Toronto FC: Everything “caught up with us” at the playoffs exit, already looking towards 2021

Toronto F.C.Simply put, Audi does not have the sharpness needed to dance in the 2020 MLS Cup playoffs.

Head coach Greg Vanni was upset after East’s 2nd seed Nashville S.C., East No. 7 Seed, Tuesday night a 1-0 defeat At Rentsler Field. Round One did not come until the game-winner Daniel Rios The expansion side scored in the 108th minute, but they created a lot of chances throughout and three goals were called back by offside decisions.

Everything thrown this way by Toronto this season has reached a tipping point, Vani said.

“I think it gives our guys an incredible change during the work of the regular season,” Vani said. “Eventually, pushing, things caught up with us a bit. You guys are our top players, our guys who make the difference, the guys who are important to us in getting results in the big games came out with injuries, started coming back at the tail end of the season and I felt like we were a little bit less fit, we were a little bit sharp. , A little continuation of the night times.

“That’s why we’re a little slow in our actions and we’re not connecting as fast as we normally would, or maybe some of that fluid combination wasn’t sharp in the game, so I think it hit the tail end.”

Highlights: Toronto FC0, Nashville SC1 (EET)

Toronto was badly damaged by stretch injuries, and the club will move to 1W-3L by the end of the year. The 2019 MLS Cup finalists will be competing for the Support Shield until Decision Day submitted by AT&T, but they are in the wrong direction as single-elimination soccer approaches.

Club Captain and Center Mid Michael Bradley Toronto took match stock in a similar light, stating that Nashville could not solve the dilemma. The Reds contributed 850 passes to Nashville’s 530 and possessed nearly 62%, but surpassed 21-10. It’s a case study of how those first two figures didn’t always tell the whole story.

“By and large we have good control over the game, but we can’t really keep them as their heels,” Bradley said. “We couldn’t really create wave conditions after it was really dangerous. Look, they’m a good team defensively, they understand who they are and what they are doing and they do not give tons of goals and they do not give tons of opportunities.”

Now, after spending the past few months in East Hartford, Connecticut – traveling conditions with Canada around the COVID-19 pandemic that means TFC has set up camp state side – they are looking forward. With Toronto turning down the opportunity at the fourth MLS Cup show in the last five years, Vani has been the highlight.

47 – Ash NashvilleSC Happened TorontoFC 47 minutes without a shot between Nick de Leon’s 26th minute try O Joji AltidoreShot in the 73rd minute. Stimid. pic.twitter.com/N0bR45kHq2

– Optazack (p Optajack) November 25, 2020

“Obviously the playoffs are great because we feel we have a quality team and we have to do well so that it hurts,” Vani said. “But we laugh at our injuries, we re-group, we keep trying to improve the team and then leave again next year for another trip.

“Hopefully it’s not going to be like this year, and we’ll be able to come back to our stadium and hopefully the teams will play in front of the fans and that excitement will be driven back into some stadiums and games and all that stuff. They are ready for another year. ”

Bradley has taken a similar strategy, allowing more games on the public heat BMO field in 2021. At the same time, he stressed that they should not make any excuses to exit in Round One.

“When you look at the news in the last week or two of some of these vaccines, we’re sure that as we move deeper and deeper into 2021, the world will start to come back a little bit new,” Bradley said. “Certainly, as a team and as a club, we mean a certain. Hope to play on the BMO field as soon as possible with the fans at the moment .So we’re really excited about it and hopefully it’s coming soon. “