TFC Season Grade for Drew Moor

In the third installment of our season grades for every Toronto FC player, we turn to the valuable leadership of Drew Moor.

A backline in football contains an enormous amount of importance when making a title run. A defence with experience, however, makes that championship run that much easier, as was the case for Toronto FC in 2017.

TFC hit a home run when acquiring Drew Moor a couple of seasons ago. Moor’s experience and valued leadership helped the Reds capture their first ever MLS Cup in franchise history.

At certain points within the campaign, it’d be hard to imagine a back line without the services of Moor. Admittedly, Toronto FC aren’t boasting much on the defence besides Moor and Justin Morrow. Yet, both have made the rest of the Reds’ defence look brilliant at moments this past season.

Moor has that all-around football quality which is rare to find. Certain gems such as Sebastian Giovinco all the way to Cristiano Ronaldo can only do so much on the pitch. Moor, on the other hand, has proven his value all over the field.

The 33-year-old compiled over 2,000 minutes for Toronto in the 2017 campaign. Defensively, Moor was able to amass nearly two tackles and interceptions per game in MLS play. Moor seemed to always be the last guy back for TFC, and he made several clutch tackles to save the Reds in some games.

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To switch gears, the former Colorado Rapid was able to also prove his value in the offensive side of the pitch. Firstly, his 87 percent pass success rate for both the regular season and the playoffs was near the top among Toronto FC players.

Fans can appreciate goals and assists from a defende,r especially because they can take the workload off of the forwards. The American was able to notch two goals and an assist with a back line that produced a multitude of goals this past season.

Moor’s MLS experience and determination saw him collect the captain’s armband each time Michael Bradley was off the playing field. Greg Vanney had this to say to Sportsnet about the leadership from Moor:

"Maybe it might be Drew Moor, a guy who is a leader, but doesn’t have to be the captain all the time, a guy who is thinking and processing the game."

Moor’s contract was set to expire after the championship run, but Toronto FC made sure they didn’t cut the ties from their valued defender. Several sources indicate Moor inked a one-year deal that will keep him with the Reds through the 2018 campaign.

Moor isn’t just a defender. He boasts a soup of qualities that most defenders at his age simply don’t have. TFC reflected on a great season from Moor by rewarding him a contract that shows just how instrumental he was to their championship run.

Rating: 8/10

Next: 4 TFC players who might not return

Do you agree with the rating for Moor? Can the American replicate his successful performances next season? Let us know in the comments below.