Well, it’s certainly one game at a time for Toronto FC this season. On the heels of two consecutive early August wins against Montreal and Columbus, there looked to be a renewed, quiet sense of calm and satisfaction about the group. These games were preceded in late July by a brace of poor results; a close loss at home to Sporting Kansas City and a woeful 3 – 0 loss on the road to DC United. Just when two well played games appeared to remedy the plagues of poor results, the most recent outing at Sporting Kansas City on August 16th was nothing short of a disaster with two penalties and poorly played set pieces leading to a 4 – 1 loss.
Following the recent SKC loss, Ryan Nelson was able to glean some positives; focusing on what he perceived as progress in open play and a simple series of mental lapses on set pieces. He also offered that the absence of Steven Caldwell, Mark Bloom, and Jermain Defoe was a huge factor. If anything, the major positive was the play of Gilberto who had Toronto’s lone goal. Gilberto seems 2 have sound his stride and is settling in quite nicely. In fact, he may be quickly becoming the most dependable and lethal attacker TFC has.
Sitting a shade more comfortably on the right side of the playoff line, there probably is a reason for Nelson’s optimism. It’s probably safe to assume that no one within the organization is getting too far ahead of things. Montreal and Columbus did not provide the kind of trouble that’s bound to be delivered by higher teams in the East and certainly to a greater extent, by the upper echelons of the West.
In the big picture, even without a playoff berth, the improvements from last year are phenomenal. The three DP’s, aside from injury to Defoe, are seemingly hitting their stride, and have proven their worth both on field and in regaining fan faith. Steven Caldwell, as defensive centrepiece has been a key piece in settling the defensive game – obviously the first order of business in Ryan Nelson’s plan. Perhaps an even more critical piece is the dependability of a new squad of MLS experienced workhorses – Jackson, Morrow, and Warrener have made an impact. Added speedster Dominic Oduro has been an upgrade over Alvaro Rey. And Luke Moore and Bradley Orr have done no harm, to say the least. In 2013, the additions of EPL players such as John Bostock, Darel Russell, and Hogan Ephraim gave cause for some early optimism, but it was all for nought. Moore and Orr on the other hand, are reliable and versatile contributors. Doneil Henry, Jonathan Osorio, and to some extent Kyle Bekker are quickly maturing homegrown products that are finally starting to add that youthful key piece. Perhaps it’s the new support from the quality around them, maybe it was just a matter of time. Considering some of the other additions that showed up in the friendly against Tottenham; Lovitz, DeRo, Weideman, and Hall, overall depth is in abundance.
While still a work in progress , Toronto FC has snuffed out shades of past failures and images of past lack of depth and quality. At times when the quality was lacking, Nelson, Aaron Winter, and even Paul Mariner readily acknowledged that it just wasn’t good enough; there had to be a call for more. Money had to be spent; shopping had to be done. And so it was.
The aforementioned upgrades are commendable, and in an ever improving MLS, even more impressive. Surprisingly though, it doesn’t stop there. Along the road to improvement and the path to competency, the recruitment effort brought some assets that are actually yet to be realized. Judgement on the versatile Warren Creavalle should probably be delayed a little, given a recent arrival (and injury). Mark Bloom has done well and is on the way back from injury. Nick Hagglund has stepped in magnificently without the growing pains we’ve seen before from TFC youth. He may even challenge for MLS Rookie of the Year.
The real ace that may find its way down from Ryan Nelson’s sleeve is most definitely Bright Dike. Dike was picked up in a trade late last season. This was really no ordinary event and at first, it was actually met with the ire of quite a few. Dike came over from Portland in a trade for Maximiliano Urrutti, an Argentinian forward whom TFC had long scouted, pursued, and even signed against the wishes of his Argentine Club. In short, a lot of effort went into him. Surprisingly, he was seemingly left behind in Portland on a road trip in what appeared to be a strange and sudden twist. It was a trade that happened so quickly into his campaign with the club, very few saw it coming. Very little mention was made and on return, the criticism rained down…until Dike’s potential became evident.
As a forward, and a soccer player in general, Dike is an imposing figure. As a tall, 200 pounder, Dike plays a style unlike any other TFC forward; choosing to attack directly and run through opponents as opposed to the tricky, more elusive approach taken by most. Playing up front, he is hard to move. In many ways, such as in terms of size and speed, he does not appear to fit the typical football mold. In fact, body type-wise, he may be suited to the other type of football.
Many around the TFC camp were pleasantly surprised by his up front dominance when he took to the field late in the 2013 season. He was an instant upgrade and certainly helped add some presence and strength to an attack that had long been weak and basically impotent. Heading into the 2014 season, with three new DP’s, two of them strikers, Dike was added strength to be sure. It was devastating to both the squad and Dike that he would suffer an achilles injury during training camp in February. At that time, it appeared his entire season was in jeopardy.
Fast forward to August however, and Dike has returned. Determination, a hunger to play, and a strong will to recover have sped things up. He actually came off the bench late in the August 16th SKC game. Appearing to be just getting his stride back, he had little impact; other than the gaff of kicking a loosely tied shoe into the back of the KC net.
Dike is certainly no stranger to the long-term recovery process, having gone through a torn ACL injury just prior to the 2013 while with Portland. By August 5th he had returned to full training and reported that he was ready to go when needed.
To say that Dike has had a storied career thus far is an understatement. As an American-born Nigerian, Dike has both played internationally and come up through the US college ranks. In fact, during his senior year with the University of Notre Dame, he led the team with 12 goals and 29 points. He was also named to the all-Big East Championship team. Drafted in 2010 by Columbus, he failed to make the team, but was later signed by Portland, then of the USSF. He actually scored a hat trick for Portland later that season in a US Open Cup match. Portland loaned Dike to the USL Pro club, Los Angeles Blues in 2012, but later recalled him to finish out the season. It turned out to be a wise move given that he scored 5 goals in the last 11 games that year. It was during the 2013 preseason, while with Portland, that he tore his ACL. His next chapter would be TFC.
Being no stranger to injury and setbacks, TFC management would no doubt hope Bright is able to wisely manage his most recent return. Even more so, a return to his former goal scoring form would offer some proof of full value for the Urruti trade. If that is the case, TFC will be blessed with an abundance of power up front. Will it lead to not only a playoff berth, but deep playoff success? One might also wonder how long management would wait to realize such a vision. It most likely depends on the remainder of 2014 and Dike’s progress. Against the backdrop of team needs elsewhere and of course, the salary cap, it could take some strange turns yet again. The Mattias Laba deal to Vancouver has most likely hardened TFC fans to this reality.
Whatever the outcome, a “wait and see” on abundant firepower is a new feeling around TFC. In the short term, Nelson will have the luxury of pairing Moore, Gilberto, Defoe, and Dike in any combinations, and through any starting or off-the-bench scenario he chooses. Dike may indeed complement Defoe by creating space deep in the final third. He may also provide some opportunity for Moore or Gilberto to play wide, stretch opponents, and attack from other areas. Properly managed, Dike can add a new dimension to an already growing attack. Whatever the case, Nelson has choices to manage. Perhaps his recent optimism in Kansas City was well-founded.
Thank you for reading. Please take a moment to follow me on twitter @Deddy66. Support LWOS by following us on Twitter – @LastWordOnSport – and “liking” our Facebook page.
For the latest sports injury news, check out our friends at sports injury alert.
Feel free to discuss this and other footy related articles with thousands of fans at /r/football.
Main Photo:
