When I wrote before the 2010 Major League Soccer season that Sébastien Le Toux would be a shrewd selection by Philadelphia Union in the 2009 Expansion Draft, I did so on the basis that he would get more playing time than he did at his previous club and would be likely to offer six or seven goals in games where they might be the difference. 12 goals in 24 games later, 26-year-old Le Toux has proven even my optimism to have been limited and shown himself to be one of the most dangerous marksmen in MLS.
Le Toux was born in Mont-Saint-Aignan, the same northern French town as Juventus midfielder Mohamed Sissoko. After coming through the ranks at Stade Rennais, he signed professional terms with FC Lorient in Ligue 2. He played just 15 times in his two seasons with Les Merlus, scoring one goal, and did not join the club in Ligue 1 after promotion in 2005/06. After an unsuccessful trial with Major League Soccer’s FC Dallas, Le Toux landed in Seattle and signed for USL-1 outfit Seattle Sounders.
In his first season in the de facto North American second division, Le Toux emphatically proved his worth. Playing 29 matches and scoring 10 goals, he took home the individual gong for USL-1′s Most Valuable Player in 2007 and finished as the league’s joint top goalscorer. The Sounders won the league and the following season Le Toux notched 14 goals in 25 matches. More importantly, a new incarnation of the club began to take shape in 2008 and its development began with its first ever signing, USL-1 Sounders star Sébastien Le Toux.
Seattle Sounders FC, the rave green-clad MLS club, was the league’s 2009 expansion side and kicked off its debut season in the top flight with a superb win over New York Red Bulls after an off-season full of scarves and season ticket sales. Seattle qualified for the post-season playoffs at the first attempt, eventually losing to Houston Dynamo, but Le Toux’s momentum stalled in his rookie year in MLS. He made 28 appearances, 15 as a starter, but his goalscoring was halted by the requirement to play out wide while bigger names bagged the goals. He got on well with supporters and played a part in Seattle’s US Open Cup Final win over DC United.
At the end of the 2009 season, the Sounders chose not to select Le Toux as one of their 11 players protected from being drafted by their expansion successors, Philadelphia Union. It was an open goal, and life in Philly is serving the Frenchman well.
Head coach Peter Nowak began 2010 with the likes of Fred, Alejandro Moreno, Le Toux and top SuperDraft pick Danny Mwanga at his disposal. Le Toux became an instant fan favourite. In April, he scored all three goals as the Union defeated DC United 3-2 in their first home game at Lincoln Financial Field. From there, he hasn’t looked back. As well as playing twice against Manchester United - once for the Union and once as a starter for the MLS 2010 All-Stars - and scoring the only goal in Philadelphia’s 1-0 friendly win over Celtic, Le Toux has scored 12 times in his 24 MLS games to date for his new club.
It’s an impressive return and sees him on level pegging with Chris Wondolowski of San Jose Earthquakes and Toronto FC’s Dwayne De Rosario, and behind only Juan Pablo Angel (13 goals) and Edson Buddle (14). But it is not just his goals that make Le Toux an invaluable member of the Union side and, despite his instinctive finishing ability, he’s not a typical number nine. He has laid on no fewer than ten goals for his new team-mates and his overall contribution has been crucial in keeping Philly’s faltering first season alive. Alongside the occasional moment of brilliance from Danny Mwanga, Le Toux’s impact has been one of the club’s biggest positives in 2010.
But what is it that’s turned a bit-part Sounders player back into his old self and allowed him to become one of Major League Soccer’s hottest properties? Quite a lot of the credit Stateside is being laid firmly at the feet of Nowak, Le Toux’s coach at the Union and the man that has drawn the goals back out of his player. Counter-intuitively, he’s done so by giving him a freer role and allowing him to drop deep and create from an attacking midfield position as well as getting further forward and playing the poacher.
“We give him a different perspective of his game, because he’s a very structured guy, he will do whatever the coaching staff would tell him. When we have discussion about what and how we’re going to approach his game, we try to give him more freedom, which means he can pop up in different spots, he can come back, he can be the playmaker in certain situations. He can go up front and be unpredictable going forward, not only as a striker, but also from the second line because of his speed, and because he brings this killer instinct. You can see this year that he is in the right time and the right place.” - Peter Nowak
Being in the right place at the right time is a habit that probably can’t be taught but is hugely valuable for a man whose primary responsibility this season has been to hit the back of the net. But the biggest question over Le Toux’s career in 2010 has not been one of how to get the best out of him, but whether he might be looking ahead to a somewhat unexpected international career.
For the last couple of years, Le Toux’s stance on playing for the US national team has ranged from being non-committal to enthusing about any potential call-up. He now holds a Green Card and is a full US citizen. With no call-up for Les Bleus likely, Le Toux knows on which side of the Atlantic his international bread is buttered and he can’t be too far off being in contention. Early next year, US coach Bob Bradley will look at some of the best eligible players outside of his established group, with some MLS players included. A strong finish to the season could well earn the likes of Le Toux and Wondolowski a place at the US camp.
I’m sure he’d jump at the chance but the competition is fierce. However, with Charlie Davies’ return in doubt, Le Toux could conceivably play as a support striker despite his size. With a season like his 2010 under his belt, Le Toux has to be worth a look.
What number did Le Toux wear with FC Lorient and Stade Rennais?
Hi Jean, i guess you looked here also….ha