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First Thoughts
After clinching their fourth consecutive Amway Canadian Championship title, trophy-winning side Toronto “the worst team in the world” FC take on the Philadelphia Union on Saturday, in what may be a record-tying league-worst losing streak, 10 games without a single win. On the flip side, Toronto FC have a chance to make this week their best week of the season, should they capture the elusive win and build on their cup-winning form.
The Union have had their own share of problems, and look a shadow of their former selves; power forward Sebastien Le Toux packed his bags and flew out west to Vancouver, and hotshot center back Danny Califf soon followed, landing himself in Los Angeles with Chivas USA. Peter Nowak’s side has struggled as of late, and getting any points away from home may be hard to come by for Philly, who are enjoying a three-game losing streak of their own.
That being said, Toronto FC must be able to translate their Canadian Championship form into regular season play, if anything can be salvaged this season. In a league where anything is possible, Toronto FC still stands on shaky ground.
Keep Thinking
If Toronto FC are going to salvage anything in the season, now is the time for the team to step up and send a message to the rest of Major League Soccer. That means a couple key elements of both game style and mental state needs to be addressed.
First, Toronto FC need to play well; it’s a given, of course, but it’s something that needs to be said. Toronto FC cannot put in half the effort and expect the full result; it will take the same level of dedication and hard work that they displayed against Vancouver, if they want three points against Philly. That being said, Toronto FC must also be smart with their movement off the ball, in a midfield-heavy Philadelphia side. A lot of Toronto FC’s positive play on Wednesday came as a result of good movement in the midfield; that will need to be replicated on Saturday as well.
Nick Soolsma and Reggie Lambe have both impressed, and with either Ryan Johnson or Danny Koevermans in the middle, the threat of scoring is, at the very least, existent. Though the team hasn’t been quite as potent as they would like to be, with Koevermans in the box, anything is possible. Lambe has also found a scoring touch as of late, and will be expected to start as he continues to develop his game in MLS. Soolsma has been exceptional but has found minutes hard to come by. As for Johnson, the “One-Legged Wonder” needs to work on his distribution; this left-leaning forward may work hard, but he has also been the cause for many a breakdown in offensive play.
The mental barrier that’s put a block on Toronto FC must also be lifted; the title of “Canadian champions” may help with this. The fact is, Toronto FC have something to play for now, which could prove valuable motivation for a team that hasn’t really had a lot of fun in recent weeks. It’s been nine games of despair in the locker room, which may be dismissed after game days, but for these players, every day of the week is a haunting reminder that they are still winless; the atmosphere has been lifted with the Voyageurs Cup: what Toronto FC do from there is entirely up to them.
Injuries have been put behind Toronto FC now (touch wood) and Torsten Frings has installed himself back into the starting lineup. With Eric Avila and Julian de Guzman in the midfield with him, Toronto FC have shown they can combine together and push forward as a unit, something that could not be said of them earlier in the season.
The Philadelphia Union, on the other hand, will look to exploit Toronto FC’s obvious deficiencies; it is no secret that Toronto FC’s defense has been porous of late, and early pressure may be the key to winning for Nowak’s men. Conceding early will put the nail in the cross for Toronto FC. Set-pieces have also been a problem for the Reds, something Philadelphia will keep in mind when taking free kicks. Finally, should the Union concede, Toronto FC must be careful soon after, as conceding immediately after scoring has been something Toronto FC have struggled with as well.
Let’s not mention last minute equalizers or game-winning goals against the Reds, shall we?
In the end
Toronto FC did the job against Vancouver, a difficult task, no doubt, but will not be able to overcome the Union, who will get an elusive three points on the road, sending Toronto FC’s Aron Winter into even deeper a hole. Philadelphia may have a three-game losing streak to their name, but they look the more likely side to break the streak. A fresh wave of frustration may just be on the way for Toronto FC, who will likely focus on the CONCACAF Champions League after this weekend is up.
Prediction
Toronto FC 0 – Philadelphia Union 1
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