Toronto FC vs. Austin FC: 3 takeaways

There still appears to be some life in Toronto FC after all.

TFC had to wait two weeks to make things right after a disappointing home loss in their previous outing. But that's exactly what they did in Saturday's 2-1 win over Austin FC at BMO Field.

The victory helped Toronto (11-15-3) keep hold of eighth place in the Eastern Conference and move to within two points of seventh-place Charlotte FC. They also moved three points clear of ninth-place D.C. United.  

"This was a game we had to win, 100 per cent. ... This was a must-win game at home against a very good team. We came up very strong, very aggressive," midfielder Alonso Coello said.

Here are my three major takeaways from Saturday's match. 

Toronto FC answers John Herdman's challenge

John Herdman was seething after Toronto FC's 3-1 home loss to D.C. United on Aug. 31, the club's last match before the recent international break.

Herdman described TFC's effort on the night as complacent and lacking in urgency, and not at all like a team that was stuck in a tight playoff race in the East. He even went so far as to say he would use the two-week break to go back to basics "to allow those intense [training] sessions to allow people to compete for places."

The message was clear: Lineup changes would happen if the team's starters didn't whip themselves into shape during the break. Clearly the players took that message to heart as they responded with one of their best collective efforts of the MLS campaign against Austin.  

Goal scorers Jonathan Osorio and Deandre Kerr led an efficient Toronto attack that scored on four of its shots on target, goalkeeper Sean Johnson put in a man-of-the-match showing, Italian DPs Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi were genuine workhorses on both sides of the ball, and the returning Alonso Coello and Matty Longstaff were defensive dynamos in central midfield.  

Make no mistake about it, TFC needed this win. Three of their remaining five matches come against the New York Red Bulls, Columbus Crew and Inter Miami, who occupy three spots in the top four in the Eastern Conference. The Reds could ill afford to drop any points on Saturday with such a tough slate of games ahead of them. Unlike the D.C. contest, this was anything but complacent, and it was exactly the type of performance TFC needed to show that they're serious about fighting for a playoff spot.

"I think Jonathan [Osorio] makes a massive difference in this team and you can see his desire and fight. I think all the lads tonight just dug in. They really dug in and showed that fight that it's going to take to make it through to the playoffs. You're gonna have to fight, and it won't be perfect, as they keep telling us. You're gonna have to just grind the results out all the way through," Herdman told reporters after the game.

Sean Johnson comes to TFC's rescue

As efficient as TFC's attack was on the night, and as much as the victory owed to the team's willingness to dig in deep, it has to be said that John Herdman's side wouldn't have collected all three points if not for the efforts of goalkeeper Sean Johnson.

Johnson was Toronto's undisputed man of the match, making seven saves in total against an opponent that enjoyed more possession, had more total shots and created more quality scoring chances.

"It was like they were only going to hurt us in those transitional moments where we were attacking their box. It looked like defensively we had a lot of control in their buildup, but as soon as we turned the ball over, you could sense that we were going to be punished," Herdman noted.

Indeed, Austin's best and most dangerous moments came on the counter attack after Toronto coughed up the ball.

In the 25th minute and with his team up 1-0, Johnson stood tall to deny speedy Colombian winger Jáder Obrian during an odd-man break for Austin following a TFC miscue in the middle of the pitch. He also stopped Osman Bukari from close range after he snuck in behind the Reds’ back line on another chance on the counter right before halftime.

Johnson's most important save came with two minutes left in regulation. Diego Rubio managed to thread an exquisite pass into the box while surrounded by three Toronto players. An onrushing Obrian latched onto the Chilean's ball and took a touch as he headed towards goal. But Johnson did very well to jump off his line and make a smothering save to preserve the win for TFC.

"He really came up big. ... Sean did really well. He pulled a couple of his teammates out of it tonight," Herdman said.

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Alonso Coello's return gives Reds a big boost

John Herdman gave a start to midfielder Alonso Coello on Saturday in what was his first taste of action for Toronto FC since suffering a hamstring tear on June 22 in a game against the New York Red Bulls.

It was a decision that showed a lot of faith in Coello on Herdman's part. It was also a somewhat risky move to slot the Spaniard into the starting 11 in such a hugely important game after being sidelined for three months, especially with the more experienced Deybi Flores available.

But Herdman's risk was rewarded by Coello's excellent showing before being subbed out and replaced by Kosi Thompson. The Spaniard was a steadying force  on both sides of the ball during his 59 minutes on the pitch, helping the Reds to push and progress forward when in possession. He ended completing 87.2 per cent of his passes and made one key pass.

Defensively, Coello and Matty Longstaff combined to effectively hold things down in central midfield and thwart Austin's attacking forays. The Madrid-born midfielder finished the game with a tackle and one blocked shot, and made two interceptions.

Herdman was full of praise for Coello, impressed by the "real hunger and desire" the Spaniard displayed on the pitch.

"I thought he and Longstaff both were physical. They were in the fight. Big tackles, and you see obviously Coello’s quality with his passing. He's a very good progressor for us," Herdman offered.

(Top photo courtesy of Lucas Kschischang/Toronto FC)

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