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| This isn't a photo of the match. |
With the revamp of Toronto FC's management, and their new significant additions to the squad, the expectation level of Toronto FC's season was sky-high. They sure lived up to that expectation with a satisfying 2-1 away win in their season opener against the Seattle Sounders. Before the match, most of the hype was surrounding Jermain Defoe, and whether he would be able to set Major League Soccer alight with goals. To add to the hype, the MLS media pounced on the fact that Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey, two significant United States National Team players, would be opponents in the match. The MLS media did create a bit of a mini-rivalry between the two.
The first half began, and TFC were a bit cagey in the first 10-15 of the match, as Seattle were creating chances and were playing some free-flowing, attacking football. However, Ryan Nelsen and the coaching staff made a tactical adjustment that changed the flow of the half. They made Alvaro Rey and Jackson switch their positions, so instead of going up the wing and putting in the cross, both players cut inside towards the middle of the box, better suiting their skill and athleticism. This tactical adjustment put Seattle on the backfoot, and Toronto began to create their own chances. Not long after, Jonathan Osorio played a pass to Jermain Defoe who one-timed his low shot in the corner past Stefan Frei.
Cue the pandemonium, Toronto FC were leading against the Sounders in Seattle. A few minutes later, off a giveaway in the midfield, Defoe picked up the ball and once again popped it in the back of the net to give Toronto a dream 2-0 lead at CenturyLink Field. For the rest of the half, Toronto FC looked threatening and hungry for more, and much of that was down to Michael Bradley. He did make a few mistakes in the half, with passing and heading the ball forward, but he more than made up for it with his intense pressure on any Seattle player with the ball and forcing them into mistakes. TFC's second goal came from that Bradley pressure. Michael Bradley was a beast, and I don't think Matias Laba could put in that kind of performance.
The second half was all Seattle Sounders. They were relentless in their pressure whenever Toronto FC had the ball, and they were also relentless in their attack in order to find the goals necessary to get back into the match. When Clint Dempsey scored for Seattle to make it 2-1, I (and many others) wondered whether Toronto FC had the ability to hold out and preserve the victory. If you didn't know, before this season, whenever Toronto FC were in a position to pick up points in a match, they almost always conceded one or more goals in the closing stages of a match. The fear was there, but all credit to Toronto FC's back four, as they dealt with the threats inside the box without the panic that surrounded previous Toronto FC teams.
I initially thought that Mark Bloom would have a hard time with the attack of the Sounders, but he proved me wrong and he had a solid match, clearing the ball when necessary, and denied the Sounders a penalty with a great recovery inside the box. Julio Cesar made some key saves to deny Seattle to level the match, and the two center backs, Steven Caldwell and Doneil Henry, did an admirable job with shutting down Seattle's attacks down the middle, and clearing Seattle's crosses into the box.
It was a game of two halves, and despite the relative shakiness in the second half, Toronto FC put in a performance that the supporters can be proud of, and I hope that these kind of performances are consistent throughout the season. Let's not get carried away, TFC supporters. It's only one game, but hopefully this is a sign of things to come. Right now, just enjoy the win.
Toronto FC is back, and oh does it feel good (for a change).
Other things that I noticed during the match:
If I had a nickel for everytime Jason DeVos talked about Doneil Henry's "potential" and "development", I would be a very rich man. I know he rates him highly, but before this season, he was reckless and made some costly mistakes that lost TFC games. There are some bloggers and journalists that say that Toronto FC's success this season will depend on Doneil Henry's performances this season, and I agree with that. However's I'm sick and tired of hearing about his potential. He's had a number of years in MLS to prove his potential, and I'm still not convinced that he is the future of Toronto FC and the Canadian National Team. This season will be huge for him.
The Sounders fans were in fine voice, but why would they chant the "Can you hear Toronto sing" to probably less than 100 Toronto FC road fans in a stadium that had an attendance today of around 38,000 people. It seemed a bit stupid to me. In my opinion, the only acceptable times to sing that chant are if you are the away support, or if you are the home support with a significant amount of away supporters in attendance.
With this match, it felt like eating a spoonful of scrumptious ice cream, but now I want the entire tub. I absolutely cannot wait for the home opener. This should be an interesting season for the Reds of Toronto.
