Are Toronto FC truly the real deal?
They have stepped over their first hurdle – they’ve won a match! But wait folks; they take on the mighty DC United this Saturday in a rematch of last year’s eastern conference bottom-dwellers.
No matter what any discussion regarding Toronto FC’s remarkable offseason revolves around, the concept of being a “winning” club is whispered amongst their supporters. This is not something new; the days of Torsten Frings and Danny Koevermans were exciting enough to evoke this reaction of “can we do it?” amongst the fans. I will admit that I fell victim to the allure of Aron Winter and Bob De Klerk’s promises of Total Football in Toronto. Johan Cruyff did play in the NASL back in the 1970’s after all – it wasn’t a far-fetched notion.
On that note, what is different at this moment in time in 2014 one game into the regular season?
Well, we’ve learned a few things from the first match about what Toronto possibly has in store for us this season and what we should keep our eyes during the matchup with DC United:
- Michael Bradley is a leader! He was in my books easily the most influential player of the match; winning tackles, taking set pieces, directing individuals – he did it all. Lex Luthor worked harder than any other man on the pitch, giving it his 110%. His comments throughout preseason about taking his time in Toronto seriously were not in jest; he justified them with his play.
- Jermain Defoe can score! Yes, it’s not like this was an unknown prior to his signing, after all, it would be illogical to sign a player to a $7.5 million dollar annual contract if he was unproven. The concern was whether he would be able to do so with a less capable surrounding cast than he has had in the past with Spurs. Look to see him continue to be the focal point of the attack.
- A midfield of Jonathan Osorio and Michael Bradley can thrive! The worries of losing Matias Laba have faded with Osorio’s impressive performance alongside The General. Slotting the pass through for Defoe’s first of the evening was a spectacular moment for the native of Brampton – it summed up his efforts on the night and proved any doubters of his ability to become a regular starter wrong. Osorio was allowed to create plays from a deeper lying midfield position than perhaps he was used to while being allowed to burst into the attacking third to a highly effective degree.
- Julio Cesar is just a keeper! He should’ve handled the Dempsey goal better, there is no question about it. Ball distribution aside (which was simply phenomenal), without backlines as fantastic as ones from his Inter days (If I had Javier Zanetti, Christian Chivu, Maxwell, Maicon, Walter Samuel or Lucio in front of me, I think I would fare pretty well too) he was left hanging out to dry. Not that Doneil Henry and Steven Caldwell are terrible centre backs; they should’ve kept better tabs on Dempsey for the goal. He’s kind of a Superstar. We also understand that Julio Cesar is not Superman.
- Alvaro Rey is worth the hype! Yes, you might be wondering just what hype I am referring to. As the now legendary Kevin Payne told the Toronto Star, “He’s very technical and quick, and is good at taking on defenders. He offers something different than we typically see in MLS and we think he’ll help our team become more dangerous.” Well we knew that already. But now that he has had the chance to become acclimatized he was a force to be reckoned with on Saturday. He quite literally pranced through the entire Sounders team at one point – it was majestic to watch. If his play continues at this high standard we can expect great things from the Spaniard.
At the end of the day, Toronto FC won their first match of the 2014 season to a score of 2-1. The 2nd game of the 2013 season was also won by a score of 2-1 against the eventual MLS Cup champs Sporting Kansas City. The remarkable similarity between the two? Robert Earnshaw (Like Jermain Defoe) scored both goals for Toronto and we all know how he turned out. Hope that calms everyone’s nerves. I’ll also throw in a shout out to an attacking midfielder who plays for DC United whom Toronto should be wary of and familiar with – Luis Silva.
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