To a man the Reds admit they will have to be better offensively going forward, and with a star-studded attacking squad led by Sebastian Giovinco and Jozy Altidore there is belief the goals will come.
Giovinco scored the fastest goal in team history and that was enough to power the Reds to a 1-0 win over D.C United on Saturday, a win which was defined by the club’s resolute defending.
What’s been the most impressive aspect of Toronto FC through the first six games of the 2016 campaign has been their defensive prowess. The Reds have conceded just five goals so far, led by the stellar play of goalkeeper Clint Irwin and a group effort in front of him.
WATCH:Match Highlights | Michael Bradley | Jozy Altidore | Drew Moor | Greg Vanney
With eight points the Reds have achieved a goal set before the start of the eight-game road trip to start the season. Now, they’ll look to build on it with two more games on the road, at Montreal and Portland, before the Reds open the newly renovated BMO Field on May 7th against FC Dallas.
Here are three things we learned from the 1-0 win over D.C. United at RFK Stadium.
TFC Is Deep At CB
Drew Moor and Damien Perquis have formed a solid centre-back tandem in the early portion of the season, but Greg Vanney has options should either player be unavailable in the future.
In Kansas City Josh Williams stepped in after Moor was forced to miss out due to illness. Williams replaced Perquis in D.C. to give the latter a rest as the Reds continue on with their road trip. Williams has been impressive in both games he started.
“For me it’s important to keep three center backs ready to play, keep them sharp and engaged,” said Vanney. “We’ve got three centre-backs that I think are of quality to play in this league.”
Perquis was still a factor in the match. He replaced Williams, who was cramping up, in the 68th minute and made a handful of key clearances in the TFC box.
Johnson and Bradley Continue To Be Immense
Irwin justifiably received plaudits for this second man of the match performance in a row and his second clean sheet of the season, but it was an overall team effort on Saturday.
The backline was tremendous once again, but it was the play of Michael Bradley and Will Johnson in central midfield that set the tone once D.C. opened the floodgates in search of an equalizer. The Reds shifted from a flat 4-4-2 in the first half to a diamond in the second half and it paid off.
“We readjusted sort of our alignment from the first half to the second,” said Vanney. “I thought the midfield three, specifically Michael and Will, put in a ton of work to protect.”
Jozy Is Ready and Able
Jozy Altidore’s first 90 minute match of the season was a fantastic one. Altidore was the architect of Giovinco’s record-breaking goal and from there the U.S. international remained an imposing force.
From providing hold up play up top to tracking back to put pressure on D.C.’s midfield, Altidore did it all. Perhaps the most important development to emerge from the 26-year-old’s outing was his play in the final five minutes of the match, when the Reds registered a number of scoring opportunities to ice the game with Altidore leading the charge.
“Maybe last season we don’t win a game like that,” said Altidore. “It was a game about determination and to win it will do a lot for the morale of this team.”
“It was a first class performance from Jozy and the only thing I wish he would’ve got in the end was a goal for all of his hard work,” added Vanney.
The Reds return to the pitch this Saturday to face the Montreal Impact at Stade Saputo at 4 PM ET on TSN4.
