Toronto FC's up-and-down MLS season hit a low in last week's 2-1 loss at New York City FC.
The 68th-minute winning goal by Norwegian striker Jo Inge Berget was an ugly snapshot of what has gone wrong this season. After an eight-pass buildup, Toronto midfielder Marky Delgado's attempt to get the ball to Victor Vazquez instead went to a NYCFC defender at the edge of the penalty box. Four passes later, New York had scored at the other end.
It was another example of giving the ball away in a bad place, something coach Greg Vanney has harped on of late. The giveaway stranded five Toronto attackers looking to continue the attack.
But more worrying is the body language after the errant Delgado pass. Forward Sebastian Giovinco throws his arms up in frustration. Vazquez and Nico Hasler hunched over.
As the NYCFC counter-attack builds speed, the Toronto midfield moves back at a leisurely pace. One pass cuts four of them out, leaving a back-peddling Nick Hagglund unable to deal with an onrushing Berget. Fellow defender Eriq Zavaleta can't cut in to help because he has another attacker on his shoulder in the absence of the Toronto wingback caught up field.
Toronto's 29th goal conceded this season is hard to watch.
"It was hot. Guys were obviously frustrated because it was a pass maybe we weren't expecting to lose," Vanney said after training Friday. "And we've been talking about not losing balls where we're 100 per cent in possession and then all of a sudden we're 100 per cent out of possession.
"Regardless of all that, our reactions just need to be better in that moment. We need to push through it, try to recover and put out the fire."
Toronto looks to try to regain its footing as the other New York team, the Red Bulls, comes to visit Sunday on what promises to be a torrid Canada Day afternoon with 35-degree Celsius temperatures in the forecast.
The Red Bulls (9-4-2) enter the weekend in third place in the East, 14 points ahead of 10th-place Toronto (4-8-3).
The visitors have been in good form in league play of late, unbeaten in three games (2-0-1) and having lost just once in their last nine outings (6-1-2).
"A good competitive rebound game for us," said Vanney.
Toronto has had to deal with many bumps in its road this season. They had to hit the ground running in the CONCACAF Champions League following a short off-season after winning the MLS Cup.
Vanney's team more than held its own against Mexican opposition, beating Tigres and Club America. Its defence ravaged by injury, TFC fell to Chivas Guadalajara in the final on a penalty shootout.
The injuries carried into the regular season, with the number of walking wounded eventually talking a toll on the remaining players. Brazilian Auro, a stalwart in the first third of the season, broke down and exited early last Sunday in New York.
On offence, Giovinco has missed the presence of strike partner Jozy Altidore (foot surgery). Altidore's absence has forced playmaker Vazquez to play further up at times.
Six points out of a playoff spot with at least a game in hand on most of those above it in the Eastern Conference, the season is far from over for the MLS champions.
Vanney believes his team is overthinking things, trying to do too much.
"We feel like 'We have to get a win, we have to get a win, we have to get a win'" said Vanney, whose team only has four league victories in 15 tries. "And so sometimes I think we get a little extended trying to win the game early when over 90 minutes if we just stick to what we do then we give ourselves the best chance to win the game.
"And that was something we were so good at last year. And a lot of is we were able to get the first goal and be able to control the game thereafter."
This season, Toronto has scored just one goal in the first 15 minutes of a game while conceding seven over the same time period. TFC is 0-7-1 when it concedes the first goal of a game with only Montreal (0-9-0) worse.
Captain Michael Bradley says the team is working hard to fine-tune its performance.
"In the difficult moments you find out a lot about yourself, about the guys that you're with, about the mentality and the overall commitment of the group," he said. "It's not been an easy stretch in any way. But everything's right there for us, everything's still to play for.
"We've got to keep going, understanding that nothing's going to get given to us. There's no magic switch to flip. The only way you get yourself going and get out of a little bit of a rut like this is to have more guys who are ready to play and compete — and understand there may be even more difficult moments before we really get it going. But ultimately we're going to come out the right end."
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NEW YORK RED BULLS (8-4-2) AT TORONTO (4-8-3)
Sunday, BMO Field
PLAYOFF REMATCH — Sunday marks the first meeting between the two since Toronto dispatched the Red Bulls in a tetchy Eastern Conference semifinal last year.
BACK FROM WORLD CUP — Their national team duties over, Panama defender Fidel Escobar and Michael Amir Murillo should be back with the Red Bulls.
DWP NEARS MILESTONE — Red Bulls striker Bradley Wright-Phillips, who has 11 goals this season. comes into the game three goals from the century mark.
WALKING WOUDED — Jozy Altidore, Drew Moor, Chris Mavinga and Auro are all unavailable or Toronto. Victor Vazquez and Gregory van der Weil were given "maintenance" days Friday but will be available for selection.
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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
