Morrow returning as the backbone of Toronto FC’s back line

Defender agrees to multi-year contract as Reds try to build around core group of players

Toronto FC showed defender Justin Morrow just how important he is to the squad Monday, signing the fullback to a new multi-year contract.

It’s just what the 28-year-old American, who played across Toronto’s back line through the 2015 season but most commonly on the right, asked of the club at the team’s postseason media availability earlier this month.

Morrow, who spent parts of four seasons with San Jose before joining TFC in 2014, said Toronto is one of the top places to play in the league when it comes to resources, lifestyle, city and stadium.

He delayed contract negotiations until after the Reds fell to Montreal Impact in the first round of the playoffs in late October. Talks started up in early November.

“The team shows that they want to win, the management shows that they want to win,” Morrow said then, “so I’d like to be here.”

That officially came to fruition Monday.

Now, the Reds feel secure knowing the team can continue to count on its most dependable defender.

Morrow, a Cleveland, Ohio, native, missed a mere two games this year, one through suspension and the other when his first child, a daughter, was born. Only forward Sebastian Giovinco logged more minutes for the Reds in 2015.

Morrow’s reliability was crucial to Toronto’s shaky back four, which leaked a league-worst 58 goals this season.

“Justin has been an important player for Toronto FC over the past two seasons, and he is part of our core group we feel we can build our defence around,” Reds general manag- er Tim Bezbatchenko said in a release Monday.

Terms of Morrow’s deal were not disclosed as per team and league policy. He made a base salary of $170,000 (U.S.) in 2015, according to numbers released by the MLS Players Union in September.

The fullback is calm under pressure, a characteristic that comes from proper groundwork, head coach Greg Vanney said earlier this fall.

“He prepares very well. He’s very organized; he’s very meticulous in how he prepares week in and week out.”

And he was relied on week in, week out. But the inconsistency surrounding him hurt the team, especially in the middle of the season, Morrow has said.

“When I look back on it, it always felt like we were trying to plug a hole somewhere, move guys around and shift guys here because, whether it was international absences or injuries, we were missing people.”

The big part, he said, will be growing as a team by learning from this year’s disappointing finish. If the squad has the chance to stick together, Morrow believes that will happen.

“We’ve taken a step and its one step in a process. I think next year will be a great year.”