Thrilling finale sets table for playoffs
Getting out of the highly-competitive Eastern Conference won’t be easy for Toronto FC
The Eastern Conference wrapped up the regular season with the top five teams in Major League Soccer.
But was Sunday night’s thrilling 2-2 draw between Toronto FC and Atlanta United FC a battle between the best of the best in MLS this year?
“It’s possible,” TFC coach Greg Vanney said. “I think our styles always lend to exciting matches. Then it comes down to who executes when the plays are there.
“This is what it should look like. I thought it was a great spectacle for the league. It was two good teams with a lot of firepower. A lot of speed. A lot of ability to combine. It was a really good game.”
The Reds know they could return here as early as Monday night to open the conference semifinals, which could be why neither side showed its hand in Week 34.
Toronto FC moved away from its normal 3-5-2 alignment and instead played a flat back four for the first time in months.
Across from Vanney, coach Tata Martino set his side up in a 3-4-3 without Miguel Almiron, the top attacking midfielder in MLS.
“I’m not in the business of saying who’s the best. Except for us. I’ll take that,” Vanney added with a smile. “It’s a very difficult Eastern Conference with a lot of teams able to beat a lot of teams.”
That’s what scares Toronto fans.
Montreal moves on
The Impact fired coach Mauro Biello on Monday, a day after finishing ninth in the East.
Apparently owner Joey Saputo hoped his side would over-achieve for a third straight season.
The Eastern Conference improved in 2017. The Impact didn’t. That’s not entirely to blame on the departing coach.
Seen and heard
A Toronto FC staffer said Mercedes-Benz Stadium is the loudest the team has played in … Toronto FC could learn its playoff opponent by Wednesday night. However, the Reds won’t know the time and date of that match until Thursday evening … The 71,874 who attended Decision Day in Georgia set an MLS single-game record … It took the threat of relocation for the Columbus Crew to receive media attention, a classic case of not realizing you’ll miss something until it’s gone … Toronto FC finished the 2017 season averaging 27,647 attendance, the highest in club history … MLS averaged more than 22,000 fans per game for the first time in 22 seasons … I spoke with three different people on the way home from Atlanta — a hotel door man, a cabbie and an immigration officer. All three knew the result of Sunday night’s game.
And another thing
San Jose might be the worst playoff team ever. The ’Quakes enter these playoffs with the worst goal difference (minus 21) since the 1998 Miami Fusion (minus 22), who also made the post-season … Meanwhile, I wouldn’t a bit surprised if both No. 6 seeds — San Jose and New York Red Bulls — advance to the conference semis.
Playoff predictions
New York over Chicago; Atlanta over Columbus; Vancouver over San Jose; Houston over KC.