Such a result would be a welcome outcome for Greg Vanney. Two straight losses to Philly in his first two games as head coach last season quickly dispelled notions of a “new coach bump” and set the table for the team’s subsequent collapse down the stretch. Now, the chance for two straight wins, could, for at least a while, quiet the doubts that have never really disappeared since.
The Union have a strange history with TFC with respect to coaching changes. Their meeting in 2012 was one of the rare instances where both head coaches were fired before the clubs’ next match. A week ago the chatter in Toronto was pressure on Greg Vanney. This time it’s not hard to imagine that a victory for the Reds, in front of an increasingly jaded PPL Park crowd, could cause serious problems for Union head coach Jim Curtain.
Curtain was originally only appointed head coach with an interim tag late last spring. A good run of form into the fall that saw the Union get involved in the Eastern Conference playoff race lead to his permanent appointment. So it would seem unlikely that another change of direction could be contemplated so quickly but with only one win in their first nine games there is no telling what a home loss to a team that could be a direct playoff would do.
The question for Toronto will be whether last week’s employment of a fairly conservative flat 4-4-2 formation was a one-off tactical adjustment or something Vanney intends to use regularly. TFC sat noticeably deeper in two banks of four in Orlando and while the Lions were often allowed space to build up play in the middle third, they largely failed to carve out big scoring opportunities even with Kaka at their disposal.
Asking the Union to unlock a packed defence might not be the wrong option in this instance either. Philadelphia have no playmaker anywhere near the calibre of Kaka and it was counterattacks into space behind the fullbacks that gave Toronto so much trouble last year in the aforementioned back-to-back losses. As in Orlando, if the Reds can prevent to opposition from scoring, particularly in the first half, the chances of victory increase substantially.
The luxury that Greg Vanney enjoys is attacking players who can create goals more or less on their own. Last week it was Jozy Alitdore with a brace and the week before Sebastian Giovinco nearly pulled off an unlikely comeback from what looked like hopeless conditions.
Former head coach Ryan Nelsen was often criticized for being too reliant on the goal poaching of Jermain Defoe to create offense. For those searching for dominant offensive performances it was unsatisfying, but the reality is that sometimes all you need to do is put dangerous players near the opponent’s goal and let them pounce on mistakes.
The old maxim is that it is the responsibility of the home team to entertain, not the visitor. If Toronto can lure the Union forward and quickly get the ball to Altidore and Giovinco in space on the counter, it’s hard to imagine many games where the pair won’t create at least one goal between them. And banking points on the road winning ugly can help ease the pressure to perform when the team does return home.
Still, it’s best to keep in mind that TFC has only won two games so far this season. While the road trip cannot now end as a disaster by coming home with four points or less, every fan will know that the Reds are something of experts at missing great opportunities. A win in Philadelphia would be great, and a loss is far from catastrophic, but building on the organization shown last week might be even more important.