TORONTO – It’s not very often that Greg Vanney loses his cool.
The very picture of calm while standing on the touchline during matches, Toronto FC’s coach had words for referee Jorge Gonzalez after he disallowed a TFC goal against New York City FC on Wednesday night. Gonzalez didn’t take too kindly to that, and for the first time in his coaching career Vanney was tossed from a game.
Major League Soccer confirmed on Friday that Vanney’s expulsion also came with a one-game suspension, which means assistant coach Robin Fraser will take charge of the Reds when they host the Colorado Rapids on Saturday night.
Fraser took over early in the second half when Vanney was sent to locker room at Yankee Stadium, helping to guide Toronto to a comeback 2-2 draw against NYCFC.
[relatedlinks]
When Vanney was ejected, Fraser didn’t have much time to adjust, but that wasn’t a problem. Fraser and Vanney pride themselves on being on the same wave length, and have a strong bond with one another dating back to their time as teammates at the LA Galaxy during their respective playing careers.
“The team was falling into a good grove at the time. I made a substitution, but there really wasn’t much to do at that point. The guys were coming around right at the point where Greg got thrown out. We collaborate on these things all the time, so I would think regardless of which of us is there the message is fairly similar,” Fraser told Sportsnet.
Vanney was sent back to the locker room, and he wasn’t able to communicate with Fraser for the rest of the game. Vanney didn’t even give Fraser instructions before he left. He didn’t need to.
“It wasn’t the far after half time, so in terms of clarity of what we were trying to do, tactically in the second half it was clear. We had talked about on [my] way out which guys probably needed to be warmed up. But it’s not like Robin hasn’t been around long enough, and we’ve been together …. I don’t need to say anything to him. He’s gonna make the right decisions,” Vanney said.
“As I was sitting [in the locker room] and seeing things happen, I anticipated what he was going to do, and sure enough it was what he chose to do. It all made perfect sense.”
So, TFC has coaching depth, in addition to player depth?
“I would say we do. I think we have a lot of coaching depth,” Vanney offered.
Of course, Wednesday night was not Fraser’s first rodeo, so to speak.
Hired by TFC prior to the 2015 campaign, Fraser, who was a two-time MLS Defender of the Year (1999, 2004), previously served as head coach of Chivas USA for two seasons when Vanney was one of his assistants.
Fraser was dismissed by Chivas after a posting 15-32-21 record, including a 14-match winless streak in his second season. From there, he landed a job as an assistant under Mike Petke with the New York Red Bulls before coming to Toronto.
Fraser’s time at Chivas didn’t hurt his reputation, as he is well respected within MLS coaching circles, and has been approached by other clubs during his time in Toronto.
“Over the years, gosh, I’ve spoken to a few teams; a couple of interviews. There’s been fleeting interest and we’ve had some things to look at over the years. But this is a great place to be where it’s a collaboration and, Greg and I all go back a long way,” Fraser said.
That’s not to say Fraser wouldn’t be interested in a head coaching job in MLS. But it would have to be a pretty special offer.
“In the right scenario, it’s certainly something I would explore. Until then, this a great spot to be in. We’re set up to do well for a long time. Ultimately, anybody in my spot is looking for a head coaching job. But what I’ve come to learn is that not every head coaching is the same. Meaning, it would have to be the right situation,” Fraser said.
NOTES: TFC top scorer Sebastian Giovinco is questionable for Saturday’s game after he bruised his lower back in Wednesday’s 2-2 stalemate against NYCFC at Yankee Stadium… The Reds are already without captain Michael Bradley, forward Jozy Altidore and defender Justin Morrow, who are all away with the United States at the CONCACAF Gold Cup… Right fullback Nick Hagglund is available for selection against Colorado. He’s been sidelined with a torn MCL since mid-May… Two Toronto players could reach milestones on Saturday. Defender Drew Moor’s is looking to become only the 10th player (non-goalkeepers) to play in 350 MLS regular season games. If fullback Ashtone Morgan plays against Colorado, it’ll be his 100th regular-season appearance.
[snippet id=3300009]