Grievous Mistakes Still Costly in MLS | Toronto FC 1-2 Nashville

In this latest round of MLS action, Toronto FC tried to strengthen all the weaknesses shown in the previous match. Herdman's squad demonstrated much better organization and managed the game well against Nashville.

Pre-match, neither team was a clear favorite, as both were not in their best form heading into this MLS match. Toronto FC, in particular, was coming off a heavy defeat on June 15th.

Returning to a familiar lineup under Herdman, TFC took to the field with their best players, including their two Italian stars, to face Nashville at BMO Field.

The start of the match showed evident improvement, with the team displaying solid organization in their usual 3-5-2 formation, maintaining good ball possession. However, all the first-half effort would be wasted in the second half.

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A Strong First Half for Herdman's Team

In the first half, at the 28th minute, a penalty was awarded to Toronto FC after a foul on Federico Bernardeschi. The Italian stepped up to take the shot but slipped before striking the ball, sending it over the crossbar and missing a crucial opportunity to open the scoring. However, he redeemed himself a few minutes later by assisting Alonso Coello, who scored in the 33rd minute to make it 1-0.

Luka Gavran had a quiet first half as Nashville's attacks posed no real threat, thanks to the high-level commitment from every player in closing down spaces and covering positions effectively.

Toronto FC's Loss of Focus

In the second half, it seemed like the team would maintain and even extend their lead, but they lost control of the match due to poor organization with the ball, allowing Nashville to take control.

Nashville's comeback was unexpected but highlighted Toronto FC's current woes: being disastrous in defense and unable to close out games. At the 65th minute, Sam Surridge equalized, and with Nashville dominating until the end, Surridge scored again in the 90th minute to secure a 2-1 victory.

The match ended with a defeat for Toronto FC, losing three valuable points in this MLS season. Herdman now has an additional concern: even with their two stars on the field, the team can't score or look better offensively than their opponents. Additionally, their defense is failing, and the three-man backline isn't yielding positive results.

Toronto FC won't have much time to rest as they visit New York RB on June 22nd for the 22nd round of the MLS. Herdman has a lot of work ahead to prevent the team from continuing their losing streak.