TFC-Crew 2nd leg could be tactical chess match between coaches

By John Molinaro, Sportsnet

TORONTO – The line between winning and losing in soccer, like most sports, can be razor thin.

There is often little margin for error, and it usually comes down to a player who is a game-breaker, be it a forward scoring a stunning goal or a goalkeeper coming up with a spectacular save, to decide matters.

Wednesday’s second leg of the Eastern Conference final between Toronto FC and the Columbus Crew at BMO Field is set up for one player to be the decisive protagonist, with the aggregate series delicately balanced after the sides battled to a 0-0 draw in last week’s opener in Ohio.

Maybe a late game-winning goal will come from either Jozy Altidore or Sebastian Giovinco, TFC’s star forwards who sat out last week’s game through suspension. Maybe Toronto goalkeeper Alex Bono or his Columbus counterpart Zack Steffen will make a huge stop at an important juncture in the contest that ultimately decides the final outcome.

It could also come down to coaching, with one of the men on the touchline making a critical tactical move that proves to be the difference.

Toronto’s Greg Vanney and Columbus’ Gregg Berhalter are two of the more tactically astute managers in the league, building upon their reputations as intelligent defenders during their respective MLS playing careers.

In direct coaching matchups between Vanney and Berhalter, Toronto and Columbus have evenly split their 10 matches, with three wins apiece and four draws. That one coach doesn’t have a decided advantage over the other in their personal series shouldn’t be too much of a surprise – Vanney and Berhalter are former teammates with the U.S. national team, and routinely played next to each other in the Americans’ back line, so they know each other well.

In many ways, the Crew are a reflection of Berhalter the player – controlling, intelligent, and cognizant of the space around them while in possession. As a result, he’s constantly making changes within a game, adjusting his tactics as he looks to disrupt his opponent or tip the balance of power in Columbus’ favour. When teams react to Berhalter’s moves, he’s already thinking about what he can do to counter their counter.

While he’d much prefer for TFC dictate the pace of the game, Vanney is also not shy about making changes on the fly if necessary, responding to what he sees in an attempt to shape the match in the image he wants.

With this in mind, don’t be too surprised if Wednesday’s encounter ends up being a tactical chess match between Vanney and Berhalter.

“Columbus, if they so choose, are capable of trying to protect themselves defensively, and see if they can hit us on the counter attack. But, ultimately, the strength of their team is when they’re allotted a lot of time to move the ball around, shift guys into different positions and break teams down,” Vanney said.

“We’ll see. It’s up to them bring their image of what they want, and we’re going to bring our image of what we want the game to look like, and hopefully the best team will be us on the night.”

Vanney has found a managerial kindred spirit in Berhalter, admitting that he enjoys trading tactical wits with the Crew manager.

“It’s always interesting. I like it better when we are forcing him to change, and I think that happens a lot as well. But Gregg is clever, especially on his different rotations and who he sends into different areas, and different players showing up in different spots on the field. For us, it’s not about chasing them around all over the place – it’s understanding where the gaps and spots are … and to make sure we [recognize] those spaces they are trying to exploit,” TFC’s coach explained.

As a student of the game, Vanney prides himself on his ability to assess and re-evaluate situations as the game progresses. When Vanney is going up against Berhalter, he has to be especially sharp and aware of what changes the Columbus manager is making. If he’s too slow to respond, it could cost Toronto the match.

But Berhalter is in the same predicament in facing one of the league’s most tactically flexible sides in TFC, and a club that is capable of winning games in more than one way. Noted for their stylish play and for scoring a flood of goals early in the season, the Reds took a far more pragmatic approach late in the campaign and in the playoffs thus far, with a focus on grinding out results.

“We can win doing different types of things. We’ve shown that all year. At some point in the game that may or may not present itself. We might have to look a little different in order to pick up a second or a third goal, or something like that. Who knows? The game will dictate all of that, but we’ll be ready to adjust and the guys will be ready to play,” Vanney stated.

NOTES: As a result of last week’s draw in Ohio, Toronto is 90 minutes away from advancing to its second consecutive MLS Cup final – all it needs is a win. But the first-leg stalemate also means that a draw with goals on Wednesday, such as 1-1 or 2-2, means Columbus advances to the final on the away-goals rule. A 0-0 draw at the end of regulation time would lead to 30 minutes of extra time and then a shootout, if required… If Toronto wins this playoff series, the MLS Cup final would take place at BMO Field on Dec. 9. The Reds would host the winner of the Western Conference final between the Seattle Sounders and Houston Dynamo. The Sounders won the first leg 2-0 in Texas. Seattle beat Toronto at BMO Field in last year’s MLS Cup final via a penalty shootout.

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