It’s still very early, but Toronto FC appears to have a true gem of a player in Niklas Dorsch.
Signed via transfer from German club 1. FC Heidenheim last month, Dorsch impressed in his MLS debut on July 31 away to New York City FC and followed that up with a man-of-the-match display in TFC’s important 2-1 home win over the New England Revolution on Saturday.
Toronto was fortunate to have a 1-0 lead late in the first half despite being largely outplayed by New England after an own goal gave the Reds their advantage.
But there was nothing lucky about Dorsch’s screamer of a goal in first-half injury time that held up as the game-winner. The veteran German midfielder started the play by applying some defensive pressure that led to a giveaway by the Revolution deep inside their half of the pitch.
Toronto quickly transitioned from defence to attack as Dániel Sallói scampered down the left side after getting on the end of a pass from DP midfielder Djordje Mihailovic. The Hungarian winger eventually played the ball back to Mihailovic at the top of the box and he teed it up for Dorsch, who unleashed a gorgeous curler from 25 yards out that nestled into the top right corner.
In the post-game press conference, Dorsch explained that during a break in the action earlier in the half due to an injury to TFC fullback Richie Laryea, coach Robin Fraser advised his team to press New England higher up the pitch. Dorsch took his coach’s instructions to heart, and the end result was the German scored one of the finest goals at BMO Field in recent memory.
“After the break, when Richie got injured on his head, we had a short (talk with) the coach who told us to get a little bit higher; push them higher, and set a little bit more pressure, higher pressure. … The ball was like in a perfect position; in training sometimes, I try to shoot from this position. So, I’m very happy it worked out today in the game. Absolutely amazing feeling for me,” Dorsch said.
The goal was the German’s first in MLS in only his second appearance and provided TFC with its first two-goal lead of the season.
Dorsch wasn’t a goal-scorer during his club career in his native Germany — he only had four goals in 118 career Bundesliga games with Heidenheim, Augsburg and Bayern Munich since debuting in the 2017-18 season.
But Toronto GM Jason Hernandez noted the German had a rocket of a shot when the transfer from Heidenheim was completed last month. And considering the Reds’ rather anaemic attack this season, they can use all the goal-scoring help they can get.
“I think my last goal was 10 years ago, and it was almost the same goal,” Dorsch quipped. “I (haven’t scored) that many goals in the Bundesliga, but for Augsburg I shot from the same distance but a little bit different the way the ball flies. Still an amazing feeling for sure.”
Beyond scoring a highlight-reel effort, Dorsch was masterful as TFC’s midfield general against New England with his superb two-way play, helping the club build out from the back while also serving as an effective defensive shield in front of the back four. He finished with a team-high 89.3 per cent passing success rate and one key pass that directly led to a shot on goal.
On the other side of the ball, Dorsch had two tackles, one interception and a defensive clearance while offering Toronto a resolute physical presence in the central midfield (as evidenced by his team-high five fouls).
“He was fantastic. I thought he covered a ton of ground, and you could tell he was pretty tired toward the end, and he just wouldn’t stop running, wouldn’t stop going. I thought it was a really good performance, obviously capped off by a fantastic goal,” Fraser said.
It’s only a small sample size, but if this is an indication of what Dorsch can provide, it would seem that Toronto FC have found an impact midfielder in the mould of former legendary captain Michael Bradley.
Elsewhere in MLS this weekend….
• The Vancouver Whitecaps kept hold of first place in the Western Conference and moved within a point of second-place Inter Miami in the overall MLS table with an impressive 2-0 road win over the Seattle Sounders on Sunday.
Rayan Elloumi opened the scoring before German star Thomas Müller deposited a cheeky free kick in the 82nd minute to seal the win for the Whitecaps. It was a much-needed win by Vancouver, which was coming off three consecutive losses in the Leagues Cup and was winless in its previous six outings across all competitions.
• Victories remain elusive for CF Montreal, which extended its winless run to eight with a 1-1 draw vs. visiting D.C. United. Prince Owusu’s goal for the home side from the penalty spot in the 50th minute was cancelled out by Tai Baribo’s equalizer in 17 minutes later. Montreal is without a win since May 9.
Perhaps the arrival of new designated player Alexis Sanchez will help the team turn around its fortunes. Chile’s all-time top scorer, who officially signed with Montreal last week, received a hero’s welcome while being introduced to the hometown fans at halftime on Saturday.
• Saturday’s contest between Nashville SC and Inter Miami promised to be a tight game between the first- and second-place teams in MLS. But Nashville had other ideas, as the table toppers romped to a 4-1 home win, extending their lead in the Supporters’ Shield race to five points over the Herons.
“It’s not a statement. There are too many games left… We deserve to have this big match, and it is a complement to our achievements, what we have done in the first 18, 19 games now. But we have to go game by game,” said Nashville’s Hany Mukhatr, who scored a brace vs. Miami.
• Down 2-0 after 45 minutes at Yankee Stadium, the Philadelphia Union scored a trio of second-half goals to record an amazing come-from-behind 3-2 win over New York City. Midfielder Cavan Sullivan, still only 16, set up a pair of goals, while older brother Quinn, 22, collected a single assist.
After a disastrous start to the season that saw them win just one of their opening 15 games, the Union have now won four in a row to climb out of last place in the Eastern Conference and into 13th.
• Petar Musa’s 14th goal of the season not only allowed him to claim top spot in the Golden Boot race, but it secured a 2-1 road win for FC Dallas over Austin FC in the latest edition of the Copa Tejas. The goal marked the Croatian striker’s seventh career contribution (four goals, three assists) against Austin, and helped Dallas climb into fifth place in the Western Conference.
Musa now has 48 goals in MLS play across three seasons since joining Dallas from Portuguese club Benfica and is making a strong case to be considered a candidate as league MVP.
• Is there a hotter team in MLS than St. Louis City SC? The club from the midwest began the season with just one win through its first 10 games but has since put together a nine-match unbeaten run, which includes Saturday’s 3-1 road win over the San Jose Earthquakes.
Simon Becher bagged a brace for St. Louis, which hasn’t suffered a loss in 10 consecutive games across all competitions, the longest such streak in the club’s young history.
Editor’s note
John Molinaro is one of the leading soccer journalists in Canada, having covered the game for over 27 years for several media outlets, including Sportsnet, CBC Sports and Sun Media. He is currently the editor-in-chief of TFC Republic, a website dedicated to in-depth coverage of Toronto FC and Canadian soccer.