Delayed (Over)Reaction: Toronto FC

This is exactly what makes Fredy Montero so frustrating. He can mope around the field, be out of rhythm and go 6 games without scoring a goal...and then on the turn of a dime he can be totally brilliant. It figures that the week after I denounced his play for first time in 2011 that he would shut me up. Had I not wrote what I wrote last week I would be riding high and telling all my fellow Sounders fans why they should have stuck with him. However, I openly questioned him and now need to be levelheaded about the whole thing.

One goal isn't enough to erase his play in many other games, but for one week it gives us hope and a chance to remember what exactly Montero can be. He can be inconsistent and he can be brilliant. For all we know this will lead to him a 10 game stretch like he had in 2010 where he put in 7 goals...or if could have been a singular blip in an otherwise lackluster performance.

Whatever the goal means for Fredy, it was huge for the Sounders. Going into the game, I said a loss would be unacceptable. i don't care if we were at Toronto - they were are not only terrible, but playing without their two best players in Alan Gordon and Julain deGuzman. In the first 10 minutes the Sounders took it too TFC - there was not a doubt in my mind that we would leave with the full 3 points. And then over the course of the next 30 minutes I started to question whether it would be our day. Throw in the Hurtado red card and suddenly I was hoping to leave with a draw.

I was in and out of the game in the second half, but I was encouraged when I saw the foursome of Alonso-Friberg-El Flaco-Rosales in the midfield. We may have been one man, but we had some dangerous opportunities. With TFC in the 4-3-3 late in the game, I figured we would have an opportunity for a counterattack if somehow we keep the ball out of our net. We got quite lucky when Javier Martina hit the post in the 81st minute and then in the 89th minute, Mauro Rosales got fouled and Fredy Montero stood over the ball 30 yards out. I told D-Lib to watch Fredy sky it and instead he put it over the wall and past Frei. It was a HUGE goal for the team and makes me feel good again about their chances. I know, I know it was against lowly TFC but sometimes you need that win when you are up against insurmountable odds.

Here are some other thoughts:

• The Sounders are now halfway through their schedule and sit in 3rd place with a 6-4-7 record. Their current pace of 1.47 points/game would certainly book themselves a spot in the playoffs. I looked at their remaining schedule and think 6-6-5 is more than reachable...you have to figure they would make the playoffs with a 12-10-12 record.
• Hurtado's second yellow is up in the air, but if anything I think he was lucky to be in the game as it was...he definitely could have gotten a penalty kick called against him in the first half.
• I am not in favor of my forwards always tracking back to play defense, but in every game their is always one time when they are needed. For the Sounders, that time came early in the game when Fredy disrupted a wide open Joao Plata two yards from the goal.
• I can only hope that Friberg and El Flaco get back into game shape, because it is a pleasure to see them play alongside Rosales. They are the best combination they have. Speaking of Rosales, he might be the most important player on this team right now.
• I want to tone down my last comment about the midfielders - I am still a Brad Evans fan and think he brings a lot to the game. Right now I think Friberg should be the odd man out of the starting 11. However, since he can play on either side or in the middle he is soo valuable.
• After Hurtado was sent off with his red card it was Zach Scott who came on as a sub instead of Pat Ianni. I have not heard anything about pat being injured, so either he is slightly in the doghouse or Scott has been overly impressive in Reserve games (btw- according to Wikipedia, Scott is the team's vice-captain..)
  
• We got NY at home on Thursday. Thanks to his 93rd minute red card, Thierry Henry won't be make the trip (sorry Mike I know you wanted to yell at him). Thanks to the Gold Cup, Tim Ream, Juan Agudelo and Rafa Marquez won't be there either. If somehow Dane Richards is not fit to go after representing Jamaica in the Gold Cup, this squad will really be shorthanded. If we can get the win I won't feel bad - this is a damn good team.
• Not the best night for Lamar Neagle in my opinion. Even worse for James Riley who had his hands full all night with Plata and definitely did not meet expectations.
  
• Fucito continues to work hard but hasn't gotten on the scoreboard yet - I love what he brings to the team, but at some point, don't we need to start treating him like all of other forwards when they go 4 games without scoring?
• In response to Montero's goal, my dad said, "What got into Fredy? What did he take a big shit before the game?"
  
• One nugget of information I learned from someone inside the Sounders organization - we should not expect to see Zakuani back this season. The organization realizes how valuable he is to this team in the long term and won't rush him back.
  

Getting excited for Thursday's game against NY. This is the first of three games they are opening the entire upper deck for, so I will be interested to see how many extra fans there areat the game. It will be a good indicator as to where the demand for tickets is.