Denied but not derailed
Toronto FC enters the MLS Cup battle without a Shield, but with history on its side
Red Bulls 2 Toronto FC 1
Lifting the Supporters’ Shield would have been a nice boost for Toronto FC.
Not doing so doesn’t have to define their year.
The Reds sat second in the overall standings heading into their final game of the pandemic-shortened regular season on Decision Day in Major League Soccer — when matches in each conference kick off at the same time for added drama with playoff berths on the line. They were tied in points per game with the Philadelphia Union, but behind on goal differential.
Getting over that final hurdle to lift the Shield was something the Union, the most consistent team this season, had never done before. TFC had accomplished it once, in its treblewinning 2017 campaign.
Philadelphia didn’t falter on Sunday, beating the New England Revolution 2-0 to wrap up the regular-season crown and the top seed for the post-season. Meanwhile in New Jersey, the Reds gave up two goals in the first half-hour on the way to a 2-1 loss to the Red Bulls. Tsubasa Endoh clawed one back in a stronger second half, but it wasn’t enough.
The final whistle, though, signalled a fresh start — which the Reds know better than most from recent history.
There will be uncertainty in the coming days — they won’t know their playoff opponent until the Eastern play-in games on Nov. 20, and don’t know if they’ll be allowed to train in Toronto in the meantime under pandemic restrictions — but they have confidence on their side having reached the MLS Cup final in three of the past four years.
In a balanced league, understanding how to pull away from the pack matters.
“Our guys, every single day, came out to training and didn’t complain, didn’t moan, just got to work,” TFC coach Greg Vanney said after a 23-game season in which they played at BMO Field just four times because of the pandemic.
“They found ways to support each other and get on with it ... The mentality and the commitment to trying to make the most out of (a difficult season) has been incredible.”
No. 7 Nashville will take on No. 10 Inter Miami in the Eastern play-in round, while No. 8 New England faces No. 9 Montreal. The Reds will face the higher seeded survivor.
TFC won’t enter the playoffs in top form like in 2019, however, when they finished a 10game unbeaten run. They finished 13-5-5, but three of those five losses have come in the last 15 days.
Vanney likened this season to 2017, when they clinched the Supporters’ Shield but suffered some key losses in the final month before the playoffs. They went on to hoist the MLS Cup.
“When you get to playoff time it’s not always about pretty soccer,” Vanney said. “It’s sometimes about just grinding and doing the difficult things and earning the right to play, and play the way we want.”
Getting some core players healthy would help.
Jozy Altidore returned as a substitute, after been out since Oct. 3 with a hamstring injury. Pablo Piatti, Marky Delgado and Justin Morrow were all dealing with ailments on Sunday, though, while Richie Laryea ( groin) left midway through the first half and Jonathan Osorio only played 45 minutes, leaving at halftime as a precaution after returning from an injury suffered last month.
The Reds have had few real training opportunities over the past 50 days, Vanney said, so a couple of weeks of dedicated practice should be focused on getting back on track. Where they train will likely be determined by Tuesday.
It could be in Toronto, with the comforts of home at their own facility after bouncing around the United States — primarily East Hartford — and training on sandy soccer fields, baseball fields and stadium pitches. TFC’s travelling party headed north of the border after Sunday’s match, hoping to strike a deal that satisfies pandemic protocols.
However that plays out, the challenge is clear, Vanney said: It’s up to the Reds to get on with it and focus on the one thing they know how to navigate: the road to the championship game.
“It’s been a grind, but we’re ready to grind it out for another month and try to lift an MLS Cup,” Vanney said. “That’s what we’re going to shoot for.”