Toronto aren’t much cop, but to turn that into a positive, I thought we looked noticeably fit and occasionally quite fluid. There were fleeting glimpses of push and run, pass and go. That sort of thing.
It may well be the case that the hosts are up to their ears in domestic fixtures, and were more interested in avoiding injuries than burning themselves out in a meaningless kickabout.
Random observations:
Lamela looks like a different person. This guy appears quick witted, fast and focused. More please.
Capoue is looking less and less like the whipping boy that some might have sought to cast him as.
Mason, Veljkovic and Holtby are more reasons to be modestly cheerful.
Azza seemed to be more involved, which is nice. Rose had a good second half.
Dawson can’t play anything approaching a high line, nice guy blah blah blah… Kane was suffering again from a another dose of Alwaysthebridesmaidneverthebrideitus.
Preseason games make me nervous. I love to watch us excel in any match, but the ghost of Barren Dent still lurks ominously whenever I see good works being done outside of a proper competition.
You can see the match in full here.
Goal highlights below.
