John Herdman’s Statements After Toronto FC's Loss to DC United

In a very tough match, we witnessed Toronto FC's loss at home, where unfortunately, the team failed to capitalize on what was supposed to be a high point after reaching the final of the Canadian Championship, a game in which they had impressed everyone with a fantastic performance from start to finish.

But unfortunately, the same cannot be said about this match, and according to John Herdman, there was a drop in morale during the second half, where the team didn’t seize the opportunity to win and secure a better position in the Eastern Conference.

John Herdman Speaks After the Match

John Herdman stated that there was a significant issue affecting the players and that unfortunately, there wasn't the necessary chemistry to go all out in this match. DC United, however, came out strong at the end of the game, securing a 3-1 victory. The TFC coach made it clear that the team was not up to the expectations.

"I felt there was complacency in that second half. It felt like we were just missing that urgency, whether that was the tactical piece, an emotional element from the players, or players coming in and losing chemistry. Either way, there wasn’t enough urgency for that final phase and that was reiterated in the dressing room."
John Herdman

Herdman also mentioned how the good momentum they had been riding didn’t carry over into this match. Despite DC United not being in the best position in the Eastern Conference, currently sitting 11th below Toronto FC, with TFC holding a 4-point advantage, that gap couldn’t be widened as DC United took the victory.

"We’ve been on a decent run and tonight, again, it’s that Jekyll and Hyde TFC. We’re at that stage where we have to fight every second, every minute, and bring that level of desire. I’m going to provoke that in the next two weeks."
John Herdman

He also expressed that this was a fantastic opportunity given the upcoming schedule. With very few matches left and Toronto FC still at risk of missing the playoffs, not closing out games like this could cause them to stumble in the final stages. As September is not expected to be highly competitive, the matches TFC will play are crucial for securing a spot in the playoffs.

"“A big opportunity missed. They [the players] were devastated. They knew how big the moment was tonight to cut off D.C.’s hopes and to get closer to Orlando."
John Herdman