‘We don’t have an idea to play’: Bernardeschi speaks out after latest TFC loss

AUSTIN, Texas — Toronto FC’s painful season produced one other physique blow Saturday. And maybe extra worrying, there was a pissed off outburst from Italian star Federico Bernardeschi within the aftermath of the 1-0 loss to Austin FC.

Bob Bradley’s depleted workforce, lacking 10 gamers by harm or suspension, appeared to have held on for a second straight scoreless draw solely to concede a 91st-minute objective within the first-ever assembly between the MLS golf equipment.

Austin substitute Adam Lundqvist’s cross was not cleared with Nick Lima’s ensuing backward header hitting the crossbar, with goalkeeper Sean Johnson hitting the deck after attempting to make the save. The ball got here again to Gyasi Zardes who headed it house for his 99th profession MLS objective with the ball simply clearing six-foot-four defender Matt Hedges’ head.

“A very tough loss,” stated Bradley, who stated his gamers have been “devastated.”

“We got through a tough first half. I thought we made some improvements in the second half,” he added. “It’s a very tough goal to give up.”

The Zardes objective had been a very long time coming. Austin outshot the guests 16-3 (2-0 in pictures on track).

Toronto (2-5-7) has received simply certainly one of its final 11 video games (1-5-5) in all competitions. Sitting fifteenth and final within the Eastern Conference, it’s winless in its final 5 outings (0-4-1) throughout which it has been outscored 7-1 (with the objective coming in Canadian Championship play).

TFC has not scored in league play since C.J. Sapong’s strike in a 1-0 win over New York City FC on April 29 — a drought of 404 minutes.

Bernardeschi, talking to reporters in a digital availability after the sport, praised his teammates saying they’d left all of it out on the sphere.

But the previous Juventus participant, who wears his coronary heart on his sleeve, then appeared to take sq. goal at Bradley’s techniques.

“We don’t play,” the Italian star, the fourth-highest-paid participant within the league at US$6.295 million this season, stated in English. “We play long pass. We don’t have an idea to play.”

“I think this city, the fans, everybody, don’t deserve this,” he added. “And I think maybe we need to change something. We need a little bit more tactics. We need an idea how we play, because this is the real problem for me. It’s impossible to play like this when we play without idea.”

Asked whether or not the issue was in executing the sport plan or the sport plan itself, Bernardeschi replied: “We don’t have a development within the recreation. When the participant has the ball, we don’t know the best way to go the ball. This is the true downside. Because we don’t prepare that.

“We lose every game. We tie, we lose, we tie, we lose. Sometimes we win. But I can’t believe this, sincerely. This is no good for the young players. They need to get better and grow up with an idea of football … We need the idea of football.”

Bernardeschi was substituted within the 67th minute with Bradley saying later he had been coping with a abdomen bug late within the week.

“It’s humid down here and I thought he gave us 67 big minutes,” stated the three-time MLS coach of the 12 months, who spoke to reporters earlier than Bernardeschi. 

It was one-way site visitors within the first half with Austin having greater than 60 per cent of possession and Toronto not recording a shot on objective. The house facet hit the woodwork twice within the opening 45 minutes however none of its eight pictures have been on track.

A change in formation and personnel helped Toronto turn out to be extra aggressive within the second half.

TFC had but to win on the street this season (0-4-3) and is 2-15-7 away from house in league play because the starting of final 12 months. Its final street win was Aug. 27 in Charlotte.

Toronto has received simply certainly one of its 23 profession regular-season video games in Texas (1-13-9) with the lone victory in September 2010 (2-1 at Houston).

Austin (4-5-4) snapped an eight-game winless league run (0-4-4) with a 2-1 upset on the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday. It was the third-year workforce’s first victory since a 2-1 choice at Real Salt Lake on March 11.

The Texas facet got here into weekend play in tenth place within the West, one level out of the playoffs and with a greater report on the street (2-3-1) than at house (1-2-3) this season. Austin had not received in league play at house since a 1-0 choice over CF Montreal on March 4.

Hedges and midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye returned to the Toronto beginning lineup after harm absences. But Italian star Lorenzo Insigne didn’t make the journey on account of a lower-body harm, the membership revealed simply earlier than kickoff.

Bradley stated Insigne was battling a foot harm sustained within the mid-week 0-0 draw with the visiting Red Bulls.

The TFC harm listing additionally included defenders Sigurd Rosted and Shane O’Neill, midfielders Michael Bradley, Jonathan Osorio, Alonso Coello and Victor Vazquez and forwards Adama Diomande and Deandre Kerr. Midfielder/ahead Jahkeele Marshall Rutty was suspended.

With Bradley, Osorio and Insigne not dressed, Richie Laryea captained the workforce. Normally a fullback, Laryea was an emergency centre again Wednesday however began within the entrance three Saturday with Sapong and Bernardeschi.

Wingback Themi Antonoglou made his fifth profession begin for TFC, which performed with a again three.

To make up the numbers, Toronto signed 18-year-old midfielder Markus Cimermancic, 22-year-old defender Antony Curic and 22-year-old midfielder Jordan Faria to short-term mortgage agreements from TFC II, the membership’s MLS Next Pro facet.

Faria made his MLS debut within the second half, changed Bernardeschi.

Toronto’s younger bench featured two youngsters. In distinction, the Austin substitutes included Argentine designated participant Emiliano Rigoni and veterans Zardes and Diego Fagundez, all of whom got here on within the second half.

Austin was with out injured attacking midfield star Sebastian Driussi, runner-up for league MVP final season. 

It was 25 Celsius at kickoff at Q2 Stadium.

Bob Bradley despatched on Kosi Thompson and Hugo Mbongue to open the second half, with Mbongue enjoying up entrance and Laryea dropping again to midfield.

Toronto’s Kobe Franklin was booked within the 53rd minute for sliding boots-first into the onrushing Stuber as he challenged for the ball. Johnson needed to parry a tough shot from distance from Dani Pereira within the sixtieth minute.

Kaye wrestled Sofiane Djeffal to the bottom within the 71st minute, incomes a reserving for the crude problem. Rigoni got here shut on the following free kick.

Toronto hosts D.C. United subsequent Saturday.