SoccerToronto FC needs improvement

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Toronto FC got their 2010 Major League Soccer campaign underway on Saturday, succumbing to the reigning regular-season champions, the Columbus Crew, by a score of 2-0.

After the game, Toronto head coach Preki said he felt that the result was harsh on his team. He mentioned the lack of clear-cut scoring chances for Columbus, especially in the first half, where his team largely held the stronger Crew team in check. 

In fairness, I would agree that Toronto limited the threat of Columbus, but they didn't deserve to come away with a point.

I felt that Toronto was much more organized defensively as a team - I'll get to the defenders themselves in a minute. But as a team, I thought their shape was reasonably compact from back to front, and the two central midfielders denied passing lanes up to the Columbus strikers, Steven Lenhart and Guillermo Barros Schelotto.

Better delivery, variety needed

However, problems arose for the midfield because they conceded possession in dangerous areas too cheaply. At times, Julian de Guzman and newcomer Martin Saric got caught playing too many short, intricate passes, allowing the Columbus midfielders to get tight and force turnovers.

To counter this, Toronto needs to add some variety to its passing. 

Preki was disappointed that there were too many long passes played by his team, but I would have to disagree with that assessment; there were too many poor long passes played. 

There is nothing wrong with playing a pass over 40 or 50 yards, provided it is an accurate one. When the midfield is as tight as it was in the first half on Saturday, it is imperative that the fullbacks have the ability to accurately play balls up to strikers; it creates space in which the midfielders can operate.

Before a fullback even receives the ball, he should know what his options are. Can he play it wide? Is there a central midfielder available? Can he play the ball up to the striker's feet? Or can he drop the ball over the midfield and into the second striker? 

Partnership needs time

Every time Toronto played a ball over 40 yards on Saturday, it was launched forward with little precision. Hopeful balls up to the front men to try to flick on to each other are meat and drink for powerful central defenders like Andy Iro and Eric Brunner. They both had a field day in the air against Toronto's strikers, Dwayne DeRosario and O'Brian White.

Given time as a partnership, DeRosario and White will learn that they need to anticipate when their fullbacks are going to receive the ball, and adjust their movements accordingly. One striker shows for the ball into feet, and the other shows for the ball over the top; one striker establishes a position on the central defender, and the other one looks for the second ball or lay-off.

To do that effectively, the strikers need better delivery from the fullbacks. However, it is a catch-22 situation; the fullbacks will argue that the strikers are not showing for the ball, and the strikers will argue that the service is poor. In truth, both aspects of the game need to improve.

Defensively, I thought that Toronto handled the threat posed by Lenhart and Schelotto fairly well, although there were still a few instances of real concern for me. 

There are times as a defender when the best play you can make is to put your foot through the ball and clear the danger. Too often on Saturday, Toronto's defenders took too many chances on the ball, which led to turnovers. Nick Garcia was culpable in this regard, and an under hit back-pass from the TFC stopper nearly resulted in Schelotto doubling the lead in the first half.

There are many calling for the removal of Garcia from the starting lineup right now, and at the minute his confidence appears to be very low. He will need to improve his consistency and eliminate the costly mistakes that seem to be creeping into his game if he is to remain in Preki's staring 11.

One thing Garcia can do to increase his value is take command of Toronto's back line. The first goal on Saturday, an easy header from a wide-open Andy Iro, was entirely preventable.

Reason for optimism

O'Brian White was the player tasked with marking Iro, yet after the game, Nana Attakora said there was a miscommunication amongst the players, where they didn't know whether to man-mark or switch to a zonal marking system. That sort of miscommunication doesn't happen when a strong, commanding, vocal presence is organizing everyone from set pieces. It is something that Toronto desperately needs to address if it is be a contender for a playoff place this season.

While it might seem like doom and gloom at the moment, I saw reason for optimism on Saturday. The team worked hard for each other and their heads did not go down, despite the poor goals that they conceded. Fostering that team mentality, where players are willing to die out on that pitch for each other, is a mainstay of the gospel that Preki is preaching.

Was there a lack of quality on display for the visitors? Yes, there was. Did they deserve to come away with a point? Not really, despite the protests of their head coach. 

Yet there is something there from which to build on. 

Major League Soccer is set up for parity. Every team has a legitimate chance of making the playoffs at the start of the season, and there is no such thing as a dominant force in MLS.

There is plenty of work to be done in order to whip this team into shape as a playoff contender - but there are 29 games left with which to do it.

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