Mission remains simple for Toronto FC
A triumph over the visiting Montreal Impact will bring MLS Cup match to BMO Field
TORONTO — “Win the game,” offered Toronto FC coach Greg Vanney.
The biggest match in TFC history could get a miniature pre-game pump-up speech, apparently.
It’s a variation on the infamous words uttered by late, great former Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis: “Just win, baby!”
“Win” — along with a few other sentences — will be the sentiment Vanney offers his players in the moments before playing host to the Montreal Impact in Wednesday night’s Eastern Conference final.
“Be ready for the moment,” will be another, Vanney told a gaggle of reporters Tuesday afternoon. “Express yourselves. Play hard. Leave everything on the field.
“The one thing we can never leave behind in our locker-room is our energy and effort,” Vanney added. “We have to take that on the field and be ready to compete and give everything we have to the moment.
“If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance to win the game. Our energy, effort and commitment is what fans will get behind and support.”
The Reds revealed Tuesday morning that Wednesday night’s match sold out — 36,000 seats — with days remaining. It will be the largest crowd ever to watch a soccer match at the expanded BMO Field.
“The crowd will be enormous,” Vanney said. “It’s a constant source of energy, a source of drive and belief. We are delighted that this game is in our stadium, in front of our fans and our city. I think that’s an edge for us, for sure.”
For now, though, Montreal enters this do-or-die fixture with the ultimate aggregate series edge. The Impact defeated the Reds 3-2 last week in an exhilarating game inside Olympic Stadium.
“We know that at the start we’re theoretically down (in the series),” Vanney explained. “Along the way (Wednesday night) we have to get a goal. Getting a goal over the 90 minutes is very doable.
“But we also have to make sure we don’t make it a bigger climb for ourselves. We don’t necessarily have to rush at the beginning and look for the goal. We can look for that goal over the course of the match.”
You wouldn’t bet against the Reds to find it, especially when you consider the club’s high-priced trio — Sebastian Giovinco, Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley — have combined for nine goals and six assists this post-season.
But as the first leg demonstrated, the Impact aren’t concerned with creating loads of opportunities and out-chancing the opposition. They’re content to sit back and absorb and pounce on mistakes before releasing Nacho Piatti and Dominic Oduro.
“It’s about our organization and making our organization behind the ball very clear. There needs to be clear responsibilities to make the reads and decisions for our guys as easy and clear as possible,” said Vanney. “It’s something we’ve talked about. That’s really how they’ve got our goals against us — in three or fewer passes. It’s definitely something we’re focused on in terms of organization when we have the ball.
“Our decisions when things happen in transition — how quickly we try to win the ball back or just re-organize — is vital. Those are moments that are very important in this match.”
The answer could be more midfield balance — something seen when Will Johnson replaced Jonathan Osorio midway through the second half of the first leg.
The Canadian midfielder helped alter the complexion at the Big O last Tuesday. His work ethic was infectious as he and Tosaint Ricketts helped the Reds claw back from an insurmountable 3-0 deficit.
Johnson’s potential inclusion also could help combat Montreal’s penchant to counter-attack. The pending free agent is the kind of player who relishes tracking back and breaking up plays. He’s a guy you want in close games.
“It’s about making sure that we have things clean on the defensive side while giving our guys a chance on the attacking end to make a play and try to set up scenarios that put the game in our favour,” Vanney said.