Federico Bernardeschi missed his first chance to score his first MLS goal, but he wasn’t about to waste a second chance.
Making their long-awaited MLS debuts, Bernardeschi and Lorenzo Insigne made sure the months of waiting and anticipation were worth it for Toronto FC in an emphatic 4-0 win over Charlotte FC on Saturday night.
Already leading 1-0 four minutes into the match, Bernardeschi would head in a corner from Michael Bradley to put TFC ahead 2-0. Minutes later, the former Juventus player scored his first MLS goal with a blistering shot past Charlotte goalkeeper Christian Cahlina.
It was the first time since 2009 that a player recorded a goal and an assist in his MLS debut on a night that provided many firsts for Toronto. For Bernardeschi, the most important result was getting the club back into the winning column.
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“Today for me it was important for the team to win, for the fans, for the confidence, for the future,” Bernardeschi said after the match. “For me, today is the start of a new season for TFC.”
As the team left the field at halftime, the fans rose to their feet to show their approval of a dominant first half where TFC scored four goals in the first half for the first time in club history.
With TFC flying to Vancouver for Tuesday’s Canadian Championship final, the team substituted Insigne and Bernardeschi for the second half in a game that ended well before the final whistle.
Going into Saturday’s game, Michael Bradley said the additions of Insigne and Bernardeschi would raise the level of play, but for it to happen as quickly as it did is an important development for Toronto.
“Really, really big night. You could feel it, the last couple of days you felt it was shaping up to be a special night, and it was in every way,” Bradley said after scoring for the second time with TFC.
A 4-0 win over Charlotte FC gives some hope that TFC can make a push to reach the MLS Cup playoffs, despite sitting near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings heading into Saturday’s game.
With the clean sheet, TFC ended a streak of 29 consecutive MLS games in which they conceded at least one goal, a streak that currently has them fourth-worst in the league in goals conceded.
They have a lot of work to do to get back into contention and head coach Bob Bradley said it will take some time to become a good football club.
“It hasn’t been that often that we don’t have those, but there have been a couple of games that are just struggles and we keep saying, come on,” Bradley explained. “…the more you move the football, the more guys start to get on the same page, it starts to get faster, that’s how you make a team. There are no shortcuts.”
The addition of Insigne and Bernardeschi not only made a difference in the team’s play on the field, but the atmosphere at BMO Field was rejuvenated. A sell-out crowd of 29,067, one of the biggest in years, made sure every moment was enjoyed.
As the starting line-up was announced the cheers got louder and louder for each player and then came the big ovation for the number 24 as fans waved flags made for Insigne’s debut as his famous heart gesture was printed on it and the nickname “Il Magnifico”.
“It was a great atmosphere. I’m very happy with this debut, I didn’t expect it and I’m encouraged to celebrate with such a victory,” Insigne said after the match through a translator.
“It’s certainly different from what I played in Europe. But there is a very strong energy and that is very important. You have to be fit to get a result and that’s what’s important.”
The moment Insigne touched the ball for the first time was met with a standing ovation from the fans and while he did not score in his first game, his presence was felt throughout the 45 minutes of play. The 31-year-old created five scoring chances and made a world-class play on Bradley’s second goal of the game, which extended TFC’s advantage to 4-0.
“I think the first half was great. We played a great game. There is still a long way to go and I like how we played, even if I didn’t score,” explained Insigne. “But I’m here for the team to make more assists that I made and I’m really happy with the results.”
Bradley was excited to see how the team’s newest additions finally felt and believes it will only get better with time.
As for the way the audience reacted, Bradley felt the impact he had on the performance and knew how important it was to reward the fans who had been waiting to see it all together.
“Right from the start, strongly, in it, I appreciated the moments of good football,” explained Bradley. “And again, getting these guys on the field was exciting for the team, but we also absolutely realize how exciting it was for the fans and for the city.”
Insigne’s debut was initially delayed due to a calf injury sustained while returning to Italy. He admitted he was tired after the game, but that was to be expected as it was his first game since his last appearance with Napoli at the end of May.
His status for Tuesday’s championship game against the Vancouver Whitecaps will be determined based on his recovery and how Bradley approaches the game.
Insigne and Bernardeschi weren’t the only players to make their season debut. Marc-Anthony Kaye played his first game back at BMO Field, while Doneil Henry made his first appearances since rejoining TFC.
The road won’t get any easier for TFC as they play their next three games, including two league games, on the road, including games against New England and Nashville.
Toronto will have to wait until August 13th to see their club play at home, but hopefully the team will continue their push to make the playoffs with their Italian stars front and center.
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