The Dog Days Are Here
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Starting Saturday in suburban Philadelphia, Toronto FC will embark on a stretch of eight games in 25 days, a brutal series of matches that could very well define their season.
Between the league, CONCACAF Champions League qualifying matches, and a seriously ill-timed friendly, TFC will test every last bit of its newly reinforced roster. And all of this during one of the hottest summers on record.
First up is a trip to expansion Philadelphia Union. A quick glance at the standings would indicate that this should be as close to a guaranteed road victory as TFC has ever come across, but of course it’s not as simple as that. The Union have been unfortunate not to have picked up more points in recent games, as their play in the past few matches has been more in line with that of a middling MLS side rather than a dreadful expansion outfit.
Nonetheless, as this year’s debutante Philly has serious gaps in its roster, namely in the defence, that lead to the kind of mental gaffes one can expect of a brand-new, bottom-of-the-table club. It’s those mistakes that the much more stable Toronto side will be looking to exploit in the hostile environs of beautiful PPL Park.
A soul-shattering injury-time loss at the hands of San Jose last week – after having dominated the match for nearly all ninety minutes – should still be weighing heavily on the minds of the Union players, so Preki should be stressing to his players to take advantage of that by looking to strike early.
In that regard, the fact that Saturday should see the debut of TFC’s newest DP forward Mista – the former Valencia man who also played alongside Julian de Guzman at Deportivo la Coruna – could be a big help.
Feelings around the league are mixed about Mista’s signing, as the Spaniard has been less than prolific in recent years. But that was in the best league in the world, and with all due respect to MLS, the quality of defending that Mista will be seeing here will be far below the defences that have foiled him the past few seasons.
It says here that a man with the level of footballing IQ and touch – one simply cannot play as many years in La Liga as Mista has without either – will help him come out of the gate as a force in the same way a certain Danny Dichio did three years ago. Opposing defenders will take a while to adjust to the Spaniard, and in the meantime Toronto will look to take advantage of his presence up top.
The fact that Philadelphia’s defence has been nothing short of shocking at times may also favour the visiting Reds. Keeper Chris Seitz has let in some howlers, including a particularly laughable one here at BMO Field back in April, although he has also shown himself capable of jaw-dropping stops. His inconsistent form is only matched by the Union back four, with captain and returning fringe US international Danny Califf playing the role of Marco Reda in the Philly version of “how in the hell was that man ever good enough for our national team?”
With the ridiculous schedule ahead – and one wonders why the TFC brass insisted upon throwing in a useless match against Bolton Wanderers into an already packed July – it is paramount that TFC takes advantage of weaker teams like Philadelphia as the dog fight for playoff positioning continues. Even on the road, Toronto should approach this game as they do every match at BMO Field, as confident favourites who will only lose if completely outworked.
Given what we’ve seen from TFC thus far this season, if the mentality is there, then the chances will follow.
Posted by Rudi Schuller
Tags: Chris Seitz, Danny Califf, Mista, Philadelphia Union, PPL Park
Category: MLS, Toronto FC
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