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© (Butler II/USA TODAY) Toronto FC midfielder Alejandro Pozuelo (10) reacts after scoring against Philadelphia Union

TORONTO, Canada—Boy, this team is fun to watch.

Toronto FC once again pulled off a massive come-from-behind victory Saturday night, scoring two goals in the second half to defeat the Philadelphia Union. The win gave The Reds all three points for their third straight outing as TFC improved to 4-0-1 in their last five.

With wins over New York City FC, Columbus Crew SC, and now the Union, the team has now found ways to beat the Eastern Conference’s elite and appears to have hit a groove with eight matches left to play.

So what’s working? Let’s break it down. Here are five things noticed following The Reds’ 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Union last night.

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Alejandro Pozuelo continues to find different ways to produce

How many different ways can Alejandro Pozuelo manage to make a difference? The reigning Major League Soccer Player of the Month for September once again found the breakthrough for The Reds on Saturday night, finding all the space in the world at the back post before heading home the eventual game winner.

This can’t be understated. How many No. 10’s in this league, with the flair that Pozuelo possesses, would be in the mix of things trying to get their head on the ball? He should be the one taking the corner kicks, not getting his head to it. That’s just a testament to the Spaniard’s all-around ability and versatility and is part of the reason that he is arguably the front runner for the 2020 Landon Donovan Award as the league’s most valuable player.

76’ | GOAL! #TFCLive

Who else? @Pozuelo_10https://t.co/MXHZ9tS9Kxpic.twitter.com/G5q5YMjxnm

— Waking the Red (@WakingtheRed) October 4, 2020

In 15 matches this season, Pozuelo has registered seven goals and nine assists and has been the subject of praise of media outlets across Canada and the United States. But when asked if he’s thinking about the end-of-season award, however, the 29 year old was having none of it.

“No, this is not my goal,” replied Pozuelo. “My goal now in this moment is to be fit because we have a lot of games and the most important is not to be injured and try to play all the games possible and working for the team. This is my goal in this moment. If you’re thinking about the MVP (award), this is no good...”

For what it’s worth, Pozuelo also hinted at the possibility that there’s another gear that he can reach. When asked if this was the best he’s ever played, he opted not to take the clear-cut, obvious route.

“No, I don’t think so,” answered Pozuelo. “I had a good period in another team, I know I feel good. The more important thing is the team. We play very good football, we started losing but we kept going and pushing and the three points is the most important.”

Jozy Altidore/Justin Morrow Update

Speaking of staying healthy, Toronto FC encountered two injury setbacks during yesterday’s win over Philadelphia.

First, in the 37th minute, defender Justin Morrow went down injured holding what appeared to be his calf. After hobbling off, initially, the veteran defender offered some worrying signs, caught up in a rare moment on visible frustration on the TFC bench. However, as we learned from Greg Vanney after the match, it was an issue that the medical staff were aware of and they don’t expect Morrow to miss much (if any) time.

Then, in the 61st minute, a really worrying sight for Toronto FC fans as Jozy Altidore pulled up holding his hamstring after stretching for a ball. While Vanney couldn’t offer much of an update without getting further diagnosis on the injury, he did offer a sliver of hope.

“Jozy (Altidore), it seems to be it looks like a minor hamstring issue,” said the TFC head coach after the match. “I don’t know how minor or not minor. He says that soreness is there. We’ll have to see. We don’t exactly what the time frame looks like until we get a scan and we get a sense of what it is.

In terms of how that will change his rotation moving forward, expect to see a little bit more of The Reds’ No. 13.

“So how it changes the rotation,” started Vanney, “... obviously we’re down a forward if Jozy’s out for some period of time. That puts Pat (Mullins) back into the rotation. Maybe it brings, at times, Poz back into the middle. There’s plenty of things that we will do to adjust. We’ll miss Jozy because I really felt like he was starting to pick up his rhythm with everybody. I thought he was starting to move in a good way...”

Ayo Akinola is scoring at a prolific rate

Is there anyone more dangerous in front of goal than Toronto FC striker Ayo Akinola right now?

Tied for the team lead with seven goals in as many starts this season, the 20 year old leads all of MLS in Goals per 90 minutes (0.93), Non-Penalty Goals/90 (0.93), Expected Goals/90 (0.80), and Non-Penalty Expected Goals/90 (0.80). The Brampton, Ontario native also ranks second in Shots on Target/90 (1.99).

Akinola makes such smart runs. You can see on the replay that just before they get to the D, he fakes a run to the near post. It pushes the defender inside a step and he gets stuck underneath Gallacher's cross. #TFCLivehttps://t.co/Ofh6GAaJEc

— Oliver Platt (@plattoli) October 4, 2020

With the way he’s playing, it’s crazy to think that Akinola has only nine professional first-team starts under his belt. Despite this, with his emergence this season, Transfermarkt has Akinola now rated as the fourth most valuable player in Toronto behind Pozuelo, Jonathan Osorio, and Altidore.

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But with his striker partner expected to be sidelined for the unforeseeable future, if he hasn’t already, Akinola now has a chance to take a stranglehold of the No. 9 position and cement his spot in Greg Vanney’s Starting XI moving forward.

21 year old Tony Gallacher records first TFC assist

Not to be overshadowed, last night was a special one for the club’s newest signing.

With The Reds trailing by one, the new kid on the block, former Liverpool U-23 left-back Tony Gallacher showed his quality. Brought into the match to replace the injured Justin Morrow, Gallacher put in his most impressive performance so far in a TFC uniform, highlighted by a pinpoint, whipped-in cross on the break to find the head of Ayo Akinola (see goal above).

Credit to the Toronto FC staff for identifying an area of weakness at fullback, and solidifying it with cheap, quality depth that can make a difference. He’s already made three appearances since making the move from Anfield, and if Gallacher can continue to provide service like Saturday night, he’ll undoubtedly be in line for a few more minutes the rest of the way.

At just 21 years of age, you have to like what you see so far from the Scottish Youth International as he auditions for a role in Toronto beyond 2020.

Toronto FC are tied for first in MLS

Don’t look now, but after last night’s win, Toronto FC are currently tied for first place in MLS with the Columbus Crew. Now just imagine if this team didn’t throw away a handful of points by blowing late leads?

Wins like Saturday night against the Union—finding different ways to salvage three points like they did against Columbus and NYCFC—those are the types of victories that could make the difference at the end of the season.

Toronto FC are the closest that they’ve been to the Supporters Shield since hoisting it back in 2017. As such, I think it’s fitting that I leave you with this quote from Jonathan Osorio, when asked after the match Saturday what or who this team reminds him of.

“I think a little bit of the 2017 team,” said Osorio after the match. “We’re in a good rhythm right now, we’re playing really good football. I think we played well in the last game and a half against two really strong teams, two teams that are top of the league. I think this team is coming together now. We went through a little bit of a transition in the beginning of 2019. I still think that throughout the whole year we always had that quality it was just getting the system down, getting used to a little bit of a different system and players getting used to the philosophy that we play with here. Once that happened and everything started clicking and guys got healthy towards the end of last year that’s when you saw the quality that we had. Like you said, we were resilient, and I think we’ve brought that over to this year and you’ve seen over the last two games with the come from behind wins. But I think this year we’re dominating games in a better way, in the way we want to and we’re playing really positive football.”

Chris Mavinga header photo courtesy Major League Soccer/Philadelphia Union

To get the latest intel in Toronto FC, I caught up with Neil Davidson, who covers the Reds for The Canadian Press. Read Neil’s take on some of the key storylines surrounding the Supporters’ Shield runners-up.

Tim Sullivan: The recent history in Toronto has been “good when healthy, but not fully healthy often enough.” What’s the current health status of the team?

Neil Davidson: “The question-marks are attacking midfielder Pablo Piatti (who has missed the last four games), midfielder Marky Delgado (missed last three) and fullback Justin Morrow (missed the last two, played just 104 minutes in last eight games). Coach Greg Vanney has been coy in recent days about their health, saying only they are closer and he will have more bodies available than last time out. Piatti is a big miss, having developed a good relationship on the right side with Alejandro Pozuelo. Delgado is an unsung hero in the midfield, helping connect the dots. Morrow’s absence reduces Toronto’s experience and savvy but Richie Laryea has proved his worth this season.”

TS: Alejandro Pozuelo has been a star basically since the first time he stepped onto the field for TFC. What does he do within the system that allows him to be so successful?

ND: “When Toronto is at its best, it moves the ball quickly up the field. If that happens, Pozuelo has time, opportunity and vision to find runners in space. And with Ayo Akinola and Jozy Altidore (when healthy), he has powerful targets. The Spaniard can unlock defences and is a scoring threat himself, especially from the penalty spot where is a lock.”

TS: With aging stars and some talented young prospects, is Toronto FC on the verge of turning over a new generation or changing of the guard? What’s the next phase if so (or if not!)?

ND: “Toronto’s roster is filled with young talent. Eleven of the 32 players listed on the first-team roster are 22 or younger. More than a few have got a taste this season although the minutes have been limited. Striker Ayo Akinola, 20, has had a breakthrough year and, when healthy, is a force. Loanee Liverpool fullback Tony Gallacher, 21, has got better with each every outing when given the chance. Midfielder Ralph Priso, 18, has looked right at home in lmiited appearances. Jayden Nelson, another 18-year-old midfielder, brings great pace. Most of the youngsters are still green and need time, however. But the future is bright.”

TS: For all the talk about the Reds’ attack, we don’t hear a ton about the defenders. How has that unit performed this year, and who has been the key player to those performances?

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ND: “French centre back Chris Mavinga is the key. His athleticism and speed allow him to clean up his and others’ mistakes. He also adds to the backline as a left-footer. Veteran Omar Gonzalez is solid but lacks pace. Brazil’s Auro, Justin Morrow, Richie Laryea and Tony Gallacher provide excellent options at fullback. Quentin Westberg is a reliable goalkeeper who is a good shot-stopper. Opposition goals have often started farther upfield, with giveaways that leave the Toronto defence vulnerable.”

TS: How has the team handled its residency in Hartford? Have they been able to succeed without a true homefield advantage?

ND: “Hard to tell from a distance but the club appears to have done all it can to make it home. The players say the hotel, food etc have been excellent. They have access to UConn’s basketball facility across the street, using it to shoot hoops or play ball hockey. As a franchise, TFC is renowned for looking after its players, staff and families. During the pandemic, that has included flying in relatives to help look after the family while players are away, delivering meals and even helping with pet care. The club has also done its best to get the players home when possible. Captain Michael Bradley says spending time with loved ones in Toronto from Decision Day to the playoff opener has been ‘huge.’ They will spend the rest of the playoffs in Hartford, however.

“Bottom line, what Toronto has achieved having to play all but four games away from BMO Field during the regular season is pretty remarkable.”

TS: How do you expect the game to play out?

ND: “The rest will do Toronto a lot of good after losing three of its last four with some key pieces missing. While the roster may not be completely fit, most of the pieces will be in place Tuesday. And Toronto is comfortable in big-game situations. TFC respects Nashville, especially its commitment to defence, but the Canadian club has shown this year it can grind out wins. TFC has been exposed on set pieces in the past, so that might bear watching. The club also has a painful penalty shootout history, losing the 2016 MLS Cup final, the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League final and 2019 Canadian Championship final.”

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Many thanks to Neil for his expertise from north of the border. Make sure to follow him on the social media machines for everything you need to know on TFC.