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TSN Soccer Analyst

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Toronto FC got the 2015 season off to a flying start on Saturday, stealing three points from the Vancouver Whitecaps with an excellent second-half performance. After an opening half at BC Place that threatened to see the Whitecaps run away with the game, TFC took control of the match after the break and thoroughly deserved their three points.

Here are five things that stood out for me:

Jozy Altidore was outstanding

There were a few raised eyebrows when Toronto FC essentially swapped Jermain Defoe – a proven goal-scorer at the highest level of the game – for Jozy Altidore – a player who struggled to find the back of net when given the opportunity in the English Premier League. But Altidore proved his doubters wrong on Saturday.

Not only did he bag two excellent goals (more on those in a minute), but also equally important, he set the tone for his team by leading from the front. Altidore pestered and harassed the Vancouver defenders all game, threatened in behind with his pace and power and served as a focal point around which TFC’s attack could function. It was a classic ‘number 9’ performance from Altidore and is certain to whet the appetite of the Toronto fan base that has seen one too many false dawns.

Altidore’s first goal was the result of clever movement in behind Vancouver’s two central defenders, Kendall Waston and Pa-Modou Kah, matched by a sublime through ball from Sebastian Giovinco. It wasn’t a tap-in, though; Altidore still had to skip around David Ousted in goal, then compose himself to slot home from an acute angle.

The second goal – or more specifically, how Altidore drew the foul that led to the second goal – was even better.

Altidore controlled a fantastic ball over the top from Collen Warner on his chest and then had the awareness to shift his body in between the ball and the covering defender, Kah. With Altidore bearing down on goal, Kah had no option but to try to get a foot on the ball. Unfortunately for Vancouver, Kah had to go through Altidore to do so, conceding a penalty kick. It wouldn’t have happened had Altidore not had the awareness to draw the foul. It was fitting, then, that Altidore stepped up and scored the resulting penalty kick to seal the three points for the visitors.

Benoit Cheyrou is going to be a very important player for Toronto FC

Altidore and Giovinco will grab all the headlines – they are, after all, the marquee players for TFC - but I think that Benoit Cheyrou could be equally, if not more important, to Toronto FC’s chances this season as his attacking teammates.

The reason is this: Cheyrou offers TFC balance in midfield, something the team has never had before. He is a very intelligent footballer and rarely concedes possession, even when under pressure. His vision and range of passing is excellent and he will be the perfect partner for Michael Bradley in midfield.

Head coach Greg Vanney chose to employ a 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield, featuring Michael Bradley at the base and Cheyrou on the left. It isn’t the only formation available to Vanney given the players he now has at his disposal, which leads me to my next point.

We still haven’t seen the best of Michael Bradley 

I can’t help but feel that some of Michael Bradley’s ability is lost playing as a holding midfielder. It isn’t a position at which he is a natural fit; his athleticism masks his defensive deficiencies.

However, if Bradley and Cheyrou can form a good understanding and partnership in midfield, the Frenchman’s intelligence will allow Bradley to operate more as a box-to-box midfielder who can contribute goals and dictate the tempo of games.

That’s not to say that Bradley can’t dictate the tempo of games from a deep-lying position, but far too often, Bradley drops too deep to get on the ball. If I were an opposing defender, I would be happy for Bradley to spray passes in front of our team, as it would have little impact on the game. Perhaps a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Bradley and Cheyrou playing as a double pivot in front of the back four, is a more suitable formation.

Bradley is capable of being a game-changer for TFC. If Vanney can encourage Bradley to come forward more and combine with Giovinco and Altidore, I suspect we will start to see just how valuable Michael Bradley can be for TFC.

Vancouver looks fragile when momentum swings against them

Pedro Morales is a wonderful talent. His range of passing and technique in the first half was simply a joy to watch. However, when the game changes and the opposition gets the upper hand – which happens for periods of time in every game – Morales goes missing.

He doesn’t need to fly around the pitch and launch himself into tackles; that isn’t his game. But Morales does need to find a way to lead his team out of trouble, something that I’m yet to be convinced that he can do.

Don’t get me wrong – Morales is one of my favourite players to watch in MLS and he is a blessing for Vancouver. I’m sure that all Whitecaps fans share that sentiment. But for Vancouver to take that next step, to not only make the playoffs but to find a way to challenge for MLS Cup, they need Morales to lead them in good times and in bad. 

He isn’t a vocal leader, by any means, and he seems to feed off the energy of the crowd. When things are going well at home and the atmosphere is boisterous, Morales is at his audacious best. On the road, though, where the crowd is not on his side, he often fails to reach those same heights.  

The key for Vancouver is for the other players to lift Morales when the game gets tough. They need to keep encouraging him by feeding him the ball, being vocal and making the runs that he needs in order to be his most effective. Finding a way for their best player to continually be their best player is certainly a challenge for head coach Carl Robinson and his coaching staff.

Overcoming inconsistency is Kekuta Manneh’s biggest hurdle

Saturday’s game gave a glimpse of what this season is going to be like for Kekuta Manneh.

In the first half, he was almost unplayable. Every time Manneh picked up the ball, he ran at Warren Creavalle, TFC’s right fullback. Manneh created a number of chances for his teammates and could have scored himself if not for Joe Bendik coming up big in Toronto’s goal.

The second half was a different story, though.

Manneh had little impact on the game after the break and this is the challenge for him this season: It is no good playing at 90 per cent in the first half and then playing at 20 per cent in the second half. He has to be more consistent.

It isn’t a physical issue. Manneh has the speed, technique and talent to play at the highest level of the game. For Manneh, the issue is mental.

The most important space on the field is the six inches between a player’s ears. That is where games are won and lost and that is where careers are forged or wasted. For Kekuta Manneh, the ability to self-motivate is crucial to his development as a footballer. When he is angry, he looks like he can take on the best in the world. When he disengages from the game, he looks like he’s a passenger.

If Manneh is going to live up to his undoubted potential, self-motivation should be his focus.