Here are three things we learned in Toronto FC’s 3-2 loss to Tigres in the second leg of their CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal. TFC will advance to the semifinals on away goals after a 4-4 aggregate tie.
1. Chris Mavinga is one of MLS’ top defenders
It’s becoming Chris Mavinga’s signature move, at this point.
Whenever Toronto FC appears to be in trouble, with a forward advancing beyond its back line — there goes Mavinga, dashing to catch up and execute a perfectly-timed sliding tackle.
The centerback’s technique is not exactly textbook. Rather than cutting across with his back foot, as is the norm when it comes to sliding challenges, Mavinga hooks his inside leg around the ball to sweep it away.
It’s unorthodox, but it works. It’s a quicker motion than if Mavinga was to bring his whole body around the ball, and it reduces the time the forward has to knock it out of his reach, lessening the risk of a foul.
The former Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool player’s rescue acts proved priceless on more than one occasion now for Toronto — check out just about every big game the Reds have played in over the past year, in fact.
After a shaky start in MLS, Mavinga has now established himself as one of the league’s best defenders. The Reds’ rearguard looked significantly less confident against Tigres after he had been substituted due to a muscle injury, and coach Greg Vanney will be praying his participation in the semifinals is not in doubt.
2. Greg Vanney’s stock continues to rise
Speaking of Vanney: this tie bolsters his claim (though he would never say it himself) to being the most promising up-and-coming American coach around.
OK, this game was admittedly frantic towards the end.
With fewer than 10 minutes remaining, it looked as if Toronto would actually win at Estadio Universitario and claim a 4-2 aggregate victory, which would have been a remarkable feat given Tigres’ strength on home turf.
As it was, late nerves set in and TFC ended up losing on the night, though the hosts had too much work to do to really turn the tie around.
But a few moments of madness at the end should not detract from the job Vanney did over the course of the 180 minutes as a whole. He switched back to the 3-5-2 formation that TFC spent most of 2017 in and it worked, allowing Michael Bradley to push up into the centre of the park and play an influential role in both legs.
After limiting Tigres to so few chances at BMO Field that the away goal scored felt harsh, Toronto’s defense was undone by individual errors in Mexico more than it was flaws in the game plan.
Once again, TFC was able to take the sting out of the game and survive the first half. Then, the Reds found another pair of second-half goals that all but guaranteed their advancement.
That it pulled this off while its arguable MVP of 2017, Victor Vazquez, saw only 26 minutes of action in total made the achievement all the more impressive on the coach’s part.
You don’t hear much talk about Vanney and the vacant United States men’s national team job, and perhaps now is not quite the right time for him to make that step. If he wished to do so, though, his résumé is looking increasingly impressive.
3. Toronto FC can go all the way
The belief in the Toronto camp will be quite simple now: ‘If we can beat Tigres, we can beat anybody’.
There is another huge test lying ahead of them in the shape of Club América, assuming Panamanian side Tauro FC does not pull off the biggest shock this competition has ever seen on Wednesday.
But if there was any doubt in TFC’s collective mind that it could count itself as equal to the top clubs in Liga MX, this win over Tigres has eliminated it. The likes of Bradley made it clear that they felt Ricardo Ferretti’s team to be the best in Mexico.
Many felt Toronto’s matchup with Tigres to be a desirable final and their meeting with América may well have the same feel. This certainly feels like the stronger half of the bracket, with the New York Red Bulls making quick work of Club Tijuana and Chivas currently 15th in Liga MX and facing elimination at the hands of the Seattle Sounders.
Beat América, and TFC may well be looking at an all-MLS final.
The Reds were reluctant to label this year a turning point for MLS clubs in the Champions League after their first-leg win against Tigres, but it appears indisputable now.