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Benched to start all-star game, local boy Brennan still riles up fans |
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Written by THE CANADIAN PRESS
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Thursday, 24 July 2008 |
David Beckham of the LA Galaxy and Jim Brennan of the TFC share a laugh as the pair work out at the MLS All Star Practice at BMO Field on Wednesday July 23, 2008, in Toronto. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Toronto Star - Rene Johnston
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TORONTO - Jim Brennan will go down as the most popular bench-warmer in Major League Soccer all-star game history.
With the lone player from Toronto FC selected to play in the mid-season showcase at BMO Field on the bench to start the game, the team's rabid fans turned their attention away from the field and chanted, "We want Brennan, we want Brennan" a handful of times before the Toronto native finally was inserted in the 59th minute.
"It was funny," Brennan said after the MLS all-stars beat West Ham United of the English Premiership 3-2 before a BMO Field record crowd of 20,844. "The guys were giving me a bit of a (hard time) and they kept on saying it was my buddies behind the goal who were yelling.
"It was amazing. It's hard to describe sitting on the bench and everybody screaming for you to come on. It was something I'll always remember."
In a nice touch, MLS head coach Steve Nicol put Brennan and Toronto native Dwayne De Rosario of the Houston Dynamo into the game at the same time, drawing a loud roar.
"He just chucked his arm I think after maybe the fifth time the fans started (chanting for Brennan) and he said, 'Get on, I'm sick of them now,"' Brennan said with a smile.
Nicol, the head coach of the New England Revolution, knew Brennan wasn't going to be at full strength after he played on Tuesday in a 1-1 draw against the Montreal Impact in the final game of the Nutrilite Canadian Championship.
"I was under a bit of pressure, but I handled it." Nicol said, jokingly. "I really didn't want to upset the back four too early. They were pretty solid. That's the reason why Jimmy came on after 60 minutes."
Vancouver-born goalkeeper Pat Onstad of the Dynamo also checked into the game with less than 20 minutes left. Like De Rosario, the 40-year-old Onstad played in a 2-0 win over D.C. United Wednesday in Washington in a game that was delayed three hours by a storm.
"I was kind of hesitant about whether I should play or not because I'm so exhausted and my hamstring is a little tight," Onstad said.
"But I'm glad I went out and played ... I guess it's another feather in my cap, at the age of 40, to get into an all-star game. It's nice. I can't say enough about this coaching staff."
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Last Updated ( Sunday, 07 September 2008 )
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