UGLY GAME AND AN UGLIER RESULT, BUT TORONTO FC WILL PLAY ANOTHER DAY
Sometimes you win. Sometimes you survive.
New York Red Bulls coach Jesse Marsch said he thought Toronto FC “escaped” in their MLS East Conference semifinal against the Red Bulls on Sunday.
“They should be feeling like they escaped, because they did,” Marsch said in the aftermath of Sunday’s second game in the two-game total goal series, won 1-0 by the Red Bulls. “It’s not about whether they feel like that or not.”
There was high drama for a playoff fixture in which there were more ejections than goals. The most telling stat of all: There were as many red cards in this series as TFC produced shots on goal.
Yet somehow, some way, Toronto FC advanced from this 2-2 aggregate series having scored more away goals — the first tiebreaker after 180 minutes of action split between Red Bull Arena and BMO Field.
“You could go back to Red Bull Arena and say, ‘They had two shots on goal the whole series,’” Marsch said, somewhat sarcastically. “That says a lot. Two shots on goal over 180 minutes — that’s pretty impressive.”
Toronto FC had outscored visiting teams 45-15 during the regular season, dominating most anyone — but not this night. Sebastian Giovinco still hasn’t scored from the run of play since August. Jozy Altidore was frustrated through a first half that saw him drop the gloves on more than one occasion.
“They accomplished their goal (of advancing), but I think we were a little bit unlucky not to come out with more,” Marsch said. “Congratulations to them. Don’t want to take anything away from them.”
Marsch added: “It was one of those games that was just wild, with cards, goals and calls. It was wild, a wild game. I thought we kept our heads for the most part.”
At least they did until halftime, when all hell broke loose inside the tunnel, ending with Altidore and New York’s Sacha Kljestan being sent off for violent conduct.
The Red Bulls pointed the finger at Altidore, calling him the aggressor, while Toronto FC maintained the altercation resulted after New York players ambushed their striker.
“I don’t want to focus on that,” Marsch said of the brouhaha. “In two games against the supposed best team in league history, I thought we played well in both games and dictated both games.
“We were a little bit unlucky just to come up a little short on a few plays. I’m proud of my team. I’m proud of the fight they showed. In life, you don’t always get what you deserve.”
Call it justice for last year’s MLS Cup loss. Toronto FC escaped Sunday night in part due to goalkeeper Alex Bono’s stellar play in the goal.
In his first full season, TFC’s sophomore goalkeeper made series-saving stops on New York’s Bradley Wright-Phillips in both games.
With the game on his foot Sunday night with a half-hour remaining, Wright-Phillips raced in alone on goal only to see his attempt smothered by a hardcharging Bono.
“We can say that’s the difference, that and the Giovinco free kick,” Marsch said. “But Bono had a great series. He looked confident coming off his line and making saves. For a young goalkeeper to show up (big) like that was good for him.”
Toronto didn’t just win ugly Sunday — the team also had solid defending and quality goalkeeping.
“As a goalkeeper, you can never be too high or too low,” Bono said. “You have to be among the most level-headed players on the team.”
Toronto FC’s top attackers were anything but level-headed this series. Giovinco was cautioned again for dissent, meaning he’ll miss the next game.
Could Altidore have avoided everything?
“This game became a little bit about soccer and a lot about nonsense,” Toronto head coach Greg Vanney said.
More like the entire series, which was defined by fan abuse and distasteful chants at Red Bull Arena before referee Chris Penso struggled to control Sunday night’s edition.
“That’s irritating for spectators, coaches, players. It’s not what this league is about,” Vanney added.
However, it can be what these playoffs are about. Winning ugly won’t matter if Toronto FC returns to form and plays like the Supporters’ Shield champions two weeks from now. What they can’t do, though, is get caught up in the antics and scraps and verbal attacks.
Toronto FC was fortunate to survive what might go down as their biggest test during these playoffs.
“In their own stadium, I thought we took them out of their comfort zone,” Marsch said. “But, again, they accomplished the mission.”
You could go back to Red Bull Arena and say, ‘They had two shots on goal the whole series’ … Two shots on goal over 180 minutes — that’s pretty impressive.