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Columbus Crew at Toronto FC: Running Commentary

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Eastern Conference leaders Columbus take on the fast-charging Toronto FC in today’s match of the day. If you will be watching the match, and will be online, please feel free to share your thoughts, opinions, and some play-by-play in the comments section below.

Enjoy the action.

Comments

  1. Why is it that TFC fans talk all kinds of s***, and act like they know everything about soccer when they are a second year team who has done NOTHING in this league?

    Oh wait, thats right because they are arrogant a******* who look down on every other team and fan.

    Why would we even waste our breath trying to be rational with you guys when all any of you ever say is that we aren’t credible because a) we’re fans who can’t think objectively (but somehow all of your guy’s thoughts just happen to be incredibly intelligent and not biased at all right?) b) our team hasn’t won anything in a long time or c) we don’t have a fanbase and our team deserves to be moved.

    Talk about intelligent conversions.

    Most of us have given up trying to explain to you guys our thoughts about what happened on Saturday, because of this.

    Try holding an intelligent conversation once in a while and not talking down to people like you are so much more intelligent and better than them and we can discuss this.

    Better yet, get over it, let it go and move on the the next game your team is going to play like we have.

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  2. Schelotto’s diving and frustration is, in my opinion, a testament to how well Robinson controlled and marked him. This is a physical league all around. Part of being a good player is having the knowledge and experience to draw a foul. You show the defender the ball and sucker them into making a challenge and just as they are about to, you move the ball away and the defender inevitably misses it and tackles the man instead. Schelotto was not very good at this. I haven’t watched him enough to say whether he was just having an off day or if this how badly he always does it. Robinson, on the other hand, from a defensive point of view, showed us how to “wind a player up”. This too, is part of the game all over the world. He stayed really tight on him, got in his face and was very physical with him. Yes, he proably gave Schelotto a few small nudges here and there, maybe a few taps at the ankles, but Scheletto did not have enough composure to get on with the game.

    I watch European football all the time, as well as being a season ticket holder from the start. I find the quality of the refs in this league to be less than satisfactory. There is movement at the moment by FIFA to show refs more respect. What Schelotto did was wholly unaccetable and he should have been shown a yellow card much earler in the match. I don’t care who he plays for or against – his performance was absolutely disgraceful. He shuold be ashamed of himself. As a professional he should know better. Even excusing his penchance towards diving (at least in this game – I can’t say about others)- the way he treated the refs should not be tolerated. It was some of the worst disrespect I’ve seen since Ashley Cole turned his back on a ref in a Chelsea game. The ref should at all times be in control of the game, and by allowing Scheletto to have rant at the him and linesman whenever he didn’t get a call he wanted shows us the ref was not in control.

    What I really wish is that someone with more time on their hands than I do, would put together a report proving how bad it reffing situation really is. All it would take is time. Pick a week of games, any week, analyse each game, and show how many mistakes were made, break it down by category, and point out wich mistakes the ref made and those that were made because he didn’t haave a good view and should have been helped by the linesman. I think as a whole we would see that the amount of mistakes made would be unacceptable.

    Many might say I may be upset, believing that my team didn’t get the calls they deserved – and this is true, but even watching TFC games in the stands, sometimes I can’t believe the things my team has gotten away with, because the ref got it wrong. Maybe they don’t know any better, maybe they don’t have enough experience, maybe they are afraid to make calls. Don’t get me wrong. I want a free flowing game. I don’t want every tiny little foul to stop the game, but that is where education and experience come into play and refs in this league just don’t seem to have either in abundance. I have seen very few games in this league where I thought that on the whole, the ref has had a good game.

    I know that this is still a young league, but if we want to be taken seriously globally this is a problem and it needs to be fixed.

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  3. Let’s make one thing clear, and I know your reading comprehension is not so good up there in the cold air of Toronto, but try to stick with me here.

    I was responding to you calling GBS a cheater, by calling you out on the hypocrisy of you saying that based on the thuggery that your players display on the field. Pot….meet kettle.

    That was the point, not that I care at all if your players are two bit hacks. I only pointed out that there was some major irony in you calling GBS a cheater considering what I have seen on the field from your side when we play you guys.

    I still laugh at you calling the Crew cheaters. Again, look in the mirror. But I will take that kind of play any day to win a title. You go have your moral victories and think your team plays clean. We all know you guys think your team in infallable, and can do nothing wrong. If we win it all playing this way, and make no mistake about it there is a long long way to go, I will be happy, and you can complain all you want about our style of play, because we will still have the last laugh, and no one would be able to take it away from us. Especially not a bunch of whining, crying hypocrites

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  4. You don’t see the contradiction between telling TFC fans to worry about their own players and you yourself bitching about TFC’s players then good luck to you.

    Maybe negative play will take you all the way to the title, it worked for the Devils, so why not you. Don’t worry about cheating to get there, sour tastes fade I guess.

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  5. Look back at what you quoted and tell me it has anything to do with the points at hand at that point in the discussion, or at least understand I can’t read your mind and see how you saw a connection there without making a comment on my quote.

    Again, you want to rip on the Columbus education system, but you are making little to no sense when it comes to communicating your thoughts clearly.

    I’m done. It’s clear you have no desire to talk soccer, but instead want to talk about education systems and mullets.

    Typical TFC fan. Thinks they know it all about soccer, and we should all worship them, but has no idea what is really going on, and can’t communicate worth S***.

    Just remember this. YOU HAVE STILL YET TO EVER BEAT THE CREW SINCE YOU CAME IN THE LEAGUE. AND THE CREW IS AT THE TOP OF THE TABLE, AND YOU GUYS ARE LOOKING UP.

    Work on that and stop complaining.

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  6. You posted them in response to me, so I would have thought they had something to do with what I am saying, and they are directly contradictory – if you can’t catch that maybe you should try out some of the educational system offered by Columbus.

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  7. BTW I am not and never will be a hockey or Blue Jackets fan. And last I knew, EPL was not hockey.

    Is there a connection I am missing? Me being in Columbus has nothing to do with no giving two s**** about Carver and if he played in the EPL. All I care about is how embarrasing and pathetic his whining sounds right now, and the fact that many of you TFC fans are taking on his tone.

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  8. What is with you quoting things I posted that have nothing to do with what you are saying? Or at least are quoted with no personal opinion to give me some idea of your thoughts?

    Is communicating properly hard in Canada?

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  9. Is English too hard for you to understand? Let me speak slowly for you. GBS acting like he did had no effect on the game yesterday, unless, for some reason, you guys are upset that you couldn’t get an unfair and unearned advantage to FINALLLY try to beat the Crew.

    All this whining points to a bunch of people who saw an opportunity to be up a player, considering many of you guys think that at least 2 yellows were deserved (which in case you forgot or don’t understand the rules, 2 yellows = a red and an escort off the pitch)

    Carver coaching in the EPL gives him no credibility in the MLS until he does something in the MLS. If he wants credibility go back to EPL or earn it. I don’t have to respect a whiner who has done nothing for this league, who at the first sign of adversity he threatens to go back to England.

    Give me a break. You guys are so pathetic to act like we should bow down to Carver and listen to what he has to say, just because he coached in the EPL.

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  10. “Yesterday effected you guys in no way” What does that mean? I honestly have no idea.

    I am sure Carver is hurt that you don’t think he ever had credibility in the league. I guess coaching in the EPL doesn’t get it done in the land of the blue jackets.

    “Worry about your own team”: “Tell your captain that next time he shoves a player on top of the ball, and the whistle blow, he isn’t allowed to take a full kick at the ball under the player, 15 seconds later.”

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  11. Moral of the story my fine TFC fan friend.

    Worry about your own team. Yesterday effected you guys in no way unless you were just looking to gain some sort of advantage to finally try and beat the Crew.

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  12. I think I prefer Sigi’s comments about Carver’s

    (And yes, for you English major in Toronto, those are quotation marks, meaning I am quoting Crew Head Coach Sigi Schmid)

    “I think he’s got to worry about his players and I’ll worry about my players,”

    and

    “Guillermo is a very competitive individual who plays with a lot of passion and fire. He felt he got fouled a couple of times and it didn’t get called. He plays with emotion, but that’s also what makes him a good player. He and I will deal with it. I appreciate John’s comments, but he doesn’t need to worry about my guys.”

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  13. Yeah I read the whole article, again from several different sources. What is your point?

    To me, he loses all credibility, of the little he ever had in this league, when he says possibly. It’s like saying I am conceding my hatred for what happened just so I can get the right to complain about what happened against me today.

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  14. “The scary thing is,” Carver said, “I got lambasted by the referees’ association for my behaviour in the last home [a 1-1 draw with the New York Red Bulls on May 1] and everybody was sent a video of my behaviour on the touch line toward the officials. And rightly so, possibly. But today we saw a fellow professional diving all over the park. Is anything going to be done about that? I don’t know.

    “Again, I’m talking about what happened to me. I got my wrist slapped for my aggressive manner. And we have a professional footballer who goes across to the linesman in the first seven minutes in an aggressive manner, nothing happened. And through the game continuously it’s as if the wind is too strong for him.”

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  15. Ok fine, if you want to call it poor sportsmanship, I will call it that for your sake even though I don’t agree.

    However, you don’t call kicking a ball from underneath a player after the whistle was blown for a foul, or a blatant elbow to the face poor sportsmanship? I mean those are against the rules, and your reaction is to say that he deserved it. What? It’s against the rules. Quit being a hypocrite like your coach.

    Poor sportsmanship or not, he did what he wanted to do, and what is typical of South American players, and he got into all of your heads. Even if he gets a card, he wins. But, I don’t expect you to see it that way. You clearly have way to much invested in TFC to be objective.

    I read the quotes and article from the Toronto side and the Columbus side and I will tell you what I got out of his tirade. He wants to quit and go back home if he can’t yell and scream at the refs, thus the complaint about the video that was sent out and saying they expect him to sit there and be quiet. But in the same breath, he takes exception to GBS doing what he did? That doesn’t seem hypocritical in the slightest to you? He wants to be able to say and do whatever he wants, and is going to the lengths of complainin that they are trying to keep him quiet, but GBS better shut up and never say or do anything to a ref.

    You really don’t see the hypocrisy in that?

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  16. No, it is poor sportsmanship because it is against the rules – the rule against simulation and the requirement that players treat officials with respect.

    Carver’s comment after the game, if you read it in full was along the lines of – fair enough that you yell at me for getting aggressive with the fourth official after the NYRB game (he mentioned at one point that he may have been over the line), but how is it that Schelotto is allowed to get aggressive with the linesman and dive all game long this time (given that Schelotto was clearly diving, and consistently berating an official – which is not acceptable)?

    Where is the issue with that?

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  17. Poor sportsmanship? It’s only poor because he got into your players and coach’s head during and after the game. He got what he wanted, minus some calls on clearly missed elbow to the face, and you guys can’t stand that.

    Did you happen to hear Carver’s rediculous tirade after the game? You know, the one where he was complaining about them not letting him yell and scream, and yet complaining, hypocritically, about GBS.

    But of course you would never seen that as rediculous or hypocritical because you can’t see any fault in anything your team does, now can you.

    I was not a product of any of the Columbus schools, so I have no idea how they are. How is Toronto’s school system? Funny that you have gone from talking about soccer to my grammar skills. It’s fun to see how far you will try to reach to criticize.

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  18. It is indeed sportsmanship – very poor sportsmanship.

    When you use quotes, you are quoting.

    I will go off and figure out how to interperate – incidentally, how is the school system in Columbus?

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  19. No, go back and read again. The whistle blew, FOR THE FOUL, once he was laying on top of the ball.

    THIS IS NOT A HANDBALL NO MATTER HOW YOU WANT TO INTERPERATE THE RULES OF SOCCER.

    Then, long after the whistle was blown for the foul, your captain, kicked at the player/ball. That is a cardable offense. It is retaliation.

    Wow for being such a great fanbase, you guys sure are confused about rules. But then again, you are MIGHTY TFC, so who needs rules right? Rules don’t apply to you guys, right?

    Give it up. He fell down a few times and and complained a lot, much of which was a least a little justified, but his manner was over the top. That doesn’t mean he is a disgrace to soccer like you guys are acting. It’s sportmanship, and in my view, as someone who played, that is definitely part of the game.

    On a side note, I wasn’t necessarily quoting anyone, but those are some of the terms that many fans of TFC use to describe the Crew and their fans.

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  20. I didn’t dispute that he kicked at the ball – I added the context to what happened before, which I note you ignored. That was just one of Schelottos high points in the game and one for which he should have been carded (unless you think intentional hand balls are acceptable).

    Who are you quoting incidentally?

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  21. I watched the play, and I watched the play over again. The whistle had clearly blown and time had passed before he took a full kick at the ball out of anger and frustration.

    Nice try though. Try watching a game without those TFC colored glasses and be objective for once. Is that too much to ask of TFC fans?

    Apparently so.

    I know you are frustrated to be looking up at the “lowly Crew” and their “pathetic fan base” but get used to it. I would suggest you and the fanbase and your coach focus on winning games to try to catch up in the standings, instead of complaining about the gamesmanship of 1 player on that team.

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  22. Going back to “he shoves a player on top of the ball, and the whistle blow, he isn’t allowed to take a full kick at the ball under the player, 15 seconds later” – I assume you are talking about the incident when Schelotto fell in an attempt to draw a whistle, didn’t get one, grabbed the ball with his hands (intentionally, in the absence of a whistle), then rolled on top of it trying to stop play on his own.

    Watch the replay.

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  23. Seeing as Sigi has his team at the top of the league, I would say that you need to concern yourself with trying to get your team to catch up in the standings, and not how he gets his guys go actually go out and win games.

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  24. I’m sorry, was that a Columbus fan complaining about another team trying to be overly physical to win games? Is that because your team came out tonight with no intention of trying to win at all? Bitch about the pitch, bitch about the ref, bitch about these purported rough plays… How about looking in the mirror and realizing that good ol Sigi had you playing like Bolton – the New Jersey Devils of MLS.

    “he may flop here and there” – he staid on his feet once that I saw. I wouldn’t be surprised if one or two of the fouls were of the “Cry, I’ll give you something to cry about” variety. Pathetic.

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  25. Cool, just so we’re clear. Hacking at players with no intent to actually go after the ball is less against the rules than flopping? Hmmm….that’s an interesting concept, considering there is a world full of soccer players ( gee ever watch a European game?) who are cheating the game by showing “sportsmanship” instead of kicking and shoving players.

    How dare I expect my players to show a little intelligence instead of bullying their way and trying to be overly physical to win games.

    And, nice job diverting the subject to his appearance because you couldn’t justify such a rediculous comment.

    Quit the holier than though crap. That is a disgrace to soccer fans.

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  26. diving and cheating is worse than rough play Kip.

    diving cheat’s like Schellotto cut to the heart of the sport and its rules.

    he also needs to realize that despite trends in Argentina, North Americans have given up on the mullet.

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  27. Take your complaining about GBS’s “performance” and shove it. He may flop here and there, and he may complain a lot to the refs about it, but at least he doesn’t outright hack at players like much of your pathetic team does.

    Tell your captain that next time he shoves a player on top of the ball, and the whistle blow, he isn’t allowed to take a full kick at the ball under the player, 15 seconds later.

    Completely classless. Typical of TFC though.

    Please don’t complain about a team or player ever again without looking in the mirror.

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  28. And given that the only time most of us gave the finger it was to Schelotto when he took 2 minutes to saunter off the pitch (after his diveorama performance), we had a good excuse.

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  29. The morality police in Canada isn’t exactly the same as it is in the states.

    CBC (the national broadcaster) showed the SARS concert thing in 2003 and I lost count how many times they were showing shots with topless female concert goers.

    And nobody cared….

    So I doubt anybody is really going to care about a finger here and there Brant.

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  30. As a TFC fan i’ll say the streamers have gotten a little old. At this point they just hold up play.

    I was impressed by Robert, Rogers, and the Columbus back line, other than that it was a bit of a slug fest.

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