Texas to Toronto

What's been the difference between a Toronto that couldn't score once and one who has won two in a row?

At first glance, I'd say it's my favorite MLS Irishman, Ronnie O'Brien.

I used to interview O'Brien at least partially because I loved listening to him talk. It wasn't just his accent, it was his knack for phrases and metaphors that just begged to be quoted. He'd call things the way he saw them - he didn't bother with the polite sporting cliches of "we're just happy to be here" and "we're taking it one game at a time" borefest.

As much as he was colorful, O'Brien struck me as a gamer, a competitive guy who would fight for his team. But when you're an out-of-town reporter, you only get bits and pieces of impressions, so when I heard he wasn't getting along with certain FC Dallas elements, I was a bit surprised, but figured there might have been some obstinate streak to O'Brien I had missed.

When he hurt himself early this season in a Toronto FC practice going for a reportedly pointless retaliatory tackle on his own teammate, it seemed to indicate further a certain lack of rational judgment.

All that aside, however, his return to the field indicates that whatever I missed in terms of O'Brien's negatives, I was right about him being a gamer. In addition to his other midfield skills, Ronnie also possesses a screamer of a long-range shot. If he uncorks that successfully, Toronto could find themselves agreeing with me on who their favorite MLS Irishman is.