The dog days of summer are here and the relentless pace of fixtures continues for Toronto as they host Vancouver for their first meeting in MLS play. After watching TFC lift the Voyageurs Cup in May, the Whitecaps will no doubt be looking for revenge against a side who have perennially struggled to earn points all season.
Toronto will have to regroup and re-energize quickly after a listless performance against the Philadelphia Union, where they were completely overwhelmed by the second worst team in the league. The loss left no doubt as to who has the distinct honour of being number one.
Vancouver have done well on the road this year, and been on a positive run of form over the last month. With three road games themselves this past week, they will be on equal footing as both teams are racking up the frequent flier points. However, as noted the first time these two teams met, these fixtures where Canadian sides meet seem to be competed outside of recent results or performances. This is a good thing for TFC, who have enough firepower to trouble Vancouver's defence, and possibly come away with a result.
Keep Thinking
Toronto returns home after and embarrassing loss to second-last placed Philadelphia where the Union were able to implement a plan and execute it to perfection. End result, a 3-0 win for the home side and Toronto's unbeaten run that consisted of four draws quickly loses it's shine.
The Union were impressive in that they found a completely different way to score on TFC than previous opposition, who relied on set pieces and deliveries into the 18 yard box to pile the pressure on the inexperienced back four. Philadelphia used their pace and youth to run down balls either threaded past or lofted over the centre backs, and also targetted the weak links in Jeremy Hall and Logan Emory.
Vancouver will be wise to take into account this new development and should be able to forumulate a gameplan to take advantage of Toronto's glaring weaknesses. A side that looks to be running on fumes, a possession based approach at a high tempo from the opening whistle could quickly wear them down.
The Whitecaps have a mix of the style of players who have done well against TFC of late - in that Darren Mattocks could provide the open field speed to outrun defenders, but Sebastien Le Toux has the physical attributes to outmuscle and outjump players in the 18 yard box. Add in the technical abilities and deliveries of Davide Chiumiento, Camilo and now Bryan Robson, once again, on paper, the Whitecaps appear the clear favourite.
Where have we heard that before though? Just under two months ago, first Montreal, then Vancouver, both certainly could have been deemed favourites in the Voyageurs Cup. What is becoming the trend, at least with TFC, is that against Canadian opposition, current league form means nothing.
There is no question defending continues to be the Reds achilles heel, but in their streak of five unbeaten games, were able to remedy that through a run of fine finishing lead by Danny Koevermans. Without question, TFC's competitiveness will rise and fall on whether the Dutchman finds the back of the net, and add to that what kind of service he gets. In Philadelphia, both Torsten Frings and Ashtone Morgan did not feature as seen in the last month and Paul Mariner will need to have them on their game and sending in accurate crosses if Toronto is to put one away.
The other factor for TFC will be the starting eleven Mariner chooses to employ. A strong midfield has also been key to the early results since he took over, and he will need to get this area correct if Toronto are to compete in this one.
Rightly criticized for his selection Sunday afternoon, there are players of quality currently relaxing on the bench who should be given the nod at opening whistle. Julian De Guzman is one player who looked good prior to Aron Winter's resignation and in the first games under Mariner's reign, and should be well rested from two late and a half-time substitution. Nick Soolsma as well, whether he starts or not, should also find his way onto the pitch should Eric Avila or Reggie Lambe be unable to provide the required creativity in the attack.
Vancouver's assignment is not difficult, nor should there be any surprises. Shut down service to Koevermans and the Reds will struggle. Maintain possession and Toronto chances will be few and far between. However, on the other side, the Whitecaps have had trouble scoring with frequency, their last multiple goal game was over a month ago through a Darren Mattocks brace that resulted in a 3-1 win over Houston.
Toronto has a more difficult assignment because the will need to rediscover the approach that got them the win in Montreal, which was tough midfield play. Vancouver has not been potent offensively, which bodes well for the back line, but there is no doubt the quality to punish TFC is there if they do not improve on Sunday's effort. Another draw, although better than a loss, cannot continue to be seen as progress as each point dropped is ground lost and further solidifies Toronto as the worst team in the league.
In the End
Looking at the schedule, and league table, dropping all three points in the manner they did to Philadelphia cannot bode well for the short-term chances of Toronto's results. Vancouver comes to BMO Field with a respectable road record with a midfield that can match up with TFC's. The most recent precedent from Toronto is their win over Montreal where Paul Mariner put out a determined midfield who helped out the back line and then supplied the likes of Danny Koevermans and Ryan Johnson to seal the win. Vancouver's improved midfield should prove to be bare minimum on par and this game will come down to who has enough in the tank. Koevermans still is looking dangerous and the right selections from Paul Marirner should be enough to match up with a better Vancouver side.
Prediction
Toronto FC 1 - Vancouver 1
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