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Life away from BMO Field hasn't been so bad for Toronto FC this season, and they hope to continue the trend of punching above their weight on the road as they travel to take on FC Dallas Saturday night. Aside from a 3-0 thumping to Real Salt Lake, Toronto has two impressive wins away from home in Seattle and Columbus, that has buoyed their early season confidence. However, which Toronto FC shows up will be critical to their potential result, and by which TFC meaning one with or without Michael Bradley.
FC Dallas are currently sitting top of the Western Conference and had a perfect record until losing 3-2 to Seattle last weekend. Even in defeat, the Hoops are proving to be a formidable side early on and look to recapture their form from 2010 and most of 2011. Toronto FC are tough to gauge at this point of the season as injuries have not allowed them to field their optimal side of late. Determining which side could come out on Saturday, the away game to Columbus, or the home side to Colorado, will go a long way in drawing conclusions as to what their chances are throughout the entire 2014 season.
Keep thinking
It might be the most obvious observation in the first month of MLS play for TFC, but as it stands now, they rise and fall with the availability of their midfield lynchpin Michael Bradley. Jermain Defoe is no doubt critical due to his finishing ability, but the complete game that Bradley has on the pitch from high pressure, solid passing, finishing his chances and tireless workrate, all of those attributes simply cannot be replaced.
Supporters got a glimpse of what TFC has to offer without their best players last weekend and it looked much like teams of past who couldn't pull it all together. Not unlike the early going in 2012, where Toronto had plenty of possession, as well as chances near goal, nothing came of it and for the first time ever, Colorado leaves BMO Field with points.There are plenty of things to point to in that result - a abysmal pitch, players still getting cohesive, however, there were chances towards goal and nothing quite came together to apply the final touch that would have given Toronto a better ending.
The timing isn't very good for a TFC side far from their best as they travel to Texas to take on FC Dallas who early on in this season have transitioned nicely under the guidance of Oscar Pareja. His work in Colorado last season had them almost sneak into the playoffs and emerge as a very dangerous side and he left in the offseason to pick up where Schellas Hyndman left off, and return to the club he played the majority of his MLS career, with a technically strong team ready to meet expectations.
In the first month of play, Dallas has emerged as a top side in the West through a draw away to Kansas City and a 4-1 on the road to their local rivals Houston Dynamo. Last weekend they almost kept their record perfect and lost in a shootout 3-2 to the Seattle Sounders and red hot Clint Dempsey. This is a team that is very dangerous at the moment and static defending and confusion as seen by Toronto on the Edson Buddle goal will undoubtedly be repeated on Saturday if they are not in it for the full ninety minutes.
The Reds look to be without a slew of important players, most notably Jermain Defoe, and along with him are Dwayne De Rosario, Doneil Henry, Alvaro Rey and questions around Michael Bradley and Jonathan Osorio.
It's a bit of a double-edge sword for Toronto and Ryan Nelsen as defensively they look stable with the likes of Steve Caldwell and Bradley Orr in the central defender role and Mark Bloom and Justin Morrow have both been reliable at fullback. This is important as Dallas have a physical presence up top with Panamanian Blas Perez. The point of concern for Toronto is the midfield and this match up has the potential of deja vu from Utah and how well Javier Morales ran through the middle of the park.
It does not seem likely a Kyle Bekker and Jeremy Hall duo have what it takes right now to compete with the movement of Mauro Diaz, Fabian Castillo and Michel. This will be the challenge laid down of how well a team like TFC, who have been very direct in their approach, deals with a team who will be technically strong and moves well on and off the ball.
Ryan Nelsen's tactics appear easy to undo in the early part of the season and it has yet to be seen if he can come up with effective strategies tailored to TFC's opponents. It is hard to imagine, without Jermain Defoe, Dwayne DeRosario, possibly Michael Bradley and Gilberto who hasn't looked dangerous, how a flat 4-4-2 with a straight path over the top, will outgun FC Dallas who have stood toe to toe with top teams in the league.
What Nelsen will hopefully bank on is an improvement in mentality for the club and what appears to be the motto for 2014 of "good teams don't lose twice in a row". If there is anything that can be said about Toronto in the first two months of the season it's that they've surprised many and are neither a sure bet for the win or the loss. TFC learned from their loss in Real Salt Lake and came back strong away to a tough Columbus, and were lacking against Colorado and here we are in Dallas. The right character is in place to fight for the result, the question now is can that overcome a talented FC Dallas on their home field?
In the end
After what should have been a sure win at home last weekend over the Colorado Rapids, new questions are raised about the capability of this TFC side. Most of it circles around their midfield General Michael Bradley, but in the Red's last match, chances were still created and not finished. Going away to FC Dallas has always been a challenge for the TFC, and they now are going up against a side, who like them, are trying to prove that good teams don't lose two in a row. It has been an unpredictable start to the season for both teams, one where surprise victories have characterized where each side sits in the table currently. While Toronto will be without their best players, they will be able to hang in there, but likely not for the full 90 minutes.
Prediction
Toronto FC 1 – 2 FC Dallas
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