Toronto FC: Sebastian Giovinco Proves Mohammed Saeid Right
By Paul Taylor
Toronto FC secure the Trillium Cup, as Sebastian Giovinco once again proves his value and Jozy Altidore finally scores his first goal of the season.
Columbus Crew’s Mohammed Saeid caught the attention of Toronto FC, in the build up to Sunday’s game. He essentially called the Reds a one-man team.
Speaking to Adam Jardy of the Columbus Dispatch, Saeid said: “It’s very difficult to limit (Sebastian Giovinco). But when you do, you limit the whole team.”
In fairness, there was some truth to the midfielder’s comments, no matter how close to the bone they were. However, you could counter by saying any team who had Giovinco, would be limited if arguably the best player in MLS was contained.
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Ironically, the Crew have been one of the more successful MLS teams, when it comes to controlling the influence of the Italian. In four previous encounters, he ‘only’ had one goal and one assist.
Unfortunately for Columbus, Giovinco proved Saeid right on Sunday night at BMO Field. He ended up having an influence in every Toronto FC goal, as they emerged victorious with a 3-0 win.
Admittedly, the Atomic Ant’s contribution to the opening goal was a fluke, as his shot took a massive deflection off Tsubasa Endoh. Regardless, he had a goal of his own and added an assist, setting up Jozy Altidore to finally get off the mark for the season.
As a result of the win, Toronto FC moved to within six points of the top of the Eastern Conference, with two games in hand. What makes this even more impressive, is they have done it without the services of Clint Irwin, Michael Bradley and Will Johnson – three of their best players.
Greg Vanney praised the efforts of his team after the game. Speaking to Sportsnet’s John Molinaro and the rest of the media, the coach said: “We have a group out there that are working hard for each other and they respect that it’s not going to be prefect all the time.
“They continue to do the work and try to cover for each other. We have smart soccer players out there, especially in the back line where there is a lot of experience.”
Admittedly, no matter how well TFC have done without their trio of experienced players, there’s no denying the importance of Giovinco. In fact, it’s possible he’s been even more influential this season.
Consider that the 29-year old was involved in 65.5 percent of his side’s goals during 2015. This year, his impact has been even more significant, with that figure jumping up to 75 percent.
What makes all of this even more amazing, is when you factor in Givonco’s recent eight-game scoring drought. And yet, he once again leads MLS in combined goals and assists.
Of course, even the best needs some help and you can only imagine how much better Toronto FC will be, when Irwin, Bradley and Johnson return. If Altidore can stay fit, this will all only help Giovinco play even better – a scary prospect for the rest of the league.
Next: Giovinco still MLS's best despite struggles
What’s you take on Saeid’s comments regarding Giovinco’s influence? In addition, when everyone returns from injury, do you expect Toronto FC to improve on last season’s first round exit? Let us know in the comments section below.