Beauty be damned, Toronto FC machine keeps rolling in the MLS playoffs
COLUMBUS, Ohio — In sport, as in life, aesthetics sometimes go out the window.
If every toilet in your home is plugged, you don’t need a plumber who looks like Fabio. You want a professional with a plunger who can get the job done.
On Tuesday, without marquee strikers Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco, Toronto FC showed its blue-collar side in a 0-0 tie with Columbus Crew SC in Game 1 of the MLS Eastern Conference final.
Toronto coach Greg Vanney switched from his usual fast-moving and stylish 3-5-2 formation to a more bottom-line-oriented 4-1-4-1 with captain Michael Bradley an Energizer Bunny playing deep to shield the backline while backup forward Tosaint Ricketts plowed a lone furrow up front.