TORONTO – Toronto FC don't explode for multiple-goal games very often. But when they do, they make them count.
With two straight two-goal matches, the Reds punctuated a memorable five-day stretch last weekend by beating Chivas USA at home 2-1 just days after booking a CONCACAF Champions League group-stage berth with a win in Honduras.
The two goals in each game were a relative bonanza for a team that hadn’t scored more than once in eight straight games heading into the second leg at CD Motagua last Tuesday.
Both feats are building blocks ahead of Toronto’s key back-to-back showdowns with the second-place New York Red Bulls. New York are just two points ahead in the Eastern Conference standings. With a win Wednesday at Red Bull Arena, Toronto have a chance to pull ahead into the guaranteed playoff spot and then head home for the rematch where they’re undefeated this season.
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It’s a golden opportunity for the Reds. But to have success down the stretch, they need to generate offense before they can think about scoring. The key lies with the midfield. Yet outside of attacking midfielder Dwayne De Rosario, Toronto’s is dominated by defensive-oriented midfielders that have had trouble providing service up front.
Errant balls, missed passes and broken plays have been common over the last 10 games in which TFC have scored just seven goals.
“We’ve been struggling to find goals, with the exception of the last two games where we’ve had two each,” midfielder Jacob Peterson said. “But we’ve been working on it in training a lot, kind of getting some more width and then finding our forwards' feet—any kind of that movement [such as] outside mids coming in—that maybe we haven’t been doing earlier. It’s a process, and we’re taking some steps in the right direction.”
Designated Player Julian de Guzman, the unit’s marquee name, primarily plays a defensive role as a holding midfielder, as does Martin Saric and Amadou Sanyang.
That’s left the engine to Nick LaBrocca, Peterson and, most recently, Joseph Nane. LaBrocca hasn’t provided the necessary creativity despite a good work ethic, but TFC head coach Preki may have found something in Peterson and Nane.
Both have had more consistent playing time of late and contributed on offense. Against Chivas USA on Saturday, Peterson’s attempted shot was flicked ahead to Chad Barrett, which lead to the winning goal.
Peterson credits his play to improved health. The 24-year-old is still just nine months off surgery for a torn ACL, and says his recovery is still an up-and-down process.
"Some days are good some days are bad," he said. "Right now, I’m having more good days than bad.”
A healthy Peterson would ease some of the burden off of de Guzman, who’s capable of creating offense – he plays a more attack-minded role for the Canadian National Team.
“I just try to work off of those guys, work off [forward] Maicon [Santos],” Peterson said. "Dwayne’s always going to attract some attention, so if I can kind of add a little to the attack where they have to worry about me as well, and maybe free up some of those other guys to do what they do best, then it’s good for the team.”
