Toronto FC dispatched by CF Montréal for the second time in a week
It’s safe to say that the last week in Toronto FC land has been one of the most somber in recent history.
A third defeat in eight days for the Reds came at Stade Saputo on Saturday night, where TFC fell 2-0 to bitter rivals CF Montréal. Having lost to CFMTL in midweek during their Canadian Championship quarter-final clash, 401 Derby bragging rights firmly belong to the Québec-based club.
With 10 first-team players unavailable, including late scratch Raoul Pettreta, Bob Bradley was forced to put out a makeshift starting XI, highlighted by Mark-Anthony Kaye slipping into a back three alongside Richie Laryea, and Aimé Mabika.
The first 30 minutes at Stade Saputo were arguably as timid as they could get in the context of MLS’s Rivalry Week. Moreover, neither side registereed a single shot on target in the first half as TFC recorded just one in the entire match.
The obvious positive from the first 45 was that the game was still goalless, which left the door wide open for either club to pounce and take control. As the second 45 got underway, it was the hosts who took full advantage.
In the 53rd minute, Finnish international Lassi Lappalainen latched onto a well-placed pass from George Campbell before slotting the ball past Sean Johnson for Montreal’s opener.
From there, it all went downhill for Toronto FC.
Two minutes after going a goal down, the Reds found themselves a man down after Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty was given a second yellow card for time wasting.
The circumstances put TFC’s character to the test once again, but a lackadaisical approach to the remainder of the game saw the visitors record just one shot in the second half, and none on target.
Chinonso Offor, who scored at BMO Field just four days prior, doubled CFMTL’s lead in the 68th minute, ultimately sealing three crucial points for his side.
It was evident that Bob Bradley had given up on the game in the 80th minute when he subbed out Lorenzo Insigne, Federico Bernardeschi, and Richie Laryea at the same time.
The defeat, TFC’s third in four MLS games, sees the Reds drop to the bottom of the Eastern Conference following the New York Red Bulls’ narrow 1-0 victory over New York City FC.
If you thought Toronto FC would have a week to get set for their next match, you thought wrong. The Reds are right back in action this Wednesday, May 17th when they welcome the Red Bulls to BMO Field.
‘Must-win’ will be an understatement for TFC’s next handful of games as Bob Bradley’s men are now five games away from the halfway point of the season having taken just 12 points from their opening 12 matches.
Positive was well Kaye looked ok at center back for the most part the rest complete tire fire otherwise fire bob bradley
I stuck with Bob throughout last season, and was willing to give him time this season, until the past couple weeks. We are somehow worse than when he took over. It is actually mind boggling that he hasn’t been sacked yet, I will wait for the announcement tomorrow morning. What a disaster.
I’m with you, I wanted to give him 6 games this season and things did not look good, but they were not pitiful. But the last few games have been horrendous.
If Bob does not go out and get another coach himself and stick to the GM role, then Manning has to make a move and sack him.
The Players need new leadership who will inspire and build the team morale and tactics (someone who will play the team based on what players are available and not force a preconcieved system on them). Y
Yes we are missing a lot of players due to injuries, but this team is very disjointed (we are not playing as a team rather as a collection of individuals).
Also Insigne wearing the captains armband does not make sense with the absence of M Bradley and Osorio. I would give it to Sean Johnson or Fede (these guys have the personality to lead a team). I’m not saying Insigne cannot lead a team, but his english language skills are what will hold him back right now.
This team is imploding and Bradley needs to play the smart game (we have a lot of games this month and running Insigne, Fede, Laryea, Sapong and Kaye into the ground is not the right move.
You put your best roster out to play hard and get a lead or at least a tie and make 5 subs starting in the 60th minute to keep legs fresh. You may not a lot of wins, but at the same time, you will not burn out your core before injured players return. We need to pick the opponents where we believe we have the best chance to win (especially at home) and we need to learn to just sit back and counter when on the road while giving maximum rest to you stars.
The season is not lost as very little separates last from 9th, so we need to pull ourselves back into the race before May is done.
I’m glad I missed this game. Just saw the highlights and my goodness this team is beyond dead.
0 shots on target???
Stupidest yellow I’ve ever seen from JMR. This guy has spent more time getting tattoos than he has actually spent playing soccer. Osorio out, Coello out, Kaye in defence. Perfect opportunity for some time in midfield and he blew it.
Before it was bad that the attack was non-existent but even now the defence is bad too. What’s the point exactly of bringing in a defender from the B team if you’re just going to play Kaye there? If Bob thinks that defender isn’t good enough to start in defence over a midfielder then why is he even on the B team at all?
They gotta get Bob out of here, the guy has like a 26% win record during his time at Toronto. He’s still playing 4-3-3 too, why? It hasn’t worked in two years.
Has JMR been kicked out yet by the club (well transferred)? He should have been already for getting this absolutey stupid red card? Does he not understand that the team is drastically short of players without him getting a suspension?
For a player who does not get enough minutes off the bench, he sure is throwing away his opportunity to get some starting minutes.
Surely we all saw the appointment of BB as “Head Coach” AND “Sporting Director of Toronto FC.” was a huge mistake right from the beginning. What a disaster, make the changes NOW. Really sad to see what has happened to our beloved club. Come on guys make the changes and also dispose of the clearly disinterested Insigne. Sickening really.
Bob should have been let go last season. I kept saying to fire Bob and overwhelming response was “give him a few more transfer windows”. Well he has had his transfer windows and the team is worse, hopefully Monday morning will be the announcement of a mutual parting ways with TFC and Bob Bradley
“With 10 first-team players unavailable…” Football is played with 11 players: the two Italians, Johnson, Laryea, Kaye, Servania, (Sapong) make at least 6 out of 11. I am sick from the constant lack of objective and healthy criticism.
Exactly wolfango! and I’m not so sure about Sapongs quality and Servania, and the jury is still out on Kaye, so we are basically playing with 4 players one being the keeper. The coach talking before a game in the oppositions change room basically goes like this”guys this TFC has garbage players lets just cover the two DPs with three defenders each, they will not hurt us with the rubbish rest of the roster”
I am not considering the quality of the players, but if Servania, Kaye and Sapong are not part of the first team: who are? The critic continues with ridiculous excuses, maybe he believes we have no idea about football. Most players are mediocre at best, but should play better with a reasonable coach. On the other hand, nobody argues that the Italian are part of the first team but they are no better than Servania and Co. No wonder 90% of players in Milan, Inter, Juventus and even Napoli are NOT Italians.
You can’t play 4-3-3, if your wingers do not track back. Defensively, you are giving away your defensive width, and when you try to adjust, you give up space inside. If they are going to play with the Italians you need to move them both up top in 4-4-1-1. If playing them on the wing, then 4-2-3-1 to keep some defensive shape
Steve you can play any formation you want, does not matter, the starting line up last night was littered with guys that should be in another career, not professional soccer.
I agree with you Jack!
Thanks Fan, you’re a good kid! I knew you would come around eventually.
Jack I don’t have any problem with you calling out bad play, coaching etc… Also debate is good… we all have biases. Its only when you make it personal against a person that I object.
Has Bob failed? I would say yes.
Does he need to be replaced? I would say yes.
Was he given a fair chance to build his roster? I would say yes.
Do I hate him personally? No, but his results say he is not performing. So he either appoints a proper coach, or he should get fired.
At the same time, we can see the difference on this team when it is missing a slow M Bradley (the young midfielders are just not ready to play full time in MLS). Also missing Osorio is huge.
I mentioned on another post that we have only won 16 of the last 75 regular season matches with Mike Bradley starting, I don’t hate Mike he did good things here but that was several years ago, I think this injury he just suffered is actually a good thing, he probably won’t recover this year, so we can retire him now and free up some money to bring in a decent midfielder. Also if you have been watching all year Oso looks broken down, he is playing like he has never recovered from his injury last year, renewing his contract at near a DP level salary is just a another of the dumb decisions this club makes, they just should of let him walk ! No one was giving Oso the money we gave him.
I agree that M Bradley should retire…. Let’s see how things play out. Also in terms of Oso, he’s been injury prone for the last little bit. But I am not against signing him under TAM. Worse case we can buy his contract out if he is still injured at the end of the season and things don’t look promissing. By putting him as a DP for now, we free up close to $1M in salary cap space. It gives the team flixibility because if they find a DP, then can move him back into GAM. If not, they can sign depth pieces using the $1M they have free. I understand why he has been classified as DP.
And lets me honest, there is no way MLSE is spending any more big money on a DP when this team is underperforming so badly. One more DP will not change anything.
The starting lineup was bad enough but the ending lineup was simply unacceptable.
Why do we still have Lorenzo Insignificant? He is stealing our US dollars. What does he do to improve our team? Every fan knows what he is going to do when he gets the ball. He turns to his right foot. If every fan knows, then surely every opponent player knows this too. For the money we are giving him,we could have had five competent midfielders and several defenders. But no, we have to pander to the Italians in Toronto.
Furthermore, has anyone ever seen Insigne or indeed Bernadeschi ever score on a direct free kick? Why not give someone else a chance, say Richie. Can’t do any worse.
Finally, surely it is not coincidence that Napoli are Italian Champions the season after Insignificant leaves them!!!!!!
Insigne is tied in goals with Bradley, Kerr, Osorio, Sapong, and Servania who combined don’t make a quarter of what he makes. And that with all the opportunities he gets on set plays which the other guys don’t.
Lorenzo Insignificant HAHAHA That’s funny, here’s another of the many many fans out there that will be putting their foot in their mouths when Lorenzo starts rolling, which will happen when he gets a few quality players around him, not these Pub League TFC 2 scrubs .
More comedy by no little fans!! Firstly Insigne was replaced by a player that will be the Serie A MVP! Next Free kicks, have a quick look at Cristiano Ronaldos free kick % rate it is brutal, so bitching on Insigne and Fede is laughable, you want to replace Insigne with competent players ? you mean Soltedo Salcedo Piatti, doubling Oso’s wages , paying Jozy 6 million, signing Bradley to 1.6 million, bring in Victor V, Diomonde , Sapong, Rosted MAK and the list of brutal player decisions goes on and on.
Keep in mind that Sapong has scored the same number of goals as Insigne in half the number of games, Oso and Bradley have the same number of goals as Insigne as well.
These are just facts! And these guys play with the same TFC2 scrubs Insigne plays with.
I’m not saying Insigne is insignificant….. but up to this point, he is not performing anywhere close to his salary expectations. All these aother players are earning about less then 15% of what Insigne makes and have the same production with less opportunities off set plays.
These are pure facts and not my opinion. These guys play with the same team mates Insigne plays with. So you cannot say Insigne gets a pass but they don’t for production.
Insigne hasn’t even played 4 full games all year and in the ones he has played it’s with a TFC roster full of plumbers and shoemakers(beer league hacks) and when he does play the opposition knows enough to mark Lorenzo with 3 or 4 defenders. Fan! you aren’t somehow trying to equate Lorenzo with Bradley, Oso and Sapong are you?
I’m not equating Insigne to Bradley, Osorio and Sapong. Its the one goal each has scored which is putting them all together. For the record Sapong and Kerr for example have played less minutes then Insigne and have the same production.
What I am saying is that Insigne is not performing to his expected capability which right now is 1 goal in 5 starts. Are you telling me that is acceptable production from a top Serie A guy coming to MLS and getting paid top $$$?
Poop.emoji
It’s absolutely mind-boggling to think that somebody with the experience of Bob Bradley believes these TFC2 hopefuls are somehow MLS-calibre STARTERS. Jakeel tracking backwards and running into Bernardeschi ended the match for TFC. It’s really sad to watch this unfold, for all of MLS.
Hard to believe this team regressed but they have . First game of the year was a bad omen when they blew a lead late in the game against DC United. The two DPs are not worth it. Need new interested players and even Bradley is past it.
It’s quite unfortunate, and a bit unfair, for us to dump on the players.
There is no coach to teach them properly, to recruit intelligently, to train tactically for an opponent, to play players in effective positions, to sub and alter tactics in a meaningful way.
Bradley played players out of position with an attacking trio completely unconnected from the base of the team. The first half had them playing careful to not be scored on and revealed massive holes to exploit. Montreal adjusted at half, used subs, played effortlessly. TFC got more frustrated and less connected.
We see TFC discard players thrive, improve, get chances all through the league. We see European stars stagnate and isolate on TFC. Is TFC still paying part of the Jimenez contract, is that why he isn’t improving?
It’s the team environment they created and team environment that sets the tone, if being injured, failing and fighting are the goal then MLSE is doing a great job.
Unfortunately the reputation of MLSE is now so low the Montreal reference to the club as “clowns” doesn’t hurt. We think worse things of the owners ourselves.
I’m sorry but some players also have to take responsibility. Terrible errant passes, turning over the ball, etc is not on the coach. Yes Bradley has to go, but its not like the veteran big money players don’t know how to play or position themselves. Nothing is stopping from players like Insigne (who is wearing the captain’s armband) from calling a players only meeting, talking to the young guys and building morale. Fede, Richie, Johnson are all leaders who should be active with the young players. JMR should never have been allowed to go off like he did last game (coming back on the field after he already had a red card and the team is short players). Too much selfishness if you ask me.
Right now there is not team at TFC. Just a collection of individuals.
I am not saying saying players should not take responsibility for anything.
I’m saying it’s unfair to dump on players when they are in a position without any way to thrive. We don’t know what goes on in the training environment or locker. We can’t be sure what messages they are getting and from which people.
Yes, Insigne is playing like crap, Michael Singh mentions that clearly on Twitter and points out Bob has to get more out of him. When a guy making his coin runs around the field freelancing and pouting, with the captains arm band, other players are put at a disadvantage.
And I don’t want to dump on Insigne because he obviously is not seeing what he was told he would see when they signed him. I doubt he has the skill set to thrive here and it will take a clever, experienced coach to help him get the most out of his time in Toronto.
Vanney helped Jozy, Seba and MB get the most out of each other and play some of their best football in Toronto. He used tactics to link players and held them accountable. We could hate Seba the way he left, or Jozy for being Jozy or MB for being slow. But Vanney gave them the chance to thrive. That’s not happening here so fans pissed off at players in this setting are doing more harm than good.
Excuse me? Fans pissed off at players are doing more harm than good? I have a message for you but it is not quotable on this public site. All I will say is FOBB. Work it out, four words, four letters, three letters, three letters, seven letters.
I think we get the FOBB reference as many of us have held that position since last season, and written about it.
The point I make about public ridicule of players on the team and not helping here is the same as other settings. Don’t crap on teachers when they are fighting to give kids better options for their class success but are being bullied by government. Don’t get angry at a school bus stopped on a rural highway during rush hour when they drop off a single child. Don’t be angry at nurses in a hospital ER when they do the work of 3 people at once.
The players have no fight because the spirit has been killed by the setting the work in. Point at the problem, hope it gets fixed, chirp the players when it’s only them that are screwing up each game.
Like I said, errant passes, give aways, trying to do to much individually and turning the ball over are all on the players.
Some of these people are making serious money and with that comes responsibility for leadership.
Yes we can say that management is not setting them up for success, but there are also ways to manage up.
And I agree we don’t know what is going on and being said in training environment and behind closed doors. Perhaps Bob is Toxic, or perhaps the chemistry on the team is just not there because the players don’t respect each other.
I agree with what you are saying about Vanney and yes we need a coach who knows how to get the most out of the players, but my expectation is that the players are professionals getting paid (by the fans attending, watching on tv, etc…) and they owe it to us to be professionals who are giving it their all.
The 2016 and 2017 team were a collection of players playing for each other. They level of respect was great and when chemistry was not good players were jettisonned. Even then there were always fire Vanney chants because people whould say “you don’t need a coach when you have a team of super stars”. Truth is you need good management, the right players and a strong culture.
When we went to a full rebuild, my fear was our culture would be completely wiped out…. And here we are a team with nothing.
My hope is this implosion in Montreal brings at least the players together and they start playing and sticking up for one another. And lets hope Bradley sees what is broken culture and tactics wise and either implements the fixes or brings someone else to implement them.
This season will be defined in the next 5-6 games (i.e. either its salvaged or its lost till 2024).
Result and details of the MLS NEXT Pro game of Sun May 14/23 between Toronto FC II and New England Revolution II played at York Lions Stadium at 7:00pm.
http://www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com/reports23/23tfc218.htm
Thomson looked pretty cool though, right? I mean, he had his socks and shin-pads pulled down just above his ankles. So cool! So cool. Not to mention his shorts being tucked into his underwear….
I’m sure the teen girls in attendance ate it all up. Because, you know, for Thomson that’s what it’s all about. Good for him. He reminds me of Jayden Nelson.
We don’t need no stinking three points!
No thanks to you for reminding me of Jayden “no pass” Nelson. I had almost forgotten all about him. He would have fitted in to this season’s disaster very well though.
I remember the discussion that a contributor on this site started last year about short term pragmatism vs. long term vision and planning. He insisted that Bradley was setting the team up for success by building a team for long term results, the caveat being that the club would need 10, maybe 15 transfer windows to fix the roster (which, as I said, would have resulted in TFC being relegated every single season if relegation were a thing in MLS). Some of us mentioned the team’s lack of identity and ideas, as well as Bob’s inability to communicate with players effectively. Nelson is not a bad player, but he suffered with Bob as a coach, running all over the field with no clear sense of purpose. No long term plan was going to fix these issues.
Given the current state of affairs, I’d be interested to know what those supporting Bob’s long term (non)plan have to say about his future at the club.
Just asking, but has there been any action taken against MAK? Any other league, or indeed, club, would fine or suspend a player for threatening to go against, or having to be restrained from going after, fans, irrespective of whether the fan is abusing him. The supporter, rightly, was dealt with, but does that make MAK OK? The fans do have valid beefs and the players would do better to produce on the field rather off it. It is not like MAK has lived up to his National Team reputation since he came to TFC. In fact, I would hope that he has lost his place in the National Team for the matches in June, even if that means he has to be included in the TFC squad during that period!!
For reference MAK is tied for second in scoring on the team ahead of Insigne, Osorio, Sapong, Akinola, Diomande.
Yes he has a number of give aways each game (mind you he played pretty well as part of a back 3 in Montreal). Essentially he has played every position asked off him.
Given the teams struggles, there are a ton of people ahead of MAK who should be dumped on (again not saying MAK is playing good), but others are playing worse. If someone throws something at a player and the player responds I would not not take action against them unless their response cause pain and suffering.
Tell me what exactly MAK did that warrants an action from the team or league for having something that can injure him thrown at him?