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Nobody said it would be easy.
Chris Martin’s marriage with Gwyneth Paltrow is no more. Even Hollywood relationships end at some point.
This story begins with a lede so repulsive because it's a needed distraction from what happened in Salt Lake on Saturday night.
The 2014 Toronto FC season will be about making discoveries along the road to the first playoff berth in franchise history, and on that journey, there are lessons to be learned. The Reds were on the receiving end of one in Utah this weekend.
The defending Western Conference champions were on the front foot from the opening whistle and didn’t relent.
We know what happened: 11 minutes into the match Doneil Henry brought down Alvaro Saborio in the box. The Costa Rican international converted the penalty and from there, and the rest is history.
“It was an uncharacteristic start for us,” Ryan Nelsen said. "We didn’t really come out of the blocks very well. We weren’t focused enough from the start. The goals that we conceded were pretty soft. We have a lot to improve on and a lot to get better.”
Toronto FC learned something at Rio Tinto. This season will not always be about the good, or about how well everything has come together. There will be times when all the best laid plans go to waste in places like Salt Lake, and New York and Los Angeles.
How Toronto FC responds to these moments will be the tell tale sign. Is this collection of players ready to dissuade from seasons past? The early indication is yes, they will. They’re too talented, too good to fall into a black hole.
“If you’d given me six points after the first three games that we had, considering the opposition and where we had to go, I would have taken it in a heartbeat,” Nelsen said. “Considering that Real Salt Lake has been together for years and we’ve been together for minutes, especially with six points after three games, I’m absolutely delighted.”
Perspective is important. The win on the road in Seattle gave Toronto FC a cushion going forward. They consolidated that victory with an impressive performance in the home opener. Blips will happen, but it’s how they will respond in Columbus that will be the truest test.
The cohesion Real Salt Lake enjoys, built over six years, serves as the biggest lesson for the Reds going forward. Six years cannot be made up in a week. Learning each other's tendencies will have to happen on the fly, but through three games, the signs are very encouraging.
Toronto FC needs to go back to the start in Columbus.
