Red mist is no good for the Reds
Thursday, August 7, 2008 | 07:00 PM ET
On his arrival the label attached to his number 20 jersey might have read: “Danger – Short Fuse." Now we know what happens when the cannon goes off.
Amado Guevara is, without question, the most naturally gifted player on the current Toronto FC roster. His awareness, his touch and his Beckham-like ability to convert free-kicks into goals is second to none. Sadly all the talent in the world won’t help on Saturday in Colorado – Guevara will be suspended after the red mist descended during the home defeat by Dallas.
The Honduran didn’t quibble about the sending off – he knew what he’d done in the heat of the moment and didn’t try to defend his action. His only argument was his opponent Pablo Ricchetti, who was left nursing a bloody nose, should also have been red-carded by referee Baldomero Toledo.
Guevara might have a point but retaliation is never an excuse to take the law into one’s own hands. Regardless the amount of provocation, Guevara is a professional and should be in every sense of the word. By exacting revenge in such a manner, the Toronto midfielder let down his teammates, his coach, his fans and, perhaps most importantly, himself.
Keep irritations in check
Soccer is a game played at a high tempo and with high emotion. Commitment, bravery, flair and understanding are just a few of the pre-requisites. Perhaps we should add “anger-management” to the list. Frustration with match officials, opponents, even teammates is part and parcel of the game but, in my opinion, the ability to keep those irritations in check is the hallmark of a true professional.
Guevara was not the only player to fall foul of Toledo’s Law. Marco Velez, already on a yellow card, chose to speak his mind knowing his actions would probably lead to a second caution. The net result means head coach John Carver must select a team missing at least five starters to tackle the Rapids and given TFC’s lamentable road record this year, the absence of Guevara and Velez hardly helps the combined cause.
On a positive note, Carver will have more options up front this weekend. Teenager ‘Ibbe’ Ibrahim will be available after missing the Dallas game for personal reasons, while Danny Dichio is also making the trip and may be ready to sit on the bench as he recovers from the concussion that’s kept him on the sidelines for more than a month. The cramp which cut short Chad Barrett’s debut last weekend will not stop him starting his second game – and despite his modest career goal scoring ratio to date, I believe his mobility and poacher’s instinct will be a handful for most defences in Major League Soccer.
Barrett, himself, is upbeat about Toronto’s chances of making a run at the playoffs and with 12 games to go there are more than enough points to play for 40 points were enough to land post-season berths for both Chicago and Kansas City last year, so theoretically TFC must win half their remaining matches to be in with a shout.
It’s definitely do-able but to achieve it the Reds would do well to take their own team motto - All For One - to heart. And someone please translate it for Señor Guevara.
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About the Author
Nigel Reed lends his extensive experience, passion and knowledge of the game of soccer to his role as play-by-play announcer for CBC’s Major League Soccer broadcasts.
Reed has more than 20 years experience covering soccer, most notably a five-year stint from 1999 to 2004 where he was a host and producer for the English Premier League for BBC. He also covered English Premier League giants Liverpool and Everton for BBC Radio and provided analysis for both BBC TV and the BBC website.
More recently, Reed served as play-by-play announcer for CBC’s coverage of the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He also hosts The Soccer Show for the Toronto sports radio station the Fan 590.
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Comments
steven cooke
toronto
TFC will NOT be challenging for a playoff spot. Their tradition (albeit a young one considering that they are in their sophomore season) of not scoring during the summer has doomed them to another bottom of the table finish.
They have too many players who lack stamina and any sense of finishing up front. They need to find a finisher, preferable somewhat of the clinical variety if they ever hope to be taken seriously.
Posted August 8, 2008 08:27 PM