It was, in many ways, a nightmare evening in Dallas for Toronto FC.
A three-and-a-half hour thunderstorm delay split up two very interesting halves of football as the two teams battled it out at Toyota Stadium. FC Dallas established a strong foothold on the match early with a 3-0 lead before TFC's Sebastian Giovinco scored a pair himself to end this long night with a wild finish.
But, Toronto FC’s comeback fell just short, capping off a night of many frustrations for head coach Greg Vanney.
“We got off to a miserable start,” Vanney said. “We talked all week about protecting ourselves. Thirty seconds in the game, it was obviously not the start we wanted and then we found ourselves in a situation again where we were down 2-0. Third goal was just a mess. It was two guys getting in each other’s way. It should have been cleaned up.”
For Vanney, it’s the same old song and dance; his side continue to give away soft goals. It’s Toronto FC’s fourth consecutive loss with another makeshift back line. But, despite the absences of starters like Mark Bloom and Steven Caldwell, Vanney says he saw enough in the second half from his team to still leave him somewhat pleased with the performance.
“As entirely frustrating as the first half was and the mistakes that continued that have to improve, I was extremely proud of the team,” Vanney said, referring to the long delay, one that saw them trotted on and off the field a number of times for warm-ups. “In the locker rooms, we talked about going out there and really fighting, laying it out there, and showing what we’re capable of or we could shut it down, call it a night and go home. The guys came out and fought like real men out there in the second half. It was one of the best competitive performances we’ve had so far. We battled, and scored two goals.”
That fight back fell largely on the shoulders of Italian star Giovinco, who scored a brushstroke goal of pure footballing artistry late in the game and followed it up with a perfectly placed free kick soon after.
Vanney says that’s just a taste of what fans can expect from the Atomic Ant this season.
“He played the second half with a real chip on his shoulder, meaning he was going after this game and willing this game from an attacking standpoint,” Vanney said. “He was special in his moments when he was on the ball and his work off the ball was special, too. For us, it was a really positive sign. It shows you what he’s capable of. He really, for me, put on a clinic in the second half of what he’s really, truly capable of.
“The first goal [by Giovinco], I don’t think I’ve ever seen that in MLS from a player,” Vanney concluded. “Just the presence of mind to do that is pretty astonishing. He showed some real class tonight. He’s taking on the responsibility and driving this team forward.”
Armen Bedakian covers Toronto FC for MLSsoccer.com.
