It was a dark and stormy night.

Toronto FC returned to winning ways with a 2-1 victory over Inter Miami CF at Rentschler Field at Pratt & Whitney Stadium in East Hartford, Connecticut on Sunday night.

Blaise Matuidi put the visitors ahead at the end of the first half with a low drive in the 42nd minute, but Ayo Akinola, back in the lineup, pulled TFC level come the 55th minute and Alejandro Pozuelo provided the game-winner in the 84th from the penalty spot after Richie Laryea drove into the box.

With the Philadelphia Union having lost earlier in the day away to Columbus Crew SC, the three points brings Toronto back level at the top of the league, setting up a dramatic Decision Day next Sunday.

The game started well for the home side, who had the majority of the ball early, but Miami and their back-five sat relatively deep, challenging Toronto to break them down. Aside from the occasional flash, neither side was able to really craft a clear chance in the opening passages.

“They had, especially in the first half, a lot of numbers behind the ball,” detailed Greg Vanney post-match. “For us the possessions were too slow, our movement was too slow, the ball was moving too slow.”

“Those are the things we talked about at half. We needed to be more dynamic, our decisions needed to be faster, the ball needed to move faster,” he continued. “Because of that none of our attacks came to much of anything and then we're turning over balls and they were able to eventually get themselves into the game. They started to find their possessions and started to find their control of the game through the latter part of the half.”

“Second half we brought on another forward to try to occupy more of those centre-backs, try to tuck in our wide guys a little bit more to put some numbers ahead of the ball and then we started to get more control of the game,” Vanney explained. “Our movement was sharper, the passes were sharper. It still got open at times, but we did enough at the end of the day to get a result. And with everything that transpired – Philly losing, getting a result – it means it goes down to the last game, which is what we were hoping for today.”

The Philadelphia defeat earlier in the day provided Toronto with a chance to close ground. With the match played the day after Halloween, it was only fitting that there be some frightful moments. One came when Matuidi pounced on a ball at the top of the box to score his first goal in MLS.

But with Akinola back after missing the last three games, TFC were unfazed. Patrick Mullins came on at half-time and within ten minutes they were level.

“As soon as Pat played it in, it was just a battle between me and the defender,” said Akinola. “Luckily, I was able to hold him off. The first touch on my chest set up the whole thing. That led me to control it really nice, bring it down, and then slot it after.”

It was a strike that breathed fresh life into the side.

“Massive,” levelled Vanney. “Once the game started to pick up and the tempo started to pick up, he became more effective because the places that we were getting to, the entry balls. When Pat was up there too, we were able to play off of the two forwards a little bit more, which got them more involved, which brought the game forward faster.”

“In crossing positions, the two of them are moving centre-backs, which puts Ayo in a one-on-one situation, which is what happened on the goal. He uses his strength and his body, brings it down in an incredible fashion and buries it,” he continued. “It's nice to get him back. He gives us a lot of different threats, some with his speed, some with his power and his hold up play. He gives us a lot of different dimensions in the attacking side.”

It was Akinola’s ninth goal of the season.

“It's just me keeping my style of game, honestly,” explained the 20-year-old of his breakout campaign. “I don't try to do stuff that is not in my favour or not the way I play. Sticking to how I play makes it simple for me and what I need to do in front of goal.”

When a player is in form, the net can seem bigger, but it’s all in the mind. Composure is the difference.

“It’s not how big it is,” replied Akinola. “I just try to find a corner, try to find a target, try to find an area where it would be hard for the keeper to get. That's the key to finishing: hit it to an area where the keeper has the hardest time getting to.”

The equalizer paved the way for a pair of nightmares for Miami.

Given the way 2020 has played out on the pitch, managers would be hard pressed to say which is the more scary prospect: Richie Laryea driving into the box or Pozuelo from twelve paces.

“I would say the penalty spot because it's a little more costly,” responded Vanney. “[Pozuelo] is so difficult to read. He just stares the goalkeeper right in the eyes, waiting for him to show something, and then he does it. That's difficult, obviously.”

“When you're getting tired in the latter part of the game dealing with Richie is a nightmare,” he added. “Neither of them are great for the opposition. As long as they work together and help us to get goals and do their thing, we'll be in a decent spot.”

Pick your poison, either way the result was the game-winner for TFC.

“We already know it’s a goal,” said Akinola of Pozuelo at the spot. “Keepers don't even try to make a save because they don't know where he's going to go.”

With Akinola and Chris Mavinga back in the starting eleven, Toronto are starting to welcome back some regulars, but a strong first start was Ralph Priso was also instrumental to the result.

Priso made his debut against Philadelphia last week, came on again midweek against NYCFC, and having earned his place on the pitch against Miami he repaid the faith shown by his manager.

“He was excellent,” said Vanney. “He covered a lot of ground, won balls back, he was sharp in his possessions to get in and out of spaces.”

“He was great: first start in MLS, that's a hell of a way to start,” he added. “He's got room to continue to grow, which he will and he'll continue to get play faster and get used to all this stuff, but he was excellent.”

Minutes in, Priso stepped in front of Gonzalo Higuain to regain possession, then set up two of the better moves in the first half with his running and distribution. He tangled with Matuidi and Higuain throughout the opening frame, undaunted.

“A lot of composure, that's what he's known for,” said Akinola. “He got stuck into his tackles, won most, if not all of them. He was able to help us with our defensive play, trying to break down plays while Miami was in attack.”

“The thing that I liked the most is he just kept it simple, played to his game,” he added. “He didn’t try to do the extra stuff.”

Unflappable.

“Yeah, 100%,” responded Akinola. “The team notices that too. At 18, the maturity level, you can already see it and it translates to the game.”

“The composure and the calmness is like that off the field as well,” he continued. “Him playing his game, keeping it simple, was a huge difference for us. He didn't try to force it and try to do the extra stuff. Just kept it nice and simple.”

It was not all smooth, there were further moments of fright to endure.

With the game tied at ones, Higuain provided one when he got on the ball in space on the left and cut back in-field, away from goal, to unleash a troublesome strike.

“When he got on the turn and got a step I knew the shot was coming. It was just a question of how well he was going to hit it and what trajectory it was going to take,” said Vanney. “I had a perfect view: it starts outside the goal so you know Q [Westberg] isn’t really going to have a chance at it. It was just a question of whether it was going to get under the bar or not. He hit it very well.”

“We're lucky and fortunate that the bar was where it was and it didn't make its way in, but that's the quality players like him have,” added the coach. “He just needs one chance, one good look, and he can really make you pay. That was one of his moments in the game where it was close.”

It is always the highlight reel plays that earn the majority of the attention post-match, but it is equally the unsung gritty work that results in wins. That was on display in the final five minutes of regulation and the equal amount of stoppage-time when Miami threw everything forward and Toronto held firm.

“In the last 10 minutes our group showed some resiliency, some competitiveness, battling to lock it down. It was excellent,” said Vanney. “Just a determined group.”

“[There were] a couple of results before this that we wish we would have had back, games we would have back, tonight it was going to be gutting it out and doing whatever you have to do to get it,” he continued. “That keeps us alive, puts a little pressure on Philly to have to get a result. We're chasing them. We'll go out, on the road, and we're going to try to get a result and we'll see what happens in the other games.”

Everything to play for, Toronto closes the season next Sunday in New Jersey against the New York Red Bulls. Philadelphia holds the advantage in goal-differential, so it will come down to results. Should TFC win, a Union draw or loss will do. Should Toronto draw, Philadelphia must lose.

“Just the resilience from our group,” highlighted Akinola. “We know we needed this one. It shows the battle and the character that we have. I'm just happy and proud of this team to be able to carry out the win. Now we move on to the last game of the season against Red Bulls.”