What’s wrong with Toronto?
Last season, Toronto were the kings of MLS, securing their first MLS Cup victory along with the Supporters’ Shield and the Canadian Championship to claim an unprecedented domestic treble. During the off-season, Toronto officials spoke about that success as just the beginning of a dynasty that would rival and even surpass the dominance of LA Galaxy.
However, two games and two defeats into the new MLS season, there aren’t many Toronto fans talking about dynasties. If you bet on sports you’ll know that Greg Vanney’s men are still in the mix, with most experts rating them as second favorites to win the MLS Cup. But to open the season with consecutive losses to Columbus and Montreal, in which the Reds failed to score, has got fans worried.
The CONCACAF Champions League campaign has provided better news. Toronto saw off Colorado Rapids in the last 16 and came through a tough quarter-final against Tigres UANL to reach the semis, but the MLS Cup is the bedrock of the team’s success and improvement in that area needs to happen soon. Toronto only lost six games in total in the whole of last season, so to have two Ls next to their name already is a big concern. What exactly has gone wrong, and what can they do to fix it?
One issue that has been brought up is the relatively short time to recover from the exertions of last season and prepare for the new campaign. The Reds secured their MLS Cup title on December 9th but were back in pre-season friendlies on January 27th and kicked off their Champions League games on February 20th. That gives little time for rest and recuperation.
However, that short recovery period is one of the products of success, and if the Reds are going to build the dynasty that they’ve talked about, they will regularly be playing deep into the post-season and kicking off early with the Champions League. For successful teams, fixture congestion and added demands on resources and fitness levels are par for the course.
Personnel factors may also have played their part. Toronto have lost ten players from last season and brought in six more. It is inevitable that the new recruits will take time to bed in, but that process has been compounded by injury and lack of fitness. In particular, new recruits Ager Aketxe and Gregory van der Wiel have taken time to adjust.
Perhaps the main factor in their slow start to the MLS season has been the Champions League. There is no doubt that CONCACAF success has been the early season priority, and the demands of continental soccer have inevitably taken their toll. Toronto’s record in MLS games following CONCACAF ties reads 0-10-2. That tells its own story, though it is something that they will have to address if they are to be regular contenders at this level.
However, despite their poor start, the MLS season is a long one and there is plenty of time to make up lost ground. It was always going to be a tough defense, but the depth of talent in the squad and last year’s winning experience should help the Reds get back to winning ways soon.
