In a season with higher expectations than ever before, Toronto FC must learn new things quickly. According to manager Ryan Nelsen, the most important step is the same as it ever was for teams looking to forge a new identity. 
“I think we have to learn how to win at TFC,” Nelsen told reporters after Saturday’s 2-1 loss at home against New England.
“It seems like, if we concede on our home field, it seems to be the worst thing that ever happened. We just have to get a bit more confidence at home. If something sets us back, so be it. We need to keep playing.”
The Revs prevailed 2-1, with Lee Nguyen’s penalty standing up as the winner. 
It was not a banner day for most TFC players. Doneil Henry, returning from injury, was directly involved in conceding the two goals against. Jermain Defoe, back from a hamstring injury, was relatively quiet and Gilberto tried to create opportunities only to see the goal continue to serve as his own personal DMZ. 
Michael Bradley wasn’t his usual commanding self and there appeared to be positional issues with Kyle Bekker at times, though that’s understandable considering their lack of familiarity.
To make things worse, Jonathan Osorio, TFC’s best player on the day, hobbled off the pitch after picking up a charlie horse late in the game. The severity of that knock is not yet known. 
So there’s that. But sitting one game under .500 this early in the season doesn’t warrant rash decisions. This team needs more games, and they’ll get them in May.
A condensed fixture list this month will serve as a true measuring stick for Nelsen’s team.
Sports Club Stats
gives this team a 50% chance of making the playoffs. That’s a big round number, but it doesn’t really mean anything right now due to the small sample size.
TFC will get a chance to get back into the winner’s column on Wednesday against Vancouver.
Although it’s not a league game, the first leg of their Amway Canadian Championship semi-final comes at a critical time for the Reds.
The swagger they played with in Seattle and Columbus faded in recent weeks. Those results on the road remain big, and will likely be remembered as two of the biggest wins this season, but they serve as the foundation for what should be a historic year for this club. They must turn that one-story bungalow into something greater. 
While we focused on some of the negatives on Saturday, it’s worth mentioning the positives one more time. Osorio, playing out wide, but drifting all over the pitch into uncovered holes, was terrific. One glance at

and you can see how hard he works. Two narrow misses, one in each half, could have been the difference on Saturday. 
Though Henry made two major gaffes, the second made by possible by a botched clearance, he looked steady on the ball and provided Steven Caldwell with an athletic partner at the back, something the likes of Bradley Orr and Nick Hagglund do not do as well. 
Disappointment after Saturday’s loss must morph into urgency by Wednesday night. By no means is time running out, but while you can’t make the playoffs in May, you can put yourself in a position to miss out.