Somebody threw a beer can at David Beckham while he took a corner in Toronto on Wednesday 7th March. Well done.
Actually, maybe a beer can was a bit far, but the colourful waves of paper that showered him every time he took a corner were hilarious.
A lot of people went to the game down the Skydome purely because David Beckham was playing. The TV channel that screened the game – I forget which one – offered their viewers the opportunity to watch a camera that followed the former England captain around the pitch for the whole game. This is very embarrassing. What is the obsession with this sluggish and irrepressibly thick footballer?
I’m sorry, but I cannot be impressed by a man whose kids’ names are similar to that of the flashing words that adorn the outside of sweat-swamped clubs in Ibiza. Nor can I be enticed into H&M by seeing a man, whose body-squiggles look like the window of a tattoo parlour in Detroit, cavort around in his underpants. Torsten Frings has prettier hair too.
If there’s a saving grace for David Beckham, it’s that he’s a better human being than his missus. The ill-fittingly named Posh Spice (she’s as common as muck) made one of the worst songs of all time when she teamed up with Dane Bowers (you Canadians should rejoice at never encountering his buffoon) to produce “Out of Your Mind” which, just checking Wikipedia now, sold almost 400,000 copies. Now, I know hog-nosed Victoria has a big and supportive family, but 400,000 sales is crazy; her mum must have a massive garage. The only way for Mrs Beckham to remain in the public eye, excluding her role as David’s shadow, is with a Spice Girls reunion.
Anyway – rant over – Canada can be very proud of the game it held in its largest city last week.
I’ve only been to two Toronto Blue Jays games – against Detroit Tigers and Baltimore Orioles respectively – which, with all due respect, were not the biggest contests. However, I’m at the Rogers Centre to attend the Jays’ home opener against Boston Red Sox next month, and I expect the decibel count will be significantly lower to what blocks 118-121 produced against LA Galaxy.
Not only was David Beckham roundly jeered, but Robbie Keane got some abuse too – I don’t like him because he’s scored an awful lot of goals against Man City, but why do you lot take such a dislike to him? So did Landon Donovan, who is far too good for the MLS and should have given Europe another crack – after his unsuccessful spell at Bayer Leverkusen – on something other than a loan deal a long time ago. That way we wouldn’t have to see that forehead in Toronto again.
I was delighted that Ryan Johnson got on the scoresheet. With his size and pace he’s a handful for any defender, and if he brings consistency into his game, which was an issue in the 2011 season, it will be hard for any on the TFC roster to oust him from the starting eleven this term. A great hit with his left for the opener too.
Torsten Frings was influencial. While I much prefer to see him use his experience between the defence and midfield, controlling the tempo and encouraging his fellow midfielders to push forward, he single-handedly bossed the defence and had the attacking threat of Donovan and Keane in his pocket for most of the tie. More of the same and the responsibilities in holding midfield could be shared between Dunfield and de Guzman for the 2012 season.
The other goalscorer, Luis Silva, made an encouraging debut in front of the 48,000 in Toronto. The LA-born midfielder, who was used to playing for an attendance of around 100 (yes, one hundred) at Orange County Blue Star, had a pass rate of over 90%.
Yes, I know, Mike Magee and then, annoyingly, a Donovan goal via a Beckham assist levelled it for the visitors and gives them a huge advantage going into the second leg on Wednesday, but I’m optimistic. I’m not saying that TFC will do the business at the Home Depot Center, but the performance of the team and the fans in an unfamiliar venue, and against the MLS Cup holders, has made a place in the play-offs come the end of October seem like a real possibility.
See you down Shoeless Joe’s on Wednesday night.
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