Some burning questions came to my mind after Toronto FC’s 3-0 loss away to the New England Revolution on the weekend…
How much should we read into this loss?
Honestly, not much. Not to excuse the effort, because it was very poor. But all of the lineup changes (due to injury, suspension and international absences), the fact this match came at the end of a punishing stretch of the schedule, and uncharacteristic erratic defensive play (and not just from the back three) played a part in the Reds suffering their heaviest defeat and putting in their worst performance of the season thus far.
Toronto also compounded its misfortunes in the first half when it failed to capitalize on several scoring chances. Victor Vazquez failed to bury a header off a cross from Raheem Edwards played to the far post, Justin Morrow’s angled shot from in close hit the woodwork, and Armando Cooper’s long-range effort clanged off the crossbar. Had any one of them finished their opportunities, the game might have turned out quite differently. It’s a game of small margins sometimes, and Toronto was reminded of that in New England.
Looking at the big picture, this loss by TFC (only their second of the season) came on the heels of a club-record eight-game unbeaten run in MLS (with seven wins) that allowed them to climb to the top of the league standings. The Reds have firmly established themselves as the league pace setters through the first three months of the campaign, and one result doesn’t change that. Saturday’s match was an aberration.
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Can Raheem Edwards play as a forward?
The young Canadian, who is usually deployed as a wingback, started up front with Sebastian Giovinco against New England in a bit of an emergency situation — Jozy Altidore was away on national-team duty, while Tosaint Ricketts was injured. Edwards showed glimpses of brilliance, including playing a dangerous cross to the back post for Vazquez that the Spaniard should have buried.
But overall, Edwards had a tough time adjusting to the new role. He looked far more interested in drifting out wide than trying to effectively link up with Giovinco up top. It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise that he tended to play in a way similar to his more natural position.
That’s not to say Edwards couldn’t fill in as a forward some time in the future. It’d be wrong to discount that possibility based on this one game, as Edwards has proven to be a versatile player for the Reds this season. The youngster has benefited from having a clearly defined role this campaign, and Saturday’s new assignment was simply a bit too much of an adjustment for him.
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How badly does TFC need a break?
This week’s bye couldn’t have come at a better time for Toronto, who don’t return to MLS action until June 17 when they host D.C. United. The Reds are coming off a hectic May that saw them play eight games across two competitions, with their roster depth tested and taxed.
TFC is facing another gruelling five-games-in-two-weeks stretch after this short time off, which will allow them to rest up, give guys a chance to heal and recuperate from small niggling injuries. The club confirmed Monday that Ricketts will miss the next three to four weeks with a hamstring strain, and his absence will be somewhat mitigated by the week off.
The Reds desperately need this time off to rest and mentally reset after what has been an incredibly busy first three months of the season.
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