East Side Stand Up

Giovinco once again steals the show, as the Italian DP drives the Reds to a 3-1 victory over San Jose. It was a step up from last weekend as TFC finished more chances and the weak links were stronger in their performances. It was another fine outing from Justin Morrow and Luke Moore has proven to be valuable in Jozy Altidore's absence. Next weekend away to DC United will prove to be a strong measure of how far this team has progressed through the first third of the season.

It was the Giovinco show on Saturday as the Atomic Ant did it all, scored, set up countless chances for his teammates and was continuous a threat in the final third. A 1-0 win over Portland was not comprehensive and had shaky moments down the stretch, but a win is a win. BMO Field is still far from a fortress, but it was another step in some players linking up and creating - now it's a matter of finishing and TFC could start to become a threat week in week out.

TFC are dropped 2-1 by the woeful Houston Dynamo in the home opener. A renovated, bigger and 'better' BMO Field made no difference on the product on the field as Toronto couldn't overwhelm one of the poorer sides currently in MLS. There is no positive spin on this one, this should have been three points and all the work done in the last two league wins is undone and the uncertainty that had been quelled returns with two tough games ahead in the Voyageurs Cup and away to New England next weekend.

TFC down Orlando City and collect what was the expected three points against an expansion side. There has yet to be a comprehensive ninety minutes from the team, however, to come away with a road win is all that matters at this point with Philadelphia and the home opener looming.

... but alas it was not meant to be this week as TFC were undone all by themselves in a 3-2 loss to the Chicago Fire. It's hard not to look at two defensive sequences, and especially Warren Creavelle's red card that lead to the winning goal. While we discuss the positives that came from the match, it is also a question of if or when a "must win" has to happen? Without a doubt before the home opener, but with the recent form, who will that be?

The Reds had similar defensive breakdowns as the senior side in a 3-2 loss to the Charleston Battery. However, it was encouraging to see relative unknowns playing live and offer some tangible displays to confirm who are the future senior side players. Goals from Jordan Hamilton and Babouli reinforced their potential and the midfield looks the part. How it all comes together over a full season will remain to be seen, but there is certainly some players to watch through the year who will be close to making the jump.

Michael Bradley's favourite ref once again has a hand in the Reds dropping points as his straight red on Justin Morrow was the catalyst in a 2-0 loss to the Columbus Crew. It was far from a perfect match from TFC though, as the Crew looked to be the better side and with a man advantage made their chances count in the second half. There will still be questions out of this game heading into Salt Lake in two weeks, especially defending and trying to get the offence firing on all cylinders.

In a near carbon copy to last season's opener - two goals from the new DP striker - are there similarities to be concerned about? That's what Paul Marhue and George discuss off the top. It's an improved team from last year with better components and the lads are feeling good and excited about the potential of the team. They look at the result, who stood apart, ahead to Columbus next weekend and how much we can expect from the first seven road games of 2015.

That's right - we are back for our seventh season covering Toronto FC and have tried our best to avoid the marketing hype we fell for in 2014. Kamal Hylton and Aaron Neilsen are on board to try and keep it as balanced as possible as we discuss how the starting eleven is shaping up, the pros and cons of all the off season signings, what our predictions are for the year and how TFC II fits into the bigger picture.

It's a new year, a new draft, but will it be the same TFC? Aaron Neilsen joins the pod to flex his expertise in the NCAA and offer his thoughts on Toronto FC from the very top down to the bottom. We discuss the hiring of Robin Fraser, gaps in the roster and if the draft can address any of them. We also talk about Cyle Larin and what his emergence as a top North American prospect means for Canadian soccer.