Toronto FC opened the John Herdman era with a 0-0 draw against FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium.
The first half saw the Canadian side look a completely different team when compared to the one we saw in 2023. John Herdman, in his first game as TFC head coach, implemented a back-three that saw wingbacks Richie Laryea and Federico Bernardeschi look threatening early on.
The first 45 also saw Laryea trip over himself in Cincinnati’s penalty area to try to earn a penalty kick after being tripped up by Obinna Nwobodo, as Lorenzo Insigne forced Roman Celentano into action after an impressive free-kick strike. FCC’s Corey Baird lined up an overhead kick from close range, but his effort was tipped over by Sean Johnson.
It was the same story after the restart, with Toronto dominating possession while Cincinnati picked up scraps in transition to kickstart counter-attacks. Johnson was called to action a few times to keep the game in a 0-0 deadlock.
Cincinnati had brief flashes where they looked like the team that lifted the 2023 Supporters’ Shield, but Toronto were the more impressive side and will be delighted to take home a point in their first game under former Canada men’s national team boss John Herdman.
GK: Roman Celentano – 7/10 – Denied Insigne with an impressive save at his near post but wasn’t called into action for much of the game.
CB: Kipp Keller – 6.5/10 – Stepped in to make a few key clearances at the back.
CB: Miles Robinson – 6.5/10 – A quiet debut for the former Atlanta United figure as he led the backline in Matt Miazga’s absence.
CB: Ian Murphy – 6.5/10 – A quiet game from the left-sided defender, which is what you want from your center-back.
RM: Yuya Kubo – 6/10 – Looked out of sorts in a position he isn’t used to playing.
CM: Pavel Bucha – 7/10 – Complimented Nwobodo nicely in the middle of the park on his MLS debut.
CM: Obinna Nwobodo – 7.5/10 – Excellent passing in tight spaces and he worked tirelessly to win the ball back for FCC.
LM: Luca Orellano – 6.5/10 – Got forward to make a few dangerous runs in opposition territory but still needs time to gain chemistry with his teammates.
AM: Lucho Acosta – 7/10 – The reigning MVP started slow and improved as the clock ticked, but Toronto’s ability to keep hold of the ball meant he had limited chances to work his magic.
ST: Sergio Santos – 6/10 – Good passing in the final third but didn’t make a huge impact in front of goal.
ST: Corey…
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