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Toronto FC has played their first six matches of the 2013 season in Major League Soccer, and the much-improved outfit has actually managed to pick up points early on. Last season, Toronto FC lost their first nine games, but the start of 2013 has been kinder; six points in six games, with a win over Sporting Kansas City the highlight, gives the Reds a new foundation on which they plan on growing and building from.
Head coach Ryan Nelsen has experimented with multiple players in different positions, and a flurry of new players has given Toronto FC a new identity on and off the field. Let’s take a look at some of the things that are working for Toronto FC, and some of the areas that are not:
What’s Working:
Much of Toronto FC’s early season positives start at the back, and in goalkeeper Joe Bendik, you won’t find a more positive player. Thought of as just part of a deal to pick up a first round draft pick, Bendik quickly made the starting spot his own. He hasn’t looked like losing it since. His performances have been consistent, and with a backline with a good mix of veterans and youngsters in front of him, Bendik has had a far easier time between the posts than Milos Kocic did last season.
The centerback pairing of Danny Califf and Darren O’Dea has been an efficient one. The two have played well together and commanded the backline better than any of their predecessors. In Califf and O’Dea, Toronto FC has finally found a centerback pairing with ample experience and skill.
Gale Agbossoumonde has also impressed in his appearances in a red shirt. The young American centerback has shown both athleticism and smarts, reading the game well and handling big forwards like Conor Casey or Kenny Cooper with experience beyond his years. He is an exciting acquisition for Toronto FC and has not looked at all out of his element in Major League Soccer.
On the other end of the field is Robert Earnshaw, Toronto FC’s new hero. His goalscoring touch has been spot on in the first six games; he’s already scored five goals, leading the league alongside Mike Magee from Los Angeles. Earnshaw, along with Justin Braun, has demonstrated a keen eye for goal, relieving some of the pressure on Danny Koevermans’ shoulders: Koevermans can focus on his recovery, knowing full well that Earnshaw can handle the goalscoring responsibilities for the club, too.
Finally, in midfield, Toronto FC seems to have found something in Jeremy Hall, Luis Silva and Jonathan Osorio; though they are not ideal candidates for defensive midfield roles, the trio have been rotated into the centre of midfield and have done well. While rumours of Matías Laba from Argentina signing for Toronto FC heat up, Osorio, Hall and Silva will continue to be used in this position.
Now, moving away from individual players, as a whole, Toronto FC has improved in a couple different ways this year. The most obvious and recognized improvement is in the implementation of a high-pressure system. Toronto FC’s forwards and wingers have been given more defensive responsibilities this year, chasing down opposition defenders on the ball and attempting to regain possession from higher up the field. It is a style that has, for the most part, made Toronto FC a very difficult team to play against, and has also led to a couple Earnshaw goals from defensive mistakes.
The formation is another noteworthy improvement; Aron Winter and the 4-3-3 may be long gone, but Toronto FC’s current formation, a 4-4-1-1, plays much of the same in terms of philosophy; keep the ball on the ground, quick movement, plenty of passing, and look to break defenders with a touch of speed and skill. In this role, it is Hogan Ephraim and John Bostock who have looked most capable; their passing and movement is on a different level than most MLS players.
Bench depth is another key area of note for Toronto FC; no longer is the bench filled with TFC Academy graduates (or, even worse, not filled at all)! Now, Toronto FC has plenty of options to call upon. Players like Luis Silva, Kyle Bekker, Emery Welshman, Jonathan Osorio and Ryan Richter have all impressed coming off the bench.
This is also part in parcel of Ryan Nelsen’s strong coaching and substituting decisions; almost every substitution Nelsen has made has paid off; putting on Luis Silva and Justin Braun changed the outcome of Toronto FC’s game against FC Dallas, when Toronto was down 2-0 for much of the game. Osorio’s goal against Los Angeles was also a smart substitution from Nelsen, and Richter, who was forced to come on for an injured Darel Russell against Philadelphia, did his job well, too.
The final bit of positivity from this season so far has come in consistency; the results may be varied but Toronto FC’s performances have not looked up-and-down as they usually have. The club and its players are very much playing at a similar level each game, adjusting to their opponents but not yielding their own work rates or their own level of play. Still, there is room for improvement, so let’s take a look at what isn’t working for Toronto FC so far.
What’s Not:
While John Bostock and Hogan Ephraim earned praise for their ability to move on and off the ball, the duo still need to improve on their offensive output. True, the skill may be there, but the goalscoring touch hasn’t been, and the creativity in turning positive movement into goalscoring chances for other forwards has been lacking too. Bostock has been relegated to the bench for now, and the duo need to come up with more clinical passes to truly be successful with Toronto FC.
The duo is good at one more thing, however, and that is moving into space. Both Ephraim and Bostock have a keen understanding of where to be when not in possession, which leads us to the next point Toronto FC need to address; off the ball movement. This is an aspect that some of Toronto FC’s players have not embraced or mastered, particularly in the midfield and at fullback. There is still far too much stagnant movement, especially when dropping back could prevent teammates from losing possession. Finding space is key to successful build-up play, and this is an area Toronto FC needs to work on.
While on the topic, Toronto’s midfield is also lacking in a three-pronged approach. The players excel at linking up one-on-one, but the triangular midfield-winger-fullback combination has been almost non-existent. It is an element of the game that is necessary, especially in a 4-4-2 (or in Toronto’s case, a 4-4-1-1). The fullbacks themselves have been inconsistent, with Ashtone Morgan’s performances relegating him to the bench and Richard Eckersley once again being shuffled across the backline.
One of the most important things Toronto FC needs to improve on is the late-game discipline. Twice, Toronto FC has conceded late goals that would have delivered the full three points; once against the LA Galaxy, and again against the Philadelphia Union. This is something that comes with confidence and experience. Toronto FC needs to stop letting other teams gain the initiative in the final moments of the match. The best defence is a good offense, which means keeping possession, passing it with forward-moving intent, and letting opponents focus half their energy on defending instead of all their energy on equalizing.
Switching gears, let’s talk set pieces; Toronto FC hasn’t won many corner kicks so far, which would be a problem, if not for the fact that the shot-to-goal conversion rate Toronto FC is putting up is actually pretty efficient. Earnshaw and co. manage to score a goal 40% of the time they have a shot on goal. In total so far, Toronto FC has only taken 48 shots, 20 of which were on goal, leading to eight goals in the season. The LA Galaxy, in comparison, has eight goals too, but has done so in 30 shots on goal, and 74 shots in total.
So, asking for an improvement in set pieces may actually be detrimental to the style of play that Toronto FC has managed to find some success with. Sure, the corner count may be low (Toronto FC has had only 15 to the Galaxy’s 39!) but the shots they do take are on target more often or actually hit the back of the net, so corner kicks aren’t really earned as often.
What a wonderful “problem” to have!
Still, Toronto FC has had their fair share of corners and set pieces, and the results have been, well, so-so. Toronto still lacks a strong free kick taker, something that is obvious when seeing the ball floating in when it should be direct and vice versa.
Besides the obvious need for a lack of injuries, coupled with a tough early schedule, much of Toronto FC’s improvements will come from time playing together, experience, a touch of luck, and perhaps a few new faces, too.
Plenty of positives have been on display thus far in 2013 – let’s hope Toronto FC keep it up!
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