June 26, 2021 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – Toronto FC News Release
SCORING SUMMARY
CIN – Allan Cruz 4′ (Isaac Atanga)
CIN – Luciano Acosta 68′ (Brandon Vazquez)
MISCONDUCT SUMMARY
TOR – Michael Bradley 33′ (caution)
CIN – Yuya Kubo 38′ (caution)
CIN – Rónald Matarrita 62′ (caution)
CIN – Allan Cruz 78′ (caution)
RECORDS (W-L-D)
Toronto FC 1-7-2 5 points
FC Cincinnati 3-5-1 10 points
LINEUPS
TORONTO FC – Alex Bono; Richie Laryea, Eriq Zavaleta, Omar González, Chris Mavinga (Ralph Priso 69′), Justin Morrow (Kemar Lawrence 46′); Michael Bradley (C), Mark Delgado (Tsubasa Endoh 46′), Jonathan Osorio (Jacob Shaffelburg69′); Dom Dwyer (Ayo Akinola 60′), Patrick Mullins
Substitutes Not Used: Kevin Silva, Auro Jr., Noble Okello, Jayden Nelson
FC CINCINNATI – Kenneth Vermeer; Joe Gyau, Geoff Cameron, Gustavo Vallecilla (Caleb Stanko 64′), Rónald Matarrita; Allan Cruz, Yuya Kubo (Haris Medunjanin 81′), Luciano Acosta (C); Álvaro Barreal (Brandon Vazquez 63′), Brenner (Jürgen Locadia 63′), Isaac Atanga (Nick Hagglund 52′)
Substitutes Not Used: Przemyszaw Tytoñ, Edgar Castillo, Kamohelo Mokotjo, Franko Kovaèeviæ
MEDIA NOTES
Richie Laryea made his 50th MLS regular season appearance for Toronto FC.
CHRIS ARMAS – HEAD COACH, TORONTO FC
Q. Unfortunately, we seem to be having the same conversation, another early goal, dug yourself a hole and couldn’t get out. What was your take on tonight?
Yeah, look, we were comfortable with the plan coming in. We changed the system tonight, loaded the back line. I think we covered ourselves with three center backs to help with set pieces. We think we get an extra guy on the back line to help in transition. We have a plan to play out of the back with direct play, and yeah, it’s disappointing to give up an early goal. Like it’s exactly what we didn’t need. For a team that’s been through a lot, and teams are fragile in these moments, right. So it’s exactly what we didn’t need.
And then when you now have to push the game, which we did, there’s a few chances out there, they load their back line and they change to five in the back at some point and when you are missing certain guys, then it becomes even harder to break down a block. On top of that, how do most teams in the world create chances in transition, right; overwhelming number of goals in transition moments and almost every time we create transition moments, they foul us. Good luck.
We hurt ourselves and then we are subject to that type of game: Low block, we know what that’s like and any time we have an advantage, they put out the fire with a foul. That’s the story of the night.
Q. You praised your players over and over for despite the team’s travails and stuff like that for showing up and working hard, but with this latest loss, tough loss, are you starting to worry about the team’s morale at all?
Of course. You’ve been around sport for a long time, it’s the winning and the losing, you get momentum and it’s contagious. Of course, in normal times, it would be hard to deal with, right. So in the times that we are in right now as a country, a soccer team, in a league competing and results, it’s stressful for sure on guys, I’m sure.
So yes. But it’s only going to — there’s no one on the inside of these walls that accepts losing. It starts with me. I’m uncomfortable in this situation. I’ve not been here before where unprecedented times and just in a situation where, yeah, you’re looking hard to find the solutions right now. But I’m confident I’ll find the solution.
Q. The goals scored this year, they have been in the first 15 minutes. How is that correctible, eliminating these early goals?
You know, it’s strange only in moments, like with some of these situations, it seems like, okay, here we go, we’re playing with some tempo, in the few minutes, right, and then almost nothing that we’ve given away the goals.
I’m always going to ask myself, “Chris, come on, you thought you made it clear? You didn’t.” Or maybe I have to look at who I’m putting out there or how much more training you have to do to say, let’s play in their end where we can’t get hurt early on. This is talked about, but it’s not being executed, then yeah, it comes back to me.
I think it’s clear it’s literally almost out of nothing. Give it away. Like we just came out of that game. We just did that. Early goals, you look at the statistics around the world, when you give up the first goal or score the first goal, which way the game tilts. It’s hard to chase it right now.
Q. What do you say to the team at a time like this? What’s your message at halftime when there’s a chance that there’s still something out there for you, and then after the game, what’s being talked about?
The message at halftime is about the game and about solutions and about — it’s about playing quicker with more tempo and we have three in the back, driving with the ball and playing faster and you know, some of the more moments of pressing that went well, and we showed some video of that to reinforce that. Some is of the good, because there’s nothing, nothing structurally that they are hurting us, right. It’s in these pressing moments, can you go faster. That’s a halftime talk where you just try to influence the second half, which we came out in a really good way. We did.
At the end of the game, it’s much different, right, because we have, as we started this press conference, seems like we’ve been here. So there’s no words of wisdom. It’s more, I say a few words for the team that we keep in-house, but it’s more about moving forward in the right way, and not accepting this. It’s really about, there’s a lot of winners in that room, and winners don’t accept this. We don’t. We don’t do it. I mean, imagine our supporters, it’s a disaster. I’m embarrassed. I’m tasked to do a job here.
Yeah, we all know it’s been hard. You play without your DPs, we can go down the list. It’s not time to do that. Got to figure a solution. Can’t accept this. Chris Armas doesn’t accept this. Supporters (don’t accept this), sickening.
Q. You mentioned the DP’s and I know you don’t necessarily like to talk about it, but how old is it getting for you not being able to play not just all three, but rarely even two, and tonight, none, in games?
Well, you know, when you have your guys in every sport, every sport, and especially when things are difficult because those guys typically can lead the team on the field a certain way and relieve pressure or make certain plays. So yeah, I haven’t experienced that yet as a coach.
Alejandro, he’s doing all he can do, and he’s pushing, and you feel for the team, you feel for him and same with Yeferson, he’s just got here. Last year I think he plays in almost every game. The year before, almost every game. I don’t know what that’s like yet, but yeah, we have to find other ways. But certainly, it makes it harder for us in tough times, let alone just football games. Get them back and got to get one win at a time here, one win at a time.
JUSTIN MORROW – DEFENDER, TORONTO FC
Q. You’re a veteran and you’ve been around the soccer block. Do you shake your she had when you see the mistakes this team is making, these early goals, another one tonight? Teams kind of shooting itself in the foot, digging yourselves a hole and making it hard to get out of. Do you have any understanding of why this keeps on happening?
Yeah, it’s true, the mistakes are hurting us constantly being down and chasing these games is tough, being down here in the hot weather and having to deal with that. So it’s something that we need to clean up and something that we need to fix. If there’s a positive, it feels like we are hurting ourselves, and if we can clean that up, I think there’s a lot there for us on the other side.
Q. I know you guys, you’re professionals and everything else, but is it getting to the point now where it’s difficult for the guys to stay positive at this point?
No. I think when you’re playing a long week like we did and you put so much into the first two games and you come up short, that tonight was going to be a night that it needed to go right from the start, when you’re playing from thin margins and without DPs and you’re playing your third game in a week and you’ve given a lot in the other two games, and we concede early, so we’re chasing it.
On the other end, we didn’t take our chances we created for ourselves in the first half, so it’s a very uphill battle after that. But like I said, I think everyone understands that we have everything that we need in the locker room to make it right, but we’re just hurting ourselves right now.
Q. With five points out of a possible 30 and I think officially just under a third of the season is gone now. At what point does this become unsalvageable? At what point is there a fear that this can’t be turned around?
I would say we’re very aware of the situation. We know that we have to start getting wins right away. I think the good thing is that with the way the season is set up due to COVID, we play a lot of Eastern Conference teams. If I’m correct, Colorado is the only Western Conference team we have left. There’s a lot of opportunities there but we know there’s some urgency to start getting some points quickly.
Q. A bit of a strange question, but how much does this team need to come home, want to come home? Is that a big part of what these troubles are based on?
That’s part of it. I think that there’s a lot of factors going against us, but I think the biggest part is just we’re letting ourselves down, and if we’re not honest with ourselves, then it’s going to continue. So we have to be honest about that, and it’s something that we have to change right away, because like I said, nobody’s put their head down. Nobody’s quit. It’s just that we’re beating ourselves, and so we need to fix it.
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