Hungry Reds expect Gold Cup bounce
Winning a trophy with the United States national team is something Justin Morrow will take with him forever.
The Toronto FC wingback was part of the American squad that won the Gold Cup over Jamaica on Wednesday night, lifting the trophy alongside teammates Michael Bradley — the tournament MVP — and Jozy Altidore, who were both named all-stars. Morrow — who fought his way back onto the American roster for the first time in more than four years, after making his debut against Canada in January, 2013 — spent the whole tournament with the national team while Bradley and Altidore arrived in time for the final three knockout-stage games.
He saw firsthand the impact delivered by the 27-year-old striker and 29-yearold midfielder.
“I’m a little bit spoiled that I get Mike and Jozy as teammates here,” Morrow said after returning to TFC training on Friday, ahead of Sunday’s home date with New York City FC.
“To realize what they bring to the program, how important they are there, I think that was something special for me to be a part of.”
All three have also been crucial to Toronto FC’s rise to the top of Major League Soccer’s Eastern Conference, and head coach Greg Vanney hopes that having them back — healthy and buoyed by their international success — for Sunday’s game will give his club a similar boost.
“To get all three of those guys back having won a championship, clearly they’re going to be in good spirits,” he said. “I think that’s a bonus because they’re all three important personalities to our team, and for them to go and have success is for us to build upon as a group, and for them to bring that personality back to us.”
Bradley said lifting a second trophy this summer, after he helped the Reds claim the Canadian Championship while the Gold Cup was in its early stages, is invigorating for any player.
“To share moments like that with Jozy, with Justin, it means a lot,” said Bradley. “And I think it motivates us even more to come back here and continue to push, and really make sure that when the trophies are getting passed out at the end of the season, that we’re right there.”
Being “right there” means beating tough opponents such as New York City FC, which sits just three points back in the standings and boasts a lethal striker in David Villa. Bradley called a “huge” game.
“There’s no two ways about it,” he said.
“They’re a very good team. I think they had a good season last year, but they’ve improved in big ways this year. They’re more well-rounded. I think they’re more dynamic, they’re more mobile. They are a little more willing to mix up what they do so that there’s variety, and it’s not so easy to just step up and press them every time.”
While he expects New York City coach Patrick Vieira’s team to be motivated by the fact that they’ve never lost to Toronto FC in regular-season play, Bradley maintains the Reds are the team to beat.
“We feel like when we play well, when we compete at our hardest and at our best, that there isn’t a team in the league who wants to play against us,” he said.
The Reds managed a pair of ties without Bradley, Altidore and Morrow — including a 2-2 standoff in the Big Apple less than two weeks ago — with 13 games left on the schedule.
“We’ve put ourselves in great position,” Bradley said.
“We’re in a spot where every game from here on in is huge. We want to win the Supporters’ Shield, we want to give ourselves real momentum going in to the playoffs and so it’s exciting.
“It doesn’t matter who you’re playing against and it doesn’t matter where. Every game is going to mean the world to us.”