By Canadian Press

Toronto FC coach Greg Vanney faces a decision in goal as playoffs approach

Sep 19, 2016 | 1:15 PM

TORONTO — Injury forced goalkeeper Clint Irwin out of the Toronto FC lineup. The fine play of backup Alex Bono has extended that absence.

Both are healthy now and coach Greg Vanney has a decision to make as the Reds plan their post-season strategy. Toronto (13-8-8) leads the Eastern Conference with five regular-season games remaining and is poised to do some damage.

The question is: do you fix something that isn’t broken?

Bono and Irwin have each appeared in 15 games, with Toronto going 8-2-4 in front of Bono since Irwin suffered a quadriceps strain June 25 in Orlando.

A now-healthy Irwin has made two USL appearances for Toronto FC 2 and backed up Bono the last two MLS games. And while Vanney is coy about the future, he hints that Irwin will soon be back.

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“For me Clint was our starting goalkeeper coming into the year. He got injured. (It) doesn’t necessarily mean he’s not our starting goalkeeper,” Vanney said after Irwin backed up Bono in Sunday’s 3-3 tie with the New York Red Bulls. “But Alex has been fantastic in stepping in to deal with things.

“I like that the two of them will be competitive with one another and will really try to push each other. There’s a healthy competition there amongst the two of them. Those are good things. In every position we want that.”

Irwin will likely get his chance soon. Toronto hosts the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, the first of three games in a week. That is followed by a two-week break in the schedule before Toronto wraps up the regular season with games in Montreal and against Chicago. 

“Over the next couple of weeks, we’ll be determining in which direction we’ll want to go,” said Vanney. “Either way, Clint’s going to get some runs, just to make sure that as we go into this final stretch and into the playoffs that we know we’ve got two goalkeepers that are sharp and ready to go.

“We’ll make our decision when the time comes.”

There is some history when it comes to handling goalkeepers in Toronto, however. Just ask Milos Kocic, Stefan Frei, Joe Bendik or Chris Konopka, who all could make a case for being hard done by here. Frei (Seattle) and Bendik (Orlando) are now starting for other MLS clubs while Konopka (Portland) is a backup. 

Most of that happened pre-Vanney, however.

Irwin, a steady presence on and off the pitch, has been nothing but supportive since being sidelined.

“Electric tonight,” he tweeted after Sunday’s rousing comeback against the Red Bulls. “Great fight back from the boys.”

Bono got the weekend start because Vanney believed he deserved to keep the starter’s shirt after an “immense” performance the previous week in a win over the Chicago Fire. The decision was helped by the fact that Vanney anticipated a high-tempo game with the Red Bulls with his ‘keeper in the thick of things — not the easiest scenario in which to return to action.

The 27-year-old Irwin, who was a three-year starter in Colorado prior to coming to Toronto via trade in the off-season, ranks fifth in the league with a 1.08 goals-against average. The 22-year-old Bono, in his second year in MLS, is sixth at 1.13. 

Irwin has six shutouts and Bono three.

The other numbers are very similar with both conceding 16 goals. Irwin has played 1,330 minutes, facing 59 shots and making 43 saves. For Bono, it’s 1,280, 55 and 39. 

Between them, and with the help of a revamped back four and more structured team defensive approach across, Toronto has conceded just 1.10 goals per game for the third-best defence in the league. Compare that to last season when Toronto gave up 1.71 goals an outing.

While Bono has made the most of his chance to play, in the process dispelling previous concerns he was too hard on himself mentally, Irwin’s experience and quiet leadership will be welcome as Toronto looks to go deep into the playoffs after a disappointing one-and-out post-season in 2015. 

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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press