Toronto Tactics Taking Shape
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ORLANDO, Fla. – They flock to nearby Walt Disney World to relive the story of Cinderella, who went from pauper to princess at the snap of a magic wand. If only manager Aron Winter could do the same, then the metamorphosis he is overseeing at Toronto FC could take effect just as quickly.
But the reality is that the Dutchman and his staff need time. The plodding Toronto FC side of 2010 that slugged out every point and struggled to score goals is being remade in a 4-3-3 attack-minded revolution. In Thursday night’s 3-2 loss to the Houston Dynamo in the Disney Classic, fans saw glimpses of Winter’s vision.
But it is still far from a finished product.
“To change the system that we used to play, now we’re playing with three strikers,” Winter told MLSsoccer.com. “We need some time to get everything fixed. There are still a lot of things to do but I am satisfied.”
It’s not as simple as lining up the players in their new tactical system. Brand new players are being introduced to the roster, and Thursday's game was the first time Toronto had rolled out that 4-3-3 formation against an MLS team.
TFC captain Dwayne De Rosario said the squad is undergoing a process and there is no rush to have the team clicking from the very start.
Toronto To Build On Momentum
TORONTO — It was an ambitious goal for a team that had not won since May 7. Toronto FC wanted to beat the Vancouver Whitecaps twice in the same week — now they're halfway there.
The Reds took three points in league play from the Whitecaps with a 1-0 win on Wednesday at BMO Field off a second-half penalty by Nick Soolsma. On Saturday, they'll again try to sink their Canadian rivals, this time for their third consecutive Nutrilite Canadian Championship and a chance to play in the CONCACAF Champions League.
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“I think the three points were very necessary,” Soolsma said. ”It feels very good and I think that it is the return from ties and losing, and now a start to winning games.”
This week has already been a big week for TFC. Hours before snapping a 10-game winless streak in all competitions against Vancouver, Toronto announced the signings of German midfielder Torsten Frings and Dutch striker Danny Koevermans as their newest Designated Players.
The duo will not only bring their skills to the MLS side, but most importantly, they’ll provide the leadership qualities that have been lacking in the locker room.
“They are two proven players,” said defender Dan Gargan. “We are hoping they will come in and help us, and I'm sure they will.”
Frings and Koevermans will not be eligible to start playing for Toronto until mid-July, and with several of their more experienced players sidelined, the club will have to make do with what they have to get the job done against Vancouver.
“That always plays a huge part, but we have to make do with what we have,” midfielder Danleigh Borman said. “I think the guys are capable of doing it. We’re capable of winning with the players that we have.”
There is, for the first time in a long stretch, a positive buzz surrounding Toronto FC. And they hope to keep it going with a victory on Saturday.
“The way that coach Winter wants us to play is a style of play that we all like. But it’s just doing it over and over and getting repetition and then applying it in a game.”
In front of a four-man back line, De Rosario played between Ivo de Heus and Nick LaBrocca in the middle line of three. The three forwards in the first half were Javier Martina, Jamal Gay and Jacob Peterson.
And the two Toronto FC goals on Thursday night were a direct result of the new system being introduced by Winter.
In the seventh minute, Peterson made the cross-field run from the right side into space and converted a pass into the box from LaBrocca. The penalty kick scored by De Rosario was created when Gay ran onto a through ball from Martina into the box. Stretching the field and making penetrating runs into space are a chief characteristic of the new 4-3-3 system.
Both Winter and De Rosario sounded confident that the progress would be even more noticeable by March 19 and the opener at rivals Vancouver.
“We are still in the preseason and we still have another three and a half weeks,” Winter said. “When the league starts on the 19th of March, then we will be ready.”
Added De Rosario, “It’s a big test because we’re playing against another Canadian team in Vancouver and they want to stamp their authority in this league. But hopefully we can go there and get the result we’re looking for.”