Oct. 3, BMO Field, Toronto
TFC 3 V PHILADELPHIA 1 (Att. 18,332)
Match report
Just two hours prior to the start of the match, Sebastian Giovinco learned he had been selected to the Italian National Team for upcoming EURO 2016 qualifying matches against Azerbaijian and Norway. This would mark his second consecutive recall to the Azzurri, however he was forced to skip the previous two matches in September with a nagging groin injury. Besides that bit of good news, TFC also entered this match with the knowledge that a win over the Union, combined with either an Orlando City loss or draw against Montreal in their match later in the day, would clinch a first ever playoff spot for TFC, so the anticipation at a cool and rainy BMO Field was tangible.
Just as in last week’s match against the Chicago Fire, Giovinco would once again start up front with US international Jozy Altidore in a 4-4-2 formation. Although TFC enjoyed lengthy spells of possession through the first 20 minutes of the match, Seba was not involved much in the play, struggling to shed himself of his markers and find open space. It wasn’t until the 21st minute that he was able to break free of the Union defenders and collect a pass from Jonathan Osorio before being tripped up in a central position just at the edge of the Union penalty area. His resulting free kick was blocked by a Union defender in the wall.
Just four minutes after that, Giovinco stole the ball from a defender, played a give-and-go with Benoit Cheyrou and was fouled again at the edge of the area by Union defender and Toronto native Steven Vitoria, who earned a yellow card on the play. Seba’s resulting free kick again struck the wall, he managed to collect the rebound, but his second effort was deflected wide.
In his post-game comments, TFC Head Coach Greg Vanney addressed the reasons why it took Giovinco so long to come into the game.
“Sometimes when teams sit back and put a lot of numbers in their half of the field,” Vanney explained, “it’s about finding gaps and spots where he’s going to make a difference. It’s about us, as a team, opening up spots, moving the ball quick enough that we can unbalance them and get him on the ball where he can do some damage.
“I thought early on we were moving the ball but maybe not quite quick enough where we could split them and find him in good positions.”
Giovinco wouldn’t be denied for much longer however as, in the 28th minute, he stepped over another free kick, this time from the left edge of the Union goal area. His shot struck defender Ray Gaddis in the back and floated into the corner of the net at the far post, well beyond the reach of Union goalkeeper Andre Blake, for his 21st goal of the season.
In celebration, as a tribute to the playoff-bound Toronto Blue Jays, Seba mimicked the hand motion normally used by baseball umpires that indicates the rounding of the bases after a home run.
From that point on, Giovinco was much more influential in TFC’s scoring opportunities, setting up both Altidore and Robbie Findley, with each failing to connect.
In one final chance before the first half ended, Seba lofted a free kick towards the far post but Blake flew to his right to deflect the ball out for a corner.
Vanney acknowledged that Giovinco needs to be involved from the outset in the team’s transitional play to be effective.
“Sometimes in those moments,” said Vanney, “we find him out of defensive positions and get him going forward in transition attacking. That’s when he really starts to open up and find his way into the game. I think part of it is us and part of it is him feeling out the game and finding where the pockets are that he can do the most damage.”
Early in the second half, Giovinco combined with Cheyrou before striking just wide from a central area.
TFC doubled its lead in the 63rd minute when Altidore collected a right wing cross from 2nd half substitute Marky Delgado, before calmly slotting into the net.
The Union halved the lead just three minutes later on a set piece goal by Vitoria.
And it wasn’t until injury time that the hosts would seal the win as a result of an own goal by Richie Marquez who redirected a Jonathan Osorio cross into his own net.
Moments before the final whistle, Giovinco was substituted by Luke Moore and, immediately after the match, Seba left for the airport for the transatlantic flight to Rome to join his Italian National teammates at the Azzurri camp.
In describing the synchronicity Seba enjoys with many of his teammates, Vanney was complimentary, in particular, of the play of fullback Jackson, who started his first match for TFC in several weeks.
“I think he’s got an interesting connection with Seba,” remarked Vanney. “They tend to find each other around the field and they combine well with each other. I don’t think it’s anything more than a couple of guys who look to play in combination and when Seba’s on the (right) side, they tend to find each other and when Jackson’s looking to play forward, he has no fear in looking to play a ball into Sebastian and just moving off of it.”
TFC’s anticipated celebration of clinching a playoff spot was put on hold, however, by Orlando’s 2-1 defeat of Montreal later on Saturday. Toronto will now have to wait until their next match, October 14, against New York Red Bulls at BMO Field, before they can officially secure a post-season berth.
The ten-day break gives TFC the luxury of allowing payers like Giovinco, Altidore and Michael Bradley to join their respective national teams without missing a MLS game. However, in Seba’s case, Italy’s second match against Norway will be played only 24 hours before TFC’s league match against the Red Bulls. Vanney was non-committal about the possibility of Giovinco rejoining the club in time for that game.
“I’m not clear on the recall thing,” Vanney admitted. “My understanding is he would be there for both (Italy’s) games, but who knows what happens after the first one. We’re planning accordingly that he would be here very late after their second game.”
With just three league games remaining, TFC is nearing that elusive first playoff berth while Giovinco is drawing ever closer to a consensus MLS MVP award.
Giovinco’s Key Moments:
21st – takes pass from Osorio, fouled in central area at edge of the box; free kick blocked by wall
25th – steals ball from defender, plays 1-2 with Cheyrou and fouled again at edge of the area by Vitoria who earns yellow card; free kick again blocked by wall, on rebound, shot deflected wide
28th – free kick from left edge of Union goal area deflects off defender in wall and into far corner of net (21st goal)
29th – takes pass from Bradley, feeds Jozy at top of box, shot deflected wide
32nd – takes pass from Osorio, lofts a cross into area, Findley just misses connecting at far post
42nd – takes pass from Bradley, tripped at the edge of the area, left centre of the goal; free kick lofted towards far post, GK Blake dives to his right to deflect out for corner
47th – takes pass from Cheyrou, shot from central area at top of box is just wide
69th – takes pass across midfield, carries to byline, crosses for Osorio whose shot is off the mark
Giovinco’s Key Stats: (via Opta Sports)
Total Shots = 7
Shots on Target = 2
Touches = 66
Total Passes = 29
Passing Accuracy = 83%
Giovinco’s Match Rating: 7
Difficulty in joining flow of the match at the start but began to find spaces midway through the first half. Fortunate to score on deflected free kick. Influential as a provider in key moments late in first half. Not a direct factor in either of TFC’s 2nd half goals but both his vertical and lateral movement and ability to link with midfield opened numerous gaps for TFC to exploit.
MVP Watch – League Stats:
Goals: 21 (2nd)
Assists: 15 (T-1st)
Shots: 174 (1st)
Shots on Goal: 69 (1st)
Games remaining: 3
Giovinco’s Next Game:
Wed. Oct. 14 vs. NY Red Bulls, BMO Field, 7:00pm ET (Pending return from international duty)
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