TFC sets single-season record
With draw in Atlanta, Toronto now has most regular-season points of any team in MLS history
ATLANTA mattered. And then it didn’t. “Everything we’ve done is going to go out the window,” Michael Bradley said.
“It has just gone out the window,” TFC’s captain rephrased, a nod towards the playoffs.
A thrilling 2-2 Decision Day draw Sunday night in Atlanta lifted TFC (20-5-9) to 69 points on the season, eclipsing the 1998 L.A. Galaxy (68).
With it, the Reds cemented themselves as the best regular season team in MLS history, a title earned after dominating the league over the course of a 34-game season.
“For us to achieve the amount of points we’ve achieved in our conference is spectacular,” coach Greg Vanney said. “How many Eastern Conference teams are at the top of the standings?”
Toronto FC (69), New York City (57), Chicago (55), Atlanta (55) and Columbus (54) finished with better records than anyone in the weaker Western Conference.
The Reds know they’ll face the lowest remaining seed in a twoleg conference semifinal following this week’s knockout phase.
Toronto could return to the Peach State next week.
“I wouldn’t say (tonight) was a tough task,” Jozy Atlidore, who opened the scoring for TFC, said confidently. “It was nice to come here and see what it was like so close to the playoffs.”
More than 71,000 Georgians piled into the pristine MercedesBenz Stadium in downtown Atlanta for what became a megahyped spectacle on the final day of the regular season. — The record
Tornoto FC were looking for a response following an unconvincing Week 33 win over the visiting Montreal Impact while the hosts were hoping to secure a first-round playoff bye with a win.
In the end, it was the Reds who got what they were looking for thanks, in part, to a number of standout performances entering the post-season.
Alex Bono was reassuring in goal in front of a back line that looked in-form. Toronto FC’s midfield was solid behind Altidore and Giovinco, both of whom scored.
Again, the Atomic Ant showed up when TFC needed him most. With minutes remaining, Toronto’s pricey Italian struck a dipping free kick from the left edge of the penalty area that levelled the game.
It was the second time TFC was made to come from behind after Yamil Asad’s first-half penalty and Josef Martinez’s close-range finish gave Atlanta a 2-1 lead with a quarter-hour remaining.
The Reds return to Toronto Monday morning full of confidence following an unconvincing few weeks that saw them lose twice over four games while conceding nine times.
“We felt good about ourselves regardless (of tonight),” Bradley said. “We talked about giving everything to win the Supporters’ Shield and then finding a new level for the playoffs. That’s what we’re going to do.”
Attention now turns to the onegame playoffs that will decide the final four in each conference.
The sixth-seeded New York Red Bulls travel to third-seeded Chicago later this week with a 1-0-1 record against the embattled Fire this season.
Meanwhile, the fifth-seeded Columbus Crew travel to fourthseeded Atlanta having dropped all six points to the expansion side this season.
Toronto FC and New York City are standing by after finishing Nos. 1 and 2 in the conference, respectively.
“We’ll prepare ourselves for what we want to do. We know we’re going to be on the road (in the first leg of the conference semifinals). It will be one of two teams, probably,” Vanney said.
“We have a good sense of what each team is about. For us it’s about being the best version of ourselves going into whatever game it is.
“We can always game plan over a couple of days. Being sharp on the things we know we want to do we can get through (before we know our opponent).”
In the West, Vancouver (No. 3) hosts San Jose (No. 6) after the ’Quakes needed a last-gasp winner against Minnesota to claim the final playoff spot.
Sporting KC will start on the road in Houston before the aforementioned four teams meet the top two seeds, Portland and Seattle.
Attention already has turned to the second season.
“Nobody is going to give us anything because we had a good regular season,” Bradley added.
“Now it’s all about this little mini tournament over the next six seven weeks … We’ll prepare to play whoever.”
When asked where he expected to be next week for the conference semifinals, his teammate put it a different way.
“Doesn’t matter to me, man,” Altidore answered. “Our objective doesn’t change.”
They’ve achieved everything else this season.