Reds could do without their playoff vacation
But 16-day break between games will help work up an already rabid fan base
Toronto FC always wants to be on the field, whether coming off a win or a loss. But as the season nears its climax, the players are facing one of their longest breaks.
The Reds have 16 days off between their Eastern Conference semifinal with the New York Red Bulls and the East final with Columbus. The bump in the road to the MLS Cup is a FIFA international break that falls at this time every year. It’s a week off in the regular season for most global leagues, and a momentum-draining hiatus from the MLS playoffs in North America.
“I think ultimately everybody would prefer, every weekend, (to) have a game,” TFC veteran defender Drew Moor said. “(The break) can be a bit disruptive. It’s up to us to make sure that it doesn’t have any effect when (the first leg) does come around in Columbus but, yeah, I would prefer to get straight back at it.”
The time off can help, especially when it comes to injuries. Moor and midfielder Victor Vazquez were both listed as questionable heading into the second leg of the East semifinal, and a little extra time to heal is welcome.
And the breather can be a blessing from a business standpoint, according to Richard Powers, a sports marketing expert from the University of Toronto. Absence will only make the Reds’ fans that more zealous, he said.
“Lets face it, nobody expects to be going to a soccer game outside in late November, early December, but I can tell you right now those TFC fans will eat it up, they will make it a party,” Powers said. “It’ll be pandemonium, it’ll be fantastic and it’ll be a great boost for the team and their legacy in the city.”
From the supporters’ point of view, he said, this break is a perfect time for Christmas shopping. Come Nov. 21, it’s soccer time.
In other markets, where teams don’t have a fan base as large and committed as in Toronto, the break will provide an opportunity to sell more tickets, according to York University professor of sports marketing Vijay Setlur, and that will reflect better on the franchises when the games are broadcast. Meanwhile, there is time to drum up sponsorships around the team and the league overall.
“They could always use more time,” Setlur said. “There are a lot of logistics that are involved in developing interactive elements and branding and programs and incorporating those programs in with what the fans are going to do, so they appreciate the extra time as well.”
What could stump fans, he said, is Toronto FC’s erratic schedule in terms of game days. Should the team progress all the way to the final, it will play one Monday match, one Sunday match, a pair on Tuesday and a fifth match on Saturday.
“People want to be able to say, ‘The game was today, so the next one is exactly a week from now,’ ” he said. “If people are assuming, for example, that the game is going to be on a weekend, but then instead it’s on a weekday, then they can’t watch it as a family, they can’t really make it an occasion. They can’t plan for it properly.” MLS commissioner Don Garber said he was open to considering changes to the playoff format during his state-of-the-league address last December. More clubs are expected to be added to the 22-team league in the near future, including Los Angeles FC in 2018, and Setlur said expansion could prompt restructuring, both to the regular-season and postseason schedules. Until then, Toronto waits. It helps that all but one player — midfielder Armando Cooper — are with the club during this international window, a rarity for the Reds.
“It allows us a little time to put some things together that maybe we wouldn’t be able to if we had a lot of guys away,” TFC coach Greg Vanney said.
“I don’t think it’s a horrible thing. However, you like to stay in the rhythm of playing games.”