TFC and hockey

Day -627. #WorldCup2018

I have two funny, or mildly amusing, stories today mostly for non-North American readers because unless they don't turn on a radio or TV, or go online then they probably have heard both of these a few times. And the humour is needed, not to ignore the incredible horrific events happening because the Americans and Russians carry on a disgusting argument over who's lives are more important while those lives get destroyed, but because I never feel I am in any way fit to sit here and offer an opinion on Syria and it's people. So I deal with it not by ignoring it but by talking about what I do know about and what can give me some surreal, maybe, distraction. Maybe one day I will meet refugees from Syria and the only thing I will be able to talk them about is football and that will make them happy.

Toronto FC qualified for the end of season playoffs today. That was the news last week. Today's news: Toronto FC qualified for the end of season playoffs today. Yes, again, because it turns out last week, a day after celebrating the achievement the league informed the club that, er, sorry, we kind of messed up and you haven't made it yet. All North American sports run on playoffs. The leagues are built for them. With no promotion or relegation it's the playoffs at the end of the season that generate all the excitement. And the MLS (Major League Soccer), like all other leagues keep a number of statistics all season and figure out numerous mathematical combinations of who can qualify for the post season as the regular season nears it's end. Last week somebody in that MLS office must have missed carrying a number somewhere or putting an "x" in an equation in the wrong place. They even admitted that it gets so complicated that they don't expect the clubs to keep track, but that the clubs rely on the MLS telling them if they have qualified. So the MLS said yes last week based on a number of x's and y's happening and Toronto FC announced the good news to their fans who celebrated. But on Monday the MLS said there was new set or permutations that had to happen this week to make it official. Finally, Toronto's spot was confirmed after a draw yesterday against Philadelphia.

The other little story goes back to my post about the World Cup of hockey a couple of weeks ago. The experts on the sports radio I was listening to in the car in desperation (despair at the same music played over and over again) were almost laughing in their dismissal of Team Europe as a serious contender. Well, guess who's in the final (or Finals to use the North American lingo)? Yes, the useless Europeans, made up of players from the lesser European hockey nations (no Swedes, Finns, Russians or Czechs) will play Canada in the final. The final, because hockey can do this, is a best of three games series. Just like in football, so much for the experts. And why am I talking about hockey? It'll take too long to go back over that again. Trust that I did have a solid reason for the diversion a couple of weeks ago.