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TSN Soccer Analyst

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A few minutes past 9pm on Sunday evening, a well-dressed gentleman made his way through a crowd and uncomfortably searched for his phone in his pocket. 

Andrea Pirlo doesn't just glide on a football field he glides through life. In the backdrop of Yankee Stadium where security guards, media members and other workers are used to rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous few heads turn and stare. 

The Italian, arguably one of the most influential midfielders of all-time, is an exception. Conversations stop. Heads swivel. Mental images captured and frozen in time. 

Pirlo naturally navigates the space well, finding his phone and taking a call. He heads towards the compound of cars parked awaiting their owners taking him further and further away from a football field quite possibly for the final time as an active member of a playing squad. 

Two hours earlier, fellow designated players David Villa and Frank Lampard stood in the middle of Yankee Stadium. The Spanish World Cup winner placed one foot on the ball, had a brief conversation with the Englishman and shook his head. The game was barely a third over and already the two stars were getting ready to restart a game after conceding for a third time.

In the years to come, this match for them will just be another game. It’s much easier to file it in an unopened area of the mind when bigger moments from World Cup and Champions League finals are already stored away. 

But for now, those are also distant memories. In the middle of a playoff battle on a cool Sunday November night in the Bronx, they had nowhere to hide. The three stars brought to bring soccer stardom to New York City were helpless. Let down badly by some woeful performances from teammates and let down badly by their bodies, they were simply unable to recreate past moments of glory. Father time can be awfully cruel on those wanting to just keep playing a game they have loved for so long. 

Later in the night, the pair would meet again to restart. Now it's 4-0. New York City boss Patrick Vieira, one of the finest players of his generation, stands motionless while fans in the bleachers rushed to the front row to hurl abuse at the Frenchman. Many, so disgusted with what they are watching, can’t bring themselves to go back to their seat, choosing to walk out at least content that those around them heard their expletives. This time, Villa couldn't save them. And the club will take the winter months to try and find players around the Spaniard who can actually contribute.

It’s little wonder that the 34-year-old is the favourite to win the league's MVP award. Without him, they’re a truly awful side. Even with him on the biggest stage, they were just as poor. With that defence, it’s remarkable that 12 of his 23 goals this season put his team up either 1-0 or 2-0. Leads for that backline brought comfort, allowing them to drop deeper and keeping everything in front of them so their flaws can be hidden.

At the opposite side of the field, the architects of one of the biggest demolitions in North American soccer history never gave them a chance to do that over 180 minutes, putting on a clinic in collective balance and truly showcasing once again that this great game will forever only reward winners through true teamwork. 

This was not a story of David defeating the rich Goliath of the Big Apple. Toronto FC has assembled an expensive squad backed by a patient and supportive ownership group that demands success. This is a story of perseverance and learning from failures. Having tried and failed the 'stars and scrubs' approach in the past, key areas on the field were addressed where big non-DP money was spent. Players like Clint Irwin, Steven Beitashour, Drew Moor, Armando Cooper and Will Johnson all played their part in the 5-0 thumping. 

It would be too simple and just too easy to remember it as a game where Sebastian Giovinco scored a hat-trick and Jozy Altidore netted once again.

Their roles are of course, essential to getting Toronto FC this far and the club should be applauded for producing a different blueprint to the league. This team allocated large amounts of money to players peaking in their twenties rather than overseas stars way beyond their expiry date. But as the dust settles and time allows us to truly digest the performance, it should be remembered as the finest team performance in club history. 

Past horror shows, many coming in the New York area including a famous 5-0 loss across the Hudson, have admittedly set the bar low when talking about this performance in relation to club history. But in the months and years that follow, this game will now be the reference point for absolute team unity, providing a great rival in the Eastern Conference substantial evidence of the route needed to succeed. 

Pirlo eventually disappeared out of sight after placing his phone back in his pocket. As he left into the New York night, work continued at Yankee Stadium and conversations restarted. Much like his team's performance, Pirlo was forgotten about again and all anyone wanted to talk about was Toronto FC.

Major League Soccer continues to evolve and places can always exist for some of the truly great stars of the past to be plastered on a board in Times Square. But eventually nothing sells tickets more than a winning team.