Sharing striker role is just fine with Ricketts
Edmonton-born forward has provided offensive spark off the bench for the Reds
It didn’t take long for striker Tosaint Ricketts to become a weapon off the bench for Toronto FC.
The Canadian forward, who joined the club in late July, scored the tying goal in Sunday’s 2-2 draw against rivals Montreal. It earned the Reds a crucial point that keeps alive the team’s hope of earning a bye through next week’s one-and-done knockout round and into Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference semifinals.
It’s not the first time Ricketts has scored a clutch goal after coming on as a substitute.
His 68th-minute winner against Real Salt Lake in early August extended an eight-game winning streak at BMO Field and helped TFC take a perfect 12 points from a fourgame home stand.
Altogether, the three goals Ricketts has scored in the 370 minutes he has played since joining the club gives the Edmonton native a better goals- per-minute average than either of his two main strike partners, Sebastian Giovinco and Jozy Altidore.
But that’s not enough for Ricketts, who has played a part in 10 games this season, starting four.
“It’s just about providing what I can when I come in. I’ve come in in a few games so, for me, I feel like I could have had more goals. But I’m just happy to help in any way possible,” he said this week.
Ricketts is content to play the role of substitute. It’s hard to complain, he says, when he’s competing for field time with the likes of Giovinco and Altidore, whose goal counts are both in double digits heading into the final game of the season, against Chi- cago Fire, this weekend.
But he also believes the three strikers are a good combination. They had a chance to show just that Sunday afternoon, the first time all three have been together on the pitch since that 1-0 win over RSL in August.
“Jozy, he likes to hold the ball up. He’s strong and a lot of balls fall in around him. Seba, he’s just creative all over. Me, I just like to make deep runs and push the backline and keep the backline honest,” Ricketts said.
“It works. Sometimes (the backline) has to respect my speed in behind, which opens up the space for Jozy and Seba to operate in there.”
Coach Greg Vanney agrees that Ricketts’ speedy, goal-oriented runs, coupled with his activity in the box, forces teams and defenders to pay attention.
“His alertness in and around the goal has been great for us, so (the goals are) no surprise. It’s something we’re going to need as we push down the stretch.”
Ricketts doesn’t know what to expect for the post-season stretch — which begins at some point next week depending on where the team finishes in the standings. He has spent his entire career in playoff-free international leagues, but reckons MLS’s post-season will be as intense as fighting for a championship or battling relegation.
And he has high hopes for the outcome.
“I want to make history, you know?”