It was far from an easy task, the one that Alejandro Pozuelo signed up for when he joined Toronto FC as their third designated player in March.
For four years, TFC’s big three were captain Michael Bradley plus forwards Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco. The latter was the flashiest of the bunch, the Atomic Ant who took Major League Soccer by storm as the league’s most valuable player, newcomer of the year and Golden Boot winner in his first season in North America in 2015. The four-time all-star’s 68 league goals remain the franchise standard.
And for two years the trio was linked by attacking midfielder Victor Vazquez, the creative playmaker Altidore and Giovinco had called on management to bring in after losing the 2016 MLS Cup final to the Seattle Sounders — their opponent once again in Sunday’s big game at CenturyLink Field.