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.

Vazquez’s paycheque wasn’t quite as big as those of the designated players, but his impact — pulling the offence’s strings from midfield — was just as significant. So it was a big blow when the pair left in quick succession in January: Vazquez sold to Al-Arabi SC in Qatar on Jan. 22, Giovinco to Al Hilal FC eight days later.

The Reds, however, moved quickly to fill the hole. Pozuelo — part Vazquez, part Giovinco — had joined the squad by the second game of the season and started the third, and it wasn’t long before he was making a difference with his dynamic play. An all-star himself and finalist for newcomer of the year, he scored 12 goals and added 12 assists in 30 games (28 starts) in the regular season.

Giovinco finished with 22 goals and 16 assists in 33 games in his first season, but saw his stats dip as opponents started to figure out his fancy footwork. In his final year with TFC, he posted 13 goals and 15 assists. Likewise, Vazquez’s second (and final) injury-plagued season was nowhere near his first, when he recorded eight goals and 16 helpers.

Pozuelo foresees a different trajectory for his MLS career — now that he knows what to expect.

“Some games I feel a little bit tired … I hope next year physically I will be better,” said Pozuelo, who hasn’t had much of a break for 18 months, having joined TFC after a full season with top Belgian club KRC Genk.

He said the physicality and parity in MLS surprised him.

“You can win against Los Angeles, you can lose against a small team,” he said. “This is the difference here. Every game is difficult, so you need to prepare 100 per cent to win the game.”

Coach Greg Vanney said Pozuelo will get the time he needs to recuperate after TFC takes on the Sounders for the title in Seattle on Sunday.

“I think it’s a mental challenge to stay locked in for basically a year and a half of straight soccer and competition,” Vanney said. “His body needs to recover.”

When he’s ready, Pozuelo and the Reds will get back to work on preparing him for the demands of MLS. While the deal has undoubtedly worked out for both sides, the fact that he joined the team slightly later than a normal off-season acquisition would meant there was less time to sit down with the player and learn more about him. The team now has a baseline for what Pozuelo is capable of, and will work from there to help him continue to progress.

“We would like to get him a little stronger physically, because our league is a little bit more physical, and to continue to build up some of that strength, that endurance, things like that,” Vanney said.

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Pozuelo, who has been leading the line through the playoffs as Jozy Altidore deals with a quadriceps strain, has one more game to play before he can do that. With 10 days between matches, he says he’s feeling less tired going into the final. And while he’ll be in the spotlight come Sunday, he is all about the squad over the individual.

“I don’t like to really to speak … all about me, but this year I feel good in the team,” he said. “I have a lot of confidence (in) the coach, (in) the players, so they give me something special to bring in the game. I will be happy if next year (is) the same.”

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