TORONTO — There is no reason to worry.
That was the overriding message from the Toronto FC camp this week as the team prepared to host the Chicago Fire on Sunday evening at BMO Field. TFC has already wrapped up a playoff berth, but the Reds enter their Major League Soccer regular-season finale riding a five-game winless skid (four draws and one loss).
After last month’s victory in Chicago, Toronto sat atop the Eastern Conference table and looked to be in pole position to finish in the top two in the East by season’s end, thus ensuring a first-round bye in the playoffs.
A four-game homestand that saw TFC collect just three points, followed by last week’s draw in Montreal, means the team now sits third in the East, and no longer controls its fate. Toronto not only needs to beat Chicago, but also hope that New York City FC loses or draws at home to the Columbus Crew on Sunday. If TFC drops points, or if NYCFC wins, Toronto will host next week’s single-leg conference quarterfinal.
Despite the poor run of results and conceding eight goals in the last five games, veteran defender Drew Moor doesn’t believe Toronto has played badly over that stretch–that the lack of wins is simply down to uncharacteristic defensive miscues by a team that boasts one of the best defensive records in MLS. No big changes have to be made to get TFC back on the right track; just some small tweaks, according to Moor.
“It’s the little details–concentration,” Moor said. “Whether it’s communication or keeping things tighter after we score goals and not letting teams back in it. There’s been a couple of times recently and maybe dropped our concentration a little bit.”
It was a sentiment echoed by coach Greg Vanney.
“We recognize that we have to finish chances at one end and we can’t compound errors on the defensive end,” Vanney explained. “We’ve been good at that all year but have had a tough run over a couple of games in this stretch. But by and large we’ve played some decent soccer.”
It didn’t help matters for TFC in the last five games that they squandered plenty of scoring chances, that in three of those matches they conceded the first goal and had to come from behind to salvage points, and that top Sebastian Giovinco only returned last week following a lengthy injury layoff.
TFC has not won at BMO Field since Aug. 6, a run of five games, and it’s been two months since they last defeated a playoff team. Little wonder, then, that the Reds head into Sunday’s game against Chicago, who currently sit in last place in the league, needing a win and some help to secure that coveted first-round bye.
Vanney acknowledged that Toronto left points on the table and didn’t make the most of its four-game homestand–and really, how could he possibly argue otherwise? Still, he remains firm in his belief that there’s no reason to be concerned.
“Yes, we’re in a position now [where] we don’t control our own fate in terms of the bye. That’s what we lost out of this situation,” Vanney stated. “But I think we’ve been able to address some things that we need to make sure we’re tighter with as we go into the playoffs because they’re going to be important in helping us get results.”
On the positive side, Giovinco appears to be back to full health. In his first action since late August, the Italian looked lively in Montreal last week, helping to set up Jozy Altidore’s goal, and registering nine shots in the game, three of which were in target. He also came close to scoring in the first half when his free kick smacked the crossbar. Crucially, he played the entire contest and showed no signs of rust after such a lengthy layoff, which is a good sign for Toronto as the playoffs loom.
Still, the uncomfortable truth is this–there is no more room for error. Having past the point of no return, Toronto has to snap out of this slump and can’t continue to commit the same recent mistakes in the playoffs.
“We understand that as the games keep getting cranked up here that we’re going to need to be able to take care of things in a better way. I’m confident that we will,” captain Michael Bradley promised after the 2-2 draw in Montreal.
We shall see. Sunday’s affair will be crucial for them in terms of gaining a bit of momentum ahead of the playoffs. If Toronto can’t beat Chicago, then you have to seriously wonder if it’ll be another “one and done” for TFC in the post-season.
Chicago arrives in Toronto with a dreadful 1-13-2 road record this season. The Fire, however, have played spoilers in recent weeks, drawing Columbus and beating the New England Revolution last week.
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