Voyageurs Cup Update

This time last week the possible outcomes for the Voyageurs Cup were a lot less clear then they are today. Here is a quick update on the now much clearer hypothetical math on how the Voyageurs Cup Tournament will end based on the TFC win last week.

• If TFC wins either game against Vancouver that is all she wrote. TFC retains the cup no matter what else happens.
• If the Whitecaps beat TFC twice home and away then the trophy heads west.
• If Vancouver win one and draw one against TFC then they need to beat Montréal to win the tournament with eight points to seven for Toronto.
• Two draws for the Whitecaps against TFC and a win against Montréal would bring in goal difference to decide it all as Vancouver and TFC would be tied on eight points each.

Speaking as a TFC fan the math is real easy. Win Wednesday and it is done. Vancouver has had significant trouble of late scoring goals only scoring once (against the Impact of course) since April 29^th in league and cup play. And the defensive quality on display from Toronto last weekend against the top team to date this season in MLS does offer me some encouragement that this cup tournament can be clued up by Wednesday. Let us all hope so.

 Champions League Preliminaries

CONCACAF Announced over the weekend as well who the winner of the Voyageurs Cup may be up against in the preliminary stage before qualification for the group stages of the Champions League. Here is the list of who the Canadian Champion will potentially have to play.

•  Joe Public (Trinidad)
• Puerto Rico Islanders (Puerto Rico)
• Real Esteli (Nicaragua)
• San Juan Jabloteh (Trinidad)
• Tauro (Panama)
• Xelaju (Guatemala)
• Aguila, Isdiro Metapan or FAS (El Salvador)
• The Champion of Belize

Trinidad having two clubs qualify and Canada only having one speaks to how far the club game needs to go in Canada. Hopefully that’ll change in the next few years with Vancouver, Montréal and Edmonton moving up the chain of competitive club football.

Zac Herold

Toronto FC draft pick and Generation Adidas play Zac Herold announced his retirement today due to a previously undiagnosed heart condition that could potentially be fatal if he continued to play professional soccer. I want to wish him all the best and the fact that he is only 17 means that he can get on with his future with plenty of time to decide upon his future. Having to let go of a dream to be a professional athlete after being so close to it that he could probably taste it must be especially hard for a kid to take.

And this really got me thinking today about my Dad. I lost my father last year to cancer. Unfortunately some other health issues he had at the time unrelated to the cancer meant that the actual illness that killed him was undiagnosed early on. Once it was actually confirmed what the issue actually was it was far too late to help him beat it. That made his passing especially hard to take. Zac and his family can at least be sure today that this is not something that they need to worry about here. Believe me when I say that this kind of health uncertainty  is something I would not wish upon anybody.

I am sure that he going to get a huge ovation a the new England game on Saturday.

Apology

I  also owe some fans an apology today. Earlier this morning I posted on a supporters message board that I expected that somebody would use this issue with Herold’s health to jump at another chance to criticize Mo Johnston. I went on to say that it would be the wrong thing to do to blame Mo for something he obviously had no control over but that I thought some fans would do so anyways.

I was wrong in that assessment as EVERYTHING I have seen, read, and heard today speaks to the class of Toronto FC fans when they are confronted with this sort of news.

Sometimes I let my emotions get the better of my better judgement and today was definitely one of those days. If I have offended anyone (especially my friends at The Red Patch Boys) then I most sincerely apologize for the offense and hope that I can be forgiven for it.

Tim