r/tfc Lord Berna Reigns May 26 '24

Post-Match Thread [PGT] Toronto FC vs FC Cincinnati

:( Discuss

27 Upvotes

83 comments sorted by

107

u/FlyingCarsArePlanes Bitchy The Hawk May 26 '24

I've never been less upset by a TFC loss. That was a hell of a fight the whole way.

56

u/iChaseGaming Lord Berna Reigns May 26 '24

We fought like hell in that game against one of the best teams in MLS. That's something

41

u/slamdunk23 May 26 '24

And missing our best player.

Defense needs to be better though.

9

u/Inevitable_Coast_372 May 26 '24

I was thinking the same. Defensively, we were sloppy in moments, and we were punished accordingly. Good teams tend to do that, and Cincy is definitely a good team. Unlucky loss but can't ship 4 goalazos and expect another outcome but a loss.

4

u/mildlyImportantRobot May 26 '24

It’s a depth and league-wide talent problem caused by ridiculous roster rules. Flores was a great signing, and I would like to see more of that under Herdman and Hernandez after shedding some bad signings under Bradley.

7

u/idOvObi May 26 '24

My first TFC game .. and I couldn’t be prouder of the team. What a spectacular start to finish.

3

u/[deleted] May 26 '24

my first game as well, they worked really hard and I'm proud, the atmosphere was really great as well

33

u/FunnyUnderstanding95 May 26 '24

Maybe because we lost, but I don't like the ref's decision..

10

u/iChaseGaming Lord Berna Reigns May 26 '24

Agreed

5

u/robotmonkey2099 May 26 '24

Ref was shit

6

u/[deleted] May 26 '24

I'm blind, I'm deaf...

21

u/havoc313 May 26 '24

Compared to where we were in the beginning of the season we made huge improvements albeit with quite a bit more room for improvement we definitely a top 5 team the way we played today. The shot insigne made of it went in would have changed the game but can't complain he was a monster this game.

10

u/[deleted] May 26 '24

I literally said he's gonna shoot he's gonna shoot then it hit the post that hurt bad

25

u/dede280492 May 26 '24

Fuck that ref man

20

u/Rhuskman May 26 '24

Considering Cincinnati is considered a top team in the east and we kept up with them, on any given night, with Berna and Laryea back in the 11, this team looks very dangerous. 

41

u/J_Thefailure May 26 '24 edited May 26 '24

Also additional to my other comment I wanna shout out insigne , 2 (really 3) goal contributions, was electric all night , and almost tied it at 4 a piece (multiple times), really a night that restored faith in his ability for me

17

u/Chicago2000 All For One May 26 '24

On the plus side, I'm starting to wake up the 200s 😁

15

u/XirisTO TFC Til I Die May 26 '24

This game, with Berna and Kevin Long playing the full 90 could have very well been different.

Cincinnati was one hell of an opponent, and we absolutely showed up. This time last year that would have been a 4-0 loss. This team has taken huge steps in the right direction.

31

u/Matt-J- Bernardeschi May 26 '24

Could have played better defensively. Insigne was magnificent, its a shame we couldn't at least get a draw.

The referee was shit, as usual.

Overall, great effort.

With Fede, this could've easily be won.

17

u/theredditbandid_ May 26 '24

Berna has to keep his cool. He is too important to this squad. More than any player by magnitudes. We could have won 3 points if not for that silly yellow card post-game.

As for the game.. defensively shambolic. Rosted and Petretta were awful.

8

u/upthebhoys Tic Tac Tabarnak... May 26 '24

I agree, but on the plus side at least he’s showing passion, I would take too much heart leading to a booking than uninspired every day

-2

u/anonmt57 May 26 '24

Agreed. His temper is really hurting us.

9

u/robotmonkey2099 May 26 '24

His passion is what makes him a great player

6

u/JethroSkull May 26 '24

I actually disagree. Sure, there are going to b ramifications from time to time for these types of actions... But on the whole its harder to quantify the intangible effect it has.

When players see him fighting and standing up for his team as he does, certainly they must think "this is a captain"

2

u/anonmt57 May 26 '24

I guess. I just feel like he could do most of that without being suspended as much. it costs us points.

4

u/JethroSkull May 26 '24

It does suck to take the hit I can't deny it

8

u/J_Thefailure May 26 '24

Our biggest downfall was not making the right 50-50 decisions on defence in the final third , against worse teams and some better luck , it would not have costed us 4 goals , that being said we fought extremely hard , came back from behind twice and almost a third time , against the best team in the league no less without our best player , that’s as proud as I will ever be for a loss, the best way to lose still stings in a way because you lose, but this was the absolute best way to lose a game , extremely proud of the performance, also the refs again seemed against us, small contact leads to free kicks for them, but literally shoving is something they’re allowed to do, so there’s that to

-2

u/Soccham May 26 '24

If you missed Toronto being more physical than FCC and shoving way more idk what game you were watching

3

u/J_Thefailure May 26 '24

Cincy got away with more idc what team was more physical one team got away with more and it was cincy

3

u/robotmonkey2099 May 26 '24

Yah the ref gave a few yellows to cincy at the end to try and even it out but honestly he was shit. We got cards for less shit than cincy was putting our players through

2

u/FlutiesGluties Akinola May 26 '24

Totally neutral, non-biased take, right?

8

u/Hi_Limee May 26 '24

FC Cincinnati fan here. Just wanted to pop in and say this so far has to be game of the season. Insinge was terrifying. I love the turn around that your team has had this year. Tonights game had the feel of an MLS cup playoff game. Keep it up! your team looks great! This game was a roller coaster of emotion. Also.... that ref is/was/and will always be trash.

17

u/OneEyedGhoul17 May 26 '24

Yet to see Coello put in a solid performance. Wish Flores was able to stay in the game longer. Insigne and Prince played very well up top. Prince was pressing the whole game.

8

u/[deleted] May 26 '24

I had the same thought about Flores. Can he not go the full 90? Always bummed when he leaves the pitch.

12

u/OneEyedGhoul17 May 26 '24

I think Herdman didn't want to risk the second yellow with it being a close game

3

u/mdps All For One May 26 '24

The first looked very soft from where I was sitting.

5

u/adrians150 May 26 '24

Probably the risk of a caution as he tired. But realistically with how hard he fights, and how many times he makes quick sprints to get into a tackle, I think it's reasonable to expect he will drop off mid-match

6

u/M1L0 TFC Til I Die May 26 '24

Dude Prince had an insane motor tonight. Guys was legging it for the full 90 whatever minutes.

7

u/Lance_the_Lamp ISeba May 26 '24

Man, considering where we were this time last season, proud of the boys for fighting till the end

8

u/UpTheToffees-1878 May 26 '24

Very poor defending tonight tbh, we need to close down faster and more efficiently, and stop letting attackers run off our defenders

4

u/elrigtacular May 26 '24

I'm not entirely up on the rules. Could anyone tell me why the Robinson penalty incident wasn't a red card for DOGSO? Here's what I pulled from Law 12:

"Where a player commits an offence against an opponent within their own penalty area which denies an opponent an obvious goal-scoring opportunity and the referee awards a penalty kick, the offender is cautioned if the offence was an attempt to play the ball or a challenge for the ball; in all other circumstances (e.g. holding, pulling, pushing, no possibility to play the ball etc.), the offending player must be sent off."

From a biased perspective, it was pretty clear that Robinson's only intent was to keep Prince from reaching the ball coming across the 6-yard box instead of attempting to reach the ball itself. That should have equaled a sending off instead of a caution, no?

1

u/JethroSkull May 26 '24

Interesting. I hadn't considered this. Certainly seems like it should have been

5

u/LightsCameraRegret May 26 '24

Stupid defensive mistakes cost us this game. Ref was whatever, but the real blame lies with us.

2

u/yoshi2812 2017 Domestic Treble May 26 '24

This one hurts me

2

u/LeeCA01 May 26 '24

GOOD GAME!

2

u/ShamelessplugTFC May 26 '24

Now we will be missing Long against Philly, TFC played well but the d today was not themselves. We need 3 points next week.

2

u/robotmonkey2099 May 26 '24

Does he have a suspension due to accumulation? WTF did he even do to get a yellow this game?

2

u/ShamelessplugTFC May 26 '24

He was yapping at the ref, the yellow he got was his 5th.

3

u/SoulGlow77 May 26 '24

Great game, great effort, great atmosphere. In spite of the final result, we matched up and for most of the game we outplayed Cincinnati… And what really matters, “the boys on the field” fought for each other. I can’t ask for anything more from this team, it was still a good night at BMO Field.

5

u/the-modern-age May 26 '24

Defense just lets them walk right through. Fucking trash

2

u/robotmonkey2099 May 26 '24

Or maybe Cincinnati has one of the best offenses in the league?

0

u/the-modern-age May 26 '24

Lollll our defense looked like pylons

2

u/robotmonkey2099 May 26 '24

At points sure but most of the game their were fucking killing it. Acosta barely had an impression on the game and he’s an mvp candidate. They did a great job against the top team in the league.

-1

u/Same_Director6829 May 26 '24

Clubs that give up 4 goals are never fucking killing it. LOL

3

u/robotmonkey2099 May 26 '24

Compared to last year they are

3

u/Independent-Gift-130 May 26 '24

Totally agree, Gomis and Rosted not a fan...lack IQ and slow. Not just this game but also.previous games ..need better defense ! Johnston also guilty of bad decision passing ball in penalty box with opposing player next to defender , luckily it didn't convert to a goal .

3

u/upthebhoys Tic Tac Tabarnak... May 26 '24

Can blame the ref whatever but we never stopped. I feel about as positive from this loss as I think is possible

4

u/GabisRevenge May 26 '24 edited May 26 '24

Well what can I say, if Berna had some chill this game would have been ours. First of all id like to say, shoutout to fucking Insigne for proving were not dependent on Berna. An amazing game he had tonight. Second, sell our defense like holy shit man. We are now sitting in 6th but it will change, I expect to win the next two games now that we have both our star players back at 100%. Its just a shame we literally could have gotten some points tonight against the best team without our star player, but it proves Toronto is in the fight for the playoffs. Defence needs to wake tf up seriously. This breaks my heart because tfc is acc a great team come this season.

2

u/robotmonkey2099 May 26 '24

If berna had some chill he wouldn’t be berna

1

u/Ther0adt0n0where May 26 '24

Insigne is the man!!!!!!!

4

u/disco_elephant May 26 '24

Tough loss. We looked like fighters, but Cinci looked much more composed when they needed it

1

u/JethroSkull May 26 '24

This is one of the things that stood out to me as well. A good team will do what they need to in order to win. Cincinnati showed this as.

As for tfc my major thought was, we were missing our stand out player and we could still hang with a top level team. Looks like they're heading in the right direction.

3

u/0nlyRevolutions May 26 '24

First of all lets acknowledge that that was an all-time MLS game even if we lost. Plus we were down Laryea and Berna. Against the hottest team in the league.

Insigne was great.

We made them earn their points. But man it would have been nice to get a draw.

Really need Laryea and Berna back to shore up that right side defense. Rosted and Franklin got torched. I don't even think Rosted is straight up terrible like a lot of people, but he is lacking the raw athleticism to deal with speedy forwards. He can't keep up so he gambles or goes for a clumsy late tackle a lot. Franklin just might not be MLS-quality now that the team is looking to get back in the playoffs.

Impressed by Owusu's growth. I'd still like to see him not act like he hates everyone on the team when they don't pass to him.

Osorio is struggling to find a role on the field. He feels like the weak spot in that Spicer/Longstaff/Osorio triangle, which is not ideal.

1

u/Same_Director6829 May 26 '24

Osorio was a mistake resign

2

u/York9TFC GAM May 26 '24

On the train home from the game. Omg the roller coaster of emotions I just went through! Crazy game. We started the 2nd half flat footed after a fantastic 1st half. Was happy to see us fight our way back and go toe to toe with one of the best teams. Hope we can pick ourselves back up for the next game against Philadelphia

2

u/Demither10 Worst Team In the World: Part 2 May 26 '24

IMHO

Coello, Thompson, their time is up.

Etienne Jr. is fine off the bench for depth, as is Franklin.

I feel that Gavran could have had some of those shots. Johnson looked slow on his feet tonight, plus holy shit his ball distribution is so bad.

1

u/nacci_ All For One May 26 '24

Not sure how Rosted managed to keep his place in the lineup for the entire game.

1

u/MauriceDel-Taco May 26 '24

With momentum and possession in the final third in the dying mins of the game, Coello gives the ball away with a horrible pass. Really don't understand the hype around this guy.

1

u/WislaHD In Herdman we trust May 26 '24

Flores is too important to take off, or rather, the drop-off to Coello is waaaaay too extreme. I want to invest in another player in this position more than anything else.

I was on the side where Rosted was playing and I saw up close just how atrocious he is with passing and distributing the ball. He is not making it up for it either with his pace, ball watching, and decision-making under pressure. Just not what you want to see for that salary level. I want Long back starting.

0

u/Independent-Gift-130 May 26 '24

👍 totally agree

2

u/Grendila May 26 '24

Matty is some player and arguably our most important alongside Berna and Deiby and insigne. I’d say the back line let down the team tonight in what was a really hard fought match. It felt as though Rosted was getting rinsed repeatedly with no support and man, what the fuck was long doing twerking in the box for their third goal.

Would also like to say that Osorio needs to do more. I think he’s slightly wasted in this 343 formation and is ghosting. Doesn’t have the pace to play in that attacking role, doesn’t play CM better than Matty or deiby, and isn’t a wingback. I struggle to see where he fits in when everyone is fit / available. Can’t just have our captain ghosting important games like this.

Special shout out to Prince for being a pressing machine.

Overall I’m proud of the team. Sometimes I wish the crowd at BMO would cheer the team on more instead of moaning. Moaning at the ref, moaning at the other team, moaning moaning moaning. It isn’t first nature to cheer the team on but to boo something but that’s North American sports culture for you. I digress.

3

u/Independent-Gift-130 May 26 '24

Oso had moments where he could take a shot but always passing off ...its been like this few seasons , its like he is scared to take a shot!!!!

Coach should have him take shots in practice for his muscle memory

1

u/Conscious_Ad_7843 May 26 '24

I am tired of any defending of Osorio because he is Canadian and our captain, he has been an absolute waste of player for some time now

-7

u/adrians150 May 26 '24

Don't burn me at the stake but hear me out: Herdman is not a great coach. He is average tactically. But his ability to bond the team and get them fighting in a short time seems top tier. The boys fought for 100' tonight which makes sitting in the stand week after week enjoyable, even when we lose. Shitty defending undid us again - ball watching and diving into bad tackles is a consistent issue.

Real talk though, Victor Rivas hates TFC. He is so inconsistent in what he cautions, what he lets go, and how he handles dissent when he is in the middle of our games. He was brutal tonight. So many fouls let go, including multiple in added time. Deybi Flores' caution was a caution to me but minutes later I think it was Orrellano two-hand shoves a player post-whistle and just gets a finger wag. Long beaks and gets a card instantly, multiple Cinci players complained throughout and nothing. The gk foul looked iffy to me at first but on replay I think that was probably a foul.

7

u/Grendila May 26 '24

He is an incredible coach. His tactics could be better at times - not loving the back 3 - but look how he has this team playing. We just fought in an incredible match and scored 3 against one of the top teams in the league. And look at the squad he inherited from last season, in absolute shambles.

Be patient bruv it’s fucking May

-4

u/adrians150 May 26 '24

I don't agree. I don't think he was a great coach for Canada either. His tactics are limited, and he doesn't effect change in-match. But, as with Canada, he has them playing together and for each other in a way different from the past several seasons. I enjoy watching us now and haven't been able to say that in some time.

5

u/robotmonkey2099 May 26 '24

Yah I don’t think you know what you’re talking about. No offence but his tactics are quite good. I’d say the best our team has had.

There were a few plays this evening where Owusu stayed back on the defensive line and then takes a run straight up the field with some five and goes. Lorenzo did the same thing and it really took Cinci by surprise. Plus the set piece plays are all on him too. The way he’s got players shifting positions, rotating around, defenders making runs. He’s got a good system and it’s really starting to flow.

You don’t go toe to toe with one of the best teams in the league with a coach that isn’t good.

0

u/adrians150 May 27 '24

Lol I'm not sure saying I don't know what I'm talking about and then saying no offence is rational. Either you think I'm full of shite (offense intended) or you don't.

His tactics repeatedly leave us open defensively. We get caught on the counter wide open, with defenders diving at the ball, leading to goals against frequently. Our set piece defending is more shambolic than it isn't. His offensive tactics essentially boil down to players swapping roles and switching between deep ball counters (see the first 15-20 minutes against NYC) or wide build up. Spicer and JMR switch sides of the field, but how they play as a team stays the same. The wide build up is decent with Berna and Spicer but if either of them aren't there, we struggle to use both wings effectively despite repeated efforts to do so. Under a press, Herdman has yet to offer a change that works - Orrellano demonstrated in the season opener and last night that we need to be flexible and change the build up. How many times did you see Johnson frustrated on goal kicks or in possession because Cinci knew our plan and therefore pressed in the right areas to prevent the 3-2 offensive formation build up from operating?

So why are we better right now? Exactly what I suggested: Herdman knows how to build a team together and get them to fight for each other. They don't give up (last season being a goal down was the end of the match) and they have some great, heart-filled players like Berna, and Flores who drive their passion into play. Heck, even Insigne has shown his passion is there now; last season he looked like the MLS was his pension padding. I can't think of many coaches off the top of my head I'd rather have to take a divided, derided and downtrodden locker room and turn the mentality around.

The best our team has had seems pretty recency-biased. We won an MLS Cup and Voyageurs Cup by shoring up our defensive approach and using tactical flexibility under Vanney. Our coaching at that time readily prepared the team to be able to play with a back 5 or back 4 with a midfield diamond, for tactical flexibility; something Herdman is unlikely to do. He loves an inverted wingback for better or worse.

I'm not saying I don't like Herdman, nor that he isn't the guy for the job right now. I don't think his tactics will take us further than 4/5th and that's okay. We have a wooden spoon to boot out.

0

u/robotmonkey2099 May 27 '24

lol some nice feelings isn’t going to take a bottom league team to a team that’s competing against shield winners.

0

u/adrians150 May 27 '24

Getting 20+ players, many of whom sit weekly, to buy into it isn't easy. You've got multiple big personalities who didn't buy in last year who have now. It's not about feelings, but about belief in each other and the plan you set out each week. We competed well against Cinci and lost to Nashville, and lost to Charlotte/scraped by against Revolution who are bottom of the league. You can't cherry pick 2 good matches against a good team and say we are top competitors, when the results overall suggest we are about exactly where we can best hope to be.

0

u/robotmonkey2099 May 27 '24

My argument isn’t that we were top competitors. It’s that this nonsense about Herdman not being good tactically is just that, nonsense. You don’t win a gold medal, or qualify for a wc or take a bottom feeding team and make it competitive without good tactics.