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Slightly banged up ahead of their next encounter, Toronto FC continue their road trip with another Eastern Conference tilt Saturday night against the New England Revolution. TFC are recovering from a come-from-behind draw with the Columbus Crew last weekend, and might be missing some key players who are essential to earning results. New England have not been the same side that emerged last year as a MLS Cup contender and are looking to reignite the form that saw them become a top side in the leauge.
Greg Vanney had the full week to prepare for New England, despite the All-Star game midweek, and should know what to expect against a team who many should be familiar with by now. A strong midfield and multiple scoring threats, TFC cannot take this opponent lightly as there is quality throughout the side, and especially the attack, that could end the game early. Toronto might be without Giovinco and with that in mind, another miracle come-back would be very unlikely. Defensive discipline will be paramount, something that has lacked for most of July, if TFC will come out with any points.
Keep thinking
Toronto FC are continuing their Eastern Conference schedule as they are in New England Saturday night after a 3-3 comeback draw with Columbus last weekend. The Reds looked done and dusted early in the second half, but the trademark of this team has been never count Toron... errr... Giovinco out, as he kicked off the three goals with a beauty and helped set up the second goal. Jozy Altidore won a penalty and finished his chance to allow TFC to go into New England on a slightly more positive note.
There will be some issues before getting ahead of ourselves when looking at this match. The player who has become the heart and soul of any potential point is Giovinco, and he is currently doubtful with a foot injury. Ashtone Morgan appears to still be recovering from an injury after the Sunderland friendly, and even though Michael Bradley is back from USMNT Gold Cup duty, he too looks to be unavailable. What this means is a depleted spine of Toronto and especially the return of Bradley would have done much for their chances against a formidable New England side who despite sitting mid-table, still have a formidable midfield.
New England, by their recent standards, are struggling and sitting fifth in the Eastern Conference. A team loaded with attacking options, what has been most disappointing has been a lack of scoring. TFC, with four fewer games, has outscored New England this season 31-29. Looking through the Revs roster, of course what is most glaring is Lee Nguyen following up on his stellar 2014 where he scored 20 goals. By comparison, he only has 4 so far in 2015, though has netted two in his last two games.
Getting Nguyen firing again will be critical for New England as they do not have a player who is standing above and beyond the rest. The usual suspects are still a threat, as up top there is Charlie Davies leading the way, supported by Teal Bunbury and Juan Agudelo, both on four goals. A midfield that has Nguyen, Kaylen Rowe and Diego Fagundez is dangerous but also needs balance and getting Jermain Jones back into the mix will be essential.
Defending has been a strength of New England for the last two seasons, but this year have let in more than their reputation has been built around. With a third of their season still in the balance, the Revs will need to improve drastically to better last season. While Jose Goncalves and Andrew Farrell have been consistent, their support has been inconsistent in appearances and TFC might be facing a familiar player in Jeremy Hall, who struggled in their backline back in 2012.
With so much discussion about the shortcomings of New England, TFC has some similar issues. The Revs success last season came from Nguyen and Toronto this season are almost exclusively running through Giovinco. The question this weekend to be answered is how effective can they be without him? Benoit Cheyrou has the technical ability, while Jozy Altidore has shown glimpses of being a bonafide DP, and this is the kind of game where both can emerge as legitimate leaders for the team. There will also be a huge opportunity for Marky Delgado or Jonathan Osorio to further improve their reputation and live up to expectations.
Of course, the story of TFC the last month away from BMO has been embarrassing defensive collapses, falling behind the eight-ball early on and continually having to make a comeback. It should be there for all to see that there is not a true anchor on the backline or general to organize the defence. In comes Ahmed Kantari, who certainly has plenty of games under his belt, but there remains the question of his fitness as well as how well he transitions into MLS. With Morgan out, and aside from Justin Morrow, there is little to feel confident about when it comes to TFC keeping ball out of the net, especially against this opponent.
Vanney has a simple task ahead, which is addressing a porous defence and especially limiting what can be a dangerous New England midfield. TFC have been poor at marking in their own end and will need to maintain their shape and discipline. If Kantari is available, truthfully he can do no worse than what has been seen of late and should be an improvement. Without Giovinco, the X-Factor is removed and a more committed approach to possession will be required. Chances likely will be much fewer and if they are not converted, likely there might not be many more opportunities. However, staying disciplined to an approach and not lobbing the ball upfield hoping Altidore can latch onto something will go a long way in keeping TFC in this game. If they cannot remain mentally tough and lose track of good New England players, they will be in for a long night.
In the end
Toronto have had a rough go on the road of late. Through the last month away from BMO, over three matches they have conceded 11 goals against. Surprisingly, they only lost one of those games and the two draws came on the back of their Italian DP who appears doubtful for Saturday's match. This will be an issue for Toronto FC as they will need to rely in defending to see them through in a hostile stadium that has not been kind to them over the years. Added, New England, despite far off their attacking prowess from 2014, still possess some formidable players who can and have burned TFC before. There is no denying this will be a tough match and will fall along the lines of the LA game weeks back where trying to mitigate damage and come out alive ahead of Orlando at home should be the priority.
Prediction
Toronto FC 1 – 2 New England Revolution
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