AS IT HAPPENED: Toronto FC 2, Kansas City Wizards 0
At 3-2-0, TFC goes over the .500 mark for the first time in team history.

It's a sea of red on the Lakeshore GO Train coming downtown. With fans heading to both the Raptors and TFC games, and no TTC available, there are plenty of jerseys to be seen on the GO. If you ever head down to games and have a choice between using the green train or the TTC, use GO. It might cost a little more each way but it's worth it in terms of ease of getting down to the stadium and comfort.
As the national anthems finish, it's clear to see the TTC strike hasn't made much of a dent, if any, in attendance. The stands are filled and the south-end leads a raucous chant of the White Stripes' "Seven Nation Army."
It doesn't take long to see why Jeff Cunningham, one of the top scorers in MLS history, has been relegated to the bench by Amado Guevara. Guevara has an outstanding chance just two minutes in, as he collects a difficult cross, hesitates, and lashes a shot at goal. He owns the pitch through the opening minutes, darting into space, creating openings and providing excellent balls into the middle and onto the wings.
Claudio Lopez, the thirtysomething Argentine legend Kansas City brought in as its designated player, doesn't run. It's sorta like watching Luis Figo when Benfica came here last season. At most, he'll jog for a minute or two. But a player of his past greatness obviously doesn't need to run anymore.
Wait, we are 14 minutes in and Lopez jogged to get a ball that had rolled into touch.
At 22 minutes, Guevara's header is cleared off the line; it's clear he has brought a new dimension of class into the TFC attack. The Reds are unlucky not to be ahead. They've dominated possession. Remind me of Arsenal, a bit. Lot of style, possession, but no goals to show for it. Uh oh, better not use this as a platform for my Arsenal frustrations.
By 34 minutes, another Guevara drive has just missed wide and he's even made an audacious attempt at an overhead. Really, this is one of those games that proves all the "it's 0-0, it must be boring" types wrong. It's been an engaging game.
At halftime, it's a glass half-empty, half-full situation. TFC have dominated and should be ahead, but settle for 0-0. But, KC is the top team in the East, much better than the teams TFC have beat in its last two games. Being level with the Wizards is actually a sign of great improvement for this team.
Ten minutes into the second half, and TFC get its deserved lead. Marvell Wynne bundles the ball into the area, two Kansas City defenders collide and knock the ball to Guevara, who chips the ball past the keeper. KC protests Guevara was offside, but the linesmen was right to keep the flag down. An offensive player cannot be offside when the ball comes to him from a defensive player, save for a deflection. And KC's blunder was not a deflection.
In the 68th, Marco Velez, the under-fire TFC central defender, has his regular once-a-game brain cramp; he's caught in possession, and it results in a KC two-on-one. But keeper Greg Sutton bails him out with a great save off of Ivan Trujillo's shot. Earlier in the game, Sutton had a word with Velez about his positional play.
(After the game, TFC coach John Carver is not so subtle about his warning to Velez; with touted draft pick Julius James ready to play and the recent signing of former Celtic defender Olivier Tebily, it's clear Velez has to watch his back. "If he doesn't perform, he goes out of the team, and someone else goes in," says the coach.)
Who says we should let Laurent Robert have all the fun? In the 77th, Guevara puts it away with a free kick as good as any as Beckham would launch. Spectacular. Maybe the best game I've ever seen someone in a TFC uniform play so far in team history. Guevara needs a terrace chant. U-Sector needs to work on that. May I suggest, to the tune of "Volare..."
"Amado, whooaaa-ooo-ooh,
Guevara, whooaaa-ooo-ooh,
He plays at BMO
His skills amaze us so."

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