TORONTO – New York City FC has proven to be a tough nut to crack for Toronto FC.
Since the New York club entered Major League Soccer last season, the teams have met five times, with the side from the Big Apple winning twice and earning three draws.
TFC will try to earn their first win against NYCFC at the sixth attempt on Sunday in the opening leg of the Eastern Conference semifinals at BMO Field.
This two-game playoff series has plenty of star power. New York’s trio of designated players—David Villa, Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard—and Toronto’s three DPs (Sebastian Giovinco, Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore) means that six of the highest paid players in the league will likely be on the pitch at the same time on Sunday.
Villa, especially, has been in fine form this year. The Spaniard scored 23 goals, good enough for second overall in MLS, and he’s being touted as a leading candidate to win the league’s MVP award. Pirlo was New York’s top provider with 11 assists in 2016, while Lampard chipped in with a very respectable 12 goals and three assists in 19 league appearances.
But Toronto coach Greg Vanney warns that NYCFC is more than just their three DPs. Much more.
“They’ve got a good solid team. We can’t get too caught up in just the three so-called stars for them. … We have to make sure we’re aware of all of their pieces and what everybody is capable of,” Vanney said.
Vanney singled out defenders R.J. Allen and Ronald Matarrita, as well as midfielders Tommy McNamara and Jack Harrison as key figures for New York.
He also had special praise for veteran defensive midfielder Andoni Iraola, a former star with Spanish outfit Athletic Bilbao who made over 400 appearances for the Basque club in La Liga.
“He’s their pivot guy … He’s vital because he’s the one guy who kind of manipulates the game a little bit in space, aside from the three [DPs],” Vanney explained.
“He’s an important factor and he also allows Pirlo and Lampard to do the things that they’re capable of doing because he’s very disciplined in sitting in front of that back group and protecting them and protecting the spaces when they have to go out.
“He’s experienced, he knows his role and he’s quite good at it.”
NYCFC can score goals—the boasted the league’s top attack during the regular season with 62 goals—and they concede plenty of them—they were breached 57 times (17th in MLS).
Vanney described New York as an “idealistic” and “a very good attacking team” in that they like to play the game a certain way.
“They want to have possession; they want to move defenders around and create pockets [of space] for guys to make runs into and attack. …. That’s what they’re about,” Vanney explained.
There’s no question that NYCFC’s attack poses a stern test for Toronto’s defence. The New York club was shut out a mere five times this season, and led the league in road victories with seven.
“Certainly defensively we have our work cut out for us,” TFC centre back Drew Moor admitted.
He later added: “If you stay tuned in on them and communicate well, you might have a chance to keep them off the scoresheet. But Villa is certainly an MVP candidate, he scored a lot of goals this year and he’s getting some pretty good service from some very good players.”
From an attacking perspective, Altidore could be Toronto’s ace in the hole against New York.
Altidore didn’t play in either of the Reds’ two draws against NYCFC this season because of a hamstring injury. Since returning from his layoff, the American has been one of TFC’s best players, scoring 11 goals and collecting four assists. He scored in Toronto’s playoff win against the Philadelphia Union earlier this week, and he had a hand in setting up Giovinco’s goal.
The dynamic duo of Giovinco and Altidore could prove problems for a New York defence that leaked goals during the regular season.
“The reality is that there aren’t many teams in this league that play with two out-and-out forwards,” TFC captain Michael Bradley said. “We do and we have two of the best, so I think to have both of [those guys] on the field, and sharp and fit and into it is something that we rely on a lot.”
The return match in this two-game series is scheduled for Nov. 6 at Yankee Stadium.
If the aggregate score is tied after 180 minutes, away goals will serve as the tiebreaker. If the series is still tied after that, two 15-minute extra time periods will be played in their entirety, followed by penalty kicks, if necessary. The away goals tiebreaker will not apply in extra time of the second leg.
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