Some random thoughts on Toronto FC ahead of next Wednesday’s Eastern Conference final second leg against the Columbus Crew at BMO Field…
Bono the difference in the playoffs
Who has been the Reds’ most influential player thus far in the 2017 post-season? You have to give the nod to second-year goalkeeper Alex Bono, who has shown great composure and come up with a number of huge saves at critical times in each of Toronto’s three games.
Bono thwarted New York Red Bulls forward Bradley Wright-Phillips in the second half of the Eastern Conference semifinal first leg, rushing off his line to deny the Englishman after he latched onto a ball played over the top. Bono managed to get the better of Wright-Phillips again in the return match, helping to keep TFC in the game and allowing them to advance on away goals. Then on Tuesday in Columbus, with the Crew surging and swarming the Reds’ penalty area, Bono denied Harrison Afful from in close, preserving a 0-0 draw on the road.
If not for each of those saves, Toronto’s playoff run could look radically different.
Back to normal for second leg
Coach Greg Vanney deviated from his preferred 3-5-2 formation and went with a more fluid 4-1-4-1 setup for the first leg in Columbus, with captain Michael Bradley deployed as a defensive stopper parked in front of the back-four. In doing so, TFC set out to manage the game and stifle the Crew with the goal of heading back home for the second leg without conceding a goal.
The game plan worked, but don’t expect Vanney to take a similar approach for the return match. The game and situation in Columbus called for a pragmatic approach. Now that Sebastian Giovinco and Jozy Altidore are set to come back after serving one-game suspension, expect Vanney to revert to his 3-5-2 formation, and a more attack-focused mindset as his team will attempt to dictate the pace and force Columbus on the back foot.
Even if Columbus opens the scoring at BMO Field next week, you have to believe Toronto is capable of coming back and scoring two goals, especially with Giovinco and Altidore back in the starting 11. Expect a few goals in this one.
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The case for Vanney as coach of the year
Major League Soccer will unveil the winner of the coach of the year award on Monday, and you have to like Vanney’s chances of earning the honour.
Under Vanney in 2017, TFC repeated as Canadian championship winners, qualified for the CONCACAF Champions League, won the Supporters’ Shield and set a new MLS record for most points in a season (69).
Critics will point out that Toronto has the highest payroll in MLS, so, of course, TFC should finish in first place and dominate the way it did this season. If only it were as simple as that. Money doesn’t guarantee success in sports, although it sure makes things easier. Still, it takes an astute coach to bring a team together, and Vanney did that this year, incorporating young talent such as Marky Delgado into the starting lineup, and going with Bono as the starting goalkeeper over the more experienced Clint Irwin.
Gerardo Martino did a great job at Atlanta United in 2017, building the expansion franchise into one of the best teams in the league. A year ago, the Chicago Fire finished dead last in MLS. This term, the Fire enjoyed a 24-point improvement under Veljko Paunovic to finish third in the East and qualify for the playoffs for the first time in five years. Either one of them would make worthy winners of the coach of the year award.
But considering the historic nature of TFC’s season, it’s difficult to look past Vanney.
Bradley speaks his mind: Fair or foul?
Bradley caused quite the stir after Tuesday’s first leg when he was asked a direct question about the strength of Columbus as an MLS market amidst news that Crew owner Anthony Precourt is looking to move the team to Austin, Texas in 2019 unless a new downtown stadium is built for his club.
“On one hand you feel for the small group of loyal supporters that they have, who have been here since the beginning, who continue to support the team and come out week after week,” Bradley replied.
“On the other hand, you can’t deny the fact that things here have really fallen behind, in terms of the atmosphere of the stadium, the quality of the stadium, what it’s like to play here. I don’t know who’s at fault for that. There’s a lot going on and I get that. And like I said as an outsider, I don’t know what that falls on. But again the reality is just that as the league has continued to grow and grow — and this is not the only one, but this is one of a few markets that has not kept pace.”
Bradley’s blunt assessment was criticized in some quarters as coming off as insensitive and unsupportive of Crew fans who are fighting to keep the team in Columbus. Others have gone so far as to accuse Bradley of coming down on the side of Precourt.
Taking his words on face value, it’s understandable how Bradley’s answer could be taken that way. But as someone who was standing next to TFC’s captain in the media scrum at the time, I can tell you he wasn’t making a case for the Crew to move. He simply gave his honest opinion of the situation in Columbus.
Now, an argument can be made that Bradley’s view point was ill-informed and that he didn’t have all the facts about what’s going on in Columbus, and thus he shouldn’t have said anything. You can also argue that it wasn’t his place to offer an opinion, and that his comments came off as tone-deaf and inappropriate given the sensitive situation in Columbus.
The thing is, though, that Bradley doesn’t duck questions. During his time in Toronto, he has rarely, if ever, given a “no comment,” or replied “It’s not for me to say.” When he’s asked something, he gives an answer.
Could he have taken a pass when asked about the Columbus situation? Yes, he could have, and all things considered, it would have been the best move. But not answering a question simply isn’t in his DNA. And while many viewed his comments as throwing shade towards Crew fans after they heartily booed him throughout Tuesday’s game, the truth is he was simply giving his honest answer. Bradley just doesn’t know any other way.
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