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Toronto FC (3) - Montreal Impact (1) Post-Match Summary

August 25, 2018 - Major League Soccer (MLS) - Toronto FC News Release

Scoring Summary

TFC - Sebastian Giovinco 7' (Justin Morrow)

TFC - Sebastian Giovinco 22' (Jonathan Osorio)

TFC - Jonathan Osorio 29' (Lucas Janson)

MTL - Alejandro Silva 30' (Saphir Taider)

Misconduct Summary

MTL - Bacary Sagna 63' (caution)

Records

Toronto FC: 7-12-6 27 pts.

Montreal Impact: 10-14-3 33 pts.

Lineups

TORONTO FC - Alex Bono; Gregory Van der Wiel, Eriq Zavaleta, Drew Moor, Justin Morrow; Marco Delgado, Michael Bradley ©, Jonathan Osorio, Victor Vazquez (Ashtone Morgan 62'); Sebastian Giovinco (Jay Chapman 73'), Lucas Janson (Tosaint Ricketts 78')

Substitutes Not Used: Clint Irwin, Nick Hagglund, Liam Fraser, Ryan Telfer

MONTREAL IMPACT - Evan Bush; Bacary Sagna, Rod Fanni, Rudy Camacho, Daniel Lovitz; Ken Krolicki (Quincy Amarikwa HT), Samuel Piette, Micheal Azira; Alejandro Silva (Jeisson Vargas 58'), Ignacio Piatti, Saphir Taider

Substitutes Not Used: Clément Diop, Jukka Raitala, Chris Duvall, Shamit Shome, Matteo Mancosu

GREG VANNEY - HEAD COACH, TORONTO FC

A win against a big rival, what does this do to bolster the team going forward?

It keeps us in the race. Obviously, Montreal is ahead of us and it's three points against one of the team we are trying to track down. All three points are good. But three points against a team was trying to track down are a really important three points. Obviously, it is a rival so it adds a little bit to it. But right now it is about the points and that was it.

You were up three nothing then it turned into a slugfest at the end of the half. What did you tell the team at the halftime break?

I thought that it was almost like the chances were coming too easy for us in a way and we got the three goals, we had a number of other chances and maybe we could have had the fourth and fifth, but in the course of doing all we were sending so many numbers forward that we weren't managing the transition, which is where their strength is. And so all of a sudden the field becomes very long because if you loose balls and they are able to transition out, Piatti can get wide and their wingers don't have to worry about defending anymore because if they give up the fourth what is the big issue.

Is Seba okay? He seemed to be holding a leg when he came off?

I think so. I don't have any indication other than he's definitely feeling something. I just don't know exactly what it was. If it was from running or from the hit earlier in the game. I am not 100% sure so I can respond.

What did you see from Sebastian Giovinco and Lucas Janson today as a partnership?

They are very mobile together. They are busy. They are always keeping guys in the back line honest. They were threatening the gaps and channels to get behind. They were dropping in the midfield creating extra numbers. The two of them were so active on the day that it just became a lot work for the back four especially in the first half to have to manage them. I thought their awareness and movement was pretty good for sure and a number chances came off of them.

MICHAEL BRADLEY - MIDFIELDER, TORONTO FC

3 points tonight, how does it feel?

A huge 3 points. The feeling is very good. We are fighting, scrapping and clawing for everything right now and we just have to keep going. Nothing has come easy this year and we've had to deal with a lot. It has been a big exercise in keeping ourselves going and having a strong mentality and even when it would be easy to pack it, we find ways to keep going. On that end, I'm very proud of the group, it's a huge three points against obviously our big rival. With the position we're in we have nine more finals to go. We will enjoy this one tonight and get ready for Portland on Wednesday.

Scored three in the first half, what did you think of the teams performance in that half?

I thought there were a lot of good things, in terms of the fluidity when we had the ball, the way we were able to play into and out of tight spots, get guys moving forward. I thought there were a lot of good things.

Some guys are banged up, how do you come out and best Portland?

We are in no position to be picking and choosing right now. Like I said, We feel good about what went into this tonight. The recovery process starts now and we are going to make sure whoever goes to Portland is going to be ready to step on the field and go for things in a big way. They play tomorrow, we have to travel but we will have one day more of rest. It is a good team but a team that the last few games has had some poor results. So it should be a fun game to play, it is always a good place to play, atmosphere is good. We will get ourselves ready to go.

First 30 minutes prove that this team can beat anyone?

I'm not going to make any huge sweeping analysis based on 30 minutes. My analysis and overall confidence is based on the last few years, the group we have and what we have been about on a lot of big days. We still feel good about the group we have, it has been that kind of year, nothing has come easy. We are not dead. That is for damn sure and along the way there has been a few people from different places that have been ready to count us out. We have been able to just keep ourselves going, and find ways to fight, scrap and claw. We are going to have to do that for nine more games, we have to do everything we can to take this down to the wire and get ourselves in the playoffs.

SEBASTIAN GIOVINCO - FORWARD, TORONTO FC

Three points tonight, how does it feel?

It feels great. We got to keep going and try to win every game. Then we will see if we can make the playoffs.

What did you think of the first half?

We started very good in the first 20 minutes, and then they created two or three chances. But I think our game was in our hands, which is good.

What is it about playing Montreal that brings the goals out of you.

At this point it doesn't matter if we play against Montreal or another team, we have to try to win.

RÉMI GARDE - HEAD COACH, MONTREAL IMPACT

Your impressions of the game on the first 30 minutes?

We were not committing enough in terms of spirit, technical to take lines to stretch, we gave too much space to open up.They have good players, we were in trouble when we had 3 1v1 with the keeper, which was unusual. At this level you cannot have this kind of situation and we've been punished. When you start like that it's difficult to come back.

What do you put that down to, like with intensity at this time of the year?

To be honest I don't know, I was not expecting that. We knew before the game that they would put intensity on this game. It's a derby, there is a rivalry between the 2 cities and the 2 team. The number is upset, but we still have games to play and the next one is at home so hopefully we have different attitudes.

Do you feel like this was a missed opportunity to bury your rival?

Yeah we knew that before the game but unfortunately we didn't push on that and now we have to focus on the next one.

SAMUEL PIETTE - MIDFIELDER, MONTREAL IMPACT

First 30 minutes tonight, how do you explain that?

Yeah I think we were too flat, we lack a lot of intensity there. TFC came out pretty strong and we didn't have the intensity that we wanted. They had all the tools, whether it was in the air or on the ground I think we got unlucky with some touches for the first and third goal. There's no need for excuses this was a derby game and we needed to get some points tonight. We lost this game after the first 30 minutes.

What do you put that down to, especially being a derby game?

Yeah it was a huge one, it was our chance to put TFC away pretty far down but we can't do that. Away from home with a late winner, we came out pretty hard and it's always hard to play here. We needed that level of intensity and that's what we didn't do.

KEN KROLICKI - MIDFIELDER, MONTREAL IMPACT

How about that start to the game?

Yeah it was terrible, there's no other words for it really. I think we came out, like hiding from the game a little bit. Three goals in the first 20, there's no way to come back from that. I mean you try to rally, keep a positive mentality, reality is unless they give you the game then you aren't coming back from that.

What do you put that down to, especially being such an important derby game?

I don't know maybe, we have a lot of new guys on the team who aren't used to playing like this before. So maybe they thought it was going to be something and it was something else. I think we've fallen into that trap a few times this year where we look at the table and in this league you can't look at the table. Toronto is still a top team regardless of how many points they have. If you fall into that trap thinking it will be easier than what it is, then you go into the game with arrogance instead of confidence and that messes with you.

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