It seems like only last week that Toronto FC coach John Carver was saying that if his team failed to make the playoffs, he would entirely understand if he was given the sack. After failing to beat the Houston Dynamo at home on Saturday -- a result that effectively, if not mathematically, ended TFC's season -- he was more calmly looking ahead to next year.

"I told the lads that we have showed we can play with the best teams in the MLS," Carver said. "Now if our playoff chances disappear, we need to concentrate these next four games finishing up in the standings." Well, it's something to aim for, even if it will only drop you down the draft pick list.

Toronto played well in the second half, writes Dean McNulty, leveling the game after going in 1-0 down on Hunter Freeman's comical own goal. Carver reportedly more than raised his voice at the interval, "but I won't point fingers at who was to blame for the own goal because it was a series of errors," the coach said. "What disappoints me even more so was when I see how we played in the second half, that is the real Toronto FC you saw in the second half. That's the side I've been preparing and putting on the field."

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