HARRISON, New Jersey – One down, seven to go.
Toronto FC, who open at home on May at a renovated BMO Field, began an eight-game road trip to start the 2016 season with an unlikely victory at Red Bull Arena on Sunday, defeating last year's Supporters' Shield winners, the New York Red Bulls, 2-0 behind a goal and an assist from Sebastian Giovinco.
INTERVIEWS: Michael Bradley | Greg Vanney | Drew Moor | Tsubasa Endoh
For 80 minutes, it appeared a scoreless draw or Red Bulls win would be on the cards, but Toronto held steady until the defending Landon Donovan MLS Most Valuable Player found space to work his magic.
"I can't say I am surprised with the result," Toronto head coach Greg Vanney said. "We had a plan and a mission when we came in. I believe when you go into a city like New York and a club like New York, winning is belief and confidence in what you are doing. A lot of times, you will come into the big cities and big clubs that have big reputations and maybe the group, at the sign of some difficulty, may fold a little bit.
HIGHLIGHTS: Delgado Scores! | Giovinco Strikes
"I thought our group didn't. There were definitely times we had difficulty in terms of pressure and the game wasn't in our favor, but our team didn't fold. We stayed together. We stuck to the plan and intent."
Toronto conceded the lion's share of possession in the match, ending the encounter with just 37 percent of the ball. However, they did well to stifle the Red Bulls' high press, limiting chances in their own third and creating dangerous opportunities on the other end.
That made for a surprisingly even stat sheet by the end of the night, with Toronto earning 12 shots to New York’s 11, including five on goal compared to a single attempt from the home side.
While game-changing moments were slow coming, Vanney’s strategy eventually proved effective. Giovinco’s telling ball into the box in the 81st minute coaxed Kemar Lawrence into a foul, a spot kick the Italian dutifully dispatched, then Marky Delgado iced the game by ghosting past a scrambling Red Bulls defense in extra time.
"We did what we said we would do: Give ourselves a chance by defending well and get the chance to win the game, whether through transition or whatever the case may be," Vanney said.
Toronto's road trip continues this week as the Reds take on NYCFC at Yankee Stadium. They close out the month against Sporting KC at Sporting Park before a bye week leads them into more road matches in April.
Though it is still a daunting task, Vanney believes Sunday's win has them on the right foot for the challenges ahead.
"We have some real veterans across the backline and in midfield," he said. "Coming to New York is something they have done many times in the past and to be able to get a result is telling of the grittiness of this group and a building block as we move onto these next games."
