TORONTO – It’s not as if Toronto FC is in a state of crisis—far from it.
TFC currently sit third in the Eastern Conference standings and are firmly in the playoff race with three games in hand over leaders Sporting Kansas City. The Reds have two players on the MLS All-Star team in Jermain Defoe (one of the tops scorers in the league with 11 goals) and Michael Bradley (regarded as one of the best midfielders in MLS).
And barring a major catastrophe, Toronto is poised to finally end its playoff drought in 2014 after seven seasons.
Wednesday programming alert: Watch D.C. United vs. Toronto FC in MLS action live on Sportsnet 360. Coverage begins at 7:00 pm ET/4:00 pm PT. | TV schedule
But there are issues, most notably a recent rash of defensive breakdowns that has seen the club concede “soft goals” (coach Ryan Nelsen’s words), and go seven consecutive league games without registering a clean sheet.
Toronto will try to turn the tide by putting in a solid, 90-minute defensive performance when it takes on D.C. United in Washington on Wednesday night.
Against Sporting Kansas City last weekend, Toronto threw away an early lead by giving up a pair of second-half strikes to the league champions. Nelsen was less than impressed with his team’s defending on both goals, saying his players lacked urgency, intensity and focus.
“What frustrates me is that balls are going to come into the box and things are going to happen, but there were some guys who were spectators and getting into nice, comfortable positions and weren’t influencing the game,” Nelsen said after the 2-1 loss.
Rookie defender Nick Hagglund admitted that he and his teammates “switched off” on both Kansas City goals.
“I think overall in the game, we dominated for 98 percent (but) it was that two percent that hurts us the most. That’s soccer. Sometimes that two percent, they’re not going to score those goals and we look like winners, but it happens,” Hagglund said.
So, how does a team get to that 100 percent mark on a consist basis? It comes with time, according to left back Justin Morrow.
“The difference between us and a team like Kansas City … is that they have that intensity and mentality that Ryan spoke about,” Morrow told Sportsnet. “It’s an incredible focus that they have, and it comes with experience. Our back line, this is our first year together, and we don’t have that mentality.
“But the most important thing is that we learn from games like Saturday, a game where there was no way we should have lost. That’s happened to us a couple of times this year. As long as we learn from that, that mentality will come in time. It’s crucial for us.”
Nelsen agrees, explaining that this TFC side is still learning to play together, and that the chemistry will come with time.
“That’s what happen when you transform from a team that was probably not right to be competitive in this league (last season),” Nelsen explained.
“You have to go through these little pains. We’re pretty inexperienced when it comes to the league and playing with each other. Every game we learn and we try to get better and better.”
A former defender himself who spent most of his playing career in the English Premier League, Nelsen cringes when his players lose their focus in defending during critical junctures in the game. With that in mind, he’s been drumming into their heads all week at practice to keep their intensity and awareness up at all times.
“He wants us to make sure we’re constantly aware of our surroundings and making sure that two per cent doesn’t kill us,” Hagglund said.
The D.C. United contest is the first of a four-game road trip for Toronto, who visits Montreal (Aug. 2), Columbus (Aug. 9) and Kansas City (Aug. 16).
D.C. currently sits in seconds place in the Eastern Conference standings with a n eight-point lad over Toronto, and won the only other meeting between the two sides earlier this month.
Unlike in the past, TFC has been effective on the road this season with a 2-2-4 record away from home.
“I think teams open up a bit more when they’re at home trying to be a bit more expansive,” Nelsen said. “The way we’re set up, we’re pretty tight and pretty organized and then we can catch them in certain areas when they over play or they go with numbers forward.”
For Wednesday’s game, TFC will be without defenders Doneil Henry (suspended), Steven Caldwell (quad tear) and Mark Bloom (MCL strain). With Henry out, look for Nelsen to play Bradley Orr and rookie Nick Hagglund in the centre of defence, and hand Warren Creavalle, acquired in a trade from Houston last week, his team debut at right back.
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