Nick Hagglund has been a familiar face in Toronto FC’s lineup in recent weeks, but that wasn’t always the case for the Reds’ centre back this season.
There were times this year when the 24-year-old American defender, who played in less than half of Toronto’s regular-season games this year and started only eight, couldn’t see a light at the end tunnel.
“It was a tough situation. We had a great group; our defence was doing great,” Hagglund said Friday, two days before the first leg of the Reds’ Eastern Conference semi-final against New York City FC at BMO Field.