TORONTO—Is there a more valuable athlete to his team in Toronto pro sports than Sebastian Giovinco?
Kyle Lowry makes the Raptors tick, and David Price might just be the difference for the Blue Jays to finally end their playoff drought this season.
But in terms of the importance of a single player to his club, it’s not even a contest: Giovinco is the best athlete in this city bar none, a point the Italian emphatically drove home by scoring a hat trick in Toronto FC’s 4-1 win over Orlando City on Wednesday night before 26,648 fans at BMO Field.
Giovinco now has 16 goals in his debut MLS campaign, breaking Dwayne De Rosario’s single season club record set in 2010. Impressively, Giovinco did it in six fewer games than De Rosario.
In total, Giovinco has had a hand in 26 of the Reds’ 36 goals this season, with 16 goals and 10 assists—or 72 per cent of the offence. Seventy-two percent!
Thanks to the Atomic Ant’s scoring prowess, a Toronto side that has also leaked 35 goals this season is tied for third place in the Eastern Conference and is in the thick of the playoff race. Quite simply, TFC would be at the bottom of the table if not for Giovinco.
“I was sitting with some officials from Orlando during the game and they turned to me and said that Giovinco is the best player this league has ever seen. I think they’re right. He’s the best, and he’s ours,” Tim Leiweke, president and CEO of Maple Leaf Sports, told this correspondent and another reporter in the locker-room after the game.
Coach Greg Vanney was just as glowing in his praise of his star goal scorer.
“It’s special every time we get to see him play. He comes up with some amazing moments,” Vanney offered. “If we hit a couple more passes he might have had five or six goals at the end of the night, but that’s being greedy.”
Vanney later added: “He keeps coming up with different ways to do amazing things. … I enjoy it as much as a fan as I do as a coach. It’s mesmerizing at times.”
Does TFC’s coach fear that his team relies too much on Giovinco?
“Too reliant? It’s hard to say. (Players like Giovinco and Robbie Keane of LA) are the important guys in the league and lot of teams have their version—I think ours is the best—but everybody has a guy who’s very influential,” Vanney said.
It’s clear that as Giovinco goes, so goes TFC. But Giovinco doesn’t feel that burden.
“It’s not a problem. Of course, the team can rely on me. That’s my job, to keep scoring goals and help the team,” Giovinco said through an interpreter.
Giovinco’s second goal was a beauty of a free kick and it moved him into a temporary tie for first place in the league scoring with Kei Kamara. The Columbus Crew forward was impressed with Giovinco’s strike, tweeting “Giovinco you are dirty for that one.”
Toronto was missing captain Michael Bradley (calf) and forward Jozy Altidore (suspension). Left fullback Ashtone Morgan was on the bench after sitting out a few games with an abductor strain. Midfielder Collen Warner returned to the starting lineup after serving a one-game ban.
Orlando was without star Brazilian playmaker Kaka — the former FIFA world player of the year didn’t make the trip Toronto because of an injury. Fellow designated player Carlos Rivas was also injured.
Despite the absence of four DPs, the first half was wildly entertaining, played at great pace and featuring end-to-end action with both teams creating a number of chances. Orlando’s Cyle Larin snuck in on goal in the fourth minute after defender Damien Perquis failed to deal with a simple ball played over the top, but the Canadian forward took too many touches and couldn’t put it away as Toronto goalkeeper Joe Bendik closed him down.
Giovinco opened the scoring in the 12th minute, drawing the foul when he was hacked down by Aurelien Collin following a bursting run into the box, and then converted from the penalty spot.
Orlando tied it up five minutes later when Luke Boden beat Bendik from the top of the box after being played in by a square pass that should have been intercepted by TFC.
Marky Delgado dragged a shot just wide of the far post after some lovely link-up play from Giovinco and Jonathan Osorio, and moments later he sent a terrific header off a Jackson cross over the crossbar.
Giovinco should have given Toronto the lead late in the half after being played in on goal alone courtesy of a fabulous through ball from Benoit Cheyrou. But Orlando goalkeeper Tally Hall did very well to come out and stop him at point blank range.
Giovnco made amends in the 56th minute, floating a free kick from 30 yards out over Orlando’s defensive wall that kissed the post before nestling in the back of the net. Honestly, it was one of the most gorgeous goals ever witnessed at BMO Field.
Bello, beautiful, as the Italians say.
Minutes later Warner ballooned his shot from in close over the crossbar while facing an open goal after being fed a great pass by Osorio. But Warner wouldn’t be denied, putting the game away in the 81st minute when he nodded home a pass played deep into the box by Osorio. Lucky for Warner, his header deflected off his leg and in.
Giovinco moved past Kamara in the scoring race lead and broke De Rosario’s record with two minutes left in regulation, beautifully controlling a cross-field ball by Cheyrou and then curling a shot by Hall from inside the penalty area.
The Italian was serenaded by thunderous chants of “MVP” by the fans for registering the first hat trick by a TFC player in league play at BMO Field. He’s also the first player in club history to record two hat tricks in MLS.
“I’m very happy about breaking (De Rosario’s) record. But what’s most important is to get to the playoffs,” Giovinco said.
NOTES: This was the second of three meetings this season between Toronto and Orlando. The Reds won 2-0 in Orlando on April 26. They’ll meet again on Aug. 22 in Toronto … TFC returns to MLS action on Saturday when they host Sporting Kansas City.