Reds alive in playoff race with three games left
Third road victory of season puts Toronto in middle of playoff race
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Highlights: TFC 3, NY 1
- Chad Barrett scores a brace at NY350K
The visitors got two goals from striker Chad Barrett and sealed just their third road victory this season with teenager Abdus Ibrahim's late tally. Dane Richards scored for New York, which is also vying for one of the final playoff spots.
"The way the results went over the past two weeks, it's left it wide open again," TFC coach John Carver said of the playoff race afterward. "It's in our hands, really."
Carver was more impressed with the all-feet-on-deck defensive effort than with the offensive outburst from his usually goal-shy squad.
"I've been critical of the way we've defended of late, but I thought tonight we did ever so well defensively," he said.
"It's about the players believing in themselves. I thought they showed great character tonight, played some good football at times and defended very well. It's been an outstanding team performance and we're obviously delighted with the result."
Still, as goalkeeper Greg Sutton pointed out, the Reds are "probably going to have to win the rest of our games and hope that other teams struggle" to qualify for the postseason for the first time since joining the league last year.
Doing that won't be easy, not least because next week's visit to FC Dallas conflicts with another of FIFA's international fixture dates.
"I lose nine players next week when we go into Dallas," said Carver. "It's going to be tough, but it gives the guys who are left behind an opportunity to say 'Right, I'll give John a problem when the international guys come back.'"
Said Sutton: "Guys are going to have to step up next week when we have some internationals gone. Hopefully the guys coming in will do the job."
After Toronto's skeleton squad completes the trip to Dallas, TFC plays the Chicago Fire at home then travels to San Jose to meet the Earthquakes in the last game of the regular season.
But the remaining schedule might be moot had Toronto not taken all three points from New York. Barrett's goals were the difference in the box score, but the obvious man of the match was quick to praise teammate Marvell Wynne, whose brilliant run set up the game-winner.
"It was amazing," Barrett said. "He's the fastest guy in the league, probably. He played a great ball to me and all I had to do was finish. It was the most I've ever concentrated on a shot."
Sutton was more impressed that his teammates hung tough after conceding Richards' potentially morale-crushing equalizer just four minutes into the second half.
"To come back after that, it's a testament to the character of this team," Sutton said. "It's good to see at this stage of the season, when we're fighting for our lives."
Of course, scoring goals helps, too.
"At times this season we've let ourselves down by switching off at certain points of the game," Sutton said. "Having said that, we've done pretty well defensively at times, too. We just haven scored. Tonight, obviously we got the offensive production, which makes it easier for us. If you put those two together, you're going to win games."
Toronto FC and its fans hope they can win three more.
Douglas McIntyre is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
