It is only in Cup competition you can really call a win a disappointment. On a night heavily skewing in Toronto FCs favour, a 2-1 victory over a virtual Vancouver Whitecaps reserve team hardly flatters. The first leg of the Amway Canadian Championship was an opportunity for Toronto to take control of the tie. Mission failed. Vancouver Whitecaps manager Carl Robinson elected to rest his regulars looking ahead to Saturdays game against the Columbus Crew. Even with 29-year-old Nigel Reo-Coker in the lineup, the average age of the Whitecaps starting XI was 21.6, including 17-year-old Canadian goalkeeper Marco Carducci. It was a glimpse of the future for Vancouver. The kids were alright. Toronto FC was less convincing. Toronto, with the week off until the return leg next Wednesday in Vancouver, had the luxury to play a regular starting XI. With only two changes from last weekends loss to New England, Toronto FC began the night heavy favourites. Instead, heavy legs, heavy touches, and heavy lifting were needed to see the game out. The Whitecaps grew in confidence and the manager played his cards right. Robinson, seeing weakness in TFC and his team grow into the match brought on attacking players Kekuta Manneh and Sebastian Fernandez late, pushing for an away goal. Although Vancouver conceded in the 89th minute en route, they found the precious goal in time added on and head home next week as favourite to advance. Manneh scored the goal. Not the prettiest, but a timely and much needed strike in aggregate competition. Toronto FC substitute Dwayne De Rosario was lucky to stay on the field after landing a forearm to the face of the goal scorer amongst a pile of flailing arms as Vancouver tried to get the ball back to midfield as soon as possible. Manneh and De Rosario saw yellow before the game died out and the final whistle blew. The script never seems to be straightforward for Toronto FC. They have seldom been the dominant side in any match thus far this season. Team commitment, work rate and shape remain solid, but interplay, build up, and execution in the final third continue to be issues. It takes time for a team of new faces to come together. With the World Cup break rapidly approaching, time is ticking for the team to click. Here are my five thoughts from Toronto FCs 2-1 victory: 1) Two is not enough - Toronto FC dictated proceedings all night long, rendering Vancouver reliant on the counter-attack. The build-up remained consistent and decent until reaching the final third. In and around the opposing 18-yard box, the team remains a mess, with the exception of Jermain Defoe and Michael Bradley. Good thing the big money players are coming through because the rest of the team needs to be much better in dangerous areas. The final ball is often erratic. And when the ball is on a platter, the finishing goes awry. There isnt just one culprit. They are too easily letting defenders off the hook. Its all sloppy, too direct and too easy to mark. Part of the issue is the team playing too narrow. Justin Morrow and Mark Bloom rarely get involved in the attack to overlap in to dangerous areas. The bulk of the attacking play comes down the middle, with even the outside midfielders coming far too inside. More than two goals should have been had against a team of inexperienced kids. Now Toronto has to go out west and get a result. The pressure will be on the Whitecaps to get a goal, which may put Toronto back in their comfort zone playing on the counter. 2) Oh, Gilberto - More of the good and bad on display by Gilberto. Hes not doing himself or the club any favours dispelling the notion he wasnt worth the club giving up Matias Laba. The ups and downs in his game are so pronounced he may as well be called Two-Face. For a player who predicted a 25-goal season, the polish in front of goal is simply not there. Some nice interplay between Defoe and Issey Nakajima-Farran in the 21st minute broke Toronto FC free down the left flank. The Canadian Internationals cross was on point, finding Gilberto wide open on the far post at the six-yard box. The Brazilian headed wide; a brutal miss by any standard. Its now been seven games without a goal for the striker. The good: the work rate remains a plus and glimpses of his ability surface from time to time. Gilberto dropped deep into space to gain possession and played a crafty ball behind the back line, springing Defoe on his goal. More of this kind of positive play will ease the critics. They will ultimately not be silenced until he starts scoring goals. Designated Players must be impactful. Thus far, the returns are subpar. With an injured Bright Dike and De Rosario struggling to find form, a productive Gilberto is essential for sustained team success. 3) Defoe does it again - Defoe looked much sharper in his second game back returning from a nagging hamstring injury. His quickness and superior movement was on full display in the win. Defoe was cool in front of goal, composed as ever beating Carducci for his 28th minute opener, his fourth wearing red. Defoe played provider on Bradleys 89th minute winner, drawing two defenders to him before playing a diagonal ball finding Bradley in space. Whenever he gets the ball in and around the box, he is a threat and has the ability to create on his own. Thats why its so important for the Englishman to be more involved. There were stretches in the game where he faded out of the match when Toronto FC was too sloppy in possession. He needs the ball played to his feet and his teammates to do better moving off the ball, finding space. Defoes touch is sublime and distribution is spot on. As long as Defoe stays fit, Toronto FC will remain a threat in every match they play. Hes far too dangerous. 4) Hail Cesar - Toronto FC goalkeeper Julio Cesar was named to the Brazilian squad for this summers World Cup in his home country. Cesars inclusion doesnt surprise with a resume second to none and showing good form since his arrival in Toronto. He has fit in with the team exceptionally well, on and off the field. Last years starting goalkeeper, Joe Bendik, will be called upon as stand-in upon Cesars World Cup absence. Bendik got his first start Wednesday and picked up where he left off last season with strong play. Bendik came to the rescue in the 44th minute, making a big save on Russell Teibert who found space inside the Toronto FC 18-yard box. It was instinctive stuff, with Bendik reading the play, coming off his line and staying big. Doneil Henry helped out Bendik seconds later, clearing Nicolas Mezquidas effort off the goalline. Bendik came up big again in the 75th minute with a pair of timely saves on Omar Saldado. The goal conceded was a mess with the defending all over the place. The blame hardly falls on the goalkeeper. There was enough on display Wednesday to alleviate any worry about a significant dip in goalkeeping when Cesar is gone. But theres no question who remains the number one. 5) Not your average Joe - Linesman Joe Fletcher manned the west-side touchline for the match. Much bigger games lay ahead for the Niagara Falls native in the not-so distant future. The 37-year old will be running the touchline at this summers World Cup, just over a month away. The assistant referee will link up with an American duo to form one of the 25 officiating crews in Brazil. The last Canadian official to participate at a World Cup was Hector Vergara who was part of the 2002, 2006, and 2010 competitions. Wishing Joe the best of luck and safe travels this summer. Next up for Toronto FC is the second leg of the Amway Canadian Championship semifinal tie in Vancouver against the Whitecaps, Wednesday May 14 at BC Place. Cheap Adidas Stars Jerseys . Riethers apparent stamp on Manchester United midfielder Adnan Januzaj during Saturdays Premier League match at Craven Cottage was missed by the match officials. A three-man panel of former referees reviewed the incident and all agreed that it was a sending-off offence. Wholesale Stars Jerseys . Not because it was right, but because referees werent allowed to determine it was wrong. http://www.cheapstarsjerseys.com/. Johan Franzen had two goals and two assists, Gustav Nyquist a goal and three assists and David Legwand a goal and two assists in the Red Wings 7-4 win over the New Jersey Devils. Cheap Stars Jerseys Authentic . Gerald Green and Miles Plumlee? Green had bounced around the NBA when he wasnt playing overseas. The Pacers gave up on Plumlee after just one season. Now Green and Plumlee are key cogs in the Suns surprising breakout season. Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys . The official spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the league hasnt announced the award. Crawford was the Clippers third-leading scorer and the NBAs top-scoring reserve with 18.DETROIT -- The Detroit Red Wings were in desperate need of a win and two veteran stars helped delivered it. Daniel Alfredsson scored two goals, including a power-play score at 1:03 of overtime and the Red Wings earned a 3-2 win over the Calgary Flames on Thursday night. The win snapped Detroits six-game losing streak (0-4-2) and five-game home losing streak. "We were hanging in, playing some good hockey, and then all of a sudden were having some lapses where we give the other team way too many chances," Alfredsson said. "We did that some today, too, but overall we grinded." Alfredsson also had an assist and was set up for the winner by Pavel Datsyuk, who had three assists. Datsyuk threaded a cross-ice pass to Alfredsson, who rifled in a one-time slap shot from the inside edge of the left circle for his ninth goal of the season. Datsyuk drew the penalty on T.J. Brodie, who hooked Datsyuk as he tried to split the defence deep in the Calgary zone with 42 seconds left. Alfredsson also got his 700th assist earlier in the game. Detroit is without eight regulars due to injury. Joakim Andersson also scored for Detroit, defenceman Niklas Kronwall added two assists and goaltender Jonas Gustavsson made 20 saves. Mikael Backlund and Mark Giordano scored for Calgary. Mike Cammalleri had two assists and goalie Karri Ramo stopped 35 shots. "They had a little desperaation and hunger in their game down the stretch," Cammalleri said.dddddddddddd Calgary coach Bob Hartley disagreed with the penalty call on Brodie. "I didnt think it was a call," Hartley said. "I thought it was a hockey play. It was stick to stick." Alfredsson opened the scoring just 26 seconds into the game when he put in a loose puck from the slot. Backlund tied it at 5:11 with his fifth goal. He flipped in the puck after it caromed off the end boards. Andersson gave the Red Wings a 2-1 lead at 11:38 of the second when Alfredssons shot deflected in off his skate. It was Anderssons fifth goal. It was Alfredssons 700th career assist. Giordanos power-play goal tied it at 2 with 4:27 left in the second period. He beat Gustavsson with a shot from the high slot just after a two-man Flames advantage ended. NOTE: Calgary C Mike Cammalleri returned after missing the previous game due to an illness. Cammalleri also played at the University of Michigan. ... Red Wings captain and C Henrik Zetterberg, who is on the long-term injured reserve due to a herniated disc, skated with his teammates Thursday morning for the first time since his previous game, which was Dec. 4. ... Flames C Jiri Hudler is a former Red Wing. ... Detroit RW Jordin Tootoo was in the lineup after being recalled from Grand Rapids of the AHL. The veteran enforcer was sent down to the team earlier in the season. 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