Colorado vs. Toronto – Several Questions With Waking The Red

In anticipation of Colorado's match against Toronto, I got together with John Leung from our wonderful Reds blog Waking The Red. I asked him about losing Julian De Guzman, the possible line up for this game and more.

BW: Toronto just lost Julian De Guzman to Dallas. What is the general consensus among fans of what this move means for the team? Are fans generally glad he's gone or happy?

WtR: The departure of JDG is significant in the fact that it is the end of the toxic legacy "that Scotsman" (a.k.a. Mo Johnston) has left for us after his departure; the saddling of an expensive mediocre attacking midfielder, with all the wrong expectations saddled on him as a hometown boy, and the whole de Rosario mess (which culminated in the now-infamous cheque signing goal celebration, of which I personally am still offended by), it feels like another huge weight has been lifted off this team.

However, unlike the malaise that de Rosario left, JDG is still well-regarded by fans. He's not consistent, but damn, he conducts himself with class. He's not spoken out like some players have chosen to (DeRo), and I think deep down he knows he's not lived up to what I believe the Scotsman had set for him, which has caused much pain and friction within the supporter base — but he has chosen to not act out, and when it was announced that he was leaving, supporters and players were generally positive in their goodbyes, a rare occurrance.

BW: Who's a Toronto player we might not have heard of who could do some damage in our match on Wednesday?

BW: 'The Worst Team In The World' no more, where do you see the Reds ending up this season with their new-found form?

WtR: At the moment, we have to be mindful of what we have coming up. Not only do we have the rest of the season to play for, but we also have four CONCACAF Champions League games against CD Aguila and our old nemesis Santos Laguna to come. With our lineup as thin as it is right now, and with Koevermans out — I can't foresee us making a big run towards the playoffs. I'd say we could surprise Santos Laguna, but I wouldn't bet the farm on TFC coming out of Group 1.

BW: Projected Lineup and formation?

Thanks again to John from Waking The Red, check out their fine little Reds supporting corner of the internet for more on our next opponent.