TFC needs to click quickly to make playoffs
Toronto FC captain Michael Bradley is likely not a huge fan of 1970s sitcoms, but he did happen to mention One Day at Time a number of times Friday afternoon.
Bradley was asked if TFC fans should perhaps temper their expectations somewhat heading into the final few games of the MLS season despite the fact that the three high-profile, big-money Italian international players — Lorenzo Insigne, Federico Bernardeschi and Domenico Criscito — are all now ready to play.
“One game at a time, that’s where we are,” said Bradley. “That’s the situation. That is the only way for us to approach things — 13 league games left, a (Canadian Championship) final. One game at a time.”
TFC head coach Bob Bradley confirmed the three Italian internationals will be ready to play against MLS expansion Charlotte FC on Saturday afternoon at BMO Field, but there’s still the matter of the Reds coming together as a unit. Only Criscito has yet to play for TFC and the club’s new midfielder, Mark-anthony Kaye, has only played twice for his hometown club so far. So the talent will be on the pitch, but will the Reds click right away and go on the win streak that they need to make the playoffs? That’s the million-dollar question.
“We don’t temper expectations,” said Bob Bradley. “We actually tell the group, ‘Come on, there’s points on the table, let’s go.’ That’s the way we’re always thinking.”
TFC sits second-last in the MLS Eastern Conference with 19 points in 21 games, eight points out of a playoff spot with 13 games remaining and six teams to leapfrog over. The Reds have taken just one point from their last five MLS matches (a draw and four losses) following a 1-0 defeat to CF Montréal last Saturday. That shutout loss marked the seventh time TFC has failed to score in its last 12 MLS matches after having found the net in 13 consecutive games prior to this run.
“We’re growing, and having players like (the three Italians) helps,” said Bob Bradley. “The time factor of how quickly things come together, of how quickly guys get fit, of how quickly we get to what we want ... we continue to explore other ways to improve.”
Against Charlotte, the Reds face an expansion side that has certainly punched above its weight this season. The Crown, as Charlotte is known, beat English Premier League powerhouse Chelsea FC in a friendly Wednesday night at Bank of America Stadium. In fact, Charlotte has a better record than Toronto this season and is only one point out of a playoff spot with 26 points in 21 games, though the club might be feeling a little fragile this week after losing 3-2 to Miami on Saturday after holding a 2-0 lead.
Bradley said Insigne, who is getting over a calf injury, certainly won’t play a full 90 minutes Saturday, but added that there is a growing sense of excitement around the training centre given he and Bernardeschi will be stepping on to the BMO Field pitch.
“Both are excited and everybody’s also excited to get them going,” said Bradley. “Couple of days of training, I’ll have to figure out exactly what it means in terms of minutes and things like that. But both of them are ready to go.”
Michael Bradley said having the three Italians, as well as Kaye, in training has been “great in every way.”
“I think they have come in and established right away how excited they are to be here, what good people they are, what good professionals they are, how they serious they are and how motivated they are about being here,” he said. “And, of course, when training starts, you can see the quality, the experience they have, the skill, the way that they, just in a few short days already, raise the level of what we’re doing. We’re really excited that they’re here.”
Saturday’s match will represent one of the few times this season that coach Bradley has an almost completely healthy lineup. The only player not available for Saturday’s match is midfielder Noble Okello (lower body).