The post Manchester City sign 14-year-old Cavan Sullivan from Philadelphia Union, new MLS Academy trend brewing? appeared first on Waking The Red.
]]>One of the most talked about teenagers in American sports isn’t thinking about college when he turns 18, he might be playing in the English Premier League.
Manchester City have come to an agreement with the Philadelphia Union for 14-year-old Academy star Cavan Sullivan. The midfielder will stay with Philadelphia until he turns 18, but the deal is loaded with add ons and a huge sell on percentage. It also fast tracks his path to becoming a full-time professional.
Sullivan is finalizing a MLS Homegrown contract with the Union, rumoured to be the richest in league history. He’ll be eligible to play for Jim Curtin’s first team once that deal is official. But, it doesn’t mean they can have four years of him — although we all remember how a 14-year-old Freddy Adu faired in MLS.
The Union have agreed to loan Sullivan to a City Football Group side elsewhere in Europe if his development surpasses MLS before his 18th birthday, according to The Athletic who first reported the story.
Sullivan’s story is quite impressive. Not only is he the best North American prospect in his age group, but he is widely believed to be one of the most talented teenagers in the world. He has already made his professional debut, providing the match-winning assist off the bench for Philadelphia’s second team in MLS Next Pro.
Sullivan led the United States U-15s to win the 2023 CONCACAF U-15 Championship and took home the Golden Ball for the best player in the tournament. His 20-year-old brother Quinn is an attacking midfielder in Philadelphia’s first team and has played all five games.
A huge point of contention amongst TFC fans and in our WTR comments section over the last few years was how the club failed to develop academy graduates that seemed to have so much potential when they were coming up through the ranks. The departures of Ralph Priso, Jayden Nelson, and to a lesser extent Noble Okello, have led the TFC faithful to question the club’s identity, or lack thereof.
“You look at some of the players TFC has missed in the last few years; Tajon Buchanan, Cyle Larin, Alistair Johnston, Kamal Miller, Dayne St. Clair, Stephen Eustáquio, I could go on. Guys that are playing for Canada, represented Canada at a World Cup, not in the academy system for one reason or another,” former club captain Steven Caldwell said last year on a TSN broadcast during a rant about the club’s spiralling decline.
With John Herdman already showing faith in young Academy graduates like Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty and Luka Gavran, and the way the Toronto FC head coach speaks about the importance of having a healthy and successful Academy, the TFC in-house pipeline could have an even bigger impact on the club’s progress in the near future.
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]]>The post The Walking Wounded: How an early season injury bug has left Toronto FC’s roster depleted appeared first on Waking The Red.
]]>While the strikers have been fortunate (knock on wood) to avoid missing time so far, the other areas of the pitch have not fared as well, as the defence in particular has seen a lot of time in the infirmary.
GK Sean Johnson (out at least another week with a hamstring injury)
DF Richie Laryea (out until late June following hamstring surgery)
DF Nickseon Gomis (out until mid-April following wrist surgery)
DF Shane O’Neill (out indefinitely with a concussion)
DF Raoul Petretta (missed last two games with a groin injury)
MF Brandon Servania (ETA June after tearing his ACL last year)
FW Lorenzo Insigne (Doubtful for Saturday after going off with a hamstring injury against Atlanta)
In addition to those listed above, Kevin Long is said to be nursing a foot issue, Jonathan Osorio was limited to coming off the bench because of a hip injury that kept him out of the Canada squad, and Deybi Flores has been dealing with a groin issue as well.
Cooler temperatures and a few games on turf have not exactly helped things, but this is still an alarming amount of injuries, with some players expected to miss a number of games.
Of course, when injuries strike, opportunities to step up present themselves, and the Reds have been fortunate.
With things as bad as they are on the injury front, there have been numerous opportunities for players to fill voids, and some have done so admirably.
“It has been ‘Next man up,’” said TFC head coach John Herdman after beating Atlanta.
“You’re always going to be adapting, you’ve got to be nimble and on your toes, but credit to Aimé (Mabika, who replaced Shane O’Neill after 29 minutes), he did a terrific job coming in. Prince Owusu getting his first goal. The lad works hard. If you see his physical numbers, he puts a shift in for the team and he stayed ready, stayed focused.”
Luka Gavran played just four times for Toronto in 2023 and allowed exactly three goals each time he played. This year, with Sean Johnson out, Gavran has stepped up and delivered two clean sheets in his three starts, with 13 saves across those outings as the 23-year-old looks solid between the sticks.
Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty looks like he may be taking that step forward as he has filled in on both sides of the pitch in wingback roles, and scored his first professional goal against New York City. With Laryea out long-term and Petretta struggling to find his health, there will likely be opportunities to shine, and if he keeps passing at his 91.9 percent completion rate, JMR will get them.
Renowned centre-back Tyrese Spicer, the first overall pick in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft, made his pro debut against New York City and started and scored against Atlanta. His performance earned him an MLS Team of the Week nod, yet somehow he was slotted in as a defender. If Insigne is out for any period of time, Spicer, who played mostly on the wing during his time in the NCAA, is the logical candidate to succeed him in the lineup on the left wing.
Actual centre-back Mabika saw his first action of the season coming on in place of the injured O’Neill, and will likely see action on Saturday as well. Mabika struggled at times last season, and at age 25 going on 26, it’s now or never for the 6’6” centre-back to stake a claim to a spot in the starting 11.
Finally, Owusu opened his TFC account in his 11th game for the club. With goals hard to come by for TFC this season and last, Owusu should continue to see minutes up top as a target man. If this goal can give him confidence, he’ll continue to earn Herdman’s, although the fact that this was just Owusu’s second shot on target as a Red remains a cause for concern.
There are no big gaps in the schedule to give players time to recover, so it’s possible that players from TFC II occupy some bench slots in the coming weeks if players remain out.
Toronto FC next plays at home on Saturday, March 30 against Sporting Kansas City at 7:30 p.m. ET.
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]]>The post Toronto FC ranked 11th in weekly MLS Power Rankings appeared first on Waking The Red.
]]>In Major League Soccer’s weekly power rankings, released on Tuesday after TFC blanked Atlanta United 2-0 on Saturday night to win their second straight home game, the Reds were much farther down the list than they are in the Eastern Conference Standings.
Toronto FC were ranked 11th this week, below the likes of MLS Cup champions the Columbus Crew, FC Cincinnati — whom TFC drew on Opening Day — and Minnesota United, who sit tops in the Western Conference on 10 points but have only played four games. Those you can realistically justify. But, are TFC really the third most impressive Canadian side right now?
Both CF Montréal and the Vancouver Whitecaps cracked the Top 10 this week, which is wild because Montréal didn’t even play this past weekend and the Whitecaps blew a first-half lead at home and lost to Real Salt Lake.
Here was the write up TFC garnered on the post:
Insigne did not train on Tuesday and the club did not provide an update on his injury. He left TFC’s win on Saturday after Tyrese Spicer had put the Reds in front. The Italian was in visible discomfort and needed assistance to hobble to the change room in first-half stoppage time. He was substituted as the second half kicked off.
These lists are subjective of course, and there’s no science to it. But, given that Toronto FC have won three of their first five games, have kept four clean sheets and have given up a league-low two goals, shouldn’t they at least crack the Top 10?
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]]>The post MLS referees will return to work this weekend as lockout and use of replacement refs ends appeared first on Waking The Red.
]]>The PRSA confirmed on Tuesday morning that they and PRO have voted to ratify a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). MLS referees will now return to work for this weekend’s MLS fixtures, which see Toronto FC host Sporting Kansas City at BMO Field.
Per The Athletic, the new CBA gives officials a significant pay rise.
Multiple sources with knowledge of the vote told ESPN’s Jeff Carlisle that 77 percent of eligible voters in the process said yes to ratifying the new CBA, which is reportedly set to last seven years until the end of the 2030 season.
The new CBA reportedly adds “several million” in wages into the figures included in the first tentative agreement for referees and other officials. The Athletic reports that probationary referees — those who have less than two years of MLS experience — will receive a 68 percent pay rise, while probationary assistants will receive an 88 percent hike. MLS’s most experienced referees will also see a significant pay increase. A referee who has officiated 200 matches, for example, previously made around $108,000 and will get a pay rise of more than $40,000.
The new CBA will also provide retroactive pay for January and part of February but will not cover the lockout period, reports Carlisle.
The previous CBA had expired on Jan. 15 and the PSRA membership authorized a strike soon afterwards. After two failed attempts to extend the terms of the old CBA, a tentative agreement was reached on Feb. 14 but 96 percent of the MLS referees union voted it down. At that stage, PRO, which is funded in part by MLS, locked out referees in mid-February.
Officially, MLS insisted that the replacement officials were virtually as good as the PRSA officials, a claim that was dismissed by both the referees association the Major League Soccer Players Association.
Players and coaches have raised concerns. This month in Canada alone CF Montréal head coach Laurent Courtois slammed the decision-making in CFM’s wild 4-3 wind-assisted defeat to the Chicago Fire and Vancouver Whitecaps defender Tristan Blackmon criticized the refereeing in their home opener against Charlotte FC. TFC haven’t really complained because there’s not much to moan about when you’re winnuing most weeks.
For what it’s worth, ESPN’s Carlisle highlights some interesting data around the replacement referees’ performances that seem to further discredit that claim of quality. Through 70 games this season, there were 35 VAR interventions, 51 percent more than the average through that many games last season. That suggests, perhaps unsurprisingly, that the replacement refs have been leaning more on the safety net of video reviews.
MLS has tried to ensure that broadcasters on Apple TV haven’t discussed the MLS referees lockout, instructing them not to “belabour” the point to viewers.
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]]>The post Toronto FC goalscorer Tyrese Spicer named to MLS Team of the Matchday as ‘centre-back’ appeared first on Waking The Red.
]]>Spicer has been named to the Team of the Matchday after his goalscoring display in the 2-0 win over Atlanta United on Saturday night. It’s his first-ever nomination to the best XI after his first-ever goal for the Reds.
The winger ran onto a pass from Deandre Kerr and fired home past goalkeeper Brad Guzan in the 35th minute of Saturday’s game to spark wild celebrations from the Trinidadian.
As well as his goal, he ended the game with four touches in Atlanta’s penalty area, three shots, seven ball recoveries, and four duels won.
To mark his stellar display, Spicer has been named in the best XI in MLS this weekend. Bizarrely, though, the composite team has him in one of three centre-back positions. I guess you take the plaudits however they come but that… is not right.
Tyrese Spicer told reporters post-game that it feels “surreal” to have scored his first TFC goal so early in his first season out of college.
“I’ve been working my whole life for this,” the 23-year-old said. “A lot has changed very quickly. I was just in college and now I’m in a professional environment. I think I just had to adapt really quickly. I had a broken toe and just coming back from that was difficult, but I had my teammates there, and I had John talking to me.”
In fairness, John Herdman did praise the defensive aspects of Spicer’s performance as the death well with dangerous Georgian winger Saba Lobzhanidze on Saturday. Spicer himself says he has followed the advice of his coach and more experienced teammates and even studied footage of full-backs to see how the adapt and react in-game.
Meanwhile, Federico Bernardeschi was also named to the MLS Team of the Matchday as a substitute after leading TFC in shots (eight) and shots on target (three) and covering an impressive 11 km in the game. The inclusion on the bench is the Italian’s sixth MLS Team of the Matchday selection in his TFC career and his first of this year.
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]]>The post The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly — Toronto FC 2-0 Atlanta United appeared first on Waking The Red.
]]>Can we take too much stock from this one? Gale-force winds, frozen bodies and depleted rosters on both sides?
Sure we can! Let’s proceed.
John Herdman and his staff. Wow… Jason Hernandez and the Front Office. Ditto… Nobody expected to be where we are, and where we are feels pretty great.
The midfield; without Oso and Flores, did the work. Matty Longstaff looked great (especially playing deeper) and Coello got some of that Deybi in him on the night… The defence; probably Rosted’s best game?… Aimé Mabika didn’t do a NYCFC… JMR was EVERYWHERE… Tyrese Spicer is inevitable.
No, but for serious, Spicy T. Can he cook, or can’t he? Great chemistry with Lorenzo already and improvements game-over-game. Tidy little pick-up.
This team is actually doing Next-Man-Up FC without totally embarrassing themselves… Great impact subs… Owusu gets his Mullins-Goal… The DP’s continue to DP; massively prefer this to that PK by the comedy duo of Pozuelo/Piatti, which ended up far more funny-weird than funny-haha:
Matty can’t go 90’… Coello tends to fade late in games… Oso needs to recalibrate his targeting sensors, badly (as do most of the team, tbch, but Oso is skiffing those late-run poacher’s chancers he is famous for converting)… Kevin Long is as slow as a bus with no tires, so let’s let the ‘stay at home defender’ stay at home more?… Kerr did everything right except that one time he didn’t. Completely OK with making thankless ghost runs all game but when the ball actually comes to him, on a plate, no less… Berna stills plays Hero-Ball 50 percent too much. I mean, JMR was RIGHT THERE… Owusu got his goal, do I have ANY confidence he’ll get another?
Shane O’Neil’s head injury, considering his misfortune with similar injuries in the recent past, is concerning… Insigne’s hamstring injury, considering his misfortune with similar injuries in the recent past, is VERY concerning… It feels like the Soccer Gods are playing dirty, throwing whatever wrenches they can find at our wholly surprising and unexpected ascent from the dredges… I guess Cash Money isn’t good enough for prime time. Disappointing, to be sure, but you won’t catch me going against what Herdman sees in training… Tyrese Spicer, in a roundabout way, gives proof to maybe how soft we are, giving chance after chance to players who just don’t have it?… It feels disingenuous to fill the ugly column right now, because, I mean, facts:
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]]>The post Toronto FC By the Numbers: TFC 2 – 0 Atlanta United appeared first on Waking The Red.
]]>As a result, I witnessed yet another demonstration of this team’s metamorphosis from wooden spoon contender to a team on the rise in the competitive Eastern Conference. Perhaps this team has taken inspiration from Prince (the artist, not the footballer) and decided to “go crazy, punch a higher floor” in the league table for the 2024 season.
The number of players to score their first goals for Toronto FC on Saturday night at BMO Field. Tyrese Spicer, TFC’s first overall pick, got on the end of a nice passing sequence from Lorenzo Insigne and Deandre Kerr and slid the ball past Brad Guzan for his first ever TFC goal in the 35th minute. Prince Owusu opened his TFC account doing what a striker is supposed to do: put chances away from close range. In this instance, Prince was in the right place to side-foot a rebound after Guzan saved from Alonso Coello’s shot. In honour of Prince’s first goal: let’s go crazy, let’s get nuts.
The reported attendance at BMO Field. Yeah, no. Attendance is reported by tickets distributed, not tickets scanned. A more realistic (and generous number) would have been around 15,000. Thanks, Metrolinx.
The number of consecutive backheel passes between Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi. Molto Bellissimo! It made the Atlanta defenders look absolutely lost. If Kerr ended up putting that ball away, it would be an early contender for goal of the season.
If the Italians continue to link up to create scoring chances for the rest of the team, we could see a renaissance or “rinascimento”.
The number of total shots amassed by Toronto FC. While only two of those shots made it past Guzan, it is still encouraging to see sustained offensive pressure throughout the match. With this play, it is clear the team has bought into the high-press tactics employed by John Herdman, as it appeared Atlanta had little answer for the pressure applied by TFC. Bernardeschi had six shots in the game and was visibly frustrated not to score in injury time after a lengthy run from half.
The average age of TFC players that finished the match last night. While that doesn’t seem especially low, Toronto had three players over 30 (Kevin Long, Bernardeschi, and Jonathan Osorio) and one close to 30 (Happy birthday Sigurd Rosted on July 22!). Herdman has instilled the “next man up” mentality to encourage players coming off the bench to make the most of their opportunity to play. Insigne and Shane O’Neill sustained injuries in Saturday’s match so the list of unavailable players keeps growing. Younger players like Kobe Franklin, Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, and Kosi Thompson will be called upon for meaningful minutes if the injury woes persist.
The number of clean sheets from TFC keepers so far this season. We expected these numbers from Sean Johnson, as he’s demonstrated his ability to remain an elite keeper in MLS for many years. However, a pleasant surprise has been how easily Luka Gavran has stepped into the starting role after Johnson’s injury. Gavran started the home opener with less than a day’s notice and kept a clean sheet. He also made a number of good saves to keep Atlanta off the scoreboard on Saturday. Herdman keeps preaching defensive stability and that starts at the back.
The chance of problem-free commutes to BMO Field for the remainder of 2024 season. Welcome to spring/summer in Toronto. We’ll see if it’s any easier to get to the match against Sporting Kansas City next up on Easter Saturday.
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]]>The post No. 1 MLS SuperDraft pick Tyrese Spicer has fairytale first Toronto FC start: ‘I still can’t believe I scored’ appeared first on Waking The Red.
]]>“We had a feeling he’d score tonight, we had that conversation with him,” said Herdman during his postgame press conference on Saturday.
And score he did. Spicer’s first-half finish past Atlanta United’s Brad Guzan propelled Toronto FC to their third win of the season in what was the young Trinidadian’s first league start.
“Honestly it feels surreal,” Spicer told reporters as he reflected on the game. “I’ve been working my whole life for this. I just want to thank God for the opportunity. I want to thank John for trusting me.”
As Lorenzo Insigne did in the home opener, Spicer made sure to celebrate his goal with his coach, even if he had to get in a knee-slide first. The trust that Herdman has put in him means a lot for the rookie.
After being drafted first overall by TFC in the 2024 MLS SuperDraft, not many supporters knew what to expect from the Lipscomb University standout. Regardless, Spicer has felt the pressure that comes with being the first player taken off the draft board.
“There’s pressure to come up to expectations,” he said following Saturday’s game. “John always says to fight for each other and that’s what we did today and I stepped up to the opportunity and took it. It feels really good.”
A speedy and direct wide player, Spicer was restricted by a toe injury in the preseason. That ailment meant that Spicer had to ease into things. But with a hamstring surgery sidelining Richie Laryea, opportunities have suddenly opened up for him early on in his professional career. After appearing as a substitute in the loss to New York City FC, he will always remember his first start after marking it with a weak-foot finish.
“A lot has changed very quickly,” Spicer admitted. “I was just in college and now I’m in a professional environment. I think I just had to adapt really quickly. I had a broken toe and just coming back from that was difficult, but I had my teammates there, and I had John talking to me.”
”I’ve got to mention young Spicer,” Herdman said with a smile. “That’s a pretty special moment for the lad. He has quality.”
Cutting in from the left flank, Spicer got on the end of a clever pass from Deandre Kerr in the 35th minute. He then made no mistake with the shot, getting enough power on it to beat Guzan. He says that his father taught him how to make the most of his chances on goal.
“It was just instinctive, honestly,” Spicer said of his goal. “I just went in there instinctively. Normally, I’d just stay out wide but I just said ‘let me just go in.’ Since I was young my dad always taught me to connect with the ball and always just put it on target. That’s what I did, and I think I did it effectively.”
Family is important for Spicer. He stressed that he and his loved ones didn’t have much when he lived back home, but that those times make him more thankful for the journey he’s on now.
“As soon as I hit the dressing room I texted my dad. I was like ‘You saw the goal, you saw the goal?’ and he was like ‘Yes son, I saw it.’ Just being able to score like that, I’m sure he’s very proud. Where I came from it was a struggle when I was home. We never really had a lot of stuff and didn’t have a lot of money so it was a grind. Sometimes, I wouldn’t have money to go to school so it was tough, but knowing where I come from and grinding to be at this spot right now, it was a hell of a journey so I’m thankful for it.”
Herdman used his media availability to also highlight Spicer’s performance on the defensive end in what he called a collective performance from his team. Spicer neutralized the threat of Georgian winger Saba Lobzhanidze, one of Atlanta’s few remaining danger-men with Thiago Almada and Giorgos Giakoumakis away on international duty. The 23-year-old says that he has followed the advice of Herdman and his veteran teammates, while also watching film to study how full-backs adapt in-game. Even though he’s happy with his progress, Spicer maintains that he isn’t getting ahead of himself.
“I still have a long way to go,” said Spicer. “I still want to keep my humility and humbleness. I just want to keep going in every single game and every single training session and just soak in as much information from the lads who have been in this spot for years. I just want to be able to contribute to the team as much as I can. Whenever I’m on that field I’m going to give my 100% every time.”
Finally, Spicer acknowledged that the love from the fans made the night even more special for him on his home debut. With suspended transit services affecting the usual commute to BMO Field for many supporters, he was still left impressed by the crowd that showed up. Even though he just recently moved to the city, he already understands that a drive to BMO Field can be an arduous journey at the best of times.
“The love with the fans is crazy here, I really respect it. Just to show up even though it’s a difficult route, because I know in Toronto there’s always traffic. There’s so much traffic, it’s crazy.”
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]]>The post Canada qualify for Copa América, but are the new-look CanMNT ready for the challenge? appeared first on Waking The Red.
]]>The victory sparked both relief and celebrations for the team and its nation of followers. It cannot be understated how much Canada needed the 2-0 win and what massive implications it holds for the Canadian men’s program.
But, as the elation subsides and the perspective of the match can be better appreciated, it was apparent that Canada did the bare minimum to get the win. Canadian spirit and work ethic aside, here are some takeaways from the match, both positive and those that need more work.
Mauro Biello’s choice to set up with a 3-4-3 formation was audacious but laboured for most of the match. The issue is not whether to use three or four at the back, but whether to use two or three in midfield. It has been shown more often than not that Canada needs to go with a midfield trio in order to succeed. Without a third midfielder, Canada struggled to gain control of the centre of a pitch crowded with T&T midfielders.
Further up the pitch, the attacking front three allowed some flexibility with some stretches of play featuring Iké Ugbo at the tip of the spear in attack with Cyle Larin and Jonathan David in behind, and other times David dropping behind to play the role of a 10. However, the experiment with David as a No. 10, or a false 10 as it appeared, was underwhelming much of the match. The assignment took David, the European top leagues’ most in-form goal scorer, further from the opponent’s net and made him much less of a threat. David did get a few shots away but they were generally from distance, whereas his forte is more of a goal poacher finding time and space right in front of goal.
Despite knowing what to expect from Trinidad and Tobago’s game plan, Canada struggled to break down the opposition’s low block. Some of this can be pinned on lacking numbers to dominate the midfield, but also the use of three strikers often left one or more of them isolated up front. This, in turn, led to more hopeful strikes from distance, or ineffective one-versus-two dribbles.
Canada’s first-half struggles to break through Trinidad and Tobago’s tightly packed fence of defenders grew into mounting frustration with Tajon Buchanan and Alistair Johnston receiving cautions. While giving credit to Trinidad’s rugged and disciplined defensive game plan, it appeared as though Canada had not devised any discernible plans to break down the defensive wall they knew to expect. Had it not been for a moment of brilliance by Larin in the 61st minute, after a deft one-touch pass from Ugbo, that finally unlocked Trinidad and Tobago’s defence and beat keeper Denzil Smith, the match could’ve got away from Canada.
CanMNT are still looking for consistency on the backline, in terms of personnel and quality of play. This is not unexpected given the new look defence appeared as though it were still auditioning centre-backs to replace the veteran leadership provided by Steven Vitória. With more games and the experience that brings, this concern will be sorted out. But on the day Canada’s back line looked shaky, although, it did not break.
The substitutions, particularly the first three, seemed a bit confusing, in part because they did not appear to result in an identifiable change in formation, aside from pushing Alphonso Davies into the middle of the attack behind Larin and David. Moving Davies inside was an experiment Herdman tried a few times with mixed success at best.
But ultimately after the introduction of Mathieu Choinière and Jacen Russell-Rowe, and the fact Trinidad and Tobago were forced from their defensive shell after Larin’s goal, CanMNT began to look more threatening with counter-attacks of their own. Jacob Shaffelburg in particular provided some much-needed hustle, and his thunderbolt to the roof of the net in the 91st minute finally allowed all of Canada to exhale.
Maxime Crépeau looked confident in net and met the challenges of the match, including the symbolism of assuming the role of Canada’s No.1, and deserved the clean sheet.
Stephen Eustáquio looked comfortable wearing the captain’s armband. His ability to combine calmness with intensity was just what his team required for a tense match that was increasingly turning into an exercise in frustration.
Luc De Fougerolles made his much-anticipated debut for CanMNT in added time after Shaffelburg’s goal provided the blow that sealed the deal. Now provisionally cap-tied to Canada for the next three years, the future for the young defender, who is still just 18 years of age, looks promising. In a sense, this final act of the game was the perfect note to finish on for Canada.
Canada can finally celebrate qualification for Copa América, but the match also illustrated warning signs that there remain issues that need to be corrected before facing off against the South American powers this summer. Whether Mauro Biello remains in charge of the CanMNT to make these adjustments is the million-dollar question.
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]]>The post Toronto FC blank Atlanta as Lorenzo Insigne hobbles off injured and Tyrese Spicer nets first MLS goal appeared first on Waking The Red.
]]>Spicer ensured his full TFC debut would be one to remember, finishing with his weak foot to open the scoring at BMO Field in the 35th minute. The rookie wing-back capitalized on a quick bit of passing, with Deandre Kerr feeding Spicer the assist in his first start of the season.
During his postgame media availability, John Herdman compared Spicer’s directness to Canadian winger Tajon Buchanan, while also praising the youngster’s diligence on the defensive end.
“When you’ve got that level of pace teams have to respect that,” Herdman explained. “He did well tonight. He stuck to the game plan and he was very professional.”
The ecstasy from Spicer’s 35th-minute goal was short-lived however, as star winger Insigne was forced to exit the game right before halftime. The Italian was left on the turf clutching his right leg before limping off right before the halftime whistle.
Insigne was Toronto’s second casualty of the first 45 minutes after centre-back Shane O’Neill left the game with an apparent head injury less than 30 minutes in.
Following the match, John Herdman explained that Insigne suffered a hamstring injury and will undergo an MRI on Sunday. O’Neill exited the match for a potential concussion according to Toronto’s head coach.
Despite the injury setbacks, Toronto FC found their groove again in the second half, controlling the play before Owusu struck with a crucial second goal. After entering the game for Kerr in the 55th minute, Owusu latched onto a rebound from an Alonso Coello shot to make it 2-0 for the hosts.
The German forward ended a goalless run which dated back to last season. Feeling confident after his tally, Owusu went for a bicycle kick effort in the 80th minute that flew off target.
“The lad works hard,” Herdman said of his striker in the postgame press conference. “If you see his physical numbers he puts in a shift for the team and he stayed ready, he stayed focussed.”
The pair of goals would be enough for Toronto FC to return to winning ways and make it two victories from two matches at home to start the year. The clean sheet also means that the Reds have yet to concede at BMO Field and have held their opponents goalless in four of five to start the campaign.
In the attack, Herdman saw a lot more production out of his forwards on the night, with Kerr influential in the opener, and also coming close to heading in a goal of his own after some magical play from Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi down Toronto’s left flank.
Atlanta on the other hand was made to fight for scraps throughout the game and missed the quality of Thiago Almada and Giorgos Giakoumakis, with both of their standouts busy on international duty. The visitors had just two shots in the first half and weren’t able to show that they were capable of getting back into the match after the strike from Owusu.
Coming into the game already missing the likes of Sean Johnson, Nickseon Gomis, and Deybi Flores, TFC will have to regroup again after losing two more starters in Saturday’s win.
For a bit of positive news, Jonathan Osorio returned to action after missing his team’s loss in New York. The Canadian entered the match for Matty Longstaff and hit the woodwork shortly before Owusu’s goal.
Toronto FC will look to stay undefeated at home in their next match against Sporting Kansas City on March 30.
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