Toronto FC vs Chivas USA: Game Thread

So here it is, perhaps the last ever visit to BMO Field for Chivas USA before they get to go on hiatus and then somehow get resurrected as some other team, though they'll always be zombie Chivas to me. Thanks for the memories Chivas, I'll genuinely miss you.

Of course, more than that, it's a big game for TFC's fading playoff chances, can they use the penalty save, comeback and Garber acknowledged shafting form last week to motivate them, finally some positive momentum.  Probably, if only because Chivas are terrible. I'm sure you've seen or heard the stats by now, 1 point in 10 games, 3 goals for (2 of them penalties) and 24 against in those 10. 5 straight defeats, 14 goals allowed in their last 4. There's really no excuse for not beating Chivas. None.  Of course that doesn't mean to say there's no way TFC won't beat Chivas, this is TFC after all, I'm sure they can find a way.

The problem with this game being against Chivas is that a win wouldn't really prove anything. Yes the 3 points are important, but beating the goats wouldn't tell us anything definitive about how TFC might do in the rest of their games, whether a corner has now been turned under Grag Vanney and now they're a different team that will finally be able to live up to it's bloody big deal potential. On the other hand, a defeat, or even a tie would tell us everything we need to know. Fail to get maximum points here and you can definitely say that their playoff chances are done.

My head tells me that Toronto will win, that they can't possibly play badly enough to not get a result here. Even if the team as a whole doesn't play well, they can surely find a way to win. Michael Bradley seems to be in the mood to make something happen if things aren't working out, maybe with some of that freelancing that Ryan Nelsen apparently didn't appreciate.

My heart tells me there's a good chance this could go wrong, perhaps Bradley's freelancing will be a big part of it all going wrong, and that Eric Avila will pop up to score a tying or even winning goal, and it'll all end in a lot of booing. Let's hope I'm wrong.

Anyway, for a lot more reading and listening on this game, click here for our storystream with a fuller preview, 2 parts of Know Your Enemy, a how you doin'?, a vocal minority podcast and smarter than Mariner.

We'll have team news when it hits twitter and commentary throughout the game. Join us then.