Our Eastern Conference semifinals tie is on the horizon, so let’s take a look at our opponents for NYCFC’s first-ever Playoffs clash.
How They Got Here
Toronto finished the Eastern Conference one position and one point behind NYCFC with 53 points from their 34 regular season games.
That saw them through to their second-ever postseason game where they were paired with Philadelphia Union.
Toronto advanced to set up this meeting with Patrick Vieira’s men thanks to a 3-1 win over the Union at BMO Field.
Form
Unbeaten in three matches, Toronto head into this semifinal showdown on the back of two victories.
Previously to that, they were without a win in five which denied them automatic progression to the last four.
READ:Vieira: We Must Enjoy Playoff Pressure
The Boss
Greg Vanney
Toronto Head Coach has been at the club for three years but was named as their ninth Head Coach in history a year after he arrived on August 31 2014.
As a player, Vanney represented LA Galaxy, SC Bastia, FC Dallas and Colorado Rapids over the course of his 13-year playing career and also represented the USMNT.
This is his first job as a Head Coach and he led the team to their first MLS Playoffs in history last year.
Top Scorer
Sebastian Giovinco – 17
Arguably one of Major League Soccer’s greatest-ever imports, Giovinco has shrugged off injury troubles in 2016 to finish third in the race for the Golden Boot behind only David Villa and Bradley Wright-Phillips.
Giovinco’s 17 goals have come from 28 MLS appearances and he’s also chimed in with a good number of assists too…
Assist Leader
Sebastian Giovinco – 15
The Atomic Ant also tops the list for most assists for Toronto with an incredible 15.
Giovinco is behind only Red Bulls midfield Sacha Kljestan in the MLS rankings for this metric and his link-up play with Jose Altidore looked dangerous in the Knockout Round win over Philadelphia.
READ:Head to Head: Villa v Giovinco
Last Meeting
Toronto 1-1 NYCFC – May 18, 2016
Last time the teams locked horns at BMO Field, it ended in a 1-1 tie after Toronto recovered from Poku’s stunning opening goal.
Will Johnson scored the equalizer just before the half and there were no further goals after the break.
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They Say
Greg Vanney: "I do think New York is a slightly different team than Philadelphia.
“NYCFC is a very tactical team. They've got a lot of players, in their midfield especially, who are seasoned veterans and I'm not sure if their mentality is to come flying around the field and closing and doing all of that stuff, they're going to be very tactically savvy and aware.”
Sebastian Giovinco: “It was a great start, we played a fantastic game. When you play games like this, ones that are decisive, it's always amazing. We need to continue like this; we just can't stop.”
Last XI
Irwin, Moor, Zavaleta, Beitashour, Morrow, Hagglund, Bradley, Cooper, Osorio, Altidore, Giovinco
