Let’s be honest for a second: if we were to put together a list of everything that went right for the Impact’s 1-0 win against Toronto FC at BMO Field last Saturday, we would need a bigger server to host it.
Still, Impact Media wishes to salute its Bleu-blanc-noir warriors by shining a spotlight on four keys that led to victory in Toronto.
Tightening things up down the middle
It is well-known that TFC’s spine – Sebastian Giovinco, Michael Bradley, Jozy Altidore, etc. and so on – is rock-solid. The Reds’ play down the middle is prolific, and they can take advantage of the littlest disjunction. The Impact thus accepted a mission: to hinder Toronto superstars’ movements in that zone. Midfielders Hernán Bernardello, Calum Mallace and Kyle Bekker put in a ton of work to achieve this and tried, as much as possible, to play the ball forward quickly.
Case in point: in the 32nd minute, Giovinco drops deep to get a touch of the ball. But he comes up against Mallace, who is determined not to let him have his way. Giovinco is looking to spread the ball wide left behind Dominic Oduro, who is standing in Will Johnson’s way, while Bekker is marking Bradley. Mallace tackles Giovinco and, with the same motion, pushes the ball to Didier Drogba, signalling the end of this Toronto attack. Drogba’s chip from the centre circle lands behind Alex Bono’s net, but mission accomplished nonetheless.
Giving that extra effort on the flanks
A crowded midfield was always going to allow for 1-v-1 opportunities down the flanks, which is what happened on Saturday night. On the left, Ambroise Oyongo played a fantastic game – as did all of his teammates. His defensive stats (four tackles, two interceptions, seven clearances and three ball recoveries) only tell half the story of a well-rounded performance with impeccable coverage, efficiency in duels and exceptional commitment.
On the other flank, Donny Toia was sparkling, but Dominic Oduro’s defensive work is also worthy of praise. Oduro was tireless as he supported his colleague, and his well-timed interventions allowed the Impact to take a breather on a number of occasions, with the added bonus of drawing Justin Morrow higher up on the field, vacating more space for the Ghanaian to exploit on the counter with his speed.
Tackling with accuracy
Laurent Ciman. That is all.
Being decisive against a disorganized defence
Goals win you games. While Nacho Piatti’s goal came off a goal kick rather than a counterattack, the Bleu-blanc-noir built a sequence that could have occurred in transition. When the kick is taken, six TFC players are stuck upfield and have to drop back in a bid to manage this situation. Ignacio Piatti is running forward and taking advantage of space vacated by a full back (Beitashour) who’s being drawn to the ball, and he scores after Oduro makes every effort to hook the sphere into Piatti’s path.
