TORONTO — A remarkable 4-3 win for Toronto FC Friday night was followed by an equally remarkable postgame interview with Reds forward Jozy Altidore. Having been substituted with what coach Greg Vanney described as hamstring tightness in the 82nd minute, Altidore made his way over to reporters specifically to explain his frustration over the release […]
Author: Oliver Platt
TORONTO — When Toronto FC and Minnesota United meet, goals are almost guaranteed. A late double from substitute Jordan Hamilton earned the Reds a 4-3 victory Friday night. Those seven goals brings the total number of goals scored in this East-West matchup to 19 in just three meetings. TFC won 3-2 at home in 2017, […]
TORONTO — Frustrating as it may be to have more than 70% of the possession in a match and fail to win, there were some valuable lessons for Toronto FC in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with the Chicago Fire. TFC’s downward spiral last year began with a series of home games in April and May in […]
TORONTO — Much has changed in a year for both Toronto FC and the Chicago Fire, but the outcome of their latest April meeting at BMO Field was the same: an end-to-end 2-2 draw. Last year, TFC raced into a 2-0 lead before being pegged back late by the Fire. This time, it was Toronto […]
TORONTO — Greg Vanney enjoyed the chip. He would have liked the Panenka, too, given Toronto FC’s abysmal 64% conversion rate from the penalty spot since the start of the 2015 season. But what the Reds coach liked most about Alejandro Pozuelo’s stunning MLS debut Friday night was that the magic happened, as he put […]
TORONTO — The Alejandro Pozuelo show has arrived at BMO Field. Toronto FC’s new signing looked every bit the top playmaker he has been billed during his MLS debut Friday night, scoring two goals and assisting the other as the Reds (3-0-0) won 4-0 against New York City FC (0-1-3) to keep their undefeated record intact. […]
TORONTO — When their jobs are on the line — and in soccer, they almost always are — most coaches will rely on veteran players. There are good reasons for that. Veterans have seen it all before, so they are better equipped to stay level-headed. They may communicate more effectively. They tend to be more […]
TORONTO — Two games against Eastern Conference rivals. Two wins. Toronto FC (2-0-0, 6 points) is not the team that won the MLS Cup in 2017 quite yet, but it is much, much better than last year. The Reds have their energy and positivity back — and they have Jozy Altidore. Altidore scored a late […]
TORONTO — There will be no more Sebastian Giovinco, no more Victor Vázquez and no more Tim Bezbatchenko in Toronto this season. The three-man backline that was a hallmark of the club’s success in 2017 will, for the most part, be banished, too. Instead, head coach Greg Vanney has committed himself and his team to […]
TORONTO — Every Toronto FC match early this season feels equal parts rehearsal and audition as the Reds enter the post-Sebastian Giovinco era. The loss of Giovinco and Victor Vázquez in the winter transfer market combined with TFC’s defensive woes during 2018 forced coach Greg Vanney to remodel his side — a process that will […]