SoccerNo Hollywood ending for Toronto FC

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Specifically, ensuring my wife's birthday celebration was a success which, in turn, would earn me another bagful of brownie points to be cashed in when necessary.

She had set her heart on a trip to New York, a city she had never visited despite living her entire life only an hour's plane ride from the Big Apple.

A major part of the attraction was the chance to dine at Gordon Ramsay's exclusive restaurant in Manhattan.

The great man who, by the way, is a huge soccer fan and was a talented teenager before a series of injuries halted his career before it began, was not in attendance but my wife was there to sample his culinary expertise rather than seek his autograph.

After dinner, which incidentally bore no resemblance to the disasters over which Ramsay presides during his popular TV series Hell's Kitchen, we returned to the room and channel surfing I stumbled across the last 10 minutes of Colorado's MLS visit to San Jose.

The Earthquakes were a goal to the good with time running out.

I clicked back into work mode.

This result would help Toronto FC who were in LA preparing to face the Galaxy the following night.

Cue Conor Casey – again.

The ex-TFC striker, who scored in consecutive matches against Toronto, tucked away the dubiously awarded penalty kick deep into stoppage time to earn the Rapids a vital point in the scramble to make the play-offs.

I shouted at the TV as the referee blew for full time seconds later – my rant must have contained some mild obscenities since it brought my wife from the bathroom to find out what all the fuss was about.

I started to explain the significance of Casey's last-gasp spot kick which I fully expected to hold her attention for all of 10 seconds yet, to my surprise, she sat on the bed and embraced the conversation.

Surely, she ventured, Colorado's late equalizer only made a real impact if TFC failed to beat the Galaxy and how likely was that?

Cockneyed optimist

So the guessing game began.

I tried to factor in all the relevant possibilities in an attempt to answer the question.

Julian de Guzman's debut, David Beckham's pedigree, LA getting hammered at home the previous week, TFC coming off a crucial victory, doubts at the back for LA, a new spark of confidence for the visitors, TFC's road record.

And there, the mental gymnastics stopped.

Abruptly.

Much as I tried to convince myself - and my wife who was still listening - my gut feeling did not change.

The Galaxy was not going to concede another six goals any time soon and Toronto's form on the road could not be trusted.

The following night, I was lucky enough to get tickets for one of my favourite Broadway musicals.

Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific is enjoying a revival and though the story, set in World War II, is showing its age, the melodies are as memorable as ever.

I was enraptured for three wonderful hours during which I didn't give soccer a second thought.

Until I found myself humming my way through the musical score as we strolled down towards Times Square after the performance.

I kept coming back to Nellie's unflinching belief that better times are ahead when she admits to being a "cockeyed optimist."

Well, why not?

Reality dawns

My thoughts, once again, turned to soccer.

Maybe Toronto FC had played with a renewed zest after welcoming their newly signed designated player.

Perhaps they had carried on where Dallas had left off and got an early goal to unsettle the Galaxy.

Possibly Beckham and Landon Donovan had been marked out of the game and the Colorado point was indeed irrelevant, as my wife had suggested.

Reality dawned late Sunday afternoon.

The cockeyed optimism was replaced by clinical reality.

Beckham could have had a hat trick and Toronto mustered one shot on goal during the entire game and flew home empty handed for the seventh time in 2009.

I have said for many weeks now Toronto's final two home games against San Jose and Salt Lake must still be worth something when they arrive, but it is difficult to see how they will hold any intrinsic value in terms of the post-season.

As for optimism, de Guzman will be a major influence on this team for the foreseeable future and Dwayne de Rosario has nothing to prove to anyone in Major League Soccer.

Stefan Frei is a goalkeeper of immense potential and Nana Attakora is the most improved player on the roster.

Man for man, Toronto FC is as strong as any of its competitors.

As a team, it remains an enigma and until that is addressed - perhaps by a new coaching staff in 2010 - I, for one, will keep my sanguinity to myself.

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