Twelve games into the 2017 season and Armando Cooper’s performance is nowhere near expectations: 10 appearances, no goals, no assists, 19 turnovers, only 24 passes per game and an average of one shot every 104 minutes.
It wasn’t supposed to be this way. After his strong performance in the MLS playoffs, and after Toronto FC signed Victor Vazquez, Cooper was supposed to provide offensive support through the middle. His ability to protect the ball and hound the opposition (remember the David Villa incident last year?) was supposed to complement Vazquez’s vision. His proficiency in completing short passes was supposed to be one of TFC’s assets in navigating through a clogged midfield.