TORONTO – Having already clinched a playoff spot, Toronto FC is now trying to nail down one of the top spots in the Eastern Conference in order to ensure it hosts a playoff game.
TFC is making it awfully hard on itself, though, after settling for a 0-0 draw against Orlando City on Wednesday night before 23,805 fans at BMO Field.
Toronto had to play the final 20 minutes a man down after Tosaint Ricketts was expelled for his second yellow card of the game.
With this draw, TFC took sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference with three matches left in the regular season. But they squandered their game in hand over the New York Red Bulls and New York City FC, both only a point adrift, and remain embroiled in a very tight battle for first place. Their aim is to finish top two in the East, thus earning a first-round bye and home-field advantage in the two-legged conference semifinals.
Coach Greg Vanney stopped short of saying Toronto is mired in slump, while admitting his team has left points on the table during its current homestand. He was also quick to remind reporters after the game that his side did climb back into first place with this draw.
“[First place] feels great. My message to the guys at the end of the day is a positive one,” Vanney said. “We’re in first place. There’s no reason for us to have our heads down.”
Actually, there are plenty of reasons.
This was the third straight draw at home for Toronto who didn’t show much urgency on the night and lacked composure in front of goal (only two of their 15 shots were on target). With first place in the East and a home playoff date still up for grabs and far from a certainty, TFC’s poor run of form is incredibly ill-timed, and it’s troubling that they aren’t making the most of their home games at a critical juncture in the regular season.
No doubt the absence of Sebastian Giovinco has hurt Toronto, and maybe regular service will be restored once he returns to the line-up. But in the meantime, TFC has stuttered along with uneven performances, and has been unable to take a firm stranglehold on first place in the East when it’s been there for the taking. You have to wonder if this is just a small blip or whether the team has begun to self-destruct at the worst possible time.
Giovinco missed his fourth consecutive game with quadriceps and adductor strains. Also, Vanney made four lineup changes from the weekend: Goalkeeper Alex Bono started instead of Clint Irwin, midfielders Armando Cooper and Marky Delgado came in for Will Johnson and Benoit Cheyrou, and Ricketts replaced Jordan Hamilton. Ricketts returned after a short injury layoff, while Cooper was making his first start for TFC. This was the second of three games in a week for the Reds—they play again this Saturday—so it was hardly a surprise that Vanney rotated his squad.
Vanney bemoaned his team’s slow start in the previous two matches. He could have no such complaints on this evening. Toronto came out of the gate strong, with Ricketts, Jozy Altidore, and Jonathan Osorio buzzing in attack, shredding through Orlando’s diamond-shaped midfield. TFC dominated the rest of the half as it took advantage of Orlando’s feeble defending, carving out a number of scoring chances without seriously testing ex-TFC goalkeeper Joe Bendik—Toronto managed 11 shots, but only two were on target.
Vanney’s side found the going much tougher after Orlando coach Jason Kreis brought off forward Carlos Rivas late in the first half and switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation. The visitors became much harder to break down with an extra holding midfielder, and Toronto’s attack didn’t have as much space to exploit.
Bendik came up big in the 65th minute when he blocked a volley by Delgado off a cross played into the box. Orlando started to control the proceedings following Rickett’s expulsion, while Toronto defended in numbers and offered very little going forward.
NOTES: This was the third and final meeting of the regular season between Toronto and Orlando. They split the first two matches with a win apiece… TFC concludes its four-game homestand on Saturday vs. D.C. United. The Reds then travel to Montreal to take on the Impact on Oct. 16, before wrapping up the regular season at home on Oct. 23 versus the Chicago Fire… Defender Justin Morrow made his 100th appearance (in all competitions) for Toronto FC on Wednesday. Ashtone Morgan (121) and Jonathan Osorio (113) are the only other members of TFC’s "100 club."…
