Seriously, Toronto’s playing for a title
EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL: TFC once again dodges knockout blow from Montreal to advance to MLS Cup
At the end of this season, next season or at least before his time is up here, Michael Bradley wanted to look back at every doubter, naysayer and pundit who didn’t believe in his leadership or mocked the size of his paycheque and ability.
“I can take the heat when things don’t go well … It doesn’t bother me one bit,” Bradley told me.
But did he actually think Toronto FC would put in one of the best nights in Toronto soccer history?
“All week we spoke about what tonight could be,” Bradley said. “Nobody knew for sure, but we all had an idea it could be a special night in terms of atmosphere and emotion — in some ways 10 years of emotion.” Oh, was it ever emotional. A heart-stopping, out-of-this-world, unbelievable 5-2 (7-5 aggregate) extra-time second-leg win over visiting Montreal in Wednesday night’s Eastern Conference final has Toronto FC a win away from lifting the MLS Cup in front of home supporters Dec. 10 when they meet Seattle.
“One of our messages was: There was no way we were going to get out-competed,” TFC coach Greg Vanney said. “We were going to run through everything to turn those margins in our favour.”
None of the 36,000 in attendance could have expected the roller-coaster ride that awaited.
“There were moments when we needed (all 36,000 fans),” Bradley said. “We needed their emotion to lift us. Tonight was a perfect example. There were so many twists and turns.”
They appeared to be on their way out of the competition when Dominic Oduro put the Impact up 4-2 on aggregate midway through the first half. Montreal’s striker was played in along the right side of the box before quieting the BMO Field crowd.
But there was Bradley — encouraging teammates, calming nerves, continuing to play with the same desire that helped rescue the Reds when they went down three goals in last week’s opening leg.
Back and forth they went. Ten minutes before the break, TFC’s Armando Cooper converted after a pinballed corner sat up perfectly for him, cutting Montreal’s aggregate lead to 4-3.
The MVP of these playoffs, Jozy Altidore, then put the Reds up 2-1 (and 4-4 on aggregate with the edge in away goals) when he met a Sebastian Giovinco corner at the near post to head Toronto back into the series lead.
“You get to this point and nobody wants to give an inch,” Bradley added. “The rivalry, the passion, you’re 90 minutes from a final. Every little battle, every loose ball, everything is contested.”
There were enough twists and turns in this two-game series to make up for all the hell the Toronto franchise has put fans through for more than a decade.
Moments after the break, the Reds again found themselves down in this series when Ignacio Piatti somehow wove through traffic before a deflected attempt on goal slowly rolled into the net. That made it 2-2 (and 5-4 Montreal on aggregate).
But as we saw in Montreal last week — heck, as we’ve seen all season — the Reds found a way back into it.
It will go down as one of the most majestic moments in Toronto FC history.
In need of a goal to force extra time, a recycled corner rolled to Justin Morrow, who lofted a perfectly weighted ball into the area. There was Nick Hagglund, the grinder, the workhorse. Hagglund skied above everyone before heading one home from the penalty spot.
“I think he’s maybe the best header of the ball I’ve ever been around,” Vanney said of his defender. “His timing is good. His ability to jump is ridiculous. Through the energy and adrenalin, he was higher than I’ve seen him before.”
Just like that, the Reds found themselves back in front in this game for the ages — with 30 minutes of extra time awaiting. It was the half-hour this franchise has been talking about all season.
It was a moment in which the Reds simply wanted it more.
Only they’d have to do it without Giovinco, the player so many pundits around this league said was the only reason Toronto FC was in this position. Giovinco limped off minutes into extra time with a calf cramp.
On came aging midfielder Benoit Cheyrou to steady to ship, to provide leadership. What more could head coach Vanney have expected from him?
How about the biggest goal in Toronto FC history?
No more than a minute after checking in, Cheyrou muscled his way into the box to get on the end of a cross from former Vancouver Whitecap Steven Beitashour. He put his header near post and past a stranded Evan Bush to put the Reds up 4-2 (6-5 on aggregate).
A minute after that, the game was done. Back came Altidore, an absolute beast all night, who beat his man along the right side of the box before whipping in a cross that Tosaint Ricketts slid past Bush.
This after the Reds found themselves out of these playoffs so many times in this series. This after so much strife since 2007. This after Bradley had been slaughtered time and again since coming here in 2014.
Now he finds himself on the cusp of Toronto greatness — something he so badly wanted to “tell” everyone at the start of this project.
Now he can.