• Vancouver Whitecaps 2 (Teibert 4’; Kamara 77’), Toronto FC 1 (Altidore 73’)
• Toronto officially eliminated from playoff contention
• TFC is 4th reigning MLS Cup champion to fail to make playoffs
TORONTO — What a long strange trip it’s been for Toronto FC.
On an unseasonably mild evening last December, TFC exacted revenge on the Seattle Sounders and capped off a historic, treble-winning campaign by hoisting the MLS Cup at BMO Field before its long-suffering fans.
Four months later on a humid night in Guadalajara, the Reds came achingly close to beating Chivas in the final of the Concacaf Champions League, falling just short of becoming the first MLS team to win the continental competition.
It’s a great height from which to fall, and TFC has fallen hard, hitting the ground with a resounding thud.
A 2-1 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday evening, combined with the Montreal Impact’s 3-0 home win over the Columbus Crew, officially eliminated Toronto from playoff contention, bringing to an end a miserable MLS campaign, and setting the stage for an off-season of major introspection.
From recording the greatest MLS campaign of all-time and nearly making history as would-be kings of Concacaf, to being eliminated from the playoff picture with three games left in the regular season. All in the span of 10 months. By a team with the highest payroll in MLS and reputed to have the deepest roster in the league. Let that sink in for a second.
Saturday’s results confirmed TFC as just the fourth reigning MLS Cup champion in league history to fail to make the post-season the following year, joining D.C. United (2000), the LA Galaxy (2006) and Portland Timbers (2016).
Asked what he was feeling, Toronto’s Greg Vanney, voted MLS coach of the year in 2017, didn’t hold back in laying his raw emotions bare for reporters in the post-match press conference.
“It’s a mix between frustration, anger and embarrassment,” Vanney offered.
Why embarrassment?
“There’s a standard that I work by and live by, that is to be the best. When you don’t succeed at that and fall considerably short, regardless of all the things that went on, it’s still an embarrassing moment. There’s a pride kick in the gut that happens,” Vanney explained.
It’s been an incredible run for TFC since 2015, with three consecutive playoff appearances, one MLS Cup, a Supporters’ Shield, and a trio of Canadian Championships.
But captain Michael Bradley admitted that track record of recent success isn’t something he can take solace in at the moment.
“We’re proud of what we’ve been about the last few years. We played on a lot of big days, we represented ourselves, and the club, and the city pretty well. Right now, it’s not easy to think about those moments. The disappointment, the frustration and the anger is front and centre,” Bradley conceded.
Forward Jozy Altidore admitted he was angry and disappointed, but he also feels this MLS season was a just a blip for TFC, and it felt like the team was hit by lightning “40 million times” during the 2018 MLS campaign.
“I can’t help but think there’s still something here. These things happen. Many organizations that strive to do special things have seasons like this. It tests you. We were tested a lot, and it matters how we came back next year, and how we respond,” Altidore said.
The Whitecaps’ win, their first under interim coach Craig Dalrymple since firing Carl Robinson, not only eliminated TFC but also bolstered their playoff hopes. Vancouver remains on the outside looking in, sitting in eighth place and two spots out of a playoff berth in the Western Conference. But this was a big three points, giving the Whitecaps some hope with three games left in the campaign.
It won’t make up for losing to Toronto in the finals of the Canadian Championship in August. Still, you have to think the Whitecaps will take a great deal of satisfaction in hammering the final nail in TFC’s coffin.
“I’m really proud of the boys because they believed, came in at halftime 1-nil up and they still weren’t happy. They wanted more and wanted to fix a few things that just weren’t quite right in the first half and they did to fight for the win,” Dalrymple said.
Whitecaps midfielder Russell Teibert called it one of the team’s best efforts of the season.
“We knew the implications of this match and what was at stake. Fortunately for us we got the result here tonight, we got a good performance, probably one of the best we’ve had all year long. Especially coming out of the gates, this puts us right back in a playoff contention,” Teibert stated.
Toronto made one lineup change from last week, starting Argentine forward Lucas Janson in place of Altidore. Vanney went with a four-man defence, which meant Bradley returned to his usual spot in central midfield. Vancouver’s starting 11 included 17-year-old Alphonso Davies, and fellow Canadians Doneil Henry, Brett Levis and Teibert.
It only took the visitors four minutes to open the scoring, capitalizing on a poor touch by TFC midfielder Marky Delgado. Vancouver won possession and Yordy Reyna fed a no-look pass into the box to Teibert, who hit a low drive from an angle that went through goalkeeper Alex Bono and nestled inside the far post.
Toronto carried the majority of play for the rest of the half, although Vancouver used its speed on the counter to cause the hosts a few scares. Sebastian Giovinco, Janson (from the edge of the six-yard box) and Bradley all tested Vancouver goalkeeper Stefan Marinovic, who came up with a trio of smart saves to keep TFC off the scoreboard.
Toronto came close to equalizing after the restart, with both Giovinco and Auro Jr. spurning glorious scoring chances from deep inside the box. TFC was reduced to 10 men in the 67th minute when defender Gregory van der Wiel earned his second yellow card for hip-checking Reyna just outside the penalty area.
The Whitecaps threw TFC a life line when Henry was called for a handball inside his 18-yard box, and Altidore, who had replaced Delgado, converted from the penalty spot.
Any chance of a TFC comeback was quickly scuttled by Vancouver when Kei Kamara finished off a counterattack after a turnover by the hosts deep inside their half.
NOTES: Both teams have a bye next week due to the international break. TFC’s next game is on the road against D.C. United on Oct. 17. Its last two contests of the season are away to the Montreal Impact (Oct. 21) and home to Atlanta United (Oct. 28)… Vancouver returns to action on Oct. 17 when it hosts Sporting Kansas City. The Whitecaps then close out the season on the road against LAFC (Oct.21) and at home versus the Portland Timbers (Oct. 28).
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