TORONTO – It might not have been pretty, but it sure was effective for Toronto FC as the Reds took home three points against Orlando City SC.
A second-half brace by Florida-raised Jozy Altidore secured the result for Toronto, and TFC head coach Greg Vanney said the rhythm and tactical strategy behind this defend-first, punch-later result was all by design.
“That was our defending plan,” Vanney told reporters over the phone after the match. “Our game plan [was] to defend in two lines of four and not overextend ourselves chasing the ball in the other half of the field. Rather, it was to minimize the space for Kaká and Kevin Molino who like to come inside and like to combine with each other. Everything was pretty well dealt with. The one thing that I thought we would have more of in the game was we would find our moments in possession.”
Altidore scored the two goals for Toronto FC but the team combined well from top to bottom. Vanney was impressed with the work and combinations of his three Designated Players, explaining that each performed their roles as planned, too. In particular, he pointed to Michael Bradley’s smart positioning between Damien Perquis and Benoit Cheyrou as key to the midfield battle.
“As every game progresses, these guys are getting more and more comfortable with each other,” Vanney said. “These guys are starting to adapt to the league and learning how to grind on the road, because it’s not easy. That’s all we ask; that they just keep progressing as a group.”
It was Toronto FC’s second win of the season after the Reds dropped their last four road games, matches defined by some moments of madness, including a lightning storm, controversial referee calls, red cards and gut-punch revenge goals from opposition teams.
In contrast, Vanney says, a normal 90 minutes of soccer is just what the doctor ordered for Toronto FC.
“That’s the way it should be, at the end of the day,” Vanney said. “We knew they were going to put a lot into the game so we defended well and we didn’t put ourselves into any situations where we were making questionable decisions, which led to the ref having a pretty easy day in that way. In the grand scheme of things, it’s nice to play 90 minutes without any of the controversy, any of that stuff; just let the two teams duke it out and see who can pick up the points.”
And, Vanney says, this match also helps his side pick up some momentum, with only one more road match against the Philadelphia Union standing in the way before the team’s home opener on May 10 at BMO Field.
"For us, it’s a great road win and a great foundation to build from in terms of having the warrior mentality and knowing we can defend like that if we need to,” Vanney said.
