Some burning questions came to my mind after watching Toronto FC‘s 2–1 loss to the Ottawa Fury in Tuesday’s opening leg of their Canadian club championship semifinal series…
How disastrous of a result was this for TFC?
From a purely optical perspective a loss against Ottawa – who play in the second-tier United Soccer League – looks terrible for Toronto FC. Coach Greg Vanney fielded a makeshift lineup that leaned heavily on reserve players and youngsters. Among them was Mitchell Taintor, captain of the TFC 2 farm club, who was handed his senior-team debut against the Fury. With so many personnel changes, it shouldn’t have come as too much of a surprise that the Reds looked so disjointed.
Still, the Reds are supposed to be the best team in Major League Soccer, and have been lauded by pundits and fans for their roster depth in recent weeks. So how can they lose to a side that competes in a league one division below them? The same way that third-tier Alcorcón stunned Real Madrid over two legs in the Round of 16 during the 2009–10 Copa del Rey. Upsets happen, and even the best teams have bad days.
Make no mistake, this was a poor performance by TFC, especially in the second half when they offered very little going forward. But it’s hardly a catastrophe for TFC, and Tuesday’s shocking setback can be easily corrected next week in the return leg at BMO Field, where a 1-0 victory would be enough to see the Reds move on to the final. If they can’t even manage to do that, well, then they don’t deserve to repeat as Canadian champions.
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Does Ottawa deserve credit for last night’s win?
They sure do. Even against a “weakened” TFC side, the Fury were full value for the win at home after a lacklustre first half saw them fail to close down Benoit Cheyrou on his goal and Toronto enjoy a whopping 70 per cent possession. Ottawa manager Paul Dalglish made a key tactical switch at half-time, going with a four-man defence, a narrow midfield and two up front. This realignment led to the Fury being able to get the ball forward more quickly, and they immediately began to ask serious questions of TFC’s defence, with Ryan Williams and Sito Seoane looking dynamic in attack.
That being said, and not to take anything away from Ottawa, Toronto’s loss owed more to the wounds it inflicted on itself courtesy of some comical defending rather than anything the Fury did. Taintor looked awkward at times and was called for a handball that preceded the Fury’s equalizer from the penalty spot, while Jay Chapman’s silly giveaway led directly to Ottawa’s second goal.
However, you have to credit the hosts for taking full advantage of Toronto’s defensive miscues and of Vanney’s decision to field what was essentially a reserve side. They overcame a poor display in the opening half, and carried the majority of the play for the final 45 minutes.
“Congratulations to Ottawa. I thought they played hard in the second half. They came out with a little bit different intensity and were competing quicker for balls,” Vanney told reporters after the game. “Credit to them — they stuck with it and got a couple of goals out of it.
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What does Vanney do next week for the second leg?
TFC’s coach put his faith in several youngsters on Tuesday night and, aside from Jordan Hamilton, they didn’t show very well. On top of the aforementioned struggles of Taintor and Chapman, Raheem Edwards was a defensive liability, his terrible night capped off by a late second yellow card that means he’ll be suspended for next week’s return match.
Does Vanney go back to the youngsters for the second leg? Or does he call in the big guns — Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore and Victor Vazquez were given Tuesday night off — and go with a full-strength lineup? Will Bradley and Altidore even be available, or will they be away on international duty with the U.S. national team? Is fielding his “A team” even an option considering the Reds have a road game in MLS three days later in New England?
Look for Vanney to field a slightly stronger side next week, but one that still relies heavily on youngsters and reserve players. Edwards and Chapman didn’t suddenly become bad players overnight. They’re young players who are still developing, and games such as the second leg are critical to their improvement, so look for Chapman to get another start.
Vanney also sees the big picture. By giving time to guys who’ve seen little action so far he’s lengthening his bench for the second half of the season, while at the same time giving rest to important starters. The importance of properly managing players’ minutes over the long haul can’t be overstated.
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