TORONTO – Eriq Zavaleta doesn’t garner many headlines, but he’s quietly been one of Toronto FC’s most unheralded contributors this season.
The young defender has racked up 2,282 minutes of playing time – third-most for the club behind only captain Michael Bradley and Justin Morrow – and has appeared in 27 games (third-most for TFC) and made 26 starts (tied for second-most), all of which is a testament to his durability and consistency.
Zavaleta will add to those totals on Sunday evening when TFC host the Montreal Impact, although he’ll be hoping things go much better for him compared to the last time the Impact paid a visit to BMO Field on Sept. 20. Montreal stormed out to a 3-0 lead midway through the first half and Zavaleta, who had a poor outing up until that point, was subbed off after 32 minutes.
Zavaleta didn’t take too kindly to being taken by coach Greg Vanney, who also happens to be his uncle. Twice Vanney had to corral the young defender before he made his way to the bench, explaining to him that he wasn’t being punished, but rather there were sound tactical reasons for his exit – namely, that the team needed goals.
Looking back at the minor dust up, Zavaleta admits he let his frustration get the better of him.
“No player wants to get taken out after half an hour. Looking back, I regret it because at the end of the day you need to respect what the coach does and move forward. From that aspect, I regret my actions,” Zavaleta told Sportsnet.
Zavaleta said he didn’t necessarily understand at the time why Vanney was trying to explain his decision. In retrospect, though, he now appreciates his coach’s efforts.
“I’ve played for coaches before who wouldn’t have said a word in that moment. Because of that you appreciate it even more. Greg didn’t have to tell me anything and just take me off. He tried to make me feel better by explaining it was a tactical decision, and I was simply the last pawn to fall,” Zavaleta said.
“Conversations are important. I’m a big believer in them, and that was his way of showing me respect and his way of saying, ‘Hey, this isn’t based on performance, but rather on tactics.’ Looking back at it, I gained even more respect for him because of it.”
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Zavaleta quickly put the Montreal experience behind him in his next game with a solid showing in Toronto’s 4-2 home win over the New York Red Bulls, a result that clinched the Supporters’ Shield for Toronto. That ability to bounce back so quickly is indicative of the young centre back’s growing maturity and importance to TFC this year – he’s been a constant presence in the back line, firmly establishing himself as a key starter for the first-place Reds.
“That was the biggest goal I had coming into the season, putting myself in a positon where I can be a first-choice guy in order to prove I could play the whole season. I’ve played large stretches of seasons in my career before, but never from start to finish. So for me, I had to prove it to myself and everybody else that I could do it,” Zavaleta explained.
His hard work on and off the pitch, as well as his attitude and commitment to improve his game, have not gone unnoticed by Vanney. TFC’s coach has been impressed with Zavaleta’s ability to read the game and snuff out danger, explaining the defender has “had stretches where things are very clear for him.”
Ultimately, it’s Zavaleta’s consistency and reliability that has helped him become a player that Vanney has constantly turned to throughout the campaign.
“When you look at your team you want to be able to select a guy and know with 90 percent certainty what you’re going to get out of him on any given day. Eriq is one of those guys,” Vanney said.
“Is it perfect? No. There are mistakes, for sure, and you learn to grow from those. But with great certainty we have a good sense of what’s going to come from him every single game.”
Vanney has instilled in his defenders the need to keep it simple. He doesn’t need them to be creators, or to try fancy things on the pitch to jumpstart the attack. It’s a lesson that Zavaleta has taken to heart.
“That’s what we ask of our centre backs and when they do that we’re in a very good position. Eriq has done that all year, by and large. That’s what has allowed him to stay healthy, which allows him to log minutes,” Vanney stated.
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