TORONTO – What's in a label?
Having successfully navigated the opening two rounds of the 2016 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, Toronto FC have been slapped with the "favorites" tag by many in the pundit-sphere, for both the upcoming Eastern Conference Championship and December's MLS Cup.
Notably, the ESPN Soccer Power Index projects TFC has a 56 percent chance of reaching the Cup, 12 points better than their series rivals Montreal Impact, and a 29 percent likelihood of hoisting the trophy, marginally better than either the Colorado Rapids or Seattle Sounders, who were given 28 and 27 percent chances, respectively.
A week-and-a-half ago, TFC's head coach Greg Vanney, himself, used the term on a local radio station, comments he explained and clarified on Tuesday.
“On a radio interview to our own fans, I'm going to tell them that I feel like we're the favorites,” said Vanney. “I'm motivating our fans. I want them to understand we have a real chance to win this; to believe in this group.”
“On the field, when the whistle blows, there are no favorites,” continued Vanney. “Somebody has got to earn the right to win the game. When you get to this time of year, 'favorites' is irrelevant. It comes down to the team that is leading in the end or wins the series. You have two teams that have a different view, that are going to ask different questions of each other, [have] slightly different styles. It's going to be about the margins, who can shade things in their direction."
Speaking Wednesday, assistant coach Robin Fraser concurred: “The outside talk is the outside talk. Sometimes it's going to be bad, sometimes it's going to be good. At the end of the day, it's about how prepared and confident we are.”
“[Favorites] really doesn't [mean anything],” added Fraser. “We have a job to do. We have to be efficient with the ball, smart and sharp defensively. Our focus is on the things that we have to do ourselves.”
TFC captain Michael Bradley, asked on Friday of the value of such considerations, responded with just a single word, repeating it for emphasis: “Zero.”
