TORONTO – The Reds didn’t get off to the winning start they had hoped for on Friday night, a local product produced some of the home opener’s brightest moments.
Another rainy night at BMO Field saw Toronto FC and Sporting Kansas City battle to a scoreless draw, leaving the home side the more frustrated of the two. And while the home side left the pitch with a bit of disappointment, there was plenty of optimism surrounding the emergence of Raheem Edwards.
Making his first MLS start, the Toronto native fit seamlessly into the side and earned unanimous praise from his coaches and teammates.
“I thought Raheem did very well tonight, you wouldn’t know it was his first MLS start tonight in my opinion,” head coach Greg Vanney said. “He looked composed, comfortable, and did a great job defensively.”
A winger by trade, Edwards was deployed along the backline in place of the injured Justin Morrow, yet hardly looked out of place. His work rate and instincts served him well on the night, following up a game-changing performance off the bench in Vancouver with another stellar outing.
“It’s a lot of work to do out there, especially to do it in the manner he did,” Vanney continued. “He created several crossing opportunities and still did his defensive work. I was very pleased with his performance.”
Added defender Drew Moor: “He was fantastic, probably one of the best players on the field. He brings a lot of energy and he doesn’t play his age; he plays well beyond his years.”
The TFC academy graduate was happy enough to get the full 90 minutes on the night, but admitted he is far from satisfied.
“I’m still learning,” Edwards said after the match. “The guys are doing a good job of teaching me how to play in the system. I’m learning more and more each day, I just need to bring that to the field.”
The future is certainly bright for the 21-year-old. Just where his season will go from here is anyone’s guess, but if early returns are any indication, fans can expect to see plenty more from Edwards in 2017 and beyond.
“If you impress the coach, you must be doing something right,” he said with a smile. “I’ll just push on from here, continue my consistency and see where it goes from there.”
