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Matchday Musings: Toronto FC
A slightly too lighthearted look ahead to the Red Bulls' upcoming fixture
Photo credit: Irish Mailborski
I was gonna go to Toronto once. I was planning to see a Blue Jays game, check out a local brewery, and smuggle as much maple syrup that I could fit under a blanket in the trunk of my car. It was a nice plan, sadly it never happened. A certain person who was driving the car, who knows who they are, somehow did not realize that they needed a passport to cross the Canadian border. So this week I will break my normal form and not make any disparaging comments about Toronto, because dear reader I have no idea what it is like. I’ve never been, and I guess I’ll just have to live with that. Seems nice though, I guess.
Bulletin Board
At about half time of the Montreal game, I had this paragraph completely written out. Basically just a managed mash of woe and self pity centering around the Red Bulls getting thrashed despite drastically out creating Montreal and putting up a superior XG. The team’s inability to score without Lewis Morgan and Emil Forsberg seemed to be on full display. It was a truly miserable set of sentences, and I personally did not enjoy writing them. But then came the second half, where the Red Bulls turned on the afterburners and rallied for a 2-2 draw. So I threw away the paragraph and started again. Well not entirely, some of those problems do still need to be aired out. The Red Bulls wasted several great chances with non threatening shots, most notably Dante Vanzeir who missed a potentially game winning 1 on 1 with the keeper at the end of the game. That said, the Red Bulls were certainly the better team in Quebec, John Tolkin had some very impressive plays, Elias Manoel made nice runs and Wiki Carmona filled in admirably for Forsberg, even beyond the goal he scored on rebound from a Manoel ‘shot’. Though of course the biggest story of the night was 16 year old Julian Zakrzewski Hall, who scored his first ever MLS goal for an 88th minute equalizer, about 60 seconds after subbing into the game. Grabbing a draw from certain defeat is certainly admirable and says something about the Red Bulls’ ability to never say die, but it ultimately feels like a game they still should’ve won. On top of that, the team has dropped a potential 7 points from their last three games, so they really need a win this week.
Toronto is a team that’s even more desperate for a win. A quick start to the season saw them rise close to the top of the Eastern Conference table and made fans think that perhaps new head coach John Herdman could return the reigning Wooden Spoon winners to the days they won trophies that non-masochists celebrate. The maple syrup has soured since then. Toronto hasn’t won in the league in over a month, taking home only 2 out of 15 points from their last five games. A 90th minute winner saw them lose to Nashville Wednesday, and one has to wonder if they have the mental fortitude to bounce back. In what’s a pretty consistent theme this month, TFC is missing some of their best players with Richie Lareya and Jonahtan Osario representing Canada at the Copa America, while starting goalkeeper Sean Johnson is backing up for ol’ team US of A. They still have some solid options though, Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty was surprisingly snubbed by Canada, and Disappointing Players (okay fine that’s not what DP stands for) Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi are having improved seasons for the club. At the very least they’re providing more digestible content on the field this year than off of it, which is a fairly marked improvement considering the locker room tension the pair have become infamous for.
Toronto typically plays in a 3-4-2-1, though unlike many teams that typically play with 3 center backs, they don’t really utilize true wingbacks to cover their flanks. Rather they fill those spots on the field with guys who are more so naturally full on wingers or attacking midfielders. It’s a formation that plays well into an all out attack and has led to a fair amount of decent scoring, but leaves their defense extremely vulnerable. Which is reflected in the fact that they have comfortably allowed the most goals of any Eastern team above the playoff line. I’ve said before that sometimes the best defense is a good offense, but Toronto’s offense isn’t quite good enough to be a passable defense. The Red Bulls’ press is essentially a perfect fit for drawing this attack minded team too far upfield, and then following up by tearing into an undermanned backline. There will be chances, probably even more than there were against Montreal and I’m not concerned about the Red Bulls winning the XG battle here. Whether that XG translates to actual goals is a much bigger concern, especially if Forsberg is once out with a foot injury.
Stats Circle
New York Red Bulls MLS record: 8-7-4 (3rd-E)
Toronto FC MLS Record: 7-3-9 (7th-E)New York Red Bulls Last MLS Result: 2-2 vs. CF Montreal
Toronto FC Last MLS Result: 1-2 vs. Nashville SCNew York Red Bulls Top Scorer Currently In This Country: Emil Forsberg (6)
Toronto FC Top Scorer: Federico Bernardeschi (7)The Red Bulls have won six straight games against TFC in Red Bull Arena.
Fun Fact: TFC head coach, John Herdman, was formerly the coach of the Canadian national team before Toronto lured him away this offseason. Interestingly enough Tornot is also paying the current Canadian head coach, Jesse Marsch, as the financial difficulties of the Canadian Soccer Association, led to the Canadian MLS teams putting up the cash to hire a new coach.
Players To Watch
Lorenzo Insigne
Three years ago Insigne was starring for Italy in a victorious Euros final against England, bringing home national glory in what has otherwise been a verified dark age for Italian soccer. Since then, not a lot has really gone right for the attacking midfielder. Truth is, he’s just not the guy who was the face of Napoli for so many years. He’s slower, he can’t quite hit that once beautiful pass consistently, and at times Toronto’s fanbase has had good reason to question his motivation. But you still see flashes of that player occasionally, and when it’s there, they are moments of true individual brilliance. Whether it’s a stunning goal, assist or even just a dribble through a defenders’ leg, you can see why Toronto made him the highest paid player pre-Messi in the league. He doesn’t have enough of those moments to come anywhere close to justifying that salary, but soccer is a fundamentally low scoring game. One or two moments of rare brilliance can be more than enough to win.
Frankie Amaya
For the first time I’m sad writing one of these sections. See MLS operates in a different landscape than the 4 major American sports leagues. It’s not the top of the mountain, but one of the many cliffs that leads to that jagged peak. While we will celebrate and love our players’ successes, that very success sometimes means that they’re not gonna climb a bit higher. Frankie Amaya’s had a career year so far, stepping up in a way that shows the potential that made him the number one overall draft pick out of UCLA in 2019. Sadly that talent and success means that we may be saying goodbye to my personal favorite player on the team, as the mustached god of MLS transfers, Tom Bogert, reports that Amaya is nearing a $4 million transfer to Toluca in Liga MX. It’s been confirmed that he will play against Toronto, but it is very likely that this will be his last game in a Red Bulls’ uniform. The days of wreaking havoc, brutally stopping the opposition’s attack, and silencing booing Cincinnati fans are about to end. So enjoy Frankie Amaya this game, appreciate his movements, and applaud him when he leaves the field. Because unless the Red Bulls play Toluca in the Leagues Cup final, this will be the last time Frankie Amaya graces the field of the Red Bull Arena. In the words of Woody Guthrie, “So long, it’s been good to know ya.”
Matt Miagza Model of the Week
Raoul Petretta
Photo credit: @raoulpetretta28 - Instagram
What can I say, I’m a sucker for Italian fullbacks with facial hair. If you have problem with that, feel free to meet me at the top of the Empire State Building in three days time for a duel.
Prediction
Frankie Amaya scores a nice sendoff in his final game, as the Red Bulls take home a 3-1 victory.