It was a point that felt like a win for Toronto FC.
Captain Michael Bradley stepped up big with a second-half goal to give his side an equalizer and, eventually, a valuable point on the road against the New England Revolution. It’s a result TFC head coach Greg Vanney is more than happy with, and one he said he would have taken if offered a point right off the top.
“We had opportunities where maybe we could win the game,” Vanney told reporters over the phone after the match. “They did in the end, too, as our legs got tired after a third game in [a week]. When Jozy [Altidore] was out there, they were having a hard time figuring out how to defend us.
“We were getting into good spots, but in the end, I won’t be greedy – I’ll for sure take the point, especially considering the fatigue that had set in. In the end, I’ll take the point.”
Trailing 1-0 at the start of the second half, Bradley took matters into his own hands – well, feet, rather – pushing forward and cutting through the New England Revolution defense before slotting home for his first goal of the season.
There was ample range, creativity, desire and technique on display. But it is Bradley’s work ethic, Vanney says, that leaves him most impressed.
“Michael has put in an incredible amount of work over the last week,” Vanney said. “The run that he made to actually score the goal is, to me, vintage Michael. When he gets going forward with power, really, anything can happen. There was certain points I wasn’t sure if he was going to get to the next ball or through the next defender, but he managed to keep going and he had a pretty amazing shot at the end of the run to find the back corner.
“Michael was huge for us today.”
While Bradley saved Toronto’s graces on the day, it was goalkeeper Chris Konopka – making his fifth consecutive start for Toronto – who kept the Reds in the match. Vanney said Konopka was “massive” and was full of praise for the TFC No. 2, so much so that he’s considering keeping Konopka between the pipes over injured starter Joe Bendik in the coming weeks.
But it wasn’t all good news for the Red, as Altidore was taken off midway through the first half with a hamstring injury.
“I don’t know the severity or the extent. He felt a little something in the hamstring area, but in speaking to him, he doesn’t feel it’s serious at all. We’re hoping that the timeline is as short as possible. He felt enough that he couldn’t go and it wasn’t worth making it worse. We’ll get the assessment, but all indications from Jozy, who’s had this injury before, is that it’s on the minor side.”
Toronto FC now return home with a point in hand against an Eastern Conference heavyweight, and host the Portland Timbers on May 23 at BMO Field (5 pm ET, TSN in Canada, MLS LIVE in US).
Armen Bedakian covers Toronto FC for MLSsoccer.com.
