By Ryan Johnston
SPORTSNET.CA
TORONTO - Danny Dichio led by example on Saturday night; and the rest of his teammates took notice.
The striker's first-half goal helped Toronto FC to a 3-1 win over the visiting Colorado Rapids and kept John Carver's team unbeaten at BMO Field through seven home games.
"When you have a moment of inspiration like that (Dichio's goal) it will inspire you, it inspired me," Carver said during the post-game conference. "It was a fantastic finish, and from where we were standing we saw it going intot he net, it was a bit of class."
After watching a handful of chances from Laurent Robert, Rohan Ricketts and Jeff Cunningham fail to find the net through the first 36 minutes; Dichio showcased a rarely seen side of his game in the 37th minute by volleying an untidy clearance past Rapids' goalkeeper Preston Burpo.
"I don't think the defenders were anticipating that it was going to come down to me and I managed to get on to it," Dichio said of the goal. "I managed to hit it and as soon as I hit it I knew it was going in."
The goal gives Dichio five on the season, one shy of his tally from all of last year.
But the timely strike seemed to motivate his snake-bitten teammates into action, and Ricketts was the first to stand up and be counted … twice. Ricketts collected his first and second MLS goals in quick succession, with the latter sure to garner goal of the week consideration.
"I have never scored two goals in a game," Ricketts joked, and his smile got wider when informed that the two goals came just nine minutes apart ('58, '67). "Really? Nine minutes? That's good then."
Earlier in the week Ricketts thanked head coach Carver for sticking with him as he tried to get his fitness up to par with Toronto. The former Premier League player was more than grateful as his regular spot in the starting 11 has kept players like Jarrod Smith on the sidelines.
"Yesterday I was lying at home thinking, 'When am I going to score?'" Ricketts explained. "Why is it (that I am not scoring), I have the skill. But today I feel better about myself, and the fact I can score. But hopefully it is only the beginning."
In his first game since being called out by Carver for a suspect work ethic at training, rookie goalkeeper Brian Edwards looked solid in recording his second win of the season.
"I had a go at him last week; and rightly so, but he's had a great week in training and he's performed to the best level he can today, and I am delighted with him."
Edwards faced a modest 13 shots on net from Colorado, and contributed offensively with his booming delivery on goal kicks.
Colorado's only goal came in the 80th minute when Nick LaBrocca beat Edwards from on a quickly taken free kick outside the penalty area. The blemish was something that clearly upset Carver afterwards.
"What frustrates me is that you get into a lead of 3-nil, and against good sides they go on and punish you … but we got complacent and sloppy and lazy, and I told them that," Carver said. "I wanted to keep a clean sheet and win the game by three or four."
The three-points move Toronto (6-4-2) into second-place in the Eastern Standings. Next up for TFC is another Saturday match at home against Kansas City on June 21.
MAN OF THE MATCH: Rohan Ricketts
NOTES: A moment of silence was held for Canadian soccer personality Brian Budd prior to kick-off. Budd passed away on Wednesday after collapsing in his home. He was 56 …
TFC lineup: GK: Brian Edwards; D: Marvell Wynne, Todd Dunivant, Marco Velez, Olivier Tebily; M: Rohan Ricketts, Kevin Harmse, Carl Robinson (C), Laurent Robert; F: Danny Dichio (77), Jeff Cunningham
Substitutes: David Monsalve, Julius James, Andrea Lombardo, Tyler Hemming, Tyler Rosenlund, Nana Attakora, Jarrod Smith (77)
