Two red cards, eight goals in four games and three consecutive losses.
Toronto FC is not playing well enough. Greg Vanney and Joe Bendik didn’t mince words following the Reds’ latest loss in Chicago.
“We have to eliminate the bad moments,” said Vanney.
“A lot of those are on the defending side, as a group and also individually in some of our choices and lack of urgency in and around the goal to deal with things. We have to clean it up. We have to get better.”
“We need to do things better in key moments of the game,” offered Bendik.
“We give up goals at the wrong times. We go up 2-1, we tie 2-2, we go down a man, we go down 3-2. We need to give ourselves a better chance to win, or to get a result.”
The negatives outweighed the positives on Saturday. And though Sebastian Giovinco and Benoit Cheyrou opened their MLS accounts, those markers were canceled out by calamitous defending.
Here are three takeaways from Saturday’s match versus the Chicago Fire.
Problems At The Back
Justin Morrow returned from suspension and was inserted at centre back alongside Nick Hagglund. That was the only change from the backline that started against Real Salt Lake the week before.
From the beginning of the game, however, it was clear it was going to be a long day for the Reds defensively. Frank Yallop wanted David Accam to target Warren Creavalle on the right and the Ghanaian found success within the opening five minutes.
Chicago’s first goal was the product of high pressure by the Fire, a turnover by Robbie Findley in his own end and Creavalle drifting out of position.
On the second, Hagglund and Shaun Maloney were in a 1-v-1 situation for no reason at all. Hagglund was left in no man’s land as Maloney cut inside and beat a screened Bendik. On the replay you can see two TFC defenders ball watching as Hagglund tries to limit the Scottish international’s options.
“There’s plenty of guys around to step up and give support to Nick, and help him out and not let him get inside,” said Vanney. “ Instead we just stand there. That’s part of the urgency. It’s just too easy.”
The bye week offers a chance for veteran defenders Damien Perquis, Steven Caldwell and Mark Bloom to get healthy. They will be needed in Dallas.
INTERVIEWS: Michael Bradley | Joe Bendik | Nick Hagglund
Giovinco And Cheyrou Get On The Board
Again, the negatives outweighed the positives on Saturday afternoon. But Sebastian Giovinco and Benoit Cheyrou were definitely two of TFC’s better players on the day.
Giovinco registered a goal and an assist against the Fire. His equalizer in the first half may have been of the “lucky” variety but they all count the same. The build up play by Cheyrou and Ashtone Morgan was anything but ugly.
The Reds briefly took the lead when the two European newbies combined after Cheyrou intercepted a wayward Fire pass in the midfield. Giovinco’s outside of the boot pass to the former Marseille man was sublime and the finish was just as good.
“Sebastian, I thought he was involved, he dropped in the midfield a little more, he combined with everyone a little more,” said Vanney. “I thought Ben likewise did a good job of connecting.”
Offensively TFC looked comfortable in possession up until Creavalle was sent off and the game went off the rails.
HIGHLIGHTS:Benoit Cheyrou Goal | Giovinco's First MLS Goal
Combating Frustration
It’s a worthwhile question: is having another bye week now good, or bad?
The squad will have a few days off to put Saturday’s disappointment behind them, but up until the next game against Dallas questions about what happened against the Fire will be asked of them.
Understandably, frustration in the locker room was high following the game. With that said the season is only four games old.
“It was good to see emotional outburst,” said Vanney. “I think that’s a good thing. We have to come back fighting.”
“We’ll take the next two weeks to compete and have guys get healthy, which means there will be healthy competition for spots on the field, and tighten up things defensively, and progress on our attacking actions.”
