It seems a lot harder to write about a win than it does about a loss! Or maybe its because, as TFC fans we got so used to losing in the last seven seasons, and finding ways to criticise or complain about individual, team or referee performances, that when things go right it is both enjoyable and perplexing in equal measure!

So, to satisfy the need for negativity, lets get the mini-rant out of the way first. The TTC, the “Better Way”? What f****** idiot decided that it was a good idea to shut the system down from Eglinton to Bloor on a day when the Blue Jays (31652), Marlies (5671) and of course TFC (22591) were all at home? The combined attendance of nearly 60,000 in those three downtown locations no doubt contained a fair percentage of folks inconvenienced by this apparent lack of foresight. Clowns! I understand the need to close the system for maintenance and track repair, and I know it cant be done during the week, but there must be plenty of weekends where you don’t have 3 sporting teams all at home on the same afternoon playing on schedules published months ago! the words “piss up” and “brewery” spring to mind

Alrighty then, on to the football!

TFC went into this match in 7th place in the east having played what seems like half a season less than all the teams in the Eastern conference … Seriously, how do you manage to play 3, 4 or 5 games less than all the teams around you? Not to worry though, if we were to win all our games in hand we could potentially go top !!!! Nosebleed territory for both the club and its fans. Bring it on, I’ll buy a box of tissues if I need to !

Columbus started the better of the two teams on Saturday. they pressed from the start but things did not look dangerous until the 18th minute when Justin Meram got onto the end of a neat multi-pass move that pretty much ripped us a new one. This seemed to wake TFC up a bit and it took less than 4 minutes for the game to be levelled by Jermain Defoe. (see what your missing Mr Hodgson?). Upended in the box by Grant Wahl, he took the kick himself and it was 1-1. Columbus went ahead in 65 minutes when Augustin Viana headed in a corner, a move that saw Joe Bendik booked for complaining about something to the ref. Perhaps he used colourful language to Mr Stoica, but isn’t the team captain allowed to question the ref? Maybe Joe should have known better … this ref has a short but card-filled history with TFC (13 yellows and a red in 4 games).

The first 3 goals however were just the setup to a grandstand finish in the final 10 minutes. TFC versions one through seven might have capitulated at this point and thought the game was lost, but not TFC V8.0 ! This is the version with added heart. In 81 minutes, Jermain Defoe received a nice head flick from a battling Gilberto who had won it in midfield and the striker once again showed his worth by firing off an unstoppable shot from the edge of the box after letting the ball take a couple of bounces. He’s now got 7 goals in 8 games and unbelievably moves into the Top Ten list of TFC scorers (equal 10th with Luis Silva !)

I turned to my buddy at this point and said, ‘you know what … I think we will win this’. You sensed something was going to occur. TFC looked up for it after the equaliser and it was clear that while 2-2 might be acceptable, it was not what the team on the park wanted. [singlepic id=12735 w=300 h=200 float=right]Step up Doneil Henry for the second time in a week !!! Doneil has 5 goals for TFC now. 3 have come this season, all have been in May, and two of them this week! The burly centre-half – who lest we forget just turned 21 in April – has had a bit of a rough time this season, conceding a couple of penalties, and making costly errors that led to opposition goals but this week he must be on cloud 9. He opened the scoring against Montreal in the Canadian Championship final on Wednesday night and scored what is probably the most important of his 5 career goals thus far in this game. DeRo won a free-kick on the edge of the box deep into injury time, Lovitz fired it in and Henry made no mistake rising and powering a strong header past Steve Clark. There is a photo of the goal towards the end of the gallery but not much of the celebration as BMO went batshit crazy and most of the photos I took were of raised arms or the backs of people’s heads as they jumped around!

Faces in the crowd: A big shoutout must go to Danny Koevermans who was spotted in with the RedPatchBoys in 112 for this game. The man who scored 19 goals in 41 appearances for TFC must surely approve of the strike rate and production of Jermain Defoe. Seemed like Danny also knew the words to a few of the songs about that “yellow football team” LOL !

RefWatch: Sorin Stoica. Before we changed the software for this site, there was a post that had the headline “Stoica Stinker” in reference to a game in Philly. Well once again the same ref had a bit of a nightmare and booked 7 players in a game that despite being between rivals was not a dirty game.

This was the first appearance at BMO for referee Sorin Stoica and also TFC’s first win with him in the middle. He oversaw road defeats against Columbus in 2012 and at Chivas last year and also “performed” in our draw last year in Philadelphia. In 4 games he’s booked 13 TFC players and 8 opposition ones and flashed the red twice, once each for TFC and the opponent. Ashtone Morgan was the unfortunate player who saw red in Philly last year when this ref booked 5 TFC players and sent him off late in the game. At home we have had 4 bookings 7 times, including this game, and away the record is 5 so this ref holds the record for the most MLS bookings for TFC both at home and away.

Gallery for this game: HERE

Some bonus video: