For a long-suffering Toronto FC fan base, it was history. For Sebastian Giovinco, it was about time. Toronto FC scored its first playoff goal in franchise history and advanced past the knockout round for the first time. Toronto will now face New York City FC in the conference semifinals in a match pitting a large majority of the league’s major star power.
Eight months after the kick off to the 2016 campaign, the MLS season has finally reached the playoff stage. In a case of switching identifies, last year’s champions, the Portland Timbers, failed to make the knockout round, while typical basement dwellers Colorado were a pacesetting team from start to finish. San Jose, Houston and Vancouver join Portland on the outside looking in, all hoping to be next year’s Rapids.
After yet another impressive season, FC Dallas finish top of the Western Conference and MLS, winning the 2016 Supporters’ Shield.
Remember those late June whispers regarding a sophomore slump for Toronto FC’s Sebastian Giovinco? Yeah, suggestions of Giovinco’s apparent demise had been greatly exaggerated. The Italian registered his MLS-leading 16th goal on Saturday — it was his eighth goal in six MLS matches dating back to July 24th.
MLS used to be a league where everyone played a 4-4-2 and large, slow defenders would kick the ball really hard toward big forwards, who were good at winning headers but not much else, who would then try to either outrun the defense or take a long shot. It was painfully boring.
It was quite the day for the city of Toronto yesterday. First, the Blue Jays clinched a spot in the ALCS after a wild game vs the Texas Rangers and then a Sebastian Giovinco goal for Toronto FC sent the club to their first ever playoff apperance. As the rapper Drake would say, "what a time to be alive!" Giovinco's goal for Toronto reminded us, and probably anyone who watched it, of a little Argentine that plays his futbol over the pond at Barcelona. Yes we're obviously talking about Lionel Messi, and yes Giovinco's goal mimics the likes of La Pulga.