Hagglund shows he has head for game
Credit volleyball for Nick Hagglund’s ability to leap high. Or maybe his raw athleticism.
But send a high ball his way and the 25-year-old Toronto FC defender knows what to do with his head.
Hagglund demonstrated that again last week when, thrown up front as an emergency attacker with time running out, he scored twice on headers to complete an unlikely 4-4 comeback tie with D.C. United.
Hagglund’s only other two regular-season goals came against Portland in September 2014, again via his noggin. Hagglund’s headers pulled TFC even at 2-2 that day before Michael Bradley won it with an 89th-minute free kick.
“I’ve always been good in the air,” said Hagglund. “My dad called me the ‘Sky Master’ all through club (play).”
Toronto (4-7-3) looks to avoid the need for more Hagglund heroics when it visits New York City FC (8-3-4) on Sunday, the first of a six-game stretch that features five road outings. And the home game is no gimme with the New York Red Bulls (8-4-2) coming to town July 1.
Listed at six foot one and 193 pounds, Hagglund played volleyball through his freshman year at Xavier University.
“I was short but I could still jump,” he said.
Goalkeeper Alex Bono calls him “freakishly athletic.”
“And he’s built like a brickhouse. When you mix those two things together, you know you’re going to find someone that’s really dangerous in the air.”
But coach Greg Vanney says it takes more than just athleticism to head the ball well.
“I’ve seen great athletes be terrible headers of the ball,” he said.
“Nick is so good at the timing of things ... Staying out of the space that you really want to attack and then when the ball goes up, just go get it,” he added. “I think of all of our players, he does the best job of that.”
Hagglund is in his fifth year in Toronto. Drafted in the first round (10th overall) in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft, he won the confidence of then-manager Ryan Nelsen as a rookie, making 23 starts that year.
Knee injuries, appendicitis and more recently “a reasonably significant hamstring strain” — combined with some big-name additions on the backline — have restricted him to 32 starts in the four seasons since.
“I’d say I’ve had a career-full of ups and downs,” he said with a laugh.
“The growing pains of being a pro athlete ... It’s been a full career,” he added.
In all, he has appeared in 73 regular-season games. He has one goal in 10 playoff games — another header in Toronto’s 5-2 win in the second leg of the 2016 Eastern final against Montreal (which turned into a 7-5 aggregate victory).