|
|
It's away game five of seven, and despite all knowing how the MLS season is a marathon and not a sprint, TFC supporters might start looking at the next three games as ones where points are required to keep themselves from thinking 'what if' should playoff race get tight come October. This weekend's match, however, is the most daunting of the three as the Reds travel to traditionally one of their toughest places to get points, away to FC Dallas.
The Hoops are off to another impressive start with signs they could get back to their 2010 form, despite their recent setback of a 4-0 defeat at home to Colorado. Toronto looked dangerous in their opener against Vancouver, but since then have yet to put in a comprehensive ninety minutes without defensive breakdowns. Fitness is still a concern for TFC in the early part of the season, both with injuries and international matches, and this will be part of the storyline in Frisco, Texas, as of the remaining games ahead of the home opener, this one will be the most difficult to get a result.
Keep thinking
Despite there being two weeks between fixtures, there is still concerns about Toronto FC fielding their strongest starting eleven. The biggest issue with the Reds in the early part of 2015 has unquestionably been defending, and without the ideal group of defenders, experience is thin to see through a full match. Warren Creavelle's red card would have been a blessing in disguise, offering an opportunity for Mark Bloom to re-establish himself, but he appears to be doubtful for the weekend. With Steve Caldwell still out, it will fall on Damian Perquis to marshall the defence along with Justin Morrow. Nick Hagglund has been admirable in his ethic, but still is some time away from being a consistent anchor at the back.
Two weeks ago, we saw this unfold against Chicago as Toronto were able to take the lead but had two poor breakdowns with regards to roles and responsibilities. This will be something to monitor whether the Reds drop points not from a lack of quality, but moments of a lack of discipline that sees the ball go into the back of goal. Looking back to Chicago, there was an opportunity to double down on Shaun Maloney for the tying goal, and there was plenty of blame to go around on the winning goal from Joe Bendik to a wall where no one adjusted to being down a man. In the end it was a game where TFC had no choice but to look at themselves in the mirror and accept this is how points were lost.
It will be difficult to bounce back, even with almost two weeks recovery, as they now are in Frisco, Texas, to take on one of not just their toughest, but also away opponents, in club history. Save for the Champion's League, which has the asterisk of Dallas being in the midst of an epic late-season collapse, TFC have always been poor away to the Hoops and are without a league win against them since 2007.
This season, Dallas has plenty of encouraging signs as they started with three wins on the bounce and points in their first four games. They are currently on a two match losing streak, but this side certainly is too good to not show up for the third consecutive match, especially at home. Toronto will have plenty to be concerned about if we extract what we've seen from the first five games. What is known about the Reds is they lack positioning and pace at the back, and can be caught out, both down the left side and through the middle. This has been seen since Vancouver up to Chicago where David Accam was too much for TFC to handle.
Dallas have arguably as potent an attack as TFC, despite being a fraction of the cost. The triumvirate of Blas Perez, Fabian Castillo and Tesho Akindele are the real deal and are the complete package of technique, size and speed. This will be the battle to watch Saturday night as it is arguably the most complete group of attackers Toronto has faced yet this season.
What Toronto should be able to counter with, is the cliché of where the game is won and lost. FC Dallas will have the advantage up top and in defence, but the Reds should get the best in the midfield. Even with Michel, who has been instrumental over the last two years, the support of Victor Ulloa and Ryan Hollingshead is not an even match up with Michael Bradley, Benoit Cheyrou and Jonathan Osorio. However, the final piece of TFC's midfield, which has to this point been Robbie Findlay, might be up for a switch as he has not been convincing in the past few games. If Giovinco can be allow to sit deeper in the hole, a case can be made that Bright Dike should get the start in place of Findlay and provide a true physical target forward for the midfield to latch on to.
This will be needed as Dallas have a tough group of defenders who are on the cusp of their prime. Matt Hedges and Zach Lloyd have emerged as one of the top pairings in MLS, while Atiba Harris is fit again and slotted in at right back with Moises Hernandez opposite. It will be interesting to see how Toronto approach this back line as going through the middle might be the best option with two solid centre backs capable of clearing away danger.
Toronto's key to this game will in part be to continuing what has worked well so far, which is the connection between Cheyrou and Giovinco. The technique these two players have displayed has been impressive and growing over the early stages of the season. If the final step of involving Jozy Altidore with regularity is established, the Reds will be a dominant threat. However, as noted and what many will be talking about is how solid the backline will be. There are several scenarios Toronto needs to be mindful of, from Castillo's pace to Perez's willingness close to goal and Akindele offering a bit of both, quite simply points will only be taken if TFC are capable of putting in ninety minutes without any defensive lapses, both from the run of play and dead ball situations.
In the end
Toronto's home opener cannot come soon enough. Despite the talent on the pitch, once again it has been proven how difficult it is to get points on the road in MLS. TFC have yet to put in what can be described as a comprehensive outing, and as a result have lost their last three when points arguably should have come from two of those matches. The talent is there, and it will be needed in Dallas, but a game without a glaring mistake (to be fair from TFC and the referee) will be required. Dallas are emerging as a contender and have a mix of exciting youth and veterans. If Toronto can manage the pace of Dallas' attack, they should be able to physically compete. Mitigating their offence is the only way to come away with anything, but this opponent might offer too much for TFC to handle.
Prediction
Toronto FC 1 – 2 FC Dallas
|