After having a bye in Major League Soccer this past weekend, Toronto FC was back in training on Monday ahead of Wednesday’s Amway Canadian Championship semifinal second leg matchup versus the Montreal Impact.
Here are some news and notes from today’s practice.
Giovinco, Johnson could play in Montreal
Coach Greg Vanney confirmed that both forward Sebastian Giovinco and midfielder Will Johnson could see action at Stade Saputo.
Giovinco missed last week’s opening leg, a 4-2 win for the Reds at BMO Field, with an adductor injury. Johnson was away with the Canadian national team last week, so he also missed the first leg—although he didn’t end up playing for Canada due to a hip flexor injury, and he was sent home early. Both players worked out individually and participated in portions of Monday’s training session.
“He’s progressing very well… We’ll remain optimistic that he’ll be available for us [on Wednesday],” Vanney said of Giovinco, the club’s top scorer.
Vanney believes Johnson picked up a minor knock in TFC’s last MLS game—a 3-0 loss away to the New York Red Bulls on May 28—that became aggravated when he flew over to Austria to take part in Canada’s training camp.
Of Johnson, Vanney said, “He’s in a good spot. We’re hoping he can be available for the match in Montreal.”
Vanney later added: “Assuming their progression is positive and they don’t feel anything that might have set them back, then I’d like for them to be involved in the game.”
Toronto is missing captain Michael Bradley (away on international duty) and forward Jozy Altidore (hamstring injury).
Tsubasa Endoh has missed matches in recent weeks with nagging injuries, but Vanney said he expects the Japanese rookie to travel to Montreal. Defender Josh Williams is doubtful due to injury.
No Piatti for Montreal, but…
Montreal midfielder Ignacio Piatti will not play on Wednesday after undergoing hand surgery late last week. The Argentine playmaker, who leads the Impact this season with eight goals in 13 games, has been ruled out for two to three weeks.
It’s a big loss for the Impact, but one that Vanney feels they can overcome due to their depth of attacking options.
“They have some capable guys who can come in and play the role. … They have some different looks they can take on depending on which player they decide to fill his spot,” Vanney said.
“We have to remain intelligent about how we go about things. We can’t let our foot off the gas or lose any concentration just because he’s not on the field because they are still a dangerous team.”
The Impact will also be missing captain Patrice Bernier after he picked up a red card in last week’s match.
Drew Moor a new father
Defender Drew Moor sat on the bench as an unused substitute in last week’s match against Montreal. Normally a starter for the Reds, the veteran was given the night off after his wife Shelby gave birth to the couple’s first child early Tuesday morning.
Joseph Anthony (a combination of his wife’s two grandfathers’ names) weighed in at seven pounds and 10 ounces. Moor’s son and wife are doing just fine.
“It’s the most amazing experience of my life,” said Moor, who will be ready to start on Wednesday if called upon.
A father of four, Vanney had some sage advice for Moor: “Don’t panic over every little thing,” and “be present as much as possible because all of this goes by so fast.”
“Get sleep when you can get sleep, and make sure you’re there supporting your wife, and doing what she needs you to do along the way so she stays happy. These early days are a lot of fun, and then there’s a big emotional kick that goes into having a child. It’s a lot of new work and responsibility that comes with it,” Vanney said.
Looking ahead to Wednesday
Toronto holds a two-goal advantage going into Wednesday’s decisive second leg. The Reds only need a draw to advance to the finals. Even a 1-0 loss would see them advance on aggregate.
Montreal can advance on the away goals rule with a 2-0 win.
“The way I look at it we have a one-goal lead because anything with two [goals by Montreal], unless we score two more, is not in our favour. We have to be smart, that means at most we have at most one mistake that we can make in this game,” Vanney offered.
“We have to be diligent and smart in how we approach the game. I don’t think we have to change too much drastically [from the first leg].”
Toronto or Montreal will face the winner of the other semifinal between the Ottawa Fury and Vancouver Whitecaps in the final. Ottawa earned a 2-0 win at home in last week’s first leg.
The two-legged final will be played during the weeks of June 21 and June 28.
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