TORONTO – The matches only get bigger from here.
Mere days after the biggest win in club history, the 2016 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs continue for Toronto FC, who must brace for an epic challenge against New York City FC when two of the most star-studded teams in MLS face off at BMO Field in the opening leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinal 1815390404" tabindex="0">on Sunday (7 pm ET; FS1 in the US, TSN1/4 in Canada).
Both rosters are stacked. In red: Sebastian Giovinco, Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore. In blue: David Villa, Andrea Pirlo and Frank Lampard.
“Ours are younger,” Greg Vanney 1815390405" tabindex="0">joked on Friday afternoon when asked about the competing groups of stars. “It's going to be interesting. Their guys are seasoned veterans; very clever, smart, and connect well with each other. Both teams are very good, lots of guys who can make you pay. That's the allure of this game: guys who can make big plays. You've got to be stingy defensively because whether it's Seba or Jozy, Lampard or Villa, with one chance [they] can put this tie away.”
The offensive potential of New York City FC is clear – they scored a league-high 62 goals this year. However, they also conceded a whopping 57. TFC, who were high-powered in the attack but struggled in the back last year, know all too well how risky that strategy can be.
“We tried to [outscore opponents] last year; it didn't bode well at this time of the year,” said Vanney. “Being defensively tight is really important in these games. [NYCFC] score goals; they're committed to their philosophy, how they want to play. You can score goals, but you can also leak some.”
NYCFC have dominated the series against Toronto since joining MLS last season, winning twice and drawing the other three. Eighteen goals have been scored, including a wild 4-4 draw last season, and both Villa and Giovinco, two of the league's finest finishers, relish these contests. Villa has six goals in four matches against TFC, while Giovinco four goals and two assists in five.
With so much at stake, expect a more refined encounter than those past on Sunday.
“For us, it's to make sure we stay organized; try to manage and take away [their] strengths – ability to set up plays and score goals – and create as many problems for their group defensively,” Vanney said.
After missing the playoffs in their inaugural season, NYCFC have improved dramatically this year, earning 17 more points, enough to pip TFC to the second spot in the East.
Credit must go to the team, but also the mastermind behind them: Head coach Patrick Vieira.
“The presence, aura, and personality, the leadership that made him the player he was... those make him the coach that he is. Those things shine through,” Bradley said of the NYCFC coach. “I had a tremendous amount of respect for him as a player and I certainly have a lot for the way he has embraced that challenge; thrown himself whole-heartedly into it.”
Added Vanney: “Patrick is a wonderful coach, tactically savvy. [NYCFC] can come with different variations. You have a general sense of who they are, but you've got to be ready to recognize new patterns, new movements, and make adjustments accordingly. [That's] what we saw the first time we played them at their place. They came out in a 3-4-3 and we had to make some adjustments. It was a really interesting, tactical match.”
TFC are braced for a cerebral encounter, not that it will be void of the frenetic pace that defined Wednesday’s 3-1 win over Philadelphia in the Knockout Round.
“The fact that it's two games changes the dynamic a little,” said Bradley. “The reality is, it's still the playoffs. The level of competition, intensity, goes way up. That's the beauty of the playoffs.”
