Ola Brynhildsen made his BMO Field debut on Saturday night in a scoreless draw against Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
Having been forced out of the starting lineup in the home opener against the Chicago Fire, he came into the match in the 53rd minute to replace Deandre Kerr at centre-forward and was instrumental in TFC’s second-half push for a game-winner.
The Norwegian striker joined the club on loan from Danish side FC Midtjylland at the end of preseason and had been limited to two appearances through the first five matches of the season as he got up to speed and shook off a minor groin issue.
“It felt amazing,” said Brynhildsen post-match. “My body is starting to work properly now. It’s been a bit of a rough start, up and down, but today I felt good.”
“It was good to be out on the home pitch. Could have topped it with a win,” he added. “But we’re showing some good signs.”
Brynhildsen showed some of the many ways he can be dangerous against the Whitecaps.
A long ball from Deybi Flores nearly sprung him in the 72nd minute. His first cut inside won some space against one defender, but he could not pull the same move again under pressure from a second. A neat bit of hold-up play saw the striker corral the ball near the centre circle and spot the movement of Lorenzo Insigne in behind, drawing a yellow card for the ensuing foul. And when Tyrese Spicer began flinging balls into the box, the 25-year-old was on the hunt, looking for that final touch.
TFC are back in action on Sunday with a trip to Florida to face Inter Miami CF at Chase Stadium.
Brynhildsen awaits his first goal, but his impact has been noticed by his teammates.
“He's been great,” said TFC captain Jonathan Osorio following Saturday’s match. “It's been tough for him to try and get himself into a good state fitness-wise, but he's working hard. We saw the intensity that he brings, the running, and the commitment to that running that he gives our team.”
“It definitely helps,” he continued. “You saw the danger that he can bring to a back line. The more fitness he gets, the more you'll see from Ola.”
For his part, the striker feels the cohesion is coming along as expected.
“That will take time to create that dynamic and to get to know each other properly, but we're getting there,” he said post-match. “I'm a guy that wants to go in behind – sometimes people want to use me into the feet, but we're getting better.”
“I have a bigger understanding of how the players around me want to use me,” Brynhildsen smiled. “But I'm going to tell them to use me in behind because that’s my strength.”
Defender Sigurd Rosted sees his countryman fitting nicely in MLS.
“This league suits him,” he said after Ola’s MLS debut at the beginning of March away to Orlando City SC. “He's very fast, he is a very good finisher with his left foot, right foot, and head as well. He's going to score a lot of goals for Toronto FC.”
Back in February, when he was first introduced, the striker described himself as an “all-around type of player.”
“I can go in behind, I can link up. I enjoy playing with my feet and with the ball. I don't see myself having so many weaknesses in the game,” he explained plainly. “If the ball comes long, I will fight with the defenders, but I enjoy most having good players behind me that can put me in behind, create goal-scoring opportunities, and hopefully score some goals.”
Robin Fraser has pointed out after each of his previous appearances how Brynhildsen has been exactly what TFC were looking for.
“He is a true nine,” said the Toronto coach after Orlando. “He’ll stay high, he’ll run behind, he’ll run without the ball. He’s got a real eye and a real nose for the goal. The more we see him, the more productive he's going to be.”
And after the game against FC Cincinnati, Brynhildsen’s first MLS start, Fraser liked what he saw, even if the side did not make the most of his efforts on that day.
“He looked like an experienced player who knew how to use his body,” said the former defender. “We didn't find him, nor did we use the space that was created, but his running is extremely useful. We didn't have much of the ball and it's hard for a forward to show, but you can tell by his movement and his intensity—offensively, defensively—he's an experienced player, and I think he's going to be very good for us.”
He brings a focal point to the TFC attack—a reference from which others can operate.
“We have some good young forwards in Deandre, Hugo [Mbongue, who went on loan to USL side Lexington SC last week], Charlie [Sharp], but Ola offers a different level of experience and a little bit of a different mindset,” explained Fraser. “He's in the middle of the field, he's always thinking about goals, he's always running behind.”
That mindset occupies defenders, makes space, and creates options in attack.
“That's one of the things I think Ola can help some of our young nines with,” anticipated the coach. “The recognition of how and when to move, the timing to move and that sort of thing. He's very goal-oriented; his movement and the spots he tries to get into.”
“And he's also an extremely hard worker, which is ideal for who we are wanting to become,” Fraser highlighted. “He will certainly help move us in that direction.”
Still young himself, Brynhildsen’s experience and quality have caught the eye of his younger teammates.
“Seeing him in training, you can tell he's a top player, a top striker, so if I can take pieces of his game and add them to my own, it'll help my development,” said Kerr. “Asking for advice on certain things and seeing the things he does as a pure number nine, I could definitely take things from him.”
Norwegian strikers are enjoying a moment, and Brynhildsen did not come to MLS to take it easy.
“I'm not coming here to settle down, to retire. I’m coming here to show what I'm good for,” he said in February. “Hopefully I can get back with the national team later on. We’ll just have to see, but I will show what I'm good for.”
A little bit of frigid weather on his home debut didn’t bother him.
“I'm used to this kind of weather where I'm from,” he joked about the freezing rain against Vancouver. “To be honest, you got a bit cold—there's no roof on the bench—but I like playing in this weather. It adds to the atmosphere, it’s a fight, so I enjoy it.”
And he’s basically a Torontonian already.
“The traffic is crazy,” he laughed. “I'm getting there, trying to do some shortcuts and stuff. You have to be cynical in this traffic.”
With his home debut in the books, Brynhildsen wants more.
“The stadium is amazing,” he said post-match. “We’ve gotten good support even though we haven't started the best. The weather wasn't good, but the support was there. I can't wait until we start winning and see more and more fans. It will be the start of something... something good.”
