TFC fans still see red over Seattle’s tactics

Sounders sat back on defence last year and won MLS Cup

Lin Toronto istless in last year’s MLS Cup, the Seattle Sounders were roundly berated for their negative tactics amid failing to produce a shot on target in an eventual penalty shootout win at BMO Field.

It’s something we’ll never see again, Toronto FC bench boss Greg Vanney promised after.

The Sounders’ tactics didn’t just frustrate the Reds that night. They were hard to watch, leaving viewers in Toronto fuming about more than the loss.

As illogical as it sounds, TFC supporters genuinely believe Seattle didn’t deserve to hoist the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy after being outshot 19-3 that night.

They didn’t earn it. They weren’t the “better team,” most argued.

I’d phrase it like this: The Seattle Sounders were fortunate.

They leaned on good defending and good goalkeeping and solid, shutdown tactics to see out a Cup final in a difficult — and frigid — environment.

There’s nothing wrong with that. Just like there’s nothing wrong with mocking it.

But I’d ask Toronto FC supporters the same question.

How do you feel about TFC being outshot (on goal) 10-9 during these playoffs? Does it matter, seeing as the Reds have conceded just one (deflected) goal over four games against two of the best attacking sides in the Eastern Conference? Of course it doesn’t. “This team has more ways to win games,” Vanney said. “We’ve won games this year where we’ve dominated. We’ve won games where we’ve had to break teams down because they’re sitting numbers behind the ball. We’ve beat teams that want to come and try and press us.

He continued: “We beat teams Jozy Altidore and Toronto FC were stymied in the MLS Cup final last year by the Seattle Sounders, including midfielder Osvaldo Alonso. when it’s a tight game through set pieces. We’ve beat teams where we need to sit back and play on the counter.”

Toronto FC is finding it hard to break teams down during these playoffs because the opposition has been intent on one thing: Stymieing the Reds.

Opponents have designed game plans completely and totally around slowing down TFC’s big players to the point they’ve sacrificed too much on the attacking end.

As we saw Wednesday night, quality often wins out in tight situations — something the Sounders or Dynamo need to consider.

Add this to the Michael Bradley quote book.

Toronto FC’s captain spilled his heart — again — following Wednesday night’s win, giving a nod to the sellout crowd that took in another special night at BMO Field.

“I don’t think our fans and people who come into the stadium on nights like this truly understand what a difference it makes for us — and the way the push us on in certain moments,” Bradley said.

“They give us this feeling that there’s only one team that’s going to win. The responsibility of playing here, in this stadium and in this city, is one we take very seriously.

“We want it for them — for the people who have been here since Day 1.”

With American media taking in Wednesday night’s conference final, Jozy Altidore was asked postgame “how big” his game-winning goal was following months of criticism.

“People keep thinking that I’m some wounded animal,” Altidore said of the United States’ failure to reach the World Cup. “It didn’t only happen to me. It happened to a group of guys and a lot of fans.

“It is what it is. It’s disappointing, but we have to move on from it.”