Gregory van der Wiel was signed to help Michael Bradley.
Toronto FC needed a right back of some kind during the offseason, but the club took a particular liking to Van der Wiel because of his years of experience at the top level of European soccer. This veteran of a World Cup final, Reds management thought, would not wilt in the MLS playoffs or the Concacaf Champions League — just like Bradley doesn’t.
What they did not anticipate was the duo striking up such a direct partnership.
Van der Wiel and Bradley were thrust into the center of defense for Wednesday’s Champions League final second leg against Chivas Guadalajara, with a remarkable five TFC centerbacks unavailable due to injury or a lack of game fitness.
After allowing an early goal, they played an admirable match in the circumstances and helped to turn a 3-1 aggregate deficit into a 3-3 tie and a penalty shootout. Chivas won it in penalties to cut the comeback short, but Van der Wiel was impressed by Bradley’s ability to adapt at short notice.
“For me, he’s the perfect player,” Van der Wiel said of the Toronto captain Friday. “He can play in the midfield, he can play at centerback. He gives always the right example, he has always the right mindset. He does it well in every position, I think.
“He’s really the engine of the team. I think everybody sees that and if you put him back there or one position up front, it doesn’t matter for him. I feel good with him. He talks a lot, so that’s great for me. We help each other a lot. He talks to the whole team a lot.”
After the game, Toronto coach Greg Vanney called the performance of Bradley and the makeshift back line as a whole “phenomenal.”
Van der Wiel is more familiar with the position than Bradley, though it has not been his normal berth for many years now. The 30-year-old was initially a central defender at his first club, Ajax, before making the switch to the right side. He has rediscovered his knack for playing in the middle since joining Toronto.
“I feel pretty good, actually,” he said of returning to centerback. “We had a lot of injuries in that position so I told the coach, ‘Listen, I’ve played there before — I can play there if you need me.’ I played there one match [in MLS against Real Salt Lake] and actually it felt good, it felt great.
“I feel very comfortable there and I think it’s good for the team as well, because I can bring something in that position more than I could on the right side, I think. Because I was more dependent there and more isolated, I think. But now I have more initiative and I can really help build up the play. That’s how I’ve played, always, in the youth of Ajax. And when I made my debut in the first team, I was always the centerback who was dribbling in and creating the extra man in the midfield. That’s why I can do it now as well.”
Though Van der Wiel’s on-field transition has been relatively seamless, off it the Champions League presented something of a shock to his system. His partner gave birth to the couple’s first child soon after he signed for Toronto and Van der Wiel was pulled up and down the continent to face three consecutive Mexican opponents.
“Big difference,” he said of the travel demands in North America compared to Europe. “I was joking about it with teammates, like… I’ve been four times up and down to Mexico. Four, five-hour flights. And I haven’t been a day in the U.S. yet and I’m two months here, so that says enough.
“I’ve played six games against Mexican teams. So that’s been a different start than I expected, and the travelling was long. But it was worth it. It was a beautiful tournament. We played beautiful games against good opponents in beautiful stadiums.”
The only thing missing was the trophy.
“I think we gained a lot of experience as a team playing on this level,” Van der Wiel reflected. “I think we can be very proud. I don’t think the best team won, but you have to be lucky sometimes. Especially on this level, it’s about the details. But overall, I think we have a good feeling about the tournament and we can be proud.”
Toronto returns to MLS play Saturday with a home fixture against the Chicago Fire.