Come back Maurice Edu and Marvell Wynne. Come back now. Toronto FC desperately needs you.
While Edu and Wynne are completing the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament on Sunday at Nashville's LP Field with the U.S. Under-23 team, TFC will be on its way back to Toronto with its Major League Soccer opener frighteningly close.
The season opens next Saturday in Columbus against the Crew and the way TFC looked Saturday night on Daniel Island in Charleston, S.C., in losing its final preseason game 2-0 to the United Soccer Leagues Charleston Battery, that is a frightening thought.
Edu and Wynne who helped the United States qualify for the Olympic soccer tournament with 3-0 victory over Canada in the semi-finals on Thursday night have been sorely missed by TFC. That was painfully clear Saturday night.
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TFC went 0-2 with one draw in its three games in the Carolina Challenge Cup at Blackbaud Stadium and scored one goal. The performance was unacceptable in both losses and the 1-1 draw with the New York Red Bulls last Wednesday was basically so-so.
Forward Kevin Gall of England's League One Carlisle United played the whole game for TFC on Saturday night and at least showed some effort.
TFC supporters can only hope this match was not an indication of the season to come.
Scoring:
Charleston: Randi Patterson (Osvaldo Alonso) 38th minute.
Charleston: Randi Patterson (Darren Spicer) 50th minute.
TFC: Brian Edwards, Marco Velez, Tyrone Marshall, Pat Phelan, Jim Brennan, Kevin Harmse, Joey Melo (Todd Dunivant 67, Gabe Gala 89), Collin Samuel, Martin Brittain (Jarrod Smith 67) Jeff Cunningham (Danny Dichio 77), Kevin Gall.
Charleston Battery: Dusty Hudock, Tim Veltan, Marco Reda, John Wilson, Nelson Akwari, Darren Spicer, Osvaldo Alonso, Pato Aguilera, Mike Richardson, Lester More (Aaron King, 59), Randi Patterson (Kendall Jagdeosingh, 84).
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