THE FORMATIONS Toronto FC lined up in a 4-4-2 formation, as it did last weekend in its 2-1 victory over the Seattle Sounders. There was one change to TFCs starting XI, as designated player, Gilberto, made his debut in a Toronto jersey, replacing Dwayne De Rosario up front. DC United named an unchanged lineup from their 3-0 loss to the Columbus Crew on the opening weekend of the season (DC had a bye last weekend). Head coach Ben Olsen again chose to line up his team in a 4-4-2 diamond formation. (Click for larger) THE GAME Toronto FCs home debut wasnt pretty. Not because the players on display were poor, but because the pitch simply wasnt ready for soccer. That is not the fault of the BMO Field grounds crew though, who did an admirable job getting the surface prepared for the game. But after the coldest winter in recent memory, it was always going to be an impossible task to turn the playing surface into the lush carpet that players come to expect. While DC United boss Ben Olsen said the pitch "was as bad as Ive ever seen in MLS", it didnt stop the players from trying to play. But the bobbly surface, which cut up as the game wore on, made it virtually impossible for the players to string long sequences of passes together. Despite the difficult conditions (it was also cold and windy down on the pitch), there were some glimpses of what lies ahead for the long-suffering fans of Toronto FC. The partnership between Jermain Defoe and Gilberto looks to be very promising. Defoes movement in the final third was exceptional, and he had a number of chances in the first half to break the deadlock. In Gilberto, Defoe has a partner who can serve as his perfect foil. The Brazilian was comfortable dropping deep to receive the ball, didnt shy away from the physical battle, and once he had the ball at his feet, was willing to drive at the back four or play the role of provider. Michael Bradley was again a dominant force in midfield, and his partnership with Jonathan Osorio is also reason for optimism. They can both get caught ahead of the ball at times (as they did in Seattle last week for the Sounders goal) but that is due more to their lack of familiarity than to any tactical negligence. The early signs are that these two players will be very influential for Toronto FC. At the back, TFC looked comfortable all game. Both Doneil Henry and Steven Caldwell had strong games, with Henry winning everything in the air. In Eddie Johnson and Fabian Espindola, DC United have two very experienced front men, but Henry and Caldwell thwarted everything that the pair could throw their way. THE TURNING POINT Only one goal separated the teams at the final whistle, and it came from great work from Torontos three designated players. Apparently, you do get what you pay for. On the hour mark, Bradley picked up a square ball from Osorio in midfield, took one touch and floated a perfectly weighted pass into the path of Gilberto, who had made a great run in behind DC Uniteds central defender, Jeff Parke. (Click for larger) Gilberto settled the ball with a perfect first touch, and as the covering defender, Bobby Boswell, was closing him down, fired a right-footed shot on target. Look at the positional awareness of Defoe when Gilberto is shooting; he put himself in the ideal position to pick up the rebound. He didnt charge in full-speed towards goal; instead, he held his run so that he could adjust his position, which gave him the best possible chance of recovering the ball. (Click for larger) DC United goalkeeper, Bill Hamid, did very well to parry the hard, low shot from Gilberto. Bobby Boswell tried to hack the ball clear, but Defoe, who had taken up the ideal position inside the penalty area, intercepted his clearance. (Click for larger) From there, Defoe did what he does best. He took one touch to set himself and one touch to fire the ball into the back of the net. THE POSITIVES In a scrappy game, it was encouraging to see the developing partnerships all over the pitch for Toronto FC. The strength of this team is its spine: Defoe-Gilberto / Bradley-Osorio / Caldwell-Henry / Julio Cesar is as good a spine as any team in MLS. If those players can stay healthy (and not miss too many games due to this summers World Cup), Toronto FC fans can look forward to playoff soccer for the first time in the clubs history. Defoe was a class apart against DC United. His movement to pull off the shoulders of the DC United defenders was something that all aspiring strikers should watch over and over again. But I thought that 20-year old Henry was immense for TFC. Ive said it before (and I promise you, Ill be saying it again) - Henry is going to be a real player. THE NEGATIVES Jackson had a game to forget, and I suspect that he could be getting a call from the Leagues Disciplinary Committee. In the 50th minute, Jackson was booked for an altercation with DC Uniteds Davy Arnaud. While the referee cautioned Jackson on the play, I think that video evidence will show that Jackson intentionally elbowed Arnaud off the ball – which could draw a suspension similar to the one received by Seattles Clint Dempsey for striking TFCs Mark Bloom last weekend. THE STAR MAN With three goals in his first two games in MLS, Defoe is off to a flying start for Toronto FC. Goals get the headlines – and rightly so – but it was Defoes overall play that was so impressive. His movement and finishing ability are superb, and if his teammates can continue to deliver him good service, it is quite possible that Defoe will sit atop the leagues scoring chart come the end of the season. Never before has Toronto FC started the season with two victories. But a major investment in better players is paying dividends early on for TFC as they sit joint top of the Eastern Conference standings with maximum points from their first two games. Nikolaj Ehlers Jersey . This week, topics cover the Blue Jays rotation, the futures John Gibbons and Alex Anthopoulos, protecting pitchers and a bonus question on his predictions for the MLB playoffs. Bobby Hull Jersey . Eller scored the midway through the third period after Dallas scored twice to tie it, leading Canadiens to a 6-4 win over the Stars on Thursday night. http://www.officialwinnipegjetspro.com/L...ets-jersey/.com) - Carmelo Anthony tallied 31 points to help the New York Knicks continue their improved play of late with a 100-92 victory over a short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder squad. Winnipeg Jets Jerseys . Arsenal had already scored its goals in the third round fixture when the fierce rivalry turned ugly in the final ten minutes as Walcott was being carried off on a stretcher. Dale Hawerchuk Jersey . 1 overall pick in the draft by the Houston Texans, is recovering from sports hernia surgery.PHILADELPHIA - Five minutes after Kyle Lowry recorded his fourth career triple-double, and second as a member of the Raptors, he was back in the locker room glued to his phone, streaming the Knicks game. At the time, Carmelo Anthony was at the tail end of a career and Knicks franchise-record setting performance in New York. Melo had 60 points and counting, as Lowry watched in amazement. "They just took him out," he told an enquiring DeMar DeRozan, putting down his phone to speak with the media following his own remarkable showing. No, Lowry didnt score 62 points - Anthonys final point total - but he too was coming off a game hell remember for the rest of his professional career, and beyond. "Its always special to play here," said the Philadelphia-native, who put up 18 points, 10 rebounds and 13 assists in front of over 50 friends and family members in Torontos 104-95 victory over the 76ers. And his triple-double? "As long as its with a win, its a great feat." The win didnt come easy. Toronto got off to a quick start before coughing up an early 13-point lead to the last place 76ers. The Raptors trailed by one at the break and exchanged buckets with a tenacious Philadelphia team during the third quarter. Down one with a minute remaining in the third, Lowry drained a short jumper to give his team the lead, adding a step-back 18-footer prior to the buzzer. Half of section 123 - five or six rows of Lowry supporters - was on their feet as the quarter came to an end. The Raptors never relinquished their lead from there. "Always, coming here and winning the game is most important," said the Raptors point guard. "Even if I play terrible, if we win the game and I give my family something to cheer for Im happy." How big was his own personal cheering section? "50-something [people], a small amount," he said with a smirk. Following Friday morning shoot around, Lowry - having spent the previous night back at home - spoke about staying professional and blocking out the natural distraction of being in a familiar setting. He got his ticket requests in Thursday evening and by 5:00, two hours before tip-off, he insisted his phone would be turned off. "Its always special to be able to haave them sit behind you and cheer for you and cheer for the team," he said.dddddddddddd "Its definitely different but Im still a professional, Ive got to do my job, Ive got to help my team win." 48 hours earlier, Lowry missed all 10 of his field goal attempts as he batted the flu, running back-and-forth from the restroom in Wednesdays victory over Dallas. DeRozan picked up the slack for his ailing comrade, scoring a career-best 40 points. Theyve become something of a tag team. On Friday, with Lowry back to full health after some home cooking, both guards were tremendous. "Thats what he do, man," said DeRozan, who had 34 points of his own, including 16 in the fourth and 13 from the free throw line. "He puts us all in great positions to score. He rebounds, he pushes the ball, he does it all when hes out there on the court. You cant ask for another point guard like that who can do all those things." Lowry and DeRozan, are both awaiting their All-Star fate. The leagues coaches will vote in the reserves - they have until the weekend to submit their ballots - and Torontos backcourt duo is making one final, eye catching push. "Hes an All-Star," DeRozan said of Lowry. "Hes an All-Star," Lowry said of DeRozan. "Theyre both All-Stars," said Amir Johnson. Theyll find out on Thursday, but for now theyre both relieved to be winning once again. After dropping three of four last week the Raptors have been victorious in two straight ahead of a daunting matchup with the Clippers in the second night of a back-to-back Saturday and a crucial showdown with the suddenly red-hot, division rival Nets Monday. "I dont think we ever lost it," DeRozan said with confidence. "We understand we cant win every game. There are going to be games we wish we should have win but it might just not be our night. We understand that. We just have to stay positive when we lose a game, understand we have to learn from our mistakes and keep going." Meanwhile, DeRozan - making his All-Star bid - has scored 74 points in two games, shooting 11-for-16 in the fourth quarter during that stretch. Not bad right? "Melo had 62 [tonight]," he said. "I really didnt do too much." 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