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MLS Toronto FC

Toronto FC (2) - Inter Miami Cf (1) Post Match Summary

November 1, 2020 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Toronto FC News Release


SCORING SUMMARY

IMCF - Blaise Matuidi 42'

TFC - Ayo Akinola 55' (Patrick Mullins, Michael Bradley)

TFC - Alejandro Pozuelo 84' (PK)

MISCONDUCT SUMMARY

IMCF - Blaise Matuidi 69' (caution)

TFC - Michael Bradley 77' (caution)

IMCF - Ben Sweat 82' (caution)

MEDIA NOTES

Ralph Priso made his first career start for Toronto FC

RECORDS

TORONTO FC: 13-4-5 44 PTS.

INTER MIAMI CF: 6-13-3 21 PTS.

LINE-UPS

TORONTO FC - Quentin Westberg; Auro (Richie Laryea 72'), Eriq Zavaleta, Chris Mavinga, Tony Gallacher; Michael Bradley (C), Ralph Priso (Liam Fraser 73'), Nick DeLeon (Omar Gonzalez 88'), Tsubasa Endoh (Patrick Mullins HT'), Alejandro Pozuelo; Ayo Akinola (Jayden Nelson 85')

Substitutes Not Used: Kevin Silva, Laurent Ciman, Erickson Gallardo, Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty

INTER MIAMI CF - John McCarthy; Alvas Powell, Christian Makoun (Julian Carranza 85'), Dylan Nealis (Federico Higuain 85'), A.J. DeLaGarza, Ben Sweat (Matias Pellegrini 85'); Blaise Matuidi, Wil Trapp (Victor Ulloa 85'), Lewis Morgan, Rodolfo Pizarro; Gonzalo Higuain (C)

Substitutes Not Used: Drake Callender, Mikey Ambrose, Jay Chapman, Juan Agudelo, Robbie Robinson

GREG VANNEY - HEAD COACH, TORONTO FC

Good win against a well-organized opponent. What was your take on the evening?

"Yeah, they were in a 4-5-1. Especially in the first half, they had a lot of numbers behind the ball. For us the possessions were too slow. The movement was too methodical, too slow, the ball was moving too slow. Those were the things we talked about at half. We need to be more dynamic, our decisions need to be faster, the ball needed to move faster. Everything was too slow in the first half and because of that none of our attacks really came to much of anything. And we were turning over balls just by sheer numbers they had behind the ball. Spaces were closing up too fast and they were able to eventually get themselves into the game through our turnovers. They started to find their possession. Started to find their control of the game with the ball through the latter part of the first half. Second half, we brought on another forward to occupy more of those center backs, try to tuck in our wide guys a little bit more, to put some numbers ahead of the ball. We started to get a little bit more control of the game. Our movement was sharper, the passes were sharper. It still got open at times, but we did enough at the end of the day to get it a result. And with everything that transpired today, Philly losing, us getting a result. Means it goes down to the last game. That's what we were hoping for."

Is this what you envisioned when you made Richie a right back, him creating so much trouble for opposing defenses?

"I don't know if that's what I was envisioning. You assess his skill set and, what he's capable of doing, with the fact that we had a need for a right back in addition to Auro. We didn't really have anybody else to fill the position and so the combination of those things, the necessity and the skill set, starts to put him in that position and he just he's taken to it. He's grown with it and it amplifies his skill set. His speed, his quickness, his ability to face people up and go one on one. Week after week, game after game, he's a menace for defenders, especially when he gets right around that box. His first step is so quick, he's gone before guys even react to him touching the ball. He continues to grow in the position. Tonight, we chose to bring him on a little late. We were managing his minutes a little because he's been carrying little things and we're trying to protect him. Luckily we got him on in time for him to do his thing."

What did you think of Ralph Priso?

"I thought he was excellent. Like everybody in the first half, the tempo of his game and everybody's game just needed to get a little bit sharper and a little bit faster. But I thought that was a collective problem not just an individual problem. In the second half, the ball started moving quicker and more purposefully, and I thought he was excellent. I thought he covered a lot of ground, he won balls back, he was sharp in his possession to get in and out of spaces. I thought he was great, I mean for his first start in MLS, that's a that's a hell of a way to start. But he's got room to continue to grow which he will, and he'll continue to get play faster and get used up all the stuff, but I thought it was excellent."

With everything to play for on Decision Day, will you get some injured players back?

"I think so, if we put everybody in bubble wrap and we get to the next week, we should get a couple guys back. We'll see. That's our hope. We've tried to be cautious with a couple of guys. Hopefully those guys will be ready come next week."

AYO AKINOLA - FORWARD, TORONTO FC

Can you talk us through the goal and what did you see when Patrick sent in the high ball?

"As soon as Pat played it in, it was a just a battle between me and the defender luckily I was able to get my arm around him to hold him off. The whole the goal was set-up for the first touch on my chest, I think that set-up the whole thing. It allowed me to control it really nice and bring it down again and slide it after."

What does the performance say tonight about this group?

"Just the resilience from our group. Obviously the previous two matches didn't go our way but at the same time our group is so deep, and we know we needed this win. It just shows you the battle and character we still have. I'm just happy and proud of this team to be able to carry out the win and now we move onto the last game of the season against Red Bulls."

Your ninth goal of the season, what's clicking for you and how big is the net looking for you?

"I think it's just me keeping my style of game. I don't try to do stuff that's not normally in my favour or not the way I play, just sticking to how I play, obviously makes it simple for me and what I need to do in front of goal. To your second question, it's not how big it is, I just try to find the corners, try to find the targets, try to find an area where it would be hard for the keeper to get. I think that's just the key in finishing just try to hit it to an area where the keeper has a hard time getting to."

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