TFC appears to be moving into the next stage of its re-development program as the team takes the MLS World Cup break riding a five game undefeated streak. Coach Preki’s evangelism has preached the virtues of hard work and unity his players and anyone else who follows this team can repeat without thinking twice. After a slow, shaky start to 2010, the Reds sit in better shape than ever before a third of the way into the season.
Now it is the more subtle influences of the new man’s well practiced coaching style showing results.
Saturday’s match-up versus Kansas City Wizards, while it turned out a less-than-anticipated scoreless draw against a struggling visitor, is an example.
Around the league, the Toronto home crowd is known an important twelfth man, and referee Baldomero Toledo, on his frequent trips to BMO, has acquired local notoriety for taking up twelfth man responsibility for the visitors. Saturday, it was not just the diligent waves packed into the TFC supporters sections, but the entire stadium showering down their displeasure with the work of the man in the middle.
First order of business was the direct sending off of Nick Garcia for an unfortunate but clearly accidental mid-field collision with Kei Kamara in the first half hour. Not long after, with the Reds pressing, Dwayne De Rosario was knocked down in the penalty area, Toledo appeared to be pointing to the spot, then allowed play to go on. Then, of course there was the instance of Chad Barrett being caught in the face with a high foot bringing howls from the crowd when the act went unpunished.
The coach went through the obligatory protestations from the sideline but when it was all over, sent out his customary reaction in the press area. Bad calls by the ref, are discarded with indifferent hands in pockets shrugs. When injuries or scheduling demands test the resilience of his line-up, these difficulties get addressed with head rolls. Body twists are the preferred way to deal with players going through a bad patch.
Always, few words are up for offer because the message is simple and always the same.
Presented a tough situation arising from things beyond your control, just ignore it and get on with your own job.
If a difficulty is within your control, the body twist points in the direction where you can resolve it. The training field.
What is so significant about that?
We have seen enough of Preki now to know the style used is intended for his team. Just another means to drive his philosophy home.
The coach is teaching his approach to those subtle differences that separate winning sides from the losers.
Funny isn’t it that those little differences, the finer points, are so often totally overlooked?
Lesson learned.
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