U-Sector – The Original Toronto FC Supporters Group

A Real Toughie

Saturday, May 1, 2010

After the high, there is the inevitable low.

One of the main tenets of being a Toronto FC fan is that the team will find a way to disappoint you after giving you just enough to believe that they have turned the corner.

TFC has rattled off two consecutive victories. Last Sunday they dispatched the visiting Seattle Sounders in relative style, and on Wednesday they stood toe-to-toe with the hacks from Montreal and sent their pink-clad foes back up the 401 with yet another loss at the hands of TFC.

It goes without saying, then, that TFC is due to lay an egg tonight. Right?

After all, they are coming off a slate of two wins in three days, with a third game set for tonight in Utah. History shows how well TFC does away from home, at altitude, on a quick turnaround. They do not so well (to put it very mildly).

The defending champion Real Salt Lake are a hurting bunch, with star midfielder Javier Morales likely missing the game with strep throat, his countryman Fabian Espindola also out, and veteran defender Chris Wingert doubtful. RSL have started out poorly, with a measly one win in the team’s first five MLS matches.

That said, Salt Lake will be buoyed by the fact that they are at Rio Tinto Stadium, where they have lost only twice in 21 total matches since the building opened. That is a serious home field advantage, one that Preki’s boys will no doubt be wary of.

TFC will – as usual – look to grind out a result at Rio Tinto, and with offensive catalyst Morales set to miss the match their chances just got that much better.

RSL’s young Canadian midfielder Will Johnson will be turned to to help fill Morales’ shoes, as will Toronto-born Jamaican international Andy Williams. Johnson, who usually plays a supporting role, has the ability to go at defenders and shoot from distance, and Williams is a wily vet who knows what it takes to win games in this league.

The key to this match will likely be in the central midfield, however, where a “battle of the hair” will likely ensue. RSL’s Kyle Beckerman and his white man dreadlocks will match up with our own Julian de Guzman in what should be an exciting battle to control the middle of the park. Both men are supremely talented at controlling the flow of the game, and whomever wins this individual match up will likely also win the game.

If TFC has any energy left from this past week, they should be able to scratch out a result. Get the draw, and get the hell out. Anything more is gravy.

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Join U-Sector at Vivid (1067 St Clair West) to watch tonight’s game vs. Real Salt Lake. Our regular away game spot, the Duke of Gloucester, is closed for a private function.

Posted by Rudi Schuller