On Saturday, September 6th, Toronto FC squared off at home against the Philadelphia Union in the second installment of a home and home affair. For Toronto FC, coming off a 1 – 0 loss to the Union on Wednesday and still holding on to a playoff position in Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference, this would be an opportunity to achieve several goals. A win would mean keeping pace with the surging New England Revolution and the Union. It would also keep (at least temporarily) the surging chase pack from below (Chicago, New York and Columbus) at bay. More importantly, it would return the Reds to a long sought after entry in the win column, a return to confidence and past winning form.
Toronto FC Slide Continues
A return to winning ways was not meant to be, however. TFC fell 2 – 0 to the Union. Improved energy and a look of determination in possession under new coach Greg Vanney, was evident, but fell far short of the needed goods to see a victory.
With 2 straight losses to Philadelphia over the past 4 days, and a 2 – 0 loss at home to New England a week ago, Toronto FC has removed itself further from past winning ways and is descending the Eastern Conference standings. As the trend continues, thoughts of locking up a playoff spot have turned into pure survival in a desperate chase to keep pace. A win by the New York Red Bulls now has Toronto FC in sixth place and the possibility of a win by Columbus may see them very shortly dropping further to seventh.
Within the past week, Toronto has been outscored 5 – 0, lost 3 straight games, and become lost in a state of turmoil via the firing of Coach Ryan Nelsen and his staff. The replacement coaching group with former Academy director Greg Vanney at the helm, is charged with the task of setting things in order and getting back to solid, winning soccer.
It seems that the Nelsen regime and era in general is fading into the rear view mirror. In most cases, teams respond to coach/management changes with a spark in performance and renewed motivation. Toronto FC may have arguably shown shades of effort and intent, but certainly not results. The Nelsen era may have ended but it is apparently being replaced with something worse; a return to desperate, low quality soccer that fails at every area of the field.
The lifeless and lackluster performance against New England was replaced with some recognizable energy and what appeared to be glimpses of a plan in taking the play to the opponent. Goalkeeper Joe Bendik was stellar and in both Union games, kept the score lower than it could have been.
Vanney’s desire to have the team control the game on both sides of the ball has not been satisfied. All too commonly in both games, Toronto FC was unable to move the ball through the Union midfield. Cycling the ball around the backline, defenders were hesitant to link up with the Michael Bradley and Colin Warrener, who tracked back on numerous occasions; they were either unable to see good passes through themselves, or far worse, easily turned the ball over as they tried to carry it through multiple defenders. Into the second game, marginal progress was made in increasing pace and a greater frequency in linking up with players who had moved wide. The problem beyond that was getting the ball deep into the Union third and creating decisive attacks on net. The Union were well organized, held possession steadily, and won 50-50 balls more often than not.
Poor communication and lapses in coverage resulted in easy goals for the Union. Toronto FC’s young backline had a very hard time keeping up with the pace of Sebastien Le Toux and Andrew Wenger. Conor Casey was another problem for TFC, as he was allowed to slip away from coverage on a number of occasions and score twice. The result was a host of lethal attacks, many of which were either secured by Bendik or missed goal by the narrowest of margins. It was no surprise that the Union were able to succeed on at least 2 of these. They were quick and decisive on the counter, taking advantage of turnovers to launch breakout combinations that were quick and accurate. Toronto FC defenders were far too slow to respond and failed to establish sufficient coverage. Even when crosses were well defended, the second ball was not cleared into safety beyond the eighteen yard box, and the Union were able to recover and launch a deep, unchallenged second attack.
At times, it appeared that Toronto FC might turn things around. The 4 – 4 – 2 formation had some strength through the middle. Bradley Orr, a stabilizing influence at many times this year, was set in right centre back position. With Michael Bradley and Collen Warner played a defensive midfield role, Dwayne DeRosario and Dominic Oduro wide, and a Gilberto/ Moore combination up top, Vanney had certainly set an arrangement that could be competitive. The outcome however, was little creativity in attack. Michael Bradley faded as the game went on, Warner was subbed off in the 44th minute, and both wide and deep forwards were unable to connect. Service form corners (and in general) was insufficient in creating any solid opportunities. Slow build-up play ended in low quality crosses that found their way either too close to goal and were quickly gobbled up by Union goaltender Zac MacMath, or worse, went over the net entirely.
All in all, this has been a time of great frustration. Despite Some planning and reorganization by Greg Vanney, it is clear that Toronto FC is hurting and the depth required to establish a strong, creative effort is not there. Vanney has assumed the coaching role at a time when the team is slipping and the circumstances around the firing of Nelsen are chaotic at best. Injuries to Steven Caldwell, Justin Morrow, Jonathan Osorio, and of course leading scorer, Jermain Defoe, have tested and crippled the depth Nelsen was trying to build.
For a sports crazy and “win-hungry” city such as Toronto however, personal bests are not enough. The vision of an elite team in such a culturally diverse environment, playing a the global game is a logical, perhaps idealized idea. Perhaps it has been the driving force behind the ongoing support that even a perennial loser has been able to maintain. Support is obviously not unconditional however, and the criticism comes from all directions. Early wins in April, May, and June, along with goal scoring flashes from Jermain Defoe were enough to keep the critics moderately satisfied. Nelsen’s “let’s have patience” approach sent a message that progress will happen but it will take time was something he held onto until his end. The pressure of a results-oriented business has mounted and the demand goes far beyond simply playing attractive soccer.
In relative terms, Vanney is yet to become the established, experienced winner a team building for the future might need, and he does not herald a new era. He is someone who has worked from within the organization though and he has been articulate in defining his vision. To his credit, Vanney has yet to look out of place. More transparent and technical in discussion than Nelsen, he has outlined a back to basics style. It is not difficult to see the remedy, but the team has yet to play with the pace and intensity he is speaking of. They were easily covered defensively by both New England and Philadelphia. Lack of movement in support of the ball, no options for creative play, and losing at their own counter attack game, has left Toronto FC without the identity they had been attempting to build.
From their post-game responses, players seem to hold a perspective that there is still opportunity to challenge for the playoffs. In an environment where a playoff spot is the defined benchmark of success, It would be very easy to listen to criticism, panic, and concede. As a matter of perspective, even if the post World Cup break points per game trend continues, this season will be Toronto FC’s most successful, both in terms of wins and points. Currently, Sporting Kansas City has lost 4 in a row, and at one point earlier, the now surging New England Revolution lost 8 in succession. Slumps happen. It’s the recovery that matters.
The real challenge is to battle and take on a confident and energetic identity. Fighting for a playoff spot is actually a luxury Toronto FC has rarely seen, and the current situation though bleak, serves as opportunity to take the challenge and own it.
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