TORONTO — Soccer players are usually up for a challenge after training, lining up to try and hit the woodwork from distance or bend a corner directly into the goal.
Toronto FC midfielder Victor Vazquez raised the bar Friday when it comes to party tricks.
The Spanish playmaker left the pitch, with several balls, and positioned himself on the sidewalk behind the protective netting that stretches several storeys above the goal. Vazquez punted the ball high in the air and over the netting. Then, like a golfer looking to stick the ball on the green, he watched as the ball bounced off the grass and spun back into the net.
"The wind helped," he said with a smile.
Vazquez, who says he is healthier than he has been in a long time, and Toronto FC (8-15-6) face another do-or-die game Saturday against the visiting New England Revolution (8-10-11) visit.
Ninth-place Toronto, the reigning MLS champions, is 10 points out of the sixth and last playoff spot in the Eastern Conference — currently occupied by Montreal — with five games remaining. A Toronto loss or draw combined with a Montreal win would eliminate TFC from playoff contention.
There is also urgency for eighth-place New England, which comes into the game five points out of the playoffs with five games remaining.
While Toronto's season is likely done, coach Greg Vanney is looking for his team to make a statement as it nears the finish line.
"I think guys know that our only means for the rest of the season is to just to try and put pressure on other teams to keep coming up with results," he said after training Friday. "But for us it's about improving as a group, getting guys healthy, trying to get on the field and whether we have five games left or we manage to somehow find our way in the playoffs, we want to finish playing better than we've played throughout the course of the year."
Both teams have had trouble digging themselves out of their hole, although New England has done better of late.
The Revolution arrive unbeaten in four (1-0-3), a stretch that followed an eight-game winless streak (0-6-2).
Toronto has lost three of its last four in league play (1-3-0). It has won just two of its last eight (2-4-2) and four of its last 16 (4-8-4).
Like TFC, the Revolution have been hanging around rather than making a late-season move.
Vazquez, the straw that stirs the TFC drink, has been limited by injury in showing off his ball skills this season. The 31-year-old has started just 17 of Toronto's 29 regular-season games, seeing action in 19 league outings, due to hip, knee and back problems.
The Spaniard still has seven goals and eight assists — he had eight goals and 16 assists in 31 appearances (28 starts). But his physical limitations have often cut into his training and prevented him from playing games on a short turnaround, which has not helped Toronto's search for consistency this season.
Vazquez is key to the Toronto attack, knowing when to slow the ball down and when to advance it quickly. He makes others around him better.
"He's unbelievable," said Vanney. "For me, he has all the technical tools to do many many things. But the way he processes the game and what he sees and his ability to dictate some of the tempo for us, choose the right moments to really try to finish our attacks — when he's on his game, to me there's not anyone better around the league that moves the game and makes decisions like he does.
"It's great that he's feeling good now. That's a positive sign now as we continue to look forward. But for sure we've missed him over the course of the year."
On the plus side for Toronto, star strikers Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco are back training. Giovinco sat out the 2-0 loss at the New York Red Bulls last weekend with a calf issue while Altidore limped off early with a turned ankle.
Veteran defender Drew Moor remains troubled by a calf injury. He felt sore after a recent jogging session so is out of contention for the weekend.
TFC hosts the Vancouver Whitecaps on Oct. 6 before visiting D.C. United and Montreal. Toronto wraps up the regular season Oct. 28 at home to Atlanta.
New England won 3-2 over visiting Toronto in a May 12 game that TFC would love to forget.
All three Revolution goals came on TFC turnovers, with New England leading 2-0 after seven minutes. Toronto, which fielded just five regular starters in the midst of four games in 14 days, made it close with an 89th-minute Giovinco penalty kick.
The Italian was red-carded in the wake of the penalty for putting his hands to Wilfried Zahibo's face after the French midfielder half-heartedly tried to slap the ball out of his hands as he raced back for the kickoff.
Errors and indiscipline have hurt Toronto all year.
Toronto hosts the Vancouver Whitecaps on Oct. 6 before visiting D.C. United and Montreal. TFC wraps up the regular season Oct. 28 at home to Atlanta.
NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION (8-10-11) AT TORONTO FC (8-15-6)
Saturday at BMO Field
GOAL SPREE: Toronto's last six home games in all competitions have produced 34 goals, an average of 5.67 goals a game. TFC has outscored the opposition 18-16 over that run, winning three and losing three.
UNAVAILABLE: New England centre back Antonio Delamea is suspended for yellow-card accumulation. Jalil Anibaba is expected to take his place alongside Michael Mancienne.
FOUL COUNT: New England has committed 432 fouls, most in the league. Toronto has been called for 243 fouls, least in the league,
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Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press
