Late equalizer boosts LA

It?s still troubling to see all those empty seats at BMO Field, once the gold standard in passionate MLS support.

Hopefully the fans who have abandoned TFC (or stashed their scarves for the time being) will recognize that a better product can be found these days along Exhibition Place, where Ryan Nelsen has the Reds organized and working hard for one another.

Unfortunately, Nelsen and his side still have miles to go in terms of getting the personnel where it needs to be, and in teaching the team how to manage matches and situations.

We saw it all there Saturday as TFC gave up an early goal, rallied to take a lead and held that margin until stoppage time. But a mistake in the back gave young Galaxy attacker Jose Villareal a chance to demonstrate his opportunism and his athleticism.

His late goal was the equalizer in a 2-2 draw at BMO Field.

Here are a few quick thoughts, followed by the highlights.

• Richard Eckersley, once a right back, then a center back and then a right back again ? he?s now apparently a left back.
• ?We?ve mentioned before about how TFC still needs more quality in several areas, something club president Kevin Payne is presumably addressing. One is right I the middle of the park, where TFC were clearly outmanned over stretches Saturday. Juninho and Marcelo Sarvas ? good MLS midfield men, but not great ? mostly had their way through the center.
• Donovan (pictured from Satruday)? Meh. Then again, what did we expect? Getting him on the field was about elevating his fitness, as much as anything.

(MORE: Landon Donovan back on field for LA Galaxy)

• TFC was just not a bit creative for most of Saturday afternoon. Luis Silva?s second-half introduction helped (and a clever little something surely helped on TFC?s second goal), but the Reds need more imagination. So far, too many of the TFC goals tends to rise out of Robert Earnshaw?s opportunism.
• Hard to say what TFC defender Darel Russell might have been thinking with a ?clearing? header that he put right back in front of his own goal in stoppage time. Anywhere else and the Reds probably get all three points. A draw against the champs, even at home, isn?t terrible for TFC. But conceding a late equalizer (losing two points in the process) is a real bummer, and surely feels like a loss for Nelsen and Co.

Highlights of Saturday?s match:

Source: http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/30/thoughts-and-highlights-on-toronto-la-galaxy-draw/related/

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