Ten games into the new Major League Soccer season, Toronto FC has staked its claim as a legit title contender. Last season’s dream run to the MLS Cup Final was no fluke, and this year’s outfit may be even better than last.

It can’t be understated how difficult it is for teams that go deep in the MLS playoffs to have success out of the gate the following year. Both MLS Cup finalists (Columbus and Portland) from two seasons ago failed to make the playoffs last year. There has been no such hangover for Toronto FC. After a solid, yet unspectacular first few matches, Toronto FC has hit form and is the hottest team in MLS.  

The Reds go for a club record fifth consecutive win Wednesday night in Columbus against the Crew (7:30 p.m. ET on TSN 4, 5 and TSN 1050 Radio). This recent run of exceptional form has come at a very difficult part of the season. Wednesday’s game will be the team’s fourth in 14 days.

The streak started with a win over Chicago, in Bastian Schweinsteiger’s first away match in MLS. The World Cup winner took the league by storm, scoring in two of his first three games. Toronto FC ran Schweinsteiger and company off the field, making the German look slow and unfit. That win was followed by an equally dominant 2-0 win over Houston, bottling up one of the top scoring teams in MLS. There was barely a threat on the night, and two goals from Jozy Altidore propelled the team to victory.

The impressive run continued last week with a hard-fought home win over Orlando City, who were tops in the Eastern Conference heading in. Then Saturday, on short rest and down numbers, Toronto travelled cross country to beat a well-rested Seattle Sounders in an MLS Cup Final rematch. Not many onlookers gave Toronto a chance after leaving Sebastian Giovinco, MLS leading assist man Victor Vazquez, and defenders Eriq Zavaleta and Steven Beitashour at home. But a mature and well-organized performance gave TFC the spoils and a perfect 12 points from four difficult games. 

Nineteen points is the best return through a 10-match start to the season for any Toronto FC team in club history. This comes after many questioned the group and the head coach after a 2-1 loss in Columbus on April 15. A 1-4-1 record and seven points hardly did them justice, but it opened the door for negativity. There was inevitable frustration after giving up a 1-0 lead in six minutes of madness before halftime that night, but the message was stay the course and eliminate the self-inflicted wounds that had cost the team seven points through six games. The Crew dealt Toronto it’s lone loss that night and the Reds haven’t suffered a defeat since.

How has Toronto been able to hit stride over this tough stretch? Here are five keys to success for Toronto FC as they look for their fifth win in a row:

Marky Delgado: Midfielder Marky Delgado entered the starting eleven for the Chicago game and the team has won every game since. Toronto was in need of a lift and Delgado has responded with quick, economical play on the ball. Neither incumbent starter at the position, Jonathan Osorio and Armando Cooper, were able to find consistency during the early stages of the season and have since taken a backseat to the 21-year-old Delgado. Make no mistake, Osorio and Cooper are very good players, but Delgado has provided an option that has brought balance in the middle. Delgado was relegated to a bench role at the end of last season after starting 23 games, and was patient in waiting for his opportunity. He has taken full advantage, looking like a more confident and direct player than last season, while adding a bit of quickness and positive play in the middle of the park. He has particularly looked good in finding Giovinco and bringing the best player more into the game.

Depth: Long gone are the days skeptics would claim Toronto FC is a one-man team. Giovinco remains a special talent, but this group is a team in every sense of the word. The depth the organization has built up over the last few seasons is impressive, making the team arguably the deepest in MLS. “We have a lot of good players,” said head coach Greg Vanney after Monday’s training session. “Putting guys out there who can compete and a good mix of the right guys, I think we can win any game regardless of who we put on the field.” While most believed Toronto was mailing in the game against Seattle with eyes for Columbus, Vanney believed the points were there for the taking. The head coach got his selection right, fielding a lineup with balance that played well together. There are good players in the team who are biding their time and waiting for opportunity. Players waiting their turn need take note of Delgado, Raheem Edwards and goalkeeper Alex Bono; all players who have stepped into their roles through opportunity and taken full advantage. Now that Edwards has shown the ability to play on the right flank, there is proper coverage with at least two players who can play at each position on the field. The depth will continue to be called into action with mid-week fixtures on the regular into June with the Canadian Championships on the horizon.

Decisions: Vanney has emerged as one of the better tactical managers in MLS. The head coach has made all the right moves in recent weeks, making subtle adjustments to his team that has improved performance. Personnel moves are one thing, but the coaching goes beyond selection. It started with playing Giovinco a little bit deeper, allowing Altidore to lead the line. The shift put Giovinco in position to get on the ball and be more of an influence. No player in MLS is more dangerous with the ball at his feet running at defenders. Giovinco leads MLS in shots and shots on target; an even more impressive feat considering he’s missed more than two games through absence. The tinkering doesn’t stop there. In Seattle, Vanney got it right, electing to shift Nick Hagglund to the right of the three centre-backs, putting veteran Jason Hernandez in the middle of the three. Hagglund on the right made sense to deal with the Jordan Morris-Clint Dempsey threat down the flank, as well as allowing Hernandez to play a more controlled game in his season debut. Switching Edwards and Justin Morrow on the flanks during the game further helped solidify the group defensively. And the decision to load the middle of the park, using 36-year-old Benoit Cheyrou in his first start of the season worked to a charm. It allowed Bradley to cover more ground, with the combination of Delgado and Chapman making an effective four-man midfield box that was quick to sniff out danger and equally aware in setting off the counter-attack.

Decisiveness: A clear area of improvement over the last month has been in attack. Opponents started the season sitting back and defending in numbers. Toronto FC had its fair share of frustration breaking down other teams, and failing to capitalize when getting rare chances. The team started to turn the screws in the 2-2 home draw against Atlanta and have continued to build on that performance. A quicker tempo and better quality of passing has paid dividends. It starts from deeper positions, where general distribution and decision making has improved. The pace of play and spreading the field to change angles of attack has led to more quality in the final third. The team has completed over 70 per cent of passes in the attacking third over the past three games. Altidore and Giovinco are unquestionably among the best MLS has to offer, but it’s the play around them that has allowed them to thrive. The arrival of Vazquez, in particular, has made a difference.  The Spaniard has absolute quality, leading the MLS with six assists. His ability to pick a pass and switch the ball while keeping the backline honest has helped immeasurably. Credit must go to Vanney too for not overplaying the 30-year-old, keeping him fresh and effective. When Vazquez has been rested, Chapman looks to be a player cut from a similar mold, able to uncork a tough defence. The wing-back play has been dynamic, spreading the field of play. Bradley playing quarterback from a deeper position brings a level of sophistication to well-developed moves.

Defending: Defensive standards have been kept high under this coaching staff – a group of former top-level defenders. Conceding two goals in back-to-back games last month against Atlanta and Columbus was deemed nowhere near good enough. The mistakes leading to goals against were self-inflicted. Lapses in focus and a lack of attention to detail weren’t going to be tolerated. The team prides itself on defensive structure and discipline, which are critical to ultimate success. The Reds have only conceded two in the last four games, all with defensive leader Drew Moor (heart condition) on the sidelines. Hagglund has continued to impress through Moor’s absence, quietly emerging as one of the top young defenders in MLS. Hagglund’s intelligence and work rate have come to match his natural athletic ability. The 24-year-old has been especially adaptable, playing all three positions across the back three. Three of the four wins also came without number-one goalkeeper Clint Irwin. In Alex Bono, Toronto has a second number-one goalkeeper and a player they can trust. The defenders have bought in, and the shape of the team with three at the back remains difficult to break down. But it’s getting back to basics and limiting mistakes that have turned the team back into a dominant defensive outfit.