Toronto FC: 3 takeaways from convincing 3-0 win over Vancouver

We break down a dominant performance for Toronto FC, as they returned to action at BMO Field on Tuesday night with a 3-0 win versus the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Following their disappointing exit from the MLS is Back tournament at the hands of New York City FC, Toronto FC had been eagerly waiting to get back to action. They finally got that opportunity on Tuesday night, versus the Vancouver Whitecaps.

The match arguably went better than expected beforehand, as TFC scored a resounding 3-0 win over their West Coast Canadian rivals. In the process, the Reds maintained their unbeaten start to the 2020 league season and moved to within one point of Columbus Crew SC at the top of the Eastern standings.

There was a lot to savour during an entertaining evening at BMO Field. Here are our three takeaways from the victory over Vancouver:

1) No chance for Vancouver on the night

Maybe it was the boost of playing back home in Toronto. Maybe it was facing a Canadian rival, or being able to hear fans cheering outside the stadium.

Whatever it was, Tuesday proved to be TFC’s best performance so far in 2020. Almost from the start, they were determined to impose their will on the match.

As a result, the Reds dominated most of the contest against the Vancouver Whitecaps, resulting in a 3-0 win. Everywhere you looked on the stat sheet, there was a distinct advantage for the home side.

Toronto FC led the way in shots 24-4, including 8-1 for attempts on target. They held a shockingly high 75.2 % -24.8 % edge in possession, which was highlighted by 850 total passes compared to 271 by Vancouver.

TFC had a 9-4 edge in corners and a 18-11 advantage for corners. The list goes on.

The only concern with the home side was that you wondered if they were going to pay for not taking advantage of their dominance. They only led 1-0 at halftime and it should have been more.

As much as Vancouver were overwhelmed, more was expected due to having key personnel back in the squad who did not travel to Orlando. Lucas Cavallini and Andy Rose started, while Tosaint Ricketts came on as a substitute — albeit late on — but it made little difference on the night.

Of course this is only one game, but it was still an extremely encouraging sign for TFC. The two rivals will play twice more during phase one of the schedule, including another match at BMO Field this coming Friday.