Top of the league, riding a four-game winning streak and unbeaten in six, Toronto FC will look to keep rolling on Sunday when they head to Ohio for a date against FC Cincinnati.
Facing the hump game of a five-match series over the span of 16 days, Greg Vanney and company know that now is not the time to take the foot off the gas.
“Their mentality is in a good spot,” observed the coach during Friday’s Zoom conference call. “They recognize that and we talk a lot that momentum is precious in this league, we have it right now and we want to protect it and keep it.”
“The opposition, whoever it is, no matter what day, or whatever, we need to go out and be the best version of us on that day and get a result and keep the momentum going,” he stressed. “I don't think I'll have to remind or motivate people too much, they'll be ready to go.”
Such is a perspective that comes from experience.
No matter how unique of a season 2020 has turned out to be, this is a group that has faced many a challenge before, both collectively and individually. They are comfortable in their skin. They know who they are.
“We have a lot of veteran players, a team that most of the group has been together for five, six years and so when you have that core group, that chemistry, and you add in a few fresh faces, the group knows what's needed to go far, to get the job done,” explained Omar Gonzalez. “And in the past [few] years Toronto has been the team.”
“This group is mature. This group, when the time comes, knows how to get down to business,” he continued. “We've shown that by being road warriors. It doesn't matter where we're playing, we're going to play our game, we're going to play the way we want to, and we show up when it counts. These games are no different. The circumstances are tough, we don't get to go home, but we're here to do something. We have a goal in mind and we're in it together.”
Having navigated matches against the cream of the Eastern Conference crop in recent weeks – beating NYCFC, Columbus Crew SC, and the Philadelphia Union – Toronto gutted out a tricky away date against the New England Revolution midweek.
Though Cincinnati have struggled this season, that does not factor into the equation.
“We approach them like they’re the best team in the league,” levelled Vanney. “We need to continue to try to get the game into our vision of how we want to play. Last game in New England we had to adapt, given the situation and circumstances. In this game, depending on how they come out and how things set up, we're going to try to get control of the ball and get control of the game and see if we can manoeuvre the game around in our way. But we'll do whatever we have to do.”
“It's a turf game again,” he continued. “My understanding is this turf is very slow and a lot of games here end up 0-0. That's part of the challenge because the game gets so bogged down on the turf, but we're going to try to bring the tempo up as much as we can, try to get the ball moving as fast as we can, and create chances. We're going to be who we are and if we recognize through the game that we have to adapt in some way, shape, or form we're ready for that as well.”
Never underestimate an opponent.
“Cincinnati are capable of doing things,” warned Vanney. “I know they didn't get a result in the last match, but for 65 or so minutes they could have very easily been ahead against Philadelphia.”
“They have something there, even though the goals haven't been coming so easily,” he added. “They have something that they're trying to build and that can click on any given day. We want to make sure it's not on the day that we're playing.”
Dropping points is not an option.
“We know what can happen more than anybody,” cautioned Gonzalez. “We've dropped points this season against teams that we shouldn't have dropped points – we're still upset about those points knowing the team that we are, knowing that we always show up against elite teams, the top of the table teams, and then we drop [points] against teams that aren't at the top.”
“It's on us to show up with the right mentality, to show up, no matter who we're playing against,” he reminded. “We're wearing the Toronto jersey. We have to show pride every time we step on the field.”
“And it's another good test for us this weekend,” concluded the defender. “Cincinnati hasn't been doing so hot, but we have and it's on us to be as consistent as we can. We have to continue to be us, approach this game the right way, step on the field, show them respect, and aim for three points.”
In their first season under Jaap Stam, Cincinnati find themselves in 13th place in the Eastern Conference with 13 points from 16 matches.
They enter the match on the back of three losses, winless in four, having been held goalless throughout. They have scored just eight goals all season
Still, with seven games left in the regular season, they are just five points off the final playoff berth.
It’s a trap, if you let it.
“This is a typical MLS trap game,” said Nick DeLeon. “If you go in lax, if you go in with that mentality of ‘they're struggling, they're not getting goals,’ it can be a very, very long and difficult game for you.”
“We have to go into this with the mentality of ‘we're gunning for the Supporters’ Shield and we need three points, period,’” he framed. “It doesn't matter if it's Cincinnati we're playing or we're playing Columbus, we have to win and we have to get the job done.”
“You see it every year: a team on the top loses to a team on the bottom,” DeLeon added. “And the way you fix that is you treat every game like it’s the same, like it’s a championship game. That's how we have to go into Cincy on Sunday.”
In his playing days, Stam was a no-nonsense defender.
“I watched him when he was at Manchester United, with the Dutch National Team, and AC Milan and I was impressed with him as a centre-back and imposing figure,” said Vanney. “Having watched their team a bit since he has joined them there's a clear vision on what they would like to do: they like to have the ball, they're trying to build through some pressure. You can see them moving and trying to manipulate spaces and then move players into those spaces. There's a real vision that they're trying to work towards.”
“Some of that has got to come to fruition in the final third and score goals, but there's a platform that they're trying to build from,” he continued. “Initially they played with five in the back, but in the last couple games they've been playing more a 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 that's fairly fluid and they look good.”
“They had some moments in the game against Philadelphia where they could have easily been ahead and then they gave up a fluky goal – not a great shot, deflects off somebody and redirects, the keeper can’t get there and they're down,” Vanney pointed out. “The hardest part for teams that are in situations like them is once they go down and haven't been scoring a lot of goals, there's a real mental challenge to feel like they can come back.”
“That's something big for us,” he pounced. “If we can get on top of the game, whether early or at some point, it could be a mental blow because they haven't been able to score much.”
After all, the shield race is on.
“We're definitely using that as motivation as well,” began DeLeon. “We want to stay on the top of the table.”
“The thing that's very unique about this team is we can get it done multiple ways and this group is very committed to that,” he explained. “In New England the other day, we knew it wasn't going to be a pretty game – it never is, but the group was committed to defending, we were committed to winning our duels, and we were committed to getting the job done, however, it needed to be done on that day – whether it was beautiful soccer or whatever the case may be.”
“We're committed to the result and how we get that result, we're all committed to that collective effort,” DeLeon added. “Whether it's us keeping the ball and being very demanding of each other as far as possession and moving side-to-side and spreading the defensive shape apart. Or it's ‘this isn’t our half, our legs aren’t there,’ so everybody get behind the ball and make it hard for the other team to break it down. One way or another this group is committed to get the job done.”
