As I left the broadcast booth at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday night, I took an elevator down to the main level with a family of four. Seth Roberts Jersey . They were energetic, full of smiles and happy with how their evening had gone. The teenage son turned to me and asked where I was from. I explained my reason for being there and he immediately wanted to know if I was surprised at the 3-0 defeat suffered by Toronto FC. His eyes widened when I said I wasnt. "I dont know too much about soccer but I was told tonight I was coming to see Salt Lake play the New York Yankees of MLS," he said. Minutes earlier, they were a part of a crowd that chanted overrated towards the opposition. Real Salt Lake fans know, more than most, what a competitive, perennial MLS Cup contender should look like and the jury in Utah was in. The verdict? Pretenders not contenders. For now. However, it is hard to think the management at the club didnt see this coming. It is, after all, only three games into the season following a massive overhaul. Just as expectations soared to ridiculous heights following the opening game win in Seattle, the reaction since this loss has been equally irrational. The biggest issue with Toronto FC through three games is not squad depth (this can be an issue for all in a salary cap league, plus Andrew Weideman was their fifth forward before Bright Dike got hurt and Kyle Bekker is their fourth central midfielder). The biggest issue with Toronto FC is not Doneil Henry, who was criticized in some quarters for giving away a first half penalty. He would go on to shine once again following the error. The two biggest issues with Toronto FC as March comes to a close is cohesiveness and a lack of tactical versatility. The first point can only come with time. Once again it was another new starting XI on Saturday and the team has yet to play back-to-back games with the same lineup from the start, and because of that, relationships within the team that need to gel for the collective to succeed, will take time. The second point, however, is one worth following closer than any other story around this team at the moment. Formations Real Salt Lake not only presented a good test as a unit on Saturday for the visitors, but also tactically in the shape they play in. Ryan Nelsen has said the formation is only really how you line up at the start but being a manager who wants to play two up top, he got a different look at how a 4-4-2 diamond works against his team. The Game Jeff Cassars RSL get their full backs forward more than most. I said that in the pre-game show on TSN and Nelsen certainly was aware of this heading into the game. This is how they get their width. However, it was the intelligent decision-making and movement from their midfield four that allowed them space to run into. Javier Morales ran the game for the home team. His lateral movement was magnificent drifting into pockets of space unoccupied by TFCs midfield. He made the move into the space to help ignite the play for the second goal. And then on a quick break for the third goal, he again found the space to send the ball over the top for Saborio. Nelsens team has struggled in possession through all three games and that is fine when you can transition and counter as effectively as they did in the first two games. However, against a midfield diamond, the outlets couldnt be found. Alvaro Rey and Mark Bloom were passengers during the first half while the two strikers never got any service. Yes, it can be said they needed to pass the ball better when they got it but the 4-4-2 shape they played really hurt them. Playing two quick, mobile strikers up top means they demand service. Michael Bradleys intelligent balls over the top caused RSLs centre backs some discomfort but the wide players (including full backs) just didnt get into advanced positions to provide crosses enough. Many funds have been given to Gilberto and Jermain Defoe and when they are fit, they will play, but the game was screaming out for an extra central midfielder to make up the numbers and here is the biggest conundrum the coaching staff has at the moment. Games are won and lost in transitions and in Bradley, they have a superior man for that role. However, when he, or his central midfield partner, started one in this game it often began with two wingers and two strikers 30-40 yards away. Defoe and Gilberto will not be left out and can cause massive issues when the game dictates it, matching up 2vs2 in areas, but the use of the wide midfield players can be modified. Bloom and Justin Morrow, just like Salt Lakes full backs, can get forward (it should be noted Bloom did just that when moved back there late in the match) to provide width and away from home, specifically, Toronto would be much better suited playing a narrower 4-4-2 diamond, giving Bradley more outlets around him. The American international is a real difference maker at this level and cannot be regularly concerned about the space in behind him because it pushes Toronto deeper and deeper. Yes, it is part of his job but not at the top of the list. Defoe and Gilberto are also not strikers that feast off crosses, although the Brazilian did excel in a number of aerial duels on Saturday. Bradley, of course, missed his midfield partner Jonathan Osorio on Saturday but the brilliance of Morales, combined with Torontos shape, meant little would have changed had the Canadian played. Once fit, against the leagues strongest teams, Osorio and Bradley should play just ahead of a more defensive-minded midfielder allowing them to have a much clearer job defensively and in transition. In the end, it was just one loss in March but as the club goes through a transition off the field, they need to find a way to ensure they can transition better on it. Haloti Ngata Jersey . -- Arizona came out of its last meeting with California a bit discombobulated, hurting from its first loss and the loss of forward Brandon Ashley for the rest of the season. Mark Ingram II Jersey . Paul, MN (SportsNetwork. http://www.customravensjersey.com/custom-marcus-robinson-jersey-large-763d.html . The Broncos quarterback earned the offensive award Wednesday after passing for 374 yards and three touchdowns in a 37-21 win over the Raiders Monday night. Manning completed 32-of-37 passes and had a passer rating of 135.Nashville, TN (SportsNetwork.com) - Malik Zaire and Everett Golson each saw time under center for Notre Dame, and both helped lead the Irish to a win in the Music City Bowl on Tuesday at LP Field. Zaire and Golson each had a hand in Notre Dames final drive, a 14-play, 71- yard march, that Kyle Brindza capped with a 32-yard field goal as time expired for a 31-28 win over No. 22 LSU. Golson picked up a pair of first downs through the air, while Zaire used his legs, picking up a few first downs on the ground to set up the winning kick. Zaire, a redshirt freshman making his first career start, was named the starting quarterback for the game on Monday after a lackluster season from Golson. The duo combined for 186 yards passing with Zaire tossing a touchdown to William Fuller. Zaire also rushed for a team-high 96 yards on 22 carries with a score for Notre Dame (8-5), which snapped its four-game losing streak. We had that mindset that we had to do this for the team, Zaire said of splitting time with Golson. Leonard Fournette did all he could to help the Tigers (8-5) in this one, supplying 264 total yards with three touchdowns. Fournette set Music City Bowl records with a 100-yard kickoff return as well as an 89-yard rushing touchdown. He finished with 143 yards rushing on 11 carries. Zaire, who played a majority of the second half after splitting most the time with Golson in the first, had to sit out a play when his helmet popped off after a first-down run with just over four minutes to play. Golson came on and Irish coach Brian Kelly chose to leave the redshirt junior in for a few plays. Golson hooked up with Fuller for a 14-yard gain on 2nd-and-15. Zaire relieved him and proceeded to pick up the first down with a 3-yard run. Golson then hit Ben Koyack and Tarean Folston later in the sequence for 12 and 16 yards, respectively, prior to Zaires 8-yard scamper that moved the chains again for Brindza. This is a matchup that we had wanted at Notre Dame and we know LSU feels the same way, said Kelly. Really the mantra for us was get this to the fourth quarter and find a way to win. After accounting for just 18 passing yards in the first half, Anthony Jennings opened the second by tossing a play-action pass to a wide open John Diarse for a 75-yard TD, also a Music City Bowl record, to tie the game at 21-21. LSU had another explosive play later in the third when Fournette continued his monster day with an 89-yard touchdown run to give the Tigers their first lead of the day with 6:14 left. The Irish got it back on their nexxt touch as C. Elvis Grbac Jersey. J. Prosise rushed around the right end, broke a tackle and bolted into the end zone for a 50-yard touchdown. Isaac Rochell blocked Trent Domingues 40-yard field goal to keep the game tied with under 12 minutes left in the fourth. On Notre Dames opening drive, Zaire scrambled for a first down on 4th-and-9 at the Tigers 28. Two plays later, Fuller took a short pass along the left hash, picked up a couple of blocks and leaped into the end zone. LSU stopped the Irish on fourth down in its territory on the next drive, and responded with an 8-play drive that Fournette capped on an 8-yard touchdown run. Golson started the Irishs ensuing possession and hooked up with Chris Brown early in the second quarter for a 29-yard gain to the LSU 23. Zaire was then inserted back in two plays later, and after a couple of runs, his 7-yard scamper into the end zone gave Notre Dame a 14-7 edge. That margin did not hold, though, as Fournette took the kickoff 100 yards untouched for a score. The quarterback carousel continued for the Irish as both contributed to another score. Golson was crushed in the backfield, but managed to get a fluttering pass off to Fuller for an 11-yard gain and a first down. Zaire then zipped a pass to Fuller for 17 yards on 3rd-and-11 two plays before Folston barreled into the end zone for a 6-yard TD. LSU chewed up six minutes of clock to close the half. After Jennings was stopped on three consecutive plays from inside the 10, the field-goal unit was sent out with seconds remaining. Holder Brad Kragthorpe bolted for the end zone from the 2 and was inches from the goal line before getting brought down. Replay showed the ball just crossing the plane, however, video evidence was inconclusive. Game Notes Zaire had 96 yards passing on 12-of-15 efficiency, while Golson went 6-of-11 for 90 yards ... The last kick return for a score against Notre Dame occurred against Michigan State in 2009 ... Early in the third quarter, a bad exchange with Jennings and Fournette led to the games only turnover. Jennings went 7- for-14 passing for 151 yards and a touchdown ... Notre Dame, which ended the season with a 4-0 mark on neutral fields, now leads the all-time series with LSU, 6-5. The Tigers took the last meeting, a 41-14 decision in the 2007 Sugar Bowl ... Fuller, who had 57 yards on five catches, finished the season with 15 touchdown receptions ... The Irish outgained LSU, 449-436 and held the ball 14 minutes longer than their counterpart. ' ' '
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