MLS Toronto FC

Toronto FC (1) - CF Montreal (2) Postgame Summary

Published on May 9, 2023 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Toronto FC News Release


May 9, 2023

TORONTO FC (1) - CF MONTRÉAL (2) POSTGAME SUMMARY

2023 Canadian Championship Quarter-Final

SCORING SUMMARY

MTL - Zachary Brault-Guillard 35' (George Campbell)

MTL - Chinonso Offor 39' (Mathieu Choinière)

TOR- Lorenzo Insigne 44' (Richie Laryea, Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty)

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

MTL - Chinonso Offor 26' (caution)

TOR - CJ Sapong 47' (caution)

MTL - Jonathan Sirois 89' (caution)

MTL - Aaron Herrera 90+5' (caution)

LINEUPS

TORONTO FC - Sean Johnson; Richie Laryea, Aimé Mabika, Sigurd Rosted (Kosi Thompson 80'), Kobe Franklin (Deandre Kerr 59'); Alonso Coello (Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty 22'), Brandon Servania, Mark-Anthony Kaye; Federico Bernardeschi, Lorenzo Insigne (C), CJ Sapong (Ayo Akinola 80')

Substitutes Not Used: Tomás Romero, Themi Antonoglou, Adama Diomande

CF MONTRÉAL - Jonathan Sirois; Gabriele Corbo, George Campbell, Joel Waterman; Zachary Brault-Guillard (Aaron Herrera 66'), Rudy Camacho (C), Mathieu Choinière, Sean Rea (Nathan Saliba 66'), Lassi Lappalainen (Ariel Lassiter 66'); Chinonso Offor, Romell Quioto (Matko Miljevic 75')

Substitutes Not Used: Logan Ketterer, Róbert Thorkelsson, Sunusi Ibrahim

MEDIA NOTES

Sean Johnson, Aimé Mabika, Sigurd Rosted, Kobe Franklin, Alonso Coello, Brandon Servania, Mark-Anthony Kaye and CJ Sapong all made their first appearances in the Canadian Championship today.

Aimé Mabika made his first start for Toronto FC tonight.

BOB BRADLEY - HEAD COACH, TORONTO FC

Q. Why was that a case of the team digging a hole it could not get out of despite its efforts in the second half?

Yeah, the score says that. Decent enough start, and then we lose these two goals. First one starts where it's our free kick. I need to see the replay but I'm pretty sure the block or whoever steps up, as Fede shoots, I think he's like five yards from the shooter. So that seemed extreme.

And then when the ball turned over, some of our reactions and in the final a little bit of bad luck between Sean and Sigurd, I think next one, Lorenzo plays to Richie and Richie was dribbling inside and there was some contact and he goes down and then obviously they take advantage against and Sigurd, I didn't think we defended the cross which put ourselves in a hole, which you said.

Yeah, I felt we started to respond in the first half. We got a good goal and then yeah we pushed hard in the second half and then we back to where still in certain moments, quality of cross, touches at the end, is still not enough to make more big chances. But good effort for the guys to push hard in the second half.

Q. Aimé's first start, first impression of him?

Yeah, he's got some starting points for a young defender. He reads the game well. Obviously wins duels in the air. Still with the ball at his feet, makes some good choice, some good passes so some good starting points.

Q. From the injury to Alonso, is it serious?

I'm worried. Ankle. I didn't get see the replay to know how it happened but it's a turned ankle. So yeah that's something I'm definitely concerned with.

Q. And did Sigurd take a knock?

Also feeling lousy, ribs, yes. See what that means.

Q. Doesn't seem to end for you, the injuries?

Yeah, I said I think in the press conference that there's different types of injuries, so if a player rolls his ankle or a player takes a knock to the rib but to your point, they are all injuries and the list is long right now.

Q. Can we get your thoughts on the importance of this competition?

Yeah, we spoke about the importance of this competition, the history that the club has had in Canadian Championships. So this game meant a lot to us tonight, and going out is a big disappointment for all of us, and I know that on that end, you know, we understood the importance for our fans tonight, and we wanted to win, and we wanted to win in front of our fans and we know how much it meant.

Q. You play Montréal again on the weekend. Did this match help you prepare better for what to expect from them on Saturday?

I think we had a good idea going in but now we get a taste. We'll see if they make a few changes. But it's clear to us the way they like to play. You know, you have some real battles with certain balls with a four and with Quioto. I thought not a lot of the duels, our central defenders handled those duels well but that's an important part of what happens when they play that way with those guys. They also just use one of them and play some version of 3-4-2-1 or 3-4-3 whether it's different guys underneath. They have flexibility on that end.

Q. What did you see from your attackers tonight?

I think we created some good moments going forward but the final moments, quality, not enough big chances created so that part is still an area that we have to get better.

Q. You talked about frustration after the game Saturday. Looking at Lorenzo, he seemed frustrated at times on the pitch or perhaps that's the way he is in terms of showing emotions but are you sensing from your star?

Look, Lorenzo wants this team to be good and he wants this team to play well. Right now, we are not doing enough. The big part of the responsibility is to get enough football around him so that he and Fede can play at the highest level. At moments when the game, you know, I rarely speak about when you're missing guys, okay, but obviously then in certain moments there's a little business football on the field around the guys when you are missing some of the other players. That's frustrating for him because he's committed and he wants his team to do well and on a night like tonight, it doesn't happen and then our challenge is to find a way to keep him going in the best way possible and help him understand what the league is all about, what these kind of games are all about. Every team that we play starts by talking about Lorenzo and Fede.

So our ability to make sure that we create enough around them so that those guys can play at highest level, that's the work that is ongoing and that we have to continue with.

RICHIE LARYEA - DEFENDER, TORONTO FC

Q. There was a sense in the first half that you dug yourselves a hole.

Honestly, two really shitty goals. So we didn't do anything to break us out, and one comes from a set piece goal down our way, and the second one as well, I mean, very preventable, so just really, they are shit goals. So yeah, we come back and did well to get one back and then yeah, it's not enough. Obviously we pushed hard in the second half but when you're down two goals and then they start setting deep, it's difficult. So obviously I think it's a good response but obviously it's not enough.

Q. Richie, it's always been a special tournament, but this early exit, can you talk about that?

Yeah, it's not good. Obviously it's not good. This is a tournament we want to win the trophy, we want to bring back to Toronto. So not being able to advance is not good enough for this club. It has bigger aspirations and expectations. That's not good enough. We need to be advancing this this tournament and winning it because we have the group to do it, players, and obviously fell short tonight but yeah it hurts to exit this early.

Q. You play Montréal again at the weekend. Does this help you in preparing for them a bit better on the weekend? Looking ahead, does it help you tactically on the weekend?

Yeah, playing them, we have a sense of what they do. So we take what they did today and stuff we can improve and obviously go for three points on the weekend. It's going to need a massive turnaround from this point forward.

Q. Does it feel like you guys can't catch a break right now? Tonight was the first time you had back-to-back unchanged lineups.

Yeah, it does feel like that right now actually. But I mean, that's up to us. We need to start it from the next training session and put it back in and obviously hope that Alonso is okay. He's been doing really well but yeah, just get back to it and try to turn this around. We have the players to do it. We need to change the results. It's very early in the season as well. The house isn't burning, so still have a lot to play for. There's a lot of games to be played. I think we just need to take it from this weekend on and just keep pushing forward. Yeah, as of late it's been a little bit unlucky for us but I think we need to keep pushing because again it's very early.

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