Bradley has higher goals for Reds
TFC captain has sights on earning a first-round bye or home field advantage
It’s time for Toronto FC to take care of business, beginning with a result against New York City FC at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday evening.
That was the challenge set by captain Michael Bradley after a disappointing 3-1 loss to New England Revolution at BMO Field Sunday, a match where the home side dominated in every statistical category — except the one that mattered.
That cannot be the case if the team wants to make its MLS playoff debut this fall.
Not only does Toronto hope to earn a top-six finish to get a post-season berth, a top-four placing would either get the team a bye through the first round or a home game against a lower-ranked team.
“We’ll continue to shoot as high as we can, knowing that we have everything still to play for,” said Bradley, whose team sits in fifth position going into New York.
Games at home; games against teams right around them, above and below: That’s the gist of Toronto FC’s last seven regular-season games.
On paper, it’s favourable for the local team, including five home games and five games against teams trailing Toronto in the standings. But the lesson learned over the weekend was clear: You can’t win games without scoring goals.
“It’s most important to get a result; we’ll push for a result,” coach Greg Vanney said following a light morning training session Monday, just enough so players broke a sweat.
Ninth-place New York City is a bit of a mystery, Vanney admitted. The two teams played to a hectic 4-4 tie in July, only weeks after the expansion side beat Toronto 2-0 in late June.
Since then, the likes of European legends Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard have come into the squad, bolstering the delivery for prolific striker David Villa. All three were pulled from Saturday’s 2-1 loss to FC Dallas, but it’s unknown whether that was because of injury or to save them for Toronto.
If they play, Toronto’s Robbie Findley will have his eyes on New York’s latest additions.
“They’ve got a couple of new guys since we played them last, so we’ve obviously got to be mindful of that,” said the striker, with tongue firmly in cheek.
Toronto will need to produce a similar performance to Sunday’s match, without the costly mistakes, to get a win or draw Wednesday. It won’t be easy at Yankee Stadium, a small, awkward field set largely in the outfield of the baseball park.
“The field is smaller, so we’ve got to keep that in mind, but nothing changes as far as our game plan,” said Findley, who scored Toronto’s lone goal over the weekend. “We’ll be able to create opportunities for ourselves; we’ve just got to be able to put them away.”
One thing that will change is the return of midfielder Collen Warner, who sat out the last two games because of suspension. French midfielder Benoit Cheyrou, who was on the bench against New England, could be ready after missing weeks with an injured heel but Vanney couldn’t say how significant a role he might play.
Other players who came back from injury Sunday, such as leading scorer Sebastian Giovinco, will be available for Wednesday despite the quick turnaround.
Getting back on field within three days is good for the team, Bradley said.
“It’s the best thing, as opposed to having a week to sit around and watch and think and talk. It’s nice.”