Toronto FC vs. Tottenham Hotspur FC - Post-Game + Media Gallery

I went to the friendly last Wednesday between Toronto FC and Tottenham Hotspur. Now before I hear it from the "anti-friendlies" brigade about why I would even think about going to the match, I would like to tell you that my ticket was free, and I had nothing to do that night. If you had a free ticket to a friendly involving TFC, I'm pretty sure you would go as well. Regardless, it was a nice evening out.

Not surprisingly, there was a large congregation of Spurs supporters at the stadium, with many of them getting their one chance of a lifetime to see the team they support. I'd say there was probably a 40-60 split between Spurs supporters and those wearing TFC/plain clothing. With friendlies of this nature, it was also not surprising to see fans wear gear of the rivals as well. I did see a handful of people wearing Arsenal gear, and I'll be honest, I hope they got jumped.

I make it to the stadium, meet my large group of friends and family, and perched myself at the top of 111 to watch the match.

Spurs came out for their warm-ups to a rousing cheer, but the loudest of cheers went towards Jermain Defoe, as he was playing against his old team. He received cheers from both Spurs and TFC fans.

The teams lined up, the anthems were played, and we were ready to go.

The 1st half was a little bit dull, to be honest. It was easy to see the gulf in quality between the strong EPL team and the mid-table MLS club. TFC struggled to get out of their own half while Spurs were applying the pressure, especially on Kyle Bekker in the centre of midfield. Erik Lamela scored 2 goals for Spurs (insert joke that this was his biggest contribution in a Spurs uniform) and the half ended 2-0 to the visitors from North London.

The atmosphere was a bit subdued and our section stayed sitting down, despite the section being a standing section. I'd like to give special props to the group of people at the top of 110 drumming up some sort of atmosphere with chants and singing. I'm pretty sure they were the only people in the entire stadium creating prolonged support for Toronto FC. Even the south stand was understandably dead.

There was an incident at around the 30th minute of the match when four people showed up very late to the row below me and threw a fit that people were sitting in the seats that they bought. Yes, they had those seats, but it was impossible to feel sympathy for them when they showed up so late. When you come to the stadium, show up on time! What a bunch of morons.

The 2nd half began. Spurs sat back and TFC went forward to try to get back into the match. Spurs were definitely trying in the 2nd half (that was sarcasm, by the way). Andrew Wiedeman scored for TFC to make the score 2-1, and then Jordan Hamilton scored with a nice finish past the ancient Brad Friedel to tie the match. Spurs then decided to try again and they got their winner from Andros Townsend to make the final score 3-2 to Tottenham.

After the match, I went over to where the Tottenham players were coming out to watch them write autographs to the supporters patiently waiting. I actually managed to shake hands with Christian Eriksen, while I got snubbed by Lewis Holtby and new manager Mauricio Pochettino.

All in all, it was an enjoyable night, especially for the Spurs supporters that came out. I'm happy that they got to see their idols and it gave them something to remember for the rest of their life. People will complain about friendlies, especially involving Toronto FC, but I hope they realize that the revenue potentials and the reach that it has in potentially bringing new supporters to BMO Field to watch TFC matches, for the most part, outweighs the fatigue and potential injuries that may happen to the Toronto FC players. Remember that Toronto FC is a business, and it needs to maximize profits. Would you rather they increase the prices of season tickets for next year in order to increase revenues?

Regardless, I had fun, and I'm glad I had a free ticket to this event.

My Top 10 Moments of the 2014 World Cup

The 2014 FIFA World Cup is unfortunately over, and it was an incredible tournament. Most of the teams provided entertaining football, and it was almost a complete contrast to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where most teams played not to lose. The 2014 tournament provided some amazing moments that I will remember for a very long time. Here are my top 10 moments of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, in chronological order.

1: Robin Van Persie's "flying header" against Spain

www.ballball.com

This was probably the most photogenic moment of the World Cup. Daley Blind puts in an absolute peach of a cross, and Van Persie sprints ahead of the ball-watching Spanish defence. He does well to adjust his body and it almost seemed like he jumped into the ball to head it past a helpless Iker Casillas and into the net. That goal definitely put a literal definition into the phrase "Flying Dutchman", and helped the Netherlands towards a rout of Spain.

2: Guillermo Ochoa's diving save against Neymar (Brazil vs. Mexico)

www.mlssoccer.com

It was almost inhuman how Ochoa managed to get to the ball and make a spectacular diving fingertip save on Neymar's powerful, perfectly placed header. You would think that heading that ball with power towards the side of the net would be a sure goal, but Ochoa almost made that save look effortless. It was indeed the save of the tournament. Ochoa's save, and his performance in general, ensured a draw against the high-powered hosts of Brazil.

3: Tim Cahill's volley for Australia against the Netherlands

www.independent.co.uk

A hopeful long ball into the box turned into the goal of the tournament. Australia weren't going to produce much, but who honestly saw that coming? Tim Cahill took one look at that long ball and then launched a nuclear missile of a volley off the bottom of the crossbar and into the net. It was a thunderous strike which Jasper Cillessen had no chance of saving.

4: Lionel Messi's last-gasp winner against Iran

www.wired868.com

Argentina and Iran were locked in a defensive battle for the majority of the match, with Iran holding firm against Argentina's advances and hoping for a famous result against the footballing superpower. Argentina needed someone to change the course of the match in their favour. Argentina needed Lionel Messi. He received the ball near the top of the 18 yard box, cuts left, and unleashes an unstoppable strike inside the far post. He put the team, and the country of Argentina, on his back, and anyone who still doubted that Messi can step up his game for his country have finally been silenced.

5: Luis Suarez's bite of Giorgio Chiellini (Italy vs. Uruguay)

www.independent.co.uk

It was a moment of madness from someone who simply doesn't learn. You can't bite people on the pitch, or anywhere for that matter. I've already made a post talking about the incident, but I hope he uses this four-month ban to get some serious help and to re-evaluate his life. Maybe his transfer to Barcelona can help with that. Surprisingly, the Suarez bite wasn't the defining moment of the 2014 World Cup.

6: James Rodriguez's volley against Uruguay

www.mirror.co.uk

Many football fans already knew about James Rodriguez from his playing days at Porto and now Monaco, but I think his volley was the moment when the whole world was introduced to him. His first touch was to control the ball with his chest, and his second touch was a precision looping volley that Fernando Muslera couldn't stop. Rodriguez was already having a great tournament, but that goal cemented him as the breakout star of the World Cup.

7: Tim Howard's goalkeeping performance against Belgium

www.abcnews.go.com

Despite the United States losing in extra time to Belgium in the Round of 16, Tim Howard was at his absolute best, making a record 16 saves in the match and regularly bailing out his defenders. It even spawned a popular hashtag (#ThingsTimHowardCouldSave). It was a shame that the rest of his team couldn't perform up to his standard, but Tim Howard's performance was one for the ages.

8: Neymar's broken vertebra

www.cbc.ca

Brazil may have progressed to the semi-final over Colombia, but it came at a great loss. Juan Zuniga made a reckless challenge and planted a knee right in Neymar's back, breaking his vertebra. Neymar was seen as the shining light that would lead Brazil to their 6th World Cup victory, but it felt like the light was faded when he got injured. It's sad because that injury exposed the mental fragility of the Brazilian national team, and it was pounced on by Germany.

9: Germany crushing Brazil 7-1 in the World Cup semi-final

www.theaustralian.com.au

It will forever go down as one of the shock results in world football. For Brazil to lose 7-1, at home, in a World Cup semi-final, is much more than an embarrassment. It is the worst loss in all of world sport. Brazil was reeling from the losses of Neymar and Thiago Silva, and it left them mentally fragile. All it took was the first goal from Muller for the floodgates to open, and the goals came in droves. I do feel for the Brazilian population, but I also felt a bit of schadenfreude watching Brazil lose in that way.

10: Mario Gotze's winner in the final against Argentina

www.ibtimes.com

It was the "Andres Iniesta" moment of the World Cup. The World Cup Final was an even match-up between Germany and Argentina and it sorely needed a breakthrough. We got it when Mario Gotze made a run into the box, received the ball from Schurrle, controlled the ball with his chest, and dinked the ball past Sergio Romero into the net. Cue the pandemonium. Gotze goes down in World Cup folklore, and Germany claims their fourth World Cup title.

Honourable mentions:

Pepe's headbutt - Stupid thing to do, but I wasn't surprised it was Pepe. Let his country down.

John Brooks winner for the United States against Ghana - His reaction to the goal he scored put a smile on my face.

Mauricio Pinilla hits the crossbar for Chile against Brazil - He was just centimetres from winning it for his country.

Louis Van Gaal subbing in Tim Krul for penalties against Costa Rica - The manager's gamble worked.

World Cup 2014: Brazil 1-7 Germany

(Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Wow. Didn't see that one coming.

Germany not only beat Brazil, but they absolutely clobbered them. Watching this as a neutral, it was a complete joy to watch. However, it was also depressing to watch.

It was a joy to watch, because seeing Brazil get routed in their own stadium, in their own country, and in front of their own fans, left me with an internal happiness. There are two thoughts I have in terms of why this result was internally happy to me. First off, it shuts up the stupidness from people claiming that FIFA is intentionally trying to get Brazil into the World Cup final by making sure referees treat the Brazilian players with leniency. The second thought is that this result shuts up the astronomical amount of bandwagoners who call themselves Brazil fans despite not having any sort of cultural connection or roots in the country. Seeing the sad faces and tweets from the bandwagoners put a smile on my face. On the other hand, watching Brazil lose in the way that they did was also a shocking scene. Seeing the malaise in the stadium and in the country grow with every German goal was depressing.

For the match itself, it started with end-to-end plays from both sides, and I was thinking that both teams could have the ability to score multiple goals in this match. But after Thomas Mueller scored on a set piece due to poor marking from Brazil, Brazil just collapsed. This match had the worst Brazilian defending I had ever seen in all my years of watching the Brazilian national team. I didn't think the absence of Thiago Silva would make much of a difference, but the leadership was completely missing. David Luiz, Dante, Maicon, Luiz Gustavo, Fernandinho, and Paulinho were all atrocious. Every time Brazil went forward, Germany dispossessed them and immediately went on the counter against the shambolic back line of Brazil. Klose got the second goal (which makes him the top scorer in World Cup history, beating Ronaldo, which is funny). Kroos got the third and fourth goals. Khedira added a fifth. Schurrle scored the sixth and seventh goals. It was a complete demolition, and every time Brazil managed to get a shot on Germany, Manuel Neuer was always there to stop them. Yeah, Oscar scored a consolation goal late, but the damage was already done.

With Brazil's unbeatable passion for football, and the manner of how they lost the semi-final, the hope is that there isn't any significant crowd trouble and that the authorities exert the appropriate force to stop potential violence. If there ever was a time to protest, not just the Brazilian national team, but the state of the country in general, right after the match would be the best time. Another thing I want to mention, and this might be a bit hyperbolic, but there were a few players for Brazil who were awful this tournament, and I hope that they aren't targeted by any Brazilians who have a vendetta against them. There's no tolerance for an "Andres Escobar" incident, but in a football mad country like Brazil, anything is possible.

So, Germany are now into the World Cup final and will play either Argentina or the Netherlands. As for Brazil, how can they possibly recover from this? This result is going to be etched into the minds of the Brazilian players. I don't have much of an idea how they can recover, but the players need to do what they do best and what they love the most, and that is to play football. Take out the frustrations on the third place match, and then go to your club teams and play the season of your lives.

Today was historical, and this match will be remembered for the ages.

Luis Suarez Doesn't Learn

Luis Suarez, to many people, is a scumbag. Despite currently being one of the world's best strikers, he does things that make you say "What drugs is this guy on". Before today, he was previously suspended twice for separate biting incidents when he was playing for both Ajax and Liverpool, respectively. You would think that he wouldn't be stupid enough to do it again, would he? Well, unless you were living under a rock, it happened again.

Near the end of the World Cup group stage match between Italy and Uruguay, there was an off-the-ball incident in the Italian 18-yard box where Luis Suarez apparently bit the shoulder of the Italian defender, Giorgio Chiellini and then fell down clutching his teeth. The referee and his assistant didn't see the incident and didn't issue a booking to Suarez, despite Chiellini showing a clear bite mark on his shoulder.

Two minutes later, Uruguay scored on a corner to win 1-0 and advance to the Round of 16.

When I was watching the match, I initially thought that Suarez tried to headbutt Chiellini, but the replays have shown that there was some sort of biting motion that was going on. Luis Suarez, you just don't learn, do you? This is the third time you've bitten someone in a match. Even Mike Tyson only ever bit one person in a boxing match. You knew you got lengthy suspensions for your previous biting incidents. Why would you even think that it was a good idea to do it again? Is biting someone a Uruguayan custom for showing respect?

With your past behaviour, I'm not even shocked or surprised. I would just like to know what went through your head when you sank your teeth into Chiellini's shoulder. Were you trying to win a penalty? Because that bite (and your subsequent dive) was a terrible way to get one. Were you trying to get in the head of Chiellini? What you did could work, but it is a very slim chance. I don't know what was going through your head, and I most likely never will.

There is no defending your actions, and to those who say that Chiellini rammed his shoulder into Suarez's mouth (lets face it, most Liverpool fans will try to defend him), you're a colossal idiot. Watch the replay. As for his punishment, I really hope that FIFA investigate this incident and hand Suarez a strong punishment for being a habitual biter. He has to be thrown out of the World Cup, and be banned 1-2 years from all football-related activities. Also, make sure that Suarez gets the help he really needs, because with all his incidents, surely there must be some deeper issues he is facing.

This is going to go down as the biggest moment of the 2014 World Cup. Already I've seen hundreds of Suarez-related memes about biting and hunger in general, and I've seen food companies jump on the Suarez bandwagon sending tweets mentioning Suarez in order to get clicks.

Overall, to sum up what I said above, I'm not surprised that Suarez did something like this, because of his past behaviour. He's already my most hated footballer, and this incident has sent my hate for him into the stratosphere. I hope FIFA has some balls, and suspends him for a very long time. Honestly, I hope they suspend him for this upcoming season, from all footballing activities.

I didn't think he would do it again, but guess what?

Brazil 3-1 Croatia: Post-Game - World Cup 2014

The World Cup is finally back after four long and grueling years, and I couldn't be any more happier to see it, despite the socio-political issues surrounding Brazil. The first game is an interesting encounter between the hosts Brazil and Croatia.

The biggest question surrounding Brazil going into their first match in the World Cup is if they will be able to handle the immense pressure that will be put on them by the media and the fans. From what I've seen at the Confederations Cup and with the warm-up friendlies, I think that Neymar and the rest of the Brazilian national team will handle the pressure quite well and use the support of the fans to will them on. With Croatia, I think the question is whether Luka Modric will be able to be the big influence for the Croatian national team. Modric has had a stellar season with Real Madrid, and the hope is that he will be able to replicate his form for his country. Along with the free-flowing Ivan Rakitic, Modric should be able to pull the strings and dictate the play with Croatia. Another question with Croatia that will be answered when the match is played is if the suspension of Mario Mandzukic will negatively affect Croatia going forward.

1st half: Croatia started out very organized in its defending. They were almost methodical in their way of trying to dispossess Brazil. On the other hand, Brazil started out the more cautious of the two teams, building from the back and feeling out the opposition. In the beginning 15 minutes of the 1st half, it was Croatia who looked more likely to score, in which they relied on their wing play to create chances. Ivica Olic was the player who started strong for Croatia, running down the flanks and causing Dani Alves some problems. It was through Croatia's wing play that gave them a goal, which was an own goal my Marcelo.

The Croatia goal came as a shock to Brazil, and it was after the goal that they started to attack with some intent. Brazil relied a bit more on attacking through the middle, but they also caused problems on the flanks with Hulk and Oscar making themselves a nuisance. In the first half, Brazil were also determined to get scrappy in midfield, which proved successful, when after a scrap for the ball, Neymar picked the ball up and drove a low shot past Croatian goalkeeper Stipe Pletikosa to get the equalizer.

2nd half: Brazil kept up the pressure on the Croatian goal while Croatia resumed their organized, methodical defending which gave them some success. Brazil's bright spot in the match was Oscar, who's skill on the ball drew the Croatian defenders towards him and opened up space for the other Brazilian attackers.

The big moment in the match came in the 69th minute when Fred was apparently fouled in the box and the referee called a penalty, to the anger of the Croatian players. Watching the replay, there was minimal contact made on Fred, and it looked like Fred embellished the fall as well. Neymar dispatched the penalty, and the match became more open, as Croatia were searching for the equalizer, and Brazil were looking to put the match away. Brazil finally did put the match away as Oscar ran towards the Croatian defence and shot the ball past Pletikosa into the back of the net.

Overall: Brazil managed to start on the right foot, despite the initial scare, but they didn't look like the polished Brazil we were used to seeing. It was an entertaining encounter, and an entertaining first match of the World Cup. It was a shame to see the winning goal happen the way that it did. There were some people that proclaimed that there was a fix for Brazil to win, but I think it was just a bad call by the referee, who maybe succumbed to the fan pressure.

With that penalty call, it could be possible that we could see more games decided in this matter, and it could be possible that it could be an issue in the World Cup. Maybe there could be talks of instant replay in the future to settle calls like this, or maybe retroactive punishment on divers. It's too early to talk about it now, but it is something to keep an eye on.