My 2013 Predictions for Toronto FC

2012 was a year to forget for Toronto FC.

9 straight losses to start the season under Aron Winter (which lead to his sacking) and the season ended with a 14 game winless run under Paul Mariner. I don't even want to mention what happened in between, but this season in particular drew a lot of anger from the majority of TFC supporters, myself included. Although TFC management have tried to calm the growing anger and apathy from TFC supporters by lowering season ticket prices and hiring Kevin Payne to take the helm of TFC's football and business operations, there is unfortunately, a toxic fan culture and a deep division between the supporters who stand by TFC management/MLSE, and the supporters who have recognized the faults of the club and are pressuring for change.

Taking into account everything that went on last season (and past seasons), and along with my own judgment, I have compiled a small list of general Toronto FC predictions for 2013. I'll be making some serious Toronto FC predictions, and some outlandish TFC predictions for the new year. I won't waste any more time, so here we go.

Serious Predictions:

Toronto FC will do better than last season (obviously) but they will once again miss the MLS playoffs in their 7th season of existence. After a string of bad results, Paul Mariner will be fired by TFC President Kevin Payne at around the middle of the season, much to the delight of the majority of TFC supporters. The next head coach that TFC brings in will perform noticeably better than Mariner, but he won't be able to get TFC into the playoffs. After watching the performance of the new head coach, TFC supporters will once again be optimistic for the 2014 MLS season.

In regards to the Voyageurs Cup, Toronto FC will beat the Montreal Impact in the semi-final, but they will not win their 5th straight Canadian Championship because they will lose to the Vancouver Whitecaps in the final. This will be one of the factors that will lead to Paul Mariner's sacking in the middle of the season.

Earl Cochrane will give a recommendation to Kevin Payne about a player that "impressed him" and that player will be signed by Toronto FC. That player turns out to be an unmitigated disaster. TFC supporters call for Cochrane to be fired, but he will still keep his position.

Outlandish Predictions (don't take these seriously):

- Eric Hassli will become the MLS top scorer for the 2013 season with 22 goals. He will be labeled a legend by TFC supporters, but not as much of a legend as Danny Dichio.

- An investment group from Abu Dhabi offers to buy Toronto FC from MLSE, with one of the promises to supporters being the installation of a roof on the BMO Field stands. MLSE refuses to sell.

- Bitchy the Hawk breaks loose from her tether and kills a seagull in the middle of the BMO Field pitch. The crowd erupts in jubilation, as the players run for cover from her wrath.

And there you have it, those are my serious and outlandish predictions for 2013. The 2013 MLS season will be interesting for Toronto FC, that's for sure.

Random Thoughts 10: "Well Good Day to You, Engine Light"

Hello again. Only two thoughts for today. On to the first...

A week ago while I was at school, my engine light decided to show itself from hiding. I'll give you some background. I drive a black Nissan Maxima, and it can be a gentle soul when it wants to be, but it can also be a bastard when it wants to be. Last week, it decided to be a bastard, and on came the engine light. The car has been idling quite rough, and after looking at the engine, I decided to wait until after I finished my exams and left school to get the problem checked out.

Fast forward a few days later, while driving around to do some errands, the rough idling stopped and the engine light magically came off. It was a bit weird how the problems corrected itself. Maybe my car was trying to tell me something, or maybe my car simply has multiple personalities. Who knows. Anyways, I haven't had problems with the car since (fingers crossed).

Also, my car passed the milestone of 150 000 kilometers. Here's to another 150 000 more.

On to my second, and most important thought.

At the time of me writing this post, I only have 1 semester left for my undergraduate degree. After I left my last exam and came home for the holidays, it started to hit me on how much I will miss going to university. More importantly, I am going to miss the great people I have met while I was going to university. When I came home, I wasn't really feeling myself. I will be finished university very soon, and although I should be excited that I will be finally finished, a bit of uneasiness has set in, because all the great people that I have met will all go their separate ways. There is something else that is bothering me, but it is slightly personal, and may be a blog post in the future.

The important thing I should probably take from these feelings in to try to keep in contact with those who have made a positive impact on my time in university. Hopefully this will lessen my fears about leaving university, and leaving those who have had those positive impacts on my university career.

News of the Day - Toronto FC + Stephen Hart

If you all haven't heard the news this morning about Toronto FC and their ticket prices today, then let me sum it up for you. Tom Anselmi has announced that season ticket prices for the 2013 season is being rolled back to 2007 prices for all existing season ticket holders. Also, any newcomers looking to buy season tickets will also experience drastic reductions.

First off, I'll say this. This is an incredible gesture of goodwill from MLSE to the season seat holders. I was at a loss for words when I heard the announcement, because MLSE is a sports organization known for gouging its customers with high ticket prices and overall incompetence in managing their sports teams. But when I heard that announcement, I got the feeling that MLSE  was at least aware of the supporter unrest at Toronto FC, and felt pressure from those who expressed their concern about high ticket prices.

An issue I had with ticket prices is that (according to the media) 2013 Single Game tickets will still be at 2012 levels. I still think single game tickets are a bit too high and it could have done with a slight reduction at the very least. I think Tom Anselmi and MLSE missed an opportunity to address the supporters who don't have the time or money to go to all the Toronto FC matches. They also missed an opportunity to address the casual crowd who are now apathetic on going to Toronto FC matches, because even though the die-hard supporters will always be there for the club, it is the casual crowd who can help market the club to new fans. If you can reduce the prices for them, some may come back.

While the ticket price reductions have been very good news for the club, MLSE's work is not done. For many supporters, season ticket prices isn't the issue as to why they won't be coming back to BMO Field. These supporters would like to see a new direction for the club, and I would as well. MLSE needs to remove those in the front office and they MUST hire a new club president with relevant experience in North American soccer. Whether MLSE will actually do that can only be decided by time.

With the failure to reduce single game tickets, and the potential lack of addressing the actual direction of Toronto FC, I fear that there will be a continuation of empty seats on match-days at BMO Field and general supporter apathy.

I'll end on a positive note. MLSE are on the right track to winning over the supporters again, but they have a lot more work to do.

Quick Thoughts: Stephen Hart has resigned as Canadian Men's National Team Head Coach. I respect him for all he has done for the men's program, but Hart made the right decision by resigning, which I applaud him for. I can only imagine how he felt after the 8-1 loss to Honduras, and I can only imagine how he feels now. I wish him all the best on his future endeavors.

Quick Post-Game Thoughts: Honduras vs. Canada

That could have very well been one of the worst matches I have ever seen the Canadian National Team play. They didn't even show up in that 8-1 thumping Honduras put on them.

Where do I start? I start off with the appalling finishing by Tosaint Ricketts in the early stages of the game. He missed a couple of great chances to get Canada some early goals in this match, and it very well could have changed the dynamic of the match. But terrible play in the final third for Canada wasn't even the biggest issue. The defense, normally pretty dependable for Canada, completely fell apart. Simple defensive errors and marking issues really did this team in. Add in the constant loss of possession in the midfield and you've got a concoction of disappointment. With a spot in the final round of CONCACAF World Cup Qualifying, you would expect the Canadian team to show some sort of fight, right? Instead, the players completely let themselves, the supporters, and the entire country down with the joke that they call a performance. It reminded me of when Toronto FC played the New York Red Bulls on the last match-day of the 2009 MLS Season. TFC played terribly, lost 5-0, and missed out on the playoffs. I was reliving that pain when watching this Honduras/Canada match.

The players deserve the brunt of the blame, but some of the blame must be passed to Head Coach Stephen Hart, and the rest of the coaching staff. In my opinion, Stephen Hart has made some big mistakes in this match. He failed to motivate the players in the importance of this match and the implications along with it, and his team selection and formation was a bit questionable. I think it’s time for him to part ways with the Canadian Soccer Association. I don’t see how he can keep his job after that debacle. It was nice knowing you, Stephen Hart.

Canada’s elimination from World Cup Qualifying has some other effects as well. From a business point of view, there will be no more games in Canada, missing out on potential revenue for the CSA. Also, the elimination is a hindrance on the growth of soccer in the Canadian sporting landscape. It will now be harder to attract fans to soccer in Canada. Having 17000+ fans in BMO Field for Canada matches is very nice, but imagine if Canada actually made it to the hex? More people will definitely take notice of Canadian soccer if Canada made a decent run to the World Cup.

I’ll touch on one last point. Does Canada have the talent to at least make it to the hex? Perhaps, they were one point away from qualifying for it. But do they have the talent to COMPETE in the hex? My answer is no. Canada is not as talented as some of the Central American countries, and they are nowhere near as good as the USA or Mexico.

Maybe it’s time for the Canadian Men’s National Team and CSA to give a long, hard look at themselves and find out what it takes for them to get to the Hex, and eventually, the World Cup.

Some Tips for College/University First-Year Students

It’s almost that time again. People are enjoying the last of summer and are getting ready to go back to school. For upcoming first-year college and university students, this is a major step up from what they were used to in high school, and the change may be overwhelming for some. I am going to offer my wisdom by listing some tips and advice for upcoming college and university students on their first year of their studies. I strongly insist that you all take this advice and apply it.

One of the most important things you should ever do when in college or university is to attend all your classes. I have a couple of idiotic friends who rarely go to class, and they have mostly failed their courses, which mean that they have to retake them, thus costing more money for them in tuition. Skipping class isn’t cool, and you only screw yourself. Also, don’t make excuses for not going to class, such as your schedule or the weather. Go to class.

Merely showing up in class isn’t enough; you have to listen in class. I don’t advise taking notes with your computer, because more often than not, people get distracted on their laptop or tablet by going on Facebook, Twitter, or some other website. I suggest taking your notes with the classic pen and a notebook.

If you start having trouble with one of your courses, go find help. Professors always have office hours, so it doesn’t hurt to go see the professor for guidance. They also have e-mail addresses, as well as other ways to contact them, so don’t hesitate to do so. There are other places to seek help, such as tutors and academic advisors. If you need it, seek help sooner rather than later.

With all this stuff about the “studying” part of school, I’m not saying that shouldn’t go out and have fun. In your first couple weeks of college and university, make as many new friends as possible, and have some fun. But don’t lose sight of what you actually came to college or university for, and that is a degree. Moderation is the key, between studying for your courses, and going out with friends.

Some other minor thoughts:

- For many people, this will be the first time that they will be living by themselves. Learn to clean up after yourself and take care of your body.

- Join some clubs in and around the college or university. It is a great way to make some new friends and explore your interests.

- Try to participate in some campus events. Once again, great way to meet new people.

- If you need to sell textbooks, try to sell them to fellow students instead of the campus store. You may get more money that way, and it also saves the other person some money by buying it directly from you instead of buying the textbook from the campus store.

- Don’t procrastinate! Do your readings! And do your work!

- Nobody cares about what you did in high school or your high school achievements. Use your time in college or university to change yourself for the better. I thought of my first year of university as a fresh start at life, and that has certainly helped me.

And there you have it. That is all I can think of when it comes to going to college and university for the first time. For all the upcoming first-year students going to college or university, I’ll say this. Good luck in your studies, and don’t do anything stupid, such as miss class, or impregnate a girl (use protection!). But most importantly, have fun. College and university is a learning experience about who you truly are.