TORONTO – Conceding a late goal cost Toronto FC a victory against the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, but Luis Silva was left lamenting his own missed chances in the first half.
As it was, the rookie did set up Eric Hassli’s goal in the second half to give Toronto the lead until the 85th minute. But after the match, Silva talked about the ones that got away.
WATCH: Silva curls chance wide
“I had my chances and I could have put them away,” he said after the 1-1 draw at BMO Field. “I think at least one of them should have gone in. I feel a little responsible for the tie.”
The first opportunity came after a Philadelphia turnover. With Hassli at his side, he made a nice run and cut onto his right foot at the top of the penalty area, but the resulting shot curled just wide of the near post.
Then the 22-year-old, Toronto’s first pick in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft, directed a volley over the goal after a Ryan Johnson header set him up. Late in the half, he missed on a diving header after Johnson’s cross.
“All of them,” Silva told MLSsoccer.com when asked which one frustrated him the most. “I had the one where Ryan gave me [the ball] back, I should have just put that one away. The other one, we went two-v-two and I tried to side-foot it. I think those two were the clearest ones. I mean, the header, I had to come back to it.”
Head coach Paul Mariner felt that Silva’s misses were a difference in the outcome.
“One hundred percent,” Mariner told reporters after the game. “He knows it. Normally you would put your mortgage on him. He created a great opportunity, whether he tried to bend it, just the wrong side of the post. The volley, a great lay-back from Ryan, he hit it right on the sweet spot, but he was leaning back, over the top. It’s just unfortunate.”
WATCH: Silva skies volley
For now, player and coach alike will have to chalk it up to a rookie’s learning process.
“The volley from Ryan’s header, I think I should have just placed it instead of putting a lot of power into it,” Silva said. “I think that was the clearest one. ... The thing I’m frustrated with is that I usually put that away in practice – I always do. I’m always working on my finishing and that’s the thing that frustrates me the most, is that I should have put that away.
“In practice I would have done it 10 [times] out of 10. This one time I didn’t, and I just have to keep focused and concentrated and move on to the next game.”
