TFC notebook: Playoff push continues for embattled Reds

After being off since late August, Toronto FC returns to action this weekend when it resumes its MLS campaign with a crucial home game vs. Austin FC. 

Here are some news and notes from Tuesday's practice at the BMO Training Ground.  

Players take John Herdman's stern words to heart 

Toronto FC went into the recent international break on a sour note thanks to a disappointing effort in a 3-1 home loss to D.C. United on Aug. 31. 

Coach John Herdman had some stern words for his players when speaking to reporters after the game, feeling his team looked complacent and lacked urgency. He talked about going back to the drawing board during the team’s time off and whipping his players back in physical and mental shape. He also hinted that there could be lineup changes when the Reds face Austin FC. 

"We have to make sure that every man is ready for that fight. From a training perspective, it will be again for two weeks back to basics to allow those intense sessions to allow people to compete for places,” Herdman warned 

That message filtered down to the players in training sessions since the D.C. match as Herdman has put them through their paces.  

"When I hear something like that [from Herdman], all I can do is sit there and reflect on my performance, and what I could've done better, and take a long look in the mirror and be honest with myself. A lot of guys did that last week. And when you have the kind of honesty and hold yourself accountable for your mistakes, it gets rid of that level of complacency that John felt some guys had," winger Derrick Etienne Jr. told TFC Republic after Tuesday's practice. 

"For me personally, it was about saying, 'What could I have done better? What can I continue to do?' And just come in and prove myself every day in training which is really important with the quality that we have in the locker room. Everybody took John's words to heart." 

Playoff push continues for embattled Reds

The loss against D.C. kept Toronto (10-15-3, 33 points) in eighth and in possession of the second-last playoff berth in the Eastern Conference with six matches remaining in the campaign.  

But a spot in the post-season is far from assured for the Reds. All seven teams directly below them in the table in the East are within seven points and five of those sides have at least one game in hand. The New England Revolution have two games in hand.  

At the same time, D.C. United is surging. The team from the American capital was recently sitting in last place in the East, but has climbed to ninth and is now just a point behind Toronto thanks to a run of four wins in its last five matches. 

The pressure is on the Reds from here on out. Dropped points at home could open the door for the chasing teams to overtake them in the table. 

Derrick Etienne Jr. was involved in tight MLS playoff races earlier in his career. In his experiences, clubs who just took care of their business ended up qualifying for the playoffs more often than not compared to those teams who needed other results to go their way. 

"You can't rely on other teams fumbling. I've been on a team that was in a playoff spot and had a game in hand, and ended up not getting through because we lost the last game of the season. Ultimately, destiny is in our hands. We have a playoff spot and as long as we do everything we need to do, we'll make the playoffs," Etienne Jr. said. 

Injury report: Coello could be back this week

Spanish midfielder Alonso Coello appears to be ready to come back for Toronto FC after a lengthy injury layoff.

Coello, 24, took part in portions of Tuesday's training session after playing the first 45 minutes of TFC 2's penalty shootout loss on Sunday in MLS NEXT Pro. He was sent on loan to the Young Reds to get some game time and rebuild his fitness back up.

The Spaniard had been sidelined since picking up a hamstring injury in a 3-0 road loss to the New York Red Bulls on June 22. Coello has one goal and two assists 19 MLS appearances (15 starts) this season for Toronto.

Defender Henry Wingo was working out on his own away from the rest of the team during the portion of Tuesday's training session that was open to the media. Wingo has made five appearances in all competitions since signing with the Reds as a free agent, including going the full 90 minutes against D.C. United.

There was no update from the club on his condition, so it'll be interesting to see whether or not he'll be available against Austin.

Odds and ends

• TFC 2 goalkeeper Shafique Wilson trained with the first team. 
• Captain Jonathan Osorio and wingback Richie Laryea (Canada) and midfielder Deybi Flores (Honduras) didn't train with the Reds on Tuesday as they are still away on national team duty. But they'll be back in time for Saturday's contest. 
• Several TFC youth academy players were integrated into portions of Tuesday's training session. 

RELATED READING: News | Features | Match reports | Newsletter | Opinion | Q&As | Roster moves | TFC 2 | Audio | Videos

Looking ahead to Saturday's road game vs. Austin

Austin (9-11-7) sits 11th in the Western Conference, two spots and two points behind Minnesota United who hold down the final playoff berth in the West. The Texas-based club has just one win in its last five MLS matches with three losses, including a 1-0 home defeat to the Vancouver Whitecaps on Aug. 31 in its last outing. 

Argentinian DP Sebastián Driussi and Colombian winger Jáder Obrian lead the team in scoring this season with five goals apiece, while Finnish midfielder Alex Ring is the side's top playmaker with seven assists. American goalkeeper Brad Stuver has started all 27 games during the 2024 campaign and is tied for fourth in the league with seven clean sheets. 

Austin's roster features former TFC centre back Matt Hedges. Saturday's game marks his return to BMO Field for the first time since being traded to Austin last summer. 

Recent training sessions were spent on addressing tactical issues within the team, rather than specifically focusing on Austin, which will happen in the coming days.

"We were disappointed with the way the last game went so last week we worked on making sure that we're competing at a high level and getting those things right... For the most part we've been focusing on ourselves," Derrick Etienne Jr. said.

"We have to make sure that we're going into every single game with the right mentality, the right mindset. It was a good step in the right direction this last week with a lot of the training sessions."

(Top photo courtesy of Lucas Kschischang/Toronto FC)

TFC Republic has a comments section! At the very bottom of every story, there is a feature where you can post your comments, so be sure to share your thoughts and views.