There may not be two teams going in more different directions than FC Dallas and Toronto FC. More than a month ago Toronto was playing well while FC Dallas was in turmoil after the firing of former head coach Steve Morrow.

The roles have been reversed. Now, TFC is the struggle squad, looking as bad as it did in its 2007 expansion season. As for FC Dallas? The Hoops are winning goals, with Kenny Cooper leading the way and a crop of new players ready to help push FC Dallas toward the playoffs. This was clear for all to see last weekend, as Cooper’s brace led the Hoops to a 2-0 victory in Canada.

SBI correspondent Duane Rolins saw the ugly display last weekend at BMO Field and gives us his report on the latest disappointing display by Toronto FC.

Starting to feel like 2007 in Toronto

By DUANE ROLLINS

The last time it got this bad, TFC fans were forced to rely on ’80s supergroup Journey to get them through it.

Yes, that Journey. Bad hair and even worse spandex. As stated, the times were bleak—824 minutes without a goal bleak—and desperate times called for desperate measures. 

So as we stood shaking our heads, eyes turned to the sky (and Mo Johnston) for answers that were never to come, some in-game intern would flip a switch high up in the press box at BMO Field and the sweet, ironic sounds of redemption would fill the air and ease our heavy souls.

Working hard to get my fill. Everybody wants a thrill. Payin’ anything to roll the dice. Just one more time
Some will win, some will lose. Some were born to sing the blues. Oh, the movie never ends. It goes on and on and on and on.

Don’t stop believin’

Collin Samuel wasn’t getting the job done. We were forced to turn to Steve Perry—or whoever was the lead signer that week—for comfort.

It was a simpler time, really.

Sometime between then and now we’ve lost the plot. Maybe our early season success made us believe just a little too much. Maybe the harsh reality of a declining economy and raising gas prices has made it harder to evoke our inner 1983. It’s hard to say, really. But, as the fans left BMO Sunday they did so without irony and with limited joy. Actually there was barely any anger.

Sure, we went through the motions—"I’m pretty sure Amado punched the guy outside the box," fans sort of grunted to one another. "That Toledo dude sure likes to give out red cards, eh?"

But, it was half-hearted. In many ways it bordered on indifference. Certainly, no one was believin’ 
Losing a spot in the Champions League to a USL team—FROM MONTREAL—was bad. Not wining for six weeks, that’s bad too. Watching your playoff hopes circle the drain while facing the prospect of playing the next game with as much as six starters unavailable…well, that’s just depressing, so it’s best to just slip back to the pub, grab something to eat and get on with enjoying the rest of your holiday weekend.

Breaking down the game? What’s to break down? Toronto was clinging to a 0-0 tie late when a borderline penalty (the card wasn’t borderline, just that it resulted in a penalty instead of a dangerous free kick) caused it to all go wrong. Before that the Reds (again) failed to take advantage of some good early chances, whipping boy Jeff Cunningham was (again) invisible and (again) the promise of reinforcements for the next game just seems like empty talk from Johnston.

At the start of the season someone in the TFC gameday operations department decided that we no longer required the pop stylings of our spandex heroes to get us through the hard times. Maybe that was the mistake. And when you’ve gone 11 games without a win you have to pull out all the stops. It’s time to give us our Journey back.

‘Cause we don’t want to stop believin’.