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For Toronto FC, I don’t think anyone could have dreamt up a better scenario than what transpired at CenturyLink on Saturday afternoon in Seattle.
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Jermain Defoe opened his MLS and Toronto FC scoring account with not one, but two, perfectly placed goals in the most clinical and composed fashion I’ve seen in a very long time.
Michael Bradley was an absolute force in the midfield for the full 90 minutes. As I imagined he would be, he was not only an excellent ball winning defensive midfielder, but he also working very closely with Jonathan Osorio to distribute the ball in every attacking situation. He was involved in every play regardless of what area of the pitch it was in and that in itself was a treat to watch.
Besides the one play that saw Clint Dempsey bury his first goal of the season on an odd man rush started by Obafemi Martins, Toronto’s defence was solid, and only allowed two, maybe three, real scoring chances for the Sounders.
Captain Steven Caldwell and his prodigy Doneil Henry, who played an instrumental role in the creation of Defoe’s 1st goal, both played a solid 90 minutes, closing down the opposition and even blocking a few shots for keeper Julio Cesar.
As expected it was Seattle who controlled the possession and pace of the game. The Sounders were a dominant force from kick off until the final whistle, but somehow were unable to break down TFC defensively to find an equalizer.
The most telling part of this victory for TFC was not the fact that Jermain Defoe scored; that is to be expected. A counter attack and pouncing on a weak back pass resulting in 2 goals in 25 minutes was surprising, but still not the ultimate.
By far the most important storyline was that of TFC exercising their late game demons. It’s still very early in the season, and probably too early to even make the statement I just made, but the fact that the Reds were able to hold on to a two goal lead under sustained Seattle pressure and attacking runs, was absolutely remarkable. I found myself, and I'm sure I'm not the only one, inside Shoeless Joes in downtown Toronto, holding my breath as the clock struck 90, almost being able to envision a late equalizer. But to all of our amazement, the final whistle blew and 3 points were hard earned.
But getting away from the euphoria of victory, this match made very evident TFC’s extreme lack of quality depth off the bench. It also pointed out that Mark Bloom, although playing a solid match overall, is still a weak spot at right back. He was continuously exposed by Seattle, who made runs down the right side and whipped in crosses, beating Bloom almost every time. I'm sure that as long as Bradley Orr is healthy, the right back position is his to lose. With his experience, he should be able to restrict other teams in the future from having as much freedom down the wing as Seattle enjoyed.
Another thing to point out that I’m sure will decrease over time is the number of give-away’s and bad touches. Jackson most notably, Alvaro Rey and even Michael Bradley were all guilty of a few of those. But as the season progresses and time at the training ground intensifies, issues such as this will be ironed out.
Looking toward Saturday’s home opener versus DC United, TFC should be able to field a complete squad featuring all off-season acquisitions for the very first time. Gilberto will most likely be healthy, only adding to TFC’s speed and strength upfront. In front of a what is sure to be a freezing cold but a ruckus, sold out crowd nonetheless at BMO Field, you can be sure the boys will do everything they can on the pitch to get Toronto off to a 2 and 0 start for the first time in franchise history.
(image courtesy of USA Today)
