TORONTO—A year after a 90-minute exit, Toronto FC has been a different beast these 2016 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
Home stumbles and an inability to break down stubborn defenses were evident this season, but come Sunday night's opening leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against New York City FC – and a subsequent 2-0 victory – those shortcomings melted away.
“Our fearlessness to step up and go after them was a big part of the game,” said Toronto FC captain Michael Bradley. “[NYCFC] are a good team; organized, have a clear way of going about it. It was a hard, tight, fast game. Two teams that weren't giving each other an inch. That mentality and willingness to stay after it paid off in the end.”
Head coach Greg Vanney hailed his side's relentlessness, praising them for chasing a winner throughout.
“We wanted to get the goal,” said Vanney. “If it had ended 0-0, it wouldn't have been the worst night ever, but it was never our intention. We wanted at least one out of it, make sure we kept the zero on the other side. It took a long time, but they were rewarded in the end.”
Not content to squander home-field advantage, just as it appeared the match would wind down scoreless, Jozy Altidore pounced on a loose ball in the box, finding the back of the net with an emphatic finish in the 84th minute.
“We knew the chances would come,” Altidore said. “It was just a matter of putting them away. It's difficult to be patient in a game like this; we were and the rewards came to us.”
Altidore nabbed the first, sending the home crowd into raptures, and the second was not far behind, coming in the second minute of stoppage time from Tosaint Ricketts.
“[Tosaint] is like a secret weapon, though not much secret anymore,” Vanney said. “His speed and relentless running … The last thing you want to do as a tired defender is to chase that guy. If you get in a footrace, you're sure to lose it. It's great to have a guy who you can turn to who has that kind of mentality and that kind of pace.”
Ricketts helped elevate a disappointing goalless draw to a 2-0 victory in fewer than eight minutes.
Toronto will look further their advantage in the second leg, set for Sunday evening at Yankee Stadium in New York City.
“Nothing means anything until we finish this off,” Vanney said. “We're halfway there; a lot of work still to do.”
