TORONTO – Two key Toronto FC starters are on the mend from injuries and could be available for Sunday’s home playoff game against the New York Red Bulls.
Toronto coach Greg Vanney confirmed Saturday morning that midfielder Victor Vazquez (hip) and defender Drew Moor (ankle) have improved after getting injured in the first leg of the Eastern Conference semifinal on Monday in New York, a 2-1 win for TFC.
Vanney is expected to make a final decision later Saturday as to whether they’ll see action on Sunday.
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“They were involved in training today. So far, so good. In terms of potential availability for tomorrow … we’ll see where they’re at, and how many minutes [they can play] or start or whatever. So far, they’ve made good progress,” Vanney told reporters.
Vanney said he’ll make his decision largely based on conversations he’ll have with both players.
“A lot of it [has to do] with how they feel. Both of those guys know their bodies, they’ve been around for a long time and they know where they’re at, and what they’re capable of giving. If they feel like they can’t do something, they’re going to be honest about it,” Vanney stated.
He later added: “Neither injury will necessarily get worse [if they play]. It’s just a matter of can they do all the things that are necessary for the amount of time necessary. That’ll be the [deciding factor].”
Victor suffered the hip injury in the opening match of the aggregate series in New York, and had to be subbed out in the 65th minute. Moor came out at halftime after rolling his ankle.
Vazquez was one of team’s best and most influential players during the regular season. He appeared in 31 games in his debut campaign in the league, 28 as a starter, scored eight goals and tallied 16 assists, second-most in MLS.
Moor played in 25 games this season, 24 as a starter, and scored two goals. He sat out for a month early in the campaign due to heart problems.
Nick Hagglund replaced Moor at the start of the second half on Monday, and the youngster did a fantastic job of quarterbacking the defence. Even though he was returning from an injury layoff and hadn’t played since mid-August, Hagglund seamlessly slotted into the back line and showed no signs of rust or hesitation, making a number of key tackles and timely interceptions.
Jonathan Osorio came in for Vazquez in the 65th minute and the Canadian more than held his own, as he has for the last few months when he’s been mainly used as the first option off the bench. Osorio is not a like-for-like replacement for Vazquez, but he has embraced Vanney’s philosophy of quick ball movement, which the Spaniard has been at the forefront of since joining the team in the pre-season.
Considering Toronto’s advantageous position coming into this game, it makes sense not to rush Vazquez and Moor back if they are not fully fit. Also, assuming Toronto advances, the Eastern Conference final first leg wouldn’t be held until Nov. 21, giving both players extra time to recuperate.
TFC coaches and management have been saying all year that they have one of the deepest teams in MLS. Sunday would an opportunity for the Reds prove it one more time if Vazquez and Moor are unavailable.
TFC’s road victory in the first leg means it holds a distinct advantage going into Sunday’s return match at BMO Field. A draw, or even a 1-0 loss, would be enough to see Toronto advance in the aggregate series. The Red Bulls need to win by at least two goals, or post a high-scoring one-goal win (a 5-4 victory, for example) in order to move on to the next round.
The other Eastern Conference semifinal kicked off earlier this week with the Columbus Crew earning a 4-1 home win over New York City FC.
Should they get past the Red Bulls, TFC would have home-field advantage for Eastern Conference final regardless of the opponent.
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