Where the Rapids are different, however, is in the excitement their play has generated. Through 28 league games Colorado has scored 20 fewer goals than TFC. Their 26 goals is less than the number of games that they have played. Yet remarkably, Colorado still has a goal difference only one worse than Toronto’s. Less scoring, but less being scored on: precisely the opposite of TFC.
Further, while Toronto’s frequent shootouts rarely result in tied games, Colorado leads the league in draws. The three consecutive 0-0 draws that started the Rapids’ season are only one less than TFC’s four draws for the entire season.
Also contributing to the Rapid’s blandness is the lack of personality or identifiable stars on the squad. Two seasons ago Oscar Pareja made the playoffs with an exciting young squad that featured two rookie-of-the-year candidates. A couple of years under Pablo Mastroeni, however, have turned what could have been an emerging side into one that got older without getting better. Mastroeni may be a club legend in Colorado but one suspects that a more engaged ownership would have ended the experiment of putting him in charge already.
Probably the most bizarre signing was picking up Irish international Sean St Ledger after he was released from Orlando City for a “serious breach of club policy.” St Ledger hasn’t been poor for the Rapids since his arrival, but the circumstances only contributed to the perception that the team’s management is too happy to take the easy option.
Admittedly, for their part, Toronto FC could probably use a stable, veteran centre back themselves. It’s no secret that the Reds’ defense has been a constant concern in 2015. The off-season transfer of Doneil Henry, unplanned retirement of Steven Caldwell, injuries to Damien Perquis, and inability of either Ahmed Kantari or Josh Williams to bring stability have created a casino-like atmosphere to predicting defensive starters.
Recently, this has even extended to formation. Greg Vanney’s dalliance with three at the back seemed to have ended after the loss to New England but, based on the surprise of Marky Delgado at right back in New York, you wouldn’t want to consider a return to innovation against Colorado. The simple fact is that an entire season of experimentation means that backline stability will once again be an objective for next season.
All of this has culminated in where the Reds currently find themselves. A three game losing streak and five losses out of the last seven is not the sort of form that strong teams take into the playoffs. An unstable backline does not inspire confidence. Toronto FC is not having a bad season, but if they don’t rediscover the form of late spring it will be hard to characterize what they have accomplished as very good. And now they only have six games to change that perception.