TORONTO -- While Toronto FC has had their share of struggles recently, one positive that the club could still hold onto was the fact that they were one of just two MLS teams with an unbeaten home record. In fact, the Reds hadn't lost a league game at BMO Field since a 2-1 loss to Columbus on Sept. 22, 2007. Since that setback to the Crew, TFC were 6-0-5 in 11 matches on their home pitch.
The streak finally ended on Sunday evening in a 2-0 defeat to FC Dallas. The game featured a pair of red cards for TFC, a physical breakdown of Toronto's newest forward and the end result was FCD becoming the first MLS side in more than 10 months to break down the BMO Field 'fortress.'
The key moment of the match was a foul called on Toronto midfielder Amado Guevara in the 80th minute. While Kenny Copper carried the ball down the left side, Guevara and Hoops midfielder Pablo Ricchetti scuffled for position in the penalty area in preparation for a potential cross. Ricchetti delivered a pair of elbows toward Guevara, who responded with a blow that left Ricchetti bloodied.
Referee Baldomero Toledo immediately sent Guevara off, which started a vehement argument amongst the official and several TFC players. Since the foul took place in the penalty area, Dallas was awarded a penalty kick, which Cooper converted to give FCD the lead.
Guevara said he committed the foul, but felt Ricchetti should have been punished as well.
"The call was OK, it was fine, but why didn't they give it to [Ricchetti] as well? ... It's fine I got a card, but they should've given the other guy a card as well," Guevara said.
Toronto head coach John Carver said he didn't want to comment on the call until he had seen a video replay. Carver was disappointed that the controversy over the red card overshadowed what he felt was a good outing from his team.
"It's difficult to cope with that situation because up until they scored, certainly in the first half, I thought there were times when we played some really good football," Carver said. "It was encouraging, it was great."
TFC captain Jim Brennan was booked for arguing Guevara's red card, and defender Marco Velez was then sent off a few minutes later after he picked up his second booking of the match. It was the first time in club history that the side was reduced to nine men, and the Reds were easy pickings for Cooper's second goal of the game, in stoppage time.
Though TFC lost, the sold-out crowd at BMO Field applauded their side for what they felt was an injustice against the home team.
"We got frustrated, the coaching staff gets frustrated, 20,000 fans get frustrated," Brennan said. "That tells you something when we came off the field there and the fans are clapping us off because they know we had a good showing until then."
The ejections mean that Velez and Guevara will both be suspended for next Saturday's game against Colorado. The losses of the two regulars will leave the TFC bench even thinner, as Toronto is already missing Maurice Edu and Marvell Wynne to the Olympics.
One player who should be available next week is Chad Barrett. The newly acquired forward was making his TFC debut against Dallas and looked to be building a rapport with fellow striker Jeff Cunningham. Barrett had up two shots, including one on goal, after 70 minutes before straining his right calf after taking a high shot over the Dallas net.
Barrett was attended to by trainers and a stretcher was brought out onto the field, but Barrett left the game under his own power. He said the injury was not as serious as it seemed.
"Two weeks off and playing here two days on turf, it's going to happen to you," Barrett said. "I half-expected it, really. I hope it didn't happen on the shot because I really thought I had an open lane to the far post.
"[The fitness situation] is going to change. We've got great trainers here ... and we're going to work everything out for me to play 90 minutes."
Carver said he took Barrett out of the game for precautionary reasons given TFC's great need for a consistent striker. The coach said he was pleased with what he saw from both his newest player and from Cunningham.
"Well, he did some good things, he did have many opportunities," Carver said. "I think he's more of a poacher. He's not a spectacular goal-man, although he did have a chance there in the second half. The more he gets to know the guys the more he'll get on, and I think he's got goals in him. He needs to work on his fitness, we need to get him put aside with [strength and conditioning coach Paul Winsper] and do some special work. He's got problems with cramps so that's obviously something we have to look at.
"The fact that the ball went forward gave us a chance. That was the basis of what I thought certainly in the first half was some good stuff played."
While TFC's home unbeaten streak ended, a more ominous one continued. The Reds haven't won since June 14 and are now winless in their last nine matches in all competitions (0-5-4), which includes three Canadian Championship games. In that stretch, Toronto has scored just three goals in six matches against MLS competition.
Between the lack of scoring, the lack of wins and now a sudden lack of depth, the problems that plagued Toronto FC in their inaugural season are seemingly appearing again in 2008. Brennan, however, dismissed any comparison to last season's club and said he feels the Reds are due for a change in fortune.
"It's not like last year. We're far better off than we were last year," Brennan said. "We have a better side, we're playing great football at the moment but we're just not getting the right bounces. ... Guys are shooting from everywhere, we can't get it in, it hits the crossbar, it won't drop for us. But the tide's got to change, something's got to go up for us soon."
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