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The Good
A fight-back and a fullback worthy of note
Earning Spots
Both Ryan Richter and Jeremy Hall earned Ryan Nelsen’s praise today, and for good reason; the duo may not have been the expected starters but have thrived under Nelsen at Toronto FC. Hall, in particular, looked strong today in midfield, and in a few instances, commanded a presence that made his opponents back off. Meanwhile, Richter, who struggled to contain Thierry Henry at first, soon settled in and was valuable defensively and offensively.
The Name’s Osorio
And you’d do well to remember it. The youngster scored his second goal in the 2013 season, a perfectly hit, dipping curve shot that smacked the crossbar and beat the header of New York’s defender. Just a year ago, Osorio was an unknown, but he’s certainly taken he city by storm, and that’s just something anyone watching has to be excited about.
Controlled Demolition
Sure, Toronto FC were defeated in the scoreline, but the stats don’t lie, either: the Reds enjoyed more possession, took more shots on goal, had more chances, corners and crosses from open play, but New York had more goals. It wasn’t as dominating a performance as Toronto FC has enjoyed as of late, but it was statistically favourable for Nelsen and co.
The Bad
Late goals the cost of a misfiring middle
Short Up Top
Justin Braun’s injury left Toronto FC’s forward line lacking a key element, and that was height, plain and simple. Toronto hit more than 20 crosses from open play, most of which were completed and not deflected, but with Earnshaw and Wiedeman up top; there were no headers to be had. It’s unfortunate that Braun picked up an injury, and it left Toronto FC unable to capitalize on their chances.
Congested Midfield
It’s such a shame that Toronto FC’s midfield, which has run rings around Houston’s and Los Angeles’ couldn’t do the same against a New York side, especially since Dax McCarthy was also unavailable for the Red Bulls. That closing-down style of defending in the midfield and in the wings were almost non-existent, though the pressure was. It just seemed that New York was a step ahead the whole game, and Toronto couldn’t match up.
Morgan Struggling
Ashtone Morgan looks a shadow of his former self. His defending has been poor, his crossing few and far between, and his clearance the cause of yet another late collapse. Morgan needs to step it up, or risk slumping down into the bench as depth.
The Ugly
You know the drill, roll the clip:
Quoteworthy
“It’s no jinx, it’s no hoax, or anything like that, it’s just, we need personalities to go and clear the ball, win the ball, strong personalities who want it,” said Nelsen. “Every successful team in the world has one or two defenders that the ball seems to be a magnet to their head because they want to win it so much.”
– Ryan Nelsen
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