Hungry for more, Toronto FC looks to extend franchise record win streak
Riding a franchise-record five-game win streak, Toronto FC is greedy for more.
Captain Michael Bradley hopes the beat goes on Saturday, when Toronto (6-1-4) hosts expansion Minnesota United (3-5-2) at BMO Field.
“When you win, there’s confidence, there’s excitement, there’s enthusiasm but there’s also the hunger for more,’’ Bradley said after training Friday. ``You don’t want to settle for anything. Right now we’re in a good mindset of playing, of competing, of not worrying about anything else except for the 90 minutes in front of us.’’
Goalkeeper Alex Bono agrees, saying good teams are never satisfied.
“You have to be greedy for wins. You have to keep wanting more and expecting more,’’ he said. “Once we’ve gotten in the mood of winning and the feeling of winning and the spirit of winning, that’s something you never want to go away.’’
Runner-up to Seattle in last year’s MLS Cup final, Toronto was unable to convert ties into wins in four of its first five outings
this season. It has been perfect since a 2-1 loss in Columbus on April 15, however.
Toronto’s run of victories has come during a gruelling 20-day stretch that included trips to Seattle and Columbus. TFC has outscored its opposition 10-3 en route.
Saturday marks Toronto’s first look at Minnesota, which has found its footing after a dreadful start that saw Adrian Heath’s squad ship 18 goals in its first four outings (0-3-1). In contrast, Toronto has conceded nine goals in 11 starts.
The Loons are coming off an impressive 2-0 decision over Sporting Kansas City and have lost just once in four games (21-1). Still they have yet to win on the road (0-3-2).
“They’re progressing as a team and it’s a game that we have to, for sure, take very seriously,’’ said Toronto coach Greg Vanney.
“We have a lot of respect for Minnesota,’’ echoed Bradley. “Anybody who thinks this is the easy game at the end of a hard busy stretch is going to be sorely mistaken ... We’re not looking past anything. This is a big game and a big chance for us.’’
Such warnings aside, Toronto is on a real roll. Consider the fact there were no fivegame winning streaks during the 2016 season, and just three in 2015.
Perhaps most impressively is the way Vanney has rotated his roster to keep the squad fresh. He has used 19 players during the win streak.