Welcome to Counterattack, Sportsnet’s Monday column that recaps the weekend and previews the week ahead in Major League Soccer for the Montreal Impact, Toronto FC and Vancouver Whitecaps.
What happened this past weekend?
The Montreal Impact finally earned their first win of the season courtesy of a late goal, the Vancouver Whitecaps bested one of their Cascadia rivals, and Toronto FC’s unbeaten run to start the campaign came to an end.
• Seattle 1, Vancouver 2
• Atlanta 1, Montreal 2
• Toronto 1, Columbus 2
Records
• Montreal Impact: 1-2-3, 6 points (10th in Eastern Conference)
• Toronto FC: 1-1-4, 7 points (9th in Eastern Conference)
• Vancouver Whitecaps: 2-3-1, 7 points (7th in Western Conference)
What did we learn this weekend?
TFC need to show a bit more bravery
Following a 0-0 draw against Sporting Kansas City two weeks ago in TFC’s home opener, captain Michael Bradley called on his team to be braver in certain moments when trying to break opponents down; not to make stupid risks, but to show a bit more courage in making decisive plays. The Reds didn’t exactly heed Bradley’s words against Columbus. Toronto was stuck in the same gear for long stretches in the second half as they chased an equalizer, and looked far too tentative as they tried to move through Columbus’s pressure. The build-up play was laboured and far too predictable, and Toronto badly needed someone to show some ingenuity and take the responsibility to try to unlock the Crew with a bit of individual magic.
Impact a different side with Piatti
After missing two games due to injury, Ignacio Piatti was terrific in his return on Saturday, creating chances for himself and others, converting from the penalty spot just before halftime, and doing his usual outstanding job of orchestrating the Impact’s attack. He had five shots on the day – two on target – and caused plenty of problems for Atlanta defender Mark Bloom with his deft touches and intelligent runs of the ball. Montreal is a completely different team when their Argentine ace is in the starting 11, and that was evident when you compare this game to the club’s recent outings in which they looked pretty anaemic in attack.
Whitecaps firmly focused on MLS
Ahead of last Friday’s Cascadia derby with the Seattle Sounders, the Whitecaps had just two wins in nine competitive matches in 2017, between MLS and CONCACAF Champions League. The general feeling in Vancouver is that the Whitecaps’ CCL run to the semifinals adversely affected their MLS form. Coach Carl Robinson made no apologies for taking the CONCACAF tournament seriously, but affirmed that the club is firmly focused on MLS following its Champions League exit, calling the showdown with Seattle an important win. Robinson said after the Seattle game: “I’m in charge. It was my decision to really focus on the Champions League with the club and maybe the first couple of results took a hit based upon that. But we could have gone the other way, but we didn’t. I think everyone enjoyed the run, because we don’t know when we’ll get there again. Now we have to refocus for [MLS]. It was an important game today.”
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Upcoming schedule
Chicago vs. Toronto (Friday, 7:30 pm ET)
Montreal vs. Philadelphia (Saturday, 1:00 pm ET)
Vancouver vs. Portland (Saturday, 4:00 pm ET)
Stories to follow this week
Hagglund to serve as TFC’s quarterback?
The absence of veteran defender Drew Moor (due to an irregular heartbeat) on Saturday forced TFC coach Greg Vanney to make some changes, although he stuck with his preferred 3-5-2 formation. Most notably, Nick Hagglund quarterbacked the back line (after coming off the bench a week ago), flanked by Eriq Zavaleta and Justin Morrow. It was a big assignment, but the youngster met the challenge, as he capably deputized for Moor in the centre of Toronto’s three-man back line – he wasn’t culpable on either goal. Moor will undergo further evaluation this week, so there’s a chance he might not play on Friday against Chicago. If he can’t, look for Hagglund to once again fill the veteran’s shoes as TFC’s chief defensive organizer.
Montreal’s Tabla is an exciting prospect
Montreal Impact midfielder Ballou Jean-Yves Tabla is going to be a hell of a player someday. The Canadian under-17 star is a dynamic attacker, who is very good on the ball, displays fancy footwork, and plays with a sense of fearlessness in the attacking third. His introduction in the second half on Saturday against Atlanta breathed new life into the Impact attack, as he bamboozled defenders with his pace and deft touch in tight areas. Coach Mauro Biello has been smart to slowly bring along the teenager, and it’ll be interesting to see if he’ll get a start this week in Philadelphia, and if he can have a major impact over the course of the season as he gets more playing time.
Techera proving invaluable for Whitecaps
Fredy Montero stole the headlines last week, bagging both goals in the Whitecaps’ win over the Sounders, further underlining his value to the team early on in the season. But don’t overlook the contributions of Cristian Techera. Two weeks ago in LA, the Uruguayan winger caused plenty of problems for the Galaxy, and against Seattle he played a perfectly weighted cross on Montero’s first goal. Techera has looked like one of the Whitecap’s most dangerous players this year after having a somewhat disappointing 2016 campaign.
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