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Toronto FC enters crucial period in need of a drastic turnaround

Rick Madonik / Toronto Star / Getty

As title defences go, this one has been pretty disastrous.

Toronto FC lost again Wednesday - its third MLS defeat in a row for the first time since September 2015 - with a 4-3 setback against Minnesota United, a game that wasn't close or competitive despite the scoreline.

At the halfway point of their MLS season, the Reds now have double the number of league defeats they racked up last campaign in exactly half the games played. Wednesday's game was the first time Minnesota had scored more than twice all season long, and the fact of the matter is Toronto's become such a charitable opponent that teams must rub their hands together in delight when they see the Reds on their schedule.

The club is not only failing to come close to last season's record-setting standard, but it's in genuine danger of missing the playoffs altogether. Can this season be salvaged? Yes, but with six games still to play before the end of July, including both legs of the Canadian Championship semi-final against the Ottawa Fury, things are going to have to change quickly.

Too many headstarts

TFC's continental run has contributed to a difficult schedule, but it can't use that as an excuse anymore. The truth is the team is unrecognisable from last season. Toronto has conceded 34 goals in just 17 games during this campaign, but allowed only 37 tallies in 34 matches last year.

"The frustrating part is that in so many games, we haven’t given ourselves a chance," captain Michael Bradley said after the Minnesota defeat, according to the Associated Press. "We start the game down 1-0, down 2-0 too many times. You have to be able to play from behind in moments, but we have had to do it way too often this year."

The early-season rationale of injuries to a raft of important players and a difficult start after the CONCACAF Champions League is gone, leaving mostly disbelief at how far Toronto has fallen in a matter of months. Wednesday was the 10th time in 17 games that TFC has gone behind before half-time. From those 10 games, it has a single point out of a possible 30. This trend is the first thing that must be addressed if the club holds any serious hope of recovering in time for a playoff push.

Canadian Championship could still be crucial

Despite arguably being MLS' most attractive club to new arrivals during the winter, TFC has lost a great deal of its appeal due to this year's disappointing campaign. The key to restoring that could be the Canadian Championship.

The Reds have won the Voyageurs Cup in each of the last two seasons, which led to a path into the Champions League. While the CONCACAF version is not as prestigious as its UEFA counterpart, the opportunity for a player to test himself against the very best North and Central America have to offer could serve as a crucial motivator.

Given that a postseason berth looks hard to come by from this position, TFC would be foolish to not exert itself to win the Canadian Championship for the third year in a row, even after the controversial decision to go all guns blazing in the Champions League. That poses its own risks, of course, but if the Reds do miss the playoffs, being in CONCACAF competition for the second season in a row will be crucial to its appeal.

Giovinco must take advantage

The biggest positive from Wednesday's defeat came in the 70th minute with TFC down 4-1. Receiving a touch from Nicolas Hasler, Sebastian Giovinco worked himself into space with a neat flick before smashing home from 25 yards with his left foot. It was a terrific goal.

It was also only his fourth of the season in MLS play. Though he's also added three assists, and despite injuries that have limited him to only 14 league games, that kind of return is below what's both required and expected of the Italian.

TFC desperately needs Wednesday's stunner to be some kind of kickstart for its marquee player. With other stars struggling with both injury and poor performances, a run of fitness and form for the 31-year-old would be the most likely way to spark an increasingly unlikely turnaround in fortunes. It needs to start immediately.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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