MLS notebook: New-look Toronto FC still coming together

For 97-and-a-half minutes on Saturday, Toronto FC fought tooth and nail against the New York Red Bulls, leaving it mere seconds away from earning what would have been an impressive win in the home opener of its 20th MLS season. 

But TFC let its foot off the gas, conceded a goal with the last kick of the game and was forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against their Eastern Conference rival.

Dániel Sallói’s first-half goal gave the hosts the lead before Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting netted the equalizer in the 98th minute with a shot through traffic after Toronto failed to clear its lines off a corner kick. 

It was a major letdown and disappointment for Toronto after it earned a 1-0 shutout win over FC Cincinnati the previous week, its first-ever victory at TQL Stadium. Taking three points off one of the best teams in MLS last season was a major accomplishment and suggested that TFC had turned a corner after conceding three goals in each of their first two losses to open the campaign. 

But if Saturday's performance and result showed anything, it was that TFC very much remains a work in progress. 

"It's very disappointing and disappointing on a couple of fronts. This didn't feel like we were as energetic as we needed to be from the very beginning, and I don't want to keep referencing past games, but six days ago (against Cincinnati), we had one of the most incredibly energetic performances I've seen," coach Robin Fraser said. 

"I told (the players) when they are really at it, we can compete with anyone. We have to really be at it. And I felt like today we were just not quite as energetic and sharp as we needed to be." 

Sallói added: "I thought we were fighting, but we weren't playing enough. I think we had a lot more control in Cincinnati over the game defensively." 

New York’s aggressive, high-pressing style put TFC under pressure for most of the contest as the visitors enjoyed long stretches of possession inside the hosts’ end of the pitch. 

If ever TFC needed to come out with high energy, this was the game. But for whatever reason, the level of intensity required to face the Red Bulls was completely lacking.  

"That's kind of (New York’s) hallmark is that they're aggressive and they press and they're generally tough to play against. I would say this version plays more soccer and plays really good soccer. And I do think when you play an energetic team, you have to match (their) energy. And I think that was probably the difference today," Fraser admitted.  

Even though New York carried the bulk of the play, there were positive moments from Toronto. 

Goalkeeper Luka Gavran made a heads-up play by playing a quick outlet pass for Djordje Mihailovic off a restart that caught the Red Bulls napping. Mihailovic broke up-field and gave his marker the slip before finding Sallói, who beat Red Bulls goalkeeper Ehtan Horvath with a one-touch chip shot from just inside the penalty area in the 43rd minute. It was Sallói’s second goal of the season.  

TFC’s transitional game kept New York honest at times and its bend-but-don’t break defence frustrated the visitors for most of the afternoon until Choupo-Moting’s late equalizer. 

"There are going to be some days where you don't play well, but you'd like to think that even on a day if you don't play well, you find a goal, you should still be able to win the game," Fraser said.  

Elsewhere in MLS this past weekend… 

• The Vancouver Whitecaps remain one of only two teams in MLS with a perfect record (LAFC is the other), equalling their best start to a season with four consecutive wins. The Whitecaps’ latest victory came in an emphatic 6-0 destruction of Minnesota United at BC Place on Sunday, which marked the team’s third clean sheet of the campaign.

What was particularly impressive about Vancouver’s performance was that it wasn’t only the stars who were chipping in, although Brian White recorded a brace and Sebastian Berhalter had a goal and two assists. But the team’s depth was on full display as German midfielder Sebastian Schonlau made his team debut off the bench and nearly scored with a header, while Senegalese winger Cheikh Sabaly bagged his first goal in his second appearance for the Whitecaps. The victory also demonstrated Vancouver’s resiliency as it put six goals past Minnesota after suffering a humbling 3-0 home loss to the Seattle Sounders in a mid-week Concacaf Champions League contest.  

• CF Montreal suffered two shutout losses by a combined 8-0 score to open the season before rebounding with an impressive 3-0 road victory over the Red Bulls. Montreal was hoping to build upon that impressive performance but instead took a backwards step after coming up short in a 2-1 road loss to Orlando City on Saturday.

As poor as Montreal has looked so far this season, things could be much worse if not for the efforts of German forward Prince Owusu and Venezuelan midfielder Wiki Carmona. Both players have two goals each (which accounts for all of Montreal’s offence) while Carmona also has an assist. Montreal badly needs others to step up and contribute to the attack as it prepares to close out its season-opening six-game homestand, which includes a visit to FC Cincinnati this weekend.