Midway through last season, I wrote a piece expressing optimism that Toronto FC would make the MLS Cup playoffs. At the time, it was based on the notion that they would win most games against the lower performing teams in their conference. They were getting good goal production from Jermain Defoe, when he was healthy, and Gilberto was just starting to come into form. Of course, we all know the outcome. Those so called lesser, potentially beatable teams, such as Montreal and Philadelphia easily had their way with Toronto FC down the stretch and playoff hopes evaporated.
Toronto FC Move Forward with Win Over Earthquakes
Given that we are two months ahead of that time right now, any similar prediction would be bold. Having said that, the Toronto FC team we are seeing these days is remarkably different. The recent stretch they have been on, including two wins at home and a tie in New England, certainly calls for a little optimism.
The game against San Jose on the last weekend of May served as a nice little demonstration of that. Continued forward play with goal production from three different players was a surprising turn, considering most goals prior had come from Sebastian Giovinco and Jozy Altidore. Justin Morrow, Warren Creavalle, and Luke Moore each had a goal in a convincing 3 – 1 victory.
Of course, the creative and often astounding play of Giovinco is now turning into the pillar on which Toronto’s offence is building. Giovinco is leading by example with his relentless energy and ability to basically carry the team on his shoulders. Not that Altidore won’t be welcomed upon return, but this last couple of games shows that this team can produce results in his absence. Unlike Defoe last year, this team has been able to build off their offensive centrepiece and work more closely together in combinations deep in the offensive third. Goals are not a problem.
It seems that lately, every game that Toronto FC plays is their best game of the season. A visit from San Jose was not to be taken likely; a team on a five game unbeaten streak with a marquee goal scorer in Chris Wondolowski, the challenge was clear. Toronto FC relied on some very creative play from Jonathan Osorio and Giovinco along with a burst of energy from Justin Morrow as Morrow beat a defender right in front of goal in heading home a brilliant Giovinco cross. It was only two minutes later that Wondolowski tied the score on a penalty from an Astone Morgan handball. In the past, this would deflate and demoralize Toronto FC, but before the half was over, the ever opportunistic Luke Moore gave Warren Creavalle a delicate ball that Creavalle coolly drilled low to the keeper’s right. It wasn’t until the 71st minute that Moore managed to lightly touch and redirect the ball into the net as he shook off his defender and found room right in front of goal.
An impressive statistic is that in this game, Toronto FC edged possession at 52%. This has happened only rarely as stepping back in a defensive posture and allowing the play to come has been the order of the day. As head coach Greg Vanney has wished for, this is a team that is spending more time setting the tempo and staying on the front foot. The goal has been to play with a dominance that turns BMO Field into a fortress, a sentiment that for some fans brings back the “this is our house” motto of old.
Combined with the forward pressure and supportive presence of Michael Bradley, Toronto FC appears, at least for now, to have found an identity. That identity remarkably also involves an improved defensive effort, one that makes the squad a lot tougher to play against, and far more stingy in terms of goals given up. Crosses are still making it into the box at times but they appear to be handled better, at least with more urgency. San Jose managed to mount an attack at times but very few shots (only 2 of 17) made it on target. Not that the comparison is entirely fair, given that the game against Manchester City was a friendly, but there was definitely something more efficient about the way Toronto’s back four managed to close down forwards. In this most recent winning stretch as well, better decision-making in terms of what to do with won balls is far more common. No longer are they commonly finding their way onto the feet of opposing forwards waiting just outside the box. More often, they are recovered and sent to an awaiting midfielder who successfully turns them into a counter. This is probably the most critical detail that has Vanney looking and sounding far more content in recent interviews.
Many coaches and front office folks have claimed that it does take time to build a winner. There hasn’t been a whole lot of patience around Toronto to accept that idea though. The current iteration of Toronto FC is really one that started with the arrival of Ryan Nelsen. There really hasn’t been a great shift from Nelson to Vanney. Coaching styles hardly differ. Vanney has had the luxury of greater depth, but it has been a long time coming and really, has only barely arrived, at least in terms of creating sufficiently positive results; enough to keep the coach in his job, the pundits from a litany of ridicule, and the comment boards from exploding. Things are quiet, at least for now.
