Ouzo F.C

SOCCER CITY - ETOBICOKE: They say that history repeats itself. Falling behind 2-0 to Lakeshore United it looked like Ouzo was reverting back to their fall 2006 form when the hit a long winless streak. Playing you take, no you take, ah let's give it to the other team, Ouzo found themselves down 2-0 in the first seven minutes. The difference was that Ouzo did not panic this time and stuck to their game plan.

With about 12 minutes gone in the first half Rob Rusnov (looking tanned and relaxed from vacation down in Mexico) took a pass from Stu Fletcher just inside the Lakeshore defensive zone and a couple of dribbles later with a Jesse Geisel-like toe poke, hit the ball into the bottom corner to bring Ouzo to within 1 goal. Just before half-time Rob Anderson did some fine work around the net after taking a pass from Behn Wurtman and with the injured Scnitzel looking on like a proud papa from the bench toe-poked the ball past the Lakeshore United 'keeper to even the game at 2-2 going into the 2nd half.

In the 2nd half ex-Ouzo Wojcieck Cwik (on loan from Kitchener) continued his hot streak by taking a pass from Anderson and slamming the ball by an exasperated Lakeshore 'keeper to make it 3-2 Ouzo. Unfortunatly another defensive lapse led to Lakeshore United converting to make the score 3-3 with about 10 minutes to go. Cue Cwik once again. Taking a pass from Vic Santos, Cwik did some fine individual work to free himself for a scorching shot that the 'keeper could do nothing about to put the boys in blue up 4-3. This was Cwik's 3rd goal in just two games for Ouzo.

In the waning minutes of the game Lakeshore United put the heat on, but Ouzo 'keeper Andrew Spencer (back from "work" in Montreal) made 2 back-to-back stupendous saves to preserve the Ouzo lead. Those turned out to be the last chances Lakeshore would have and Ouzo would hang on to win 4-3 to all but secure a playoff spot.

After the victory Ouzo proceeded upstairs to Winger's lounge for some beer and wings. Unfortunately there were no wings. Thus the new name of the lounge is 'ger's because you can't be called Winger's if you don't have any wings!!!!

Ouzo will face first place West Side next Sunday at 9:15PM.

The history books will show that Toronto FC was conceived in October 2005 when Toronto was awarded an expansion club by Major League Soccer and delivered on April 7, 2007 in the club's first-ever regular season MLS game. But it can be argued that TFC didn't truly come to life until the team first stepped onto the BMO Field pitch.

On April 28, as the Reds prepared to host the Kansas City Wizards, the home side was greeted with an overwhelming response from the capacity crowd of 20,148 fans. It was an ovation that might echo for years in both the Canadian sports scene and league history.

"The highlight for me was the first game, walking out of the tunnel and seeing 20,000 fans [with] their scarves in the air singing the national anthem," said TFC team captain and Canadian international Jim Brennan. "It was unbelievable ... that will stick with me for a long time." Brennan was one of several Reds who selected the home opener as one of the season's top moments, which underscored the dichotomy of Toronto FC's inaugural campaign. That game, a 1-0 loss to the Wizards, provided a glimpse into the themes of 2007 for the Reds --- great home support, but a lack of goals and positive results.

The calendar year began in notable fashion as the Reds held the first overall selection in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft held on January 12. Maurice Edu, then 20 years old and a first-team NCAA All-American from the University of Maryland, lived up to his high billing. The rookie started 25 games for the Reds and ended up third on the club in minutes (2180) and second in goals with four. "There's things I can improve on, but I think I did pretty well this season," Edu said. "I scored a few goals, but I could've had four or five more. I've grown since I've come here and that's due to the coaching staff and the players around me. Every day you're competing for your spot and that's a positive. Playing with guys like Ronnie [O'Brien] and Carl [Robinson] has forced me to play a lot quicker and it's going to help me down the line." New Zealander Andrew Boyens, selected 10th overall in the 2007 SuperDraft, made 21 starts on the back line and turned in a solid rookie campaign. The fact that two first-round picks made an impact for TFC was not lost on Johnston. The coach traded his way to two first-round picks in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft, thus ensuring that TFC will again get twice the opportunity at adding young talent to the roster.

There have been a few other games where everyone was fit and it was a glimpse of how good we could be." Unfortunately for TFC, however, the rigors of the soccer world's summer competitions began to have an effect. The CONCACAF Gold Cup hit the club especially hard, as Sutton, Braz, Reda and Pozniak were named to the Canadian roster. The tournament proved particularly costly when Sutton suffered a severe concussion during Team Canada's training that ended the goalkeeper's season. Wynne, Robinson and Boyens also missed time due to international commitments, and then the entire Toronto squad found itself displaced in late June. The 2007 FIFA Under-20 World Cup was hosted by Canada, and BMO Field was the centerpiece venue as the site of 12 games, including the final. This meant that TFC would be on the road for six consecutive games, and since FIFA had exclusive rights to BMO Field, the Reds were forced to train at a different field 30 minutes outside of Toronto. If that wasn't enough, the club's depth was stretched even further when five members of the reserve squad were named to Canada's U-20 roster. The Reds managed to survive the road trip somewhat intact (a 1-2-3 record), and picked up their first-ever away win on July 4 in Salt Lake City.

Another trip highlight was a come-from-behind 1-1 result on July 7 in Chicago when Edu scored in the 78th minute to salvage a draw. Little did Toronto FC know how important that goal from Edu would be to their season. That was the last time the club would score until Sept. 22 -- a drought that spanned 10 matches, 2-1/2 months and an MLS-record 824 consecutive minutes. The central reason behind the lack of scoring was that few healthy bodies were available to put the ball in the net. Cunningham first felt the effects of a sports hernia on July 4 that kept the striker out of action for seven games and nearly ended his season. Dichio was also seeing his time limited by a hip flexor and a recurring back problem caused by the stress of playing non-stop soccer since September 2006.

It was during an exhibition game that the fitness situation became critical. The Reds welcomed English Premiership side Aston Villa to Toronto on July 25 for TFC's first match at BMO Field since the U-20 Cup, but the result was anything but friendly for the home side. The match was TFC's sixth in 25 days, and the club was drained. "That was a bad game for us, really," Dichio said. "We had a game on the Sunday before and then [Villa] on the Wednesday. If you asked most of the boys, we wanted to play Premiership opposition. Our bodies might have been telling us differently but we wanted to be out there. We picked up some nagging injuries there and some long-term injuries. That's when we went on our little sink of a run."  This match effectively marked the end of Toronto's run of quality soccer. Johnston said he regretted his decision to play so many key players in a friendly. "I felt we turned the corner, and then came the Aston Villa game," Johnston said. "I thought we played very well [against Villa] and then it spiraled from there. Dichio, O'Brien, Marvell Wynne all went down in that game." The injury-riddled Reds hadn't won in three league games before the Villa match, and the winless streak extended for nine matches afterwards for a record of 0-8-4 from July 7 to Oct. 4.

The goalkeeping situation had finally been stabilized with the signing of Canadian 'keeper Kenny Stamatopoulos from Finnish side Tromso, but TFC found themselves struggling to even fill a full lineup, let alone score a goal or record a victory. "It's hard to win games when you're missing key guys," Edu said. "Injuries are part of the game, so you've got to just learn to play through it and deal with it. So we have to build depth [for next year]. It doesn't matter who's on the field, you've got to go into that game confident and looking for a positive result." The most frustrating aspect of the goalless and winless droughts for Toronto was that the team, at times, played excellent soccer. The Reds dominated the Galaxy on August 5 in what was supposed to be David Beckham's first MLS game (he sat out due to an ankle injury), but the result was a scoreless draw.

The injuries created a lot of playing time for 20-year-old striker Andrea Lombardo, and the Toronto native showed some potential as a future contributor in the league. Cunningham returned to the field after the team was able to get his hernia surgery pushed up to early September. The release of ineffective Andy Welsh in early September led to more starts for Pozniak, who did his best to fill O'Brien's playmaking void in the midfield.

One positive figure throughout the entire year was Brennan. The captain had shown his commitment by playing out of position nearly all season playing on the back line instead of his preferred left midfield spot. Brennan was also gritting through injuries of his own, including fractured ribs and a broken left wrist. Still, didn't miss a minute of action until a knee injury finally ended his season with three games left on the schedule. It was a redemptive season for Brennan, who had been plagued with injuries the previous several years while playing for Southampton and Norwich City of the English Football League. The captain was ecstatic at the chance to play high-level soccer in his homeland, and to be part of a process that he hoped would grow the sport in Canada. "It's past time we did have a professional team here," Brennan said. "It will be more beneficial for young kids playing in the country, and to give them something to shoot for playing here in the country. Hopefully if Montreal and Vancouver get MLS teams it's just going to be better for Canadian soccer." One negative streak came to an end on Sept. 22, when TFC finally ended its goal drought on a second-minute strike from backup midfielder Miguel Canizalez.

The Reds saw their quick lead vanish in the second half of an eventual 2-1 loss to Columbus, and then had another half-time lead wasted a week later in a 4-1 loss to D.C. United. With the winless streak at 12 games, the Reds were underdogs headed into their match with the playoff-bound New York Red Bulls on Oct. 4 at BMO Field. This time, however, TFC held onto an early lead and notched their first win in three months by beating New York 2-1. The Reds had one last highlight for their home fans in the final match of the season. The New England Revolution had been Toronto's bogey team, handing the Reds 4-0 and 3-0 losses in their previous two matches, and once the Revs jumped out to a 2-0 lead after 58 minutes on October 20, it looked like another rout was on the way. But Samuel scored in the 59th minute to cut the lead in half, and Toronto poured on the pressure in search of the tying goal. Two minutes into stoppage time, it looked as if the TFC comeback would come up short, but (who else?) Dichio stepped up with a side volley from outside the penalty area that found the back of the net. The man who had scored Toronto FC's first goal of 2007 had returned from a seven-game absence due to a foot injury to score their last goal of 2007, which ended as one of the finalists for MLS Goal of the Year honors. "We were down 2-0 and fought back," Marshall said. "Just like we've been doing all year -- scrapping and scraping and doing whatever it takes to get a result. That was indicative of our whole year summed up in one game. Never give up, always fight to the end." The draw allowed the Reds to end the season on a high, and it also gave the Toronto fans one last chance to salute their team.

The 15th of 15 sellout crowds at BMO Field stayed until well after the final whistle to cheer the Reds, and some players even took a victory lap of the field. For Mo Johnston -- a man used to high-pressure situations in Scotland with Rangers and Celtic, and in the MLS Cup with Kansas City -- the response was incredible considering TFC ended up at the bottom of the league table with 25 points. "At the end of the [New England] game here, the standing ovation that the fans gave this team was unbelievable," Johnston said. "I'd love to see it in a playoff situation because I think this place would be so vibrant it would be unbelievable. I think we need to start giving them better players and more consistency in our play. What [the fans] showed me when we finished last was incredible." This desire to give the Toronto fans a winner is fueling Johnston's preparation for 2008.

The coach has a number of plans in mind for preseason training (including friendlies everywhere from Charleston to possibly Dubai or China), new acquisitions (Johnston predicted "six or seven" additions to the roster), hiring a full-time conditioning coach to help keep the team fit, starting up Toronto FC's own youth academy, and a scouting mission to South America. Though he will be keeping busy this winter, Johnston's offseason will be less hectic than his last, when he had to form an entire roster from scratch. The coach will have one more powerful weapon in his arsenal as well. When Johnston is trying to attract players to Toronto, he can lure them with the promise of playing for what are already the most energetic fans in MLS. And more supporters are expected in 2008. Ninety-five percent of last season's 14,000 season ticket orders were renewed, and thus the team announced that 2,000 more season tickets will be made available for the upcoming year. BMO Field might even be expanded in the coming years to accommodate even more fans. Toronto FC's total attendance of 301,947 and average crowd of 20,130 were good for third in MLS, behind D.C. United and the L.A. Galaxy, both of whom play in larger stadiums. "Off the field we've broke all sorts of records and attracted new fans to the game of soccer," Dichio said. "It's been a total whirlwind of attracting Torontonians ... and people from outside the Toronto area. I've had letters from as far away as Winnipeg and places like that where they watch us on CBC. It's good we're extending the knowledge of the game out to those areas all around the country." It is clear that a special relationship has developed between the city and its soccer club. Toronto has proved itself to be more than ready for Major League Soccer, and as 2008 approaches, other MLS clubs may need to ask themselves if they are ready for Toronto.

With a fully-fit roster, added depth to ward off injuries and a lack of distractions like the Gold Cup or U-20 World Cup, TFC could be a dark horse to watch for next season. "If you look at the season overall we feel it's been a success," Brennan said. "I've been fortunate to be the first one here before the rest of the guys and before the stadium was even built, so I've seen it all come together.

"It's been fantastic."  

SOCCER CITY - ETOBICOKE:  In the past few weeks, Ouzo have lost a close one 3-2 (to BBP) and then bounced back with a 4-1 victory over WE WIN. 
 
Ouzo's past two games have been Jackal and Hyde type performances.  After dominating BBP for the majority of the match Ouzo let two late goals in to lose 3-2.  A defeat that had 8 Ouzo members strong closing down the bar upstairs at 3am that Sunday night.   This is becoming a common trend for Soccer City's # 1 drinking team.  

 "Final 8" stats:  Delaney, Phil, Sac, Matt, Rusnov, Rob, Spence & Behn
 
A late night pitcher session proved to be just what the doctor ordered as Ouzo bounced back with a 4-1 victory over We Win!  The victory was celebrated again with a late night sucking back Soccer City's finest Ale's.  Another late night with a familiar sight of some members of Ouzo F.C closing down the bar...yet again!

"Final 4" stats:  Sac, Phil, Rob & Behn
 
This Sunday Ouzo has the Lakeshore United who is coming off of a big win against the leagues Number 1 squad!  This could prove to be a pivital game in Ouzo F.C's season. 

Stay tuned...

Ouzo4Life

Ouzo FC is proud to announce that TFC midfielder Maurice Edu has been voted the 2007 Gatorade Rookie of the Year. Edu finished ahead of other nominees Adam Cristman of the New England Revolution, and Dane Richards of the New York Red Bulls in voting by MLS general managers, coaches, players, referees and members of the media.

"There were 3 or 4 guys out there that were obviously challenging (for the rookie award) as there is every year," said Head Coach Mo Johnston. "But Maurice held his own throughout the season, established himself, scoring goals from midfield, broke into the National team - and now, the hard part comes because the second year is always the hardest, and hopefully he can sustain it." "He's a wonderful kid to work with, he was always first on the field, and you can see the tools he has to work with, he's strong, he's quick, he's aggressive."

Edu, 21 finished his rookie season with Toronto FC with 4 goals, 1 assist, and recorded 24 shots in 25 games - all as a starter. His 2180 minutes ranked third best on the team, only behind co-captains Jim Brennan and Carl Robinson. It was a tremendous rookie season for Edu after he spent the entire pre-season rehabbing a pelvis injury, for which he missed the first 2 games of the season. The midfielder was selected 1st overall in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft after enjoying a stellar college career at the University of Maryland where he was a first team NSCAA All-American and Hermann Trophy semifinalist in 2006. He now holds the distinction of becoming the first No.1 pick overall in the MLS SuperDraft to win Rookie of the Year honours. His tenacious and attacking play in the midfield endeared him to Toronto FC fans where he quickly became a fan favourite.

His play this season also earned this promising midfielder the attention of U.S. Men's National Team Head Coach Bob Bradley who selected Edu to play in the U.S. Friendly with Switzerland this past October. He earned his first cap with the National Team, playing the full 90 minutes in what was a first-class debut for the California native.

All first-year players in MLS without previous professional experience or who had completed their college eligibility were considered for the Gatorade Rookie of the Year award.

The 2007 awards announcements culminate on Saturday November 17 with the unveiling of the Best XI and MLS Newcomer of the Year, which will both be announced at the MLS Awards Gala which are being held at MLS Cup in Washington D.C.

Ouzo4Life