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Toronto FC return home after another humbling road loss as they prepare to host the Montreal Impact on Saturday afternoon. A 3-1 defeat to New York last weekend should have been the final nail in the coffin for Toronto's playoff hopes, but despite a terrible stretch of results and performances, are inexplicably still mathematically in it for the post season. Montreal arrive to BMO Field having been near the bottom of the table for most of 2014, but a match like this erases all results and more often than not over the last seven years, comes down to determination and pride.
These are two characteristics though that have been seriously lacking with TFC over the last three months as they have been unable to consistently compete with teams, on the road or at home, who have a pulse. Back to back wins at the end of September ultimately did not instill confidence in the side as they lost to LA, Houston and New York in three critical games. With this game being the determining factor on whether they live another week, Toronto will need to once again demonstrate an effort rarely seen since the World Cup break.
Keep thinking
How quickly things can be forgotten. Just under a month ago, even after a string of poor outings, Toronto knocked off two wins with one being a massive display of determination in scoring three second half goals against Portland to win 3-2 and be neck and neck for the final playoff spot. There was a sense of possibility that it could be the start of momentum needed to match up with Philadelphia, Columbus and New York. However, three games later and now the Reds are anything other than a win and Columbus loss away from their eight straight season without a playoff appearance.
Even with the return of DP striker Jermain Defoe, the team is experiencing many of the same issues that has plagued them for most of the club's existence. The return of veteran Steven Caldwell from injury has not lifted the defence that has seen so many blunders and breakdowns in the second half of the season. What Michael Bradley's ideal role and partners continues to remain a question and limit the potential of the midfield. And with that in mind, the service to the strikers has been far from clinical, as has their finishing.
The result is a TFC side who look much like the ones from 2009 and 2010 that should have been good enough for the post season. However, inconsistencies in performances that mirrored that of the management, as well as a potential lack of harmony in the locker room, makes it difficult for all eleven players to come together on gameday. This will be part of the back story against a Montreal Impact side that are trying to correct what has been a poor season on the back of their first playoff appearance in 2013.
The Impact had gotten the better of TFC in the early going this season, knocking out the Reds in the Canadian Championship. Toronto, however, were able to steal three points from them at Stade Saputo in early August through a solid 2-0 win. Now two months later, TFC are reeling and the Impact are looking much more steady. The arrival of Ignacio Piatti boosted the team's potential as he scored four goals in six games, but is still waiting to return from a knee injury that has sidelined him for a month now. Marco Di Vaio has had a mini-resurgence, most recently netting a brace in a 2-2 draw with playoff bound New England.
Even though TFC have splashed the cash this season, these two sides might be more comparible than a Toronto supporter would like. Even though the Impact have had a decent run of results of late, all of their losses have been on the road. On the flipside, TFC's home form is awful and BMO Field anything but a fortress. Justin Mapp is a player who has done well against TFC over the years, both scoring and setting up his teammates, and he will undoubtedly be a key player to watch as Toronto's defence is suspect.
From Montreal's perspective, if they can involve Mapp, Felipe and either Dilly Duka or Patrice Bernier and be aggressive in building up in the final third, opportunities will arise. TFC have been very poor at marking, even with more numbers, and any kind of constant movement into space should yeild chances on goal.
For Toronto, from a defensive perspective, they have been poor over the last few weeks. Joe Bendik has let in some weak goals, but also has been hung out to dry with attackers getting good looks on goal. A commitment to track attackers from the midfield will make a huge difference as over the last few games it has been too easy for midfielders to slide in behind the play.
Pretty much all areas of the pitch are of concern for Toronto right now, and most importantly they will need to score goals. In the last fixture, a 2-0 win at Stade Saputo, it was Gilberto and Luke Moore who scored. While Jermain Defoe certainly commands the salary to be on the field, Greg Vanney needs to determine who will deliver the goods.
At this point it is ludicrous to have your best players sitting on the bench for any reason. If Vanney and TFC want to at least give the impression they have not packed it in, starting the best eleven will go a long way in finding a result. It might be too little too late, but a home win is not out of the question if the team is mentally committed and the best players put on the pitch.
In the end
Toronto FC, once in a prime position to make their first post-season appearance, are on the cusp of too little too late as they host Montreal on Saturday afternoon. At one point this year, this fixture could have been pegged as a sure win, but now that is no longer the case. Any team that isn't on the brink of folding stands a chance at getting points at BMO Field and Montreal will likely come with extra determination to end their season on a positive note. The Reds certainly do not have any home field advantage and it will come down to the players and the question of how badly they want it? As has been the case for the last month, we can only go by what we have seen and getting all eleven TFC players out there for each other and pulling in the same direction hasn't happened for some time, and it's unlikely to start now.
Prediction
Toronto FC 1 – 1 Montreal Impact
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