TORONTO – The 2018 Concacaf Champions League may have come to an end, but it’s effects may linger for a while.
For Toronto FC, there is of course the primary disappointment of how it ended, losing to Chivas on penalties after having fought back in Guadalajara from a first-leg deficit. But the concern going forward is the physical toll the grueling format took.
The defensive unit was beyond decimated, the ever-growing injury report claiming Drew Moor (quadricep), Nick Hagglund (hamstring), Chris Mavinga (soreness), Justin Morrow (calf), and Eriq Zavaleta (quadricep). In the attack, Victor Vazquez (back) was sidelined for the majority of the tournament, while Jozy Altidore (hamstring) battled through as best he could.
If there’s any good news, though, is that Altidore’s absence shouldn’t be too lengthy.
“My understanding is a mild strain in the hamstring,” said Vanney of the injury which occurred in the midst of a jumping action during the CCL final second leg. “Probably just a couple weeks; it’s already been a week now.”
Far more serious is the injury to Moor, who suffered a quad tear during a standard moment in training last week. The veteran center back will be sidelined for a “two-three month range,” according to Vanney.
“I don’t know the exact time line, more months than weeks because it’s a fairly significant tear,” the TFC coach said. “You would never believe that he was going to be out for months: a 10-yard pass that led to him pulling up. It was mind-boggling to him, he’s never had muscles issues.”
“This shows the grind this tournament [is], the toll it has taken. There are so many variables. By and large we got away with little things, but [Drew’s] is more than little.”
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Three other players – Morrow, Mavinga, and Zavaleta – are set for returns in the near future with Vanney saying Morrow is “feeling better” and that Mavinga is “on the verge of being ready to go.”
“Eriq isn’t far off either,” the TFC coach said. “It’s an issue in the quad, but a minor muscle. He feels a lot better right now, the stronger muscles can compensate, but it doesn’t mean he’s safe because it can easily be set back. He’s close: within the next week or two.”
Another defender, Hagglund, has not featured since a March 17 game against the Montreal Impact, but he is “progressing” on schedule – originally set at six-to-eight weeks.
“It was a significant hamstring issue,” Vanney said. “He’s starting to do more stuff on the field, probably get into a little training this week, so hopefully the next couple weeks again.
“Everyone is moving in the right direction; the one guy a ways away is Drew.”
All told, it has been a hectic start to Toronto’s MLS Cup title defense.
TFC have already played 14 matches and have racked up the miles. From Los Angeles and Mexico in preseason, to Colorado, Monterrey, Mexico City and Guadalajara in the Champions League, and Colorado (again) and Houston in league play, Toronto crisscrossed the continent through the opening two months of the season.
For Vanney, the injury bug is “an indication of the event, the timing of year, and the ask we put on these guys to go through what I think was the most difficult path in the history of Concacaf to try to win a championship.”
“Given you only have four weeks to prepare physically to go through that grind, it shows how difficult this tournament is for MLS teams; to prepare for all the variables you encounter at such an early time of the season,” the TFC coach continued. “Usually in the MLS season, you don’t play any midweek games for the first two months because the bodies are still trying to adapt, then you add in the travel, all these games, and the intensity of [them]. It’s a tough tournament, but we were in it to win it. … We were really close.”
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