Greg Vanney hardly had to time to get his head around an Eastern Conference final game without Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco when he was asked how his team would manage without its two star strikers.

The coach was still fuming about an hour after Altidore was given a red card — one that came with an automatic one-game suspension — for his part in a half-time tunnel tussle in the second leg of the conference semifinal against New York Red Bulls on Sunday, a decision the club planned to appeal. It didn’t help that Giovinco was also out the first leg of the Eastern final against the Columbus Crew after accumulating a pair of yellow cards against New York.

But even in the haze of emotion, it was clear to Vanney who would step up: Canadian striker Tosaint Ricketts, whose playoff pedigree with the Reds includes a pair of insurance goals during last year’s run to the MLS Cup final.

Article Continued Below

“Tosaint has been excellent for us over the course of the year; no issue putting Tosaint on the field,” Vanney said. “He gives us presence, he gives us the size, he gives us speed, he gives us a goal-scoring threat.”

While Ricketts, who had seven goals in little more than 1,000 minutes of playing time during the regular season, admits it’s a bit weird that most of his nine starts this year came under less-than-ideal situations for his fellow strikers — injuries, mostly — he said it’s never a bad thing to be the guy called on in that moment.

“I like pressure situations, I like to be put in those intense moments and I guess my experience throughout the years has prepared me for these moments in the playoffs,” he said.

More often than not, Ricketts’ nine starts this season saw him paired with either Altidore or Giovinco up front.

Article Continued Below

“Obviously them being such valued players, they drag a lot of the defence toward them and they take the distraction and little bit away from me,” he said, “so being alone I know that the defenders can focus on me more but they’re just going to have to basically just deal with (my) speed and see how they handle it.”

Click to expand

So who does Toronto choose to partner with Ricketts up front, if Vanney goes with a two-man attack? If he’s left to lead the line alone, how do the Reds create a structure around Ricketts’ pace?

In the four games Toronto played without either Altidore or Giovinco this season, it employed a variety of combinations around Ricketts. Strikers Ben Spencer and Jordan Hamilton and midfielders Jonathan Osorio, Raheem Edwards and Armando Cooper have all joined the Canadian up front at various points. Victor Vazquez has also sat in behind Ricketts on occasion, his advanced midfield position setting up a 3-5-1-1 formation.

The Reds went 2-2 in those games, winning one at home and one away, and put up 13 goals. Ricketts’ name was on four of the baker’s dozen.

Defender Drew Moor believes Toronto FC should take confidence from how it has been able to win without Altidore and Giovinco — including against Columbus, a team they beat 5-0 at BMO Field in May.

“You can’t replace those two, but we’ve shown all season that we have a deep squad and we’ve been without them a couple of times, even late in the season, so we’re going to go in and have a measured approach to the first leg, obviously being on the road, trying to get a goal or two,” he said.

Moor called Ricketts a “huge” member of the Reds’ team, who has already proven his importance during the playoffs.

“He’s going to have to do that again for us in this playoffs and I’m excited for him,” he said. “I’m sure he’s buzzing to go. Hopefully we’ll get a goal or two out of him in the first leg.”

The new-look offence, which the Reds have about two weeks to perfect, could cause problems for Columbus, Ricketts believes. Either way, he said, the team has already proven it can get through tough moments like the one it’s facing.

“They’re not too certain what we’ll come out with and that’s good for us,” he said. “Being an away game, we just need to get a result. We’ll be good.”