Perception is a word John Carver throws around with regularity; and during an eventful post-match press conference the Toronto FC coach illustrated just how important his favourite word can be to the success of his team.
To the casual observer, Saturday's match against San Jose was a drab, humid, scoreless draw against a first-year team. And the boos at the end of the game confirmed it. In reality, the Earthquakes are this year's version of last year's TFC team that struggled to score. The casual observer remembers the great goal drought of '07, and is results-driven. Over the last seven games they have gone home unhappy.
To Carver that drab, humid, draw was a one-sided affair in which the better team was denied the extra two points they deserved. Ian Russell, the interim coach of the 'Quakes while Frank Yallop serves his suspension, sought out Carver in the tunnel to confirm the assessment.
"Their coach has come to me at the end and says, 'You've absolutely battered us,'" Carver said. "They can't give anymore than they have given, I am telling you that for nothing. They have given every ounce."
Carver placed zero blame on his players following the draw with San Jose, and challenged the media to come along.
"Each of them gave maximum effort," Carver said.
To the rest of us who are not casual or a coach, 19 goals in 16 games is the perception. We stand by, stoically, as chance-after-chance travels wide, or high, or are saved from the penalty spot.
But our feet are getting tired of standing by, and many are defecting to the result-driven fandom of the casual observers. While Abdus Ibrahim is lightning in a bottle right now, he is not the answer, and nobody expects him to be the answer. But what is?
According to Carver, it lies in a jigsaw puzzle.
"It is like a jigsaw," Carver said of the pursuit of a goal scorer. "You put the pieces in place and one of the pieces is almost there and the rest will fall into place once that happens."
But until the puzzle is finished, the coach refuses to alter his perspective, or show any cracks. And heading into the biggest game of the season on Tuesday night, this perspective is important.
"They've created chances, but they have not put their chances away. Eventually that will come. If you keep persisting and believing in what you are doing, eventually the ball will go in the back of the net."
"But we have to improve in front of goal. That is what I said to them."
NOTES: Maurice Edu and Marvell Wynne will be released to play for the US men's national team after the Real Salt Lake game … Carver printed out an email he received from the league outlining how the officials were incorrect in issuing a yellow card to Maurice Edu for diving against Chicago and missed a foul on Amado Guevara that allowed Chicago to take possession and score at the other end of the field … Congrats to whomever vandalized the All-Star decorations in the GO tunnel. You've done us proud.
