? Once again used his size to his advantage and was always in good position, but if Houston had a sense of direction a few might have gone past.
Boyens: 6 - Contained Ching better than most kids his age, even though he lost a few battles. Cleared the ball well and is looking better every passing minute.
O’Brien: 5,5 - Assisted on the goal on a beautiful free-kick, but aside from that lost a few balls and wasn’t as involved as last game. Still, a very strong asset.
Edu: 6,5 - I love this kid! Controls the ball like a master, always on the edge of your seat when he’s got the ball. He could have been in on scoring plays a bucket of times.
Welsh: 6,5 - Scored the only goal! A beaut header, and he also had a solid game. A real Energizer bunny on the side, it was only a matter of time until he found his groove.
Goldthwaite: 5,5 - Strong and consistent on the side, as he’s been since getting here, but nothing special, no great tackles like we previously saw.
Eskandarian: 5,5 - His usual attractive self in the area. Of course didn’t score, but dangerous enough so we can say he had a decent showing.
Brennan: 7,5 - Like the Houston announcers were saying, he was the MOTM. The strikers just couldn’t get by him. He was coming back, running around, everything. Fantastic!
Buddle: 6 - Clearly found his spot and feels comfortable. Missed an opportunity late in the game, but otherwise active and caused lots of problems to the defence.
Wynne: 6,5 - Man, this guy is fast. Came out of nowhere and almost scored, and for the rest of the game was his crazy self and made some nice tackles.
Robinson: 6 - Present as ever in the defensive midfield, he gave up a few fouls now and again but had a pretty decent game all the same.

Houston Dynamo: Had a decent game in the midfield and created an assload of chances, but man, they didn’t finish. Ching, as I’ve said before, was making me nervous every time he taunted Boyens, but too often he tried something afterwards that made everything go bad. N’Gwenya, man, he was just clumsy. De Rosario was decent when you could see him, but let me tell you, we didn’t see him often. Best players for Houston, for me, were Davis and Robinson. Onstad was solid as well, if it weren’t for him and some wierd decisions, namely be Buddle and Welsh, it could easily have been three.

Officiating:Not too bad. Justified offside calls, not too many fouls as opposed to every other ref Toronto has had so far. Pretty much nothing was decided thanks to a ref’s decision, which is good. Well, except the goal.

Looking ahead:No rest! We’re playing the last-place in the east(mwahahaha) DC United for our last game of the homestand. Dichio’s back, but if you ask me I think Esky’s gonna sit this one out. I can’t see any changes in the midfield or on defence, never mind in goal, but I’m hoping for a Buddle-Dichio tandem with Lombardo coming in if need be. Until then!