Toronto FC was back in training on Monday ahead of a busy week that will see the Reds play two games in four days.
Here are some news and notes from today’s practice.
GIOVINCO AND ALTIDORE ON THE MEND
TFC top scorers Sebastian Giovinco (quad tightness) and Jozy Altidore (lower-body injury) didn’t travel with the team to California on the weekend. They were hardly missed, though, as the Reds cruised to a 4-0 win over the L.A. Galaxy.
Giovinco and Altidore, who between them have 28 goals this season, were subbed out in TFC’s 4-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes at BMO Field last week. But coach Greg Vanney revealed they could see action in Wednesday’s home game against the Montreal Impact. Both players took part in Monday’s light training session.
“They’ll be in consideration for [the match]. We’ll see where they’re at tomorrow and then we’ll make a decision on Wednesday. … It was purposeful to leave them back [and not bring them to LA],” Vanney explained.
After the Montreal match, Toronto travels to New England to take on the Revolution on Saturday. With such a short turnaround, Vanney will have to rotate his squad over the course of the two games, and will try to give playing time to bench and depth players.
“We definitely have a plan going into this week. … In addition to the guys who play a lot of minutes, I want to give as many guys a chance to get out there. We need to have as many guys [as possible] ready down the stretch and towards the playoffs. We’ll utilize these two games in that way to make sure a lot of guys get an opportunity,” Vanney said.
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ENOUGH WITH THE RECORD, ALREADY!
Toronto sits comfortably atop the overall league standings with a 18-3-8 record and 62 points, and looks a sure bet to win the Supporters’ Shield, the honour that goes to the team that finishes the regular season in first place. Winning the Shield comes with the added bonus of home field advantage all the way through the playoffs.
Toronto is also chasing history, and trying to break the record for the most points in a single MLS season, held by the 1998 L.A. team (68 points). TFC has five games to eclipse the Galaxy’s mark, and barring a late-season collapse, it’s a matter of when, and not if, they’ll do it.
Assistant coach Dan Calichman, who played on that 1998 Galaxy team, hopes it’s sooner rather than later, as he told Sportsnet in a one-on-one interview that he’s tired of talking about the record. Vanney has reached that point, too.
“My hang ups are always on our performances and making sure that we are very honest about how we play, and the things that we do well and the things that we don’t do well. All of the other stuff are great talking points, but for us to be better we have to maintain a good focus on our performances,” Vanney offered.
GIVING BRADLEY A REST?
Captain Michael Bradley has started 25 of the Reds’ 29 regular season games this season, and has played a full 90 minutes in each of those appearances. In total, he leads the team in playing time with 2,250 minutes.
Bradley has missed one match due to suspension this season, and three while away on international duty. He played a number of games for the U.S. in the World Cup qualifiers and in this summer’s CONCACAF Gold Cup. He also has two more World Cup qualifiers coming up in October – and possibly two more after that in November.
Considering all the minutes Bradley has logged and travelling he’s done, has Vanney considered giving him any time off ahead of the post-season?
“It’s always something we talk about with all of the player: how do you feel, where you’re at? We always track where they are physically with sports science and all of that,” Vanney said.
“After this week, games start to stretch out a little bit more, and playing one game in a week isn’t a big ask for anyone. This is the week that we’ll keep an eye on him and see where he’s at. … Michael’s not a guy who wants to be out of any match, so we’ll look at that as well.”
CHEYROU, HAGGLUND COMING BACK
Defender Nick Hagglund and midfielder Benoit Cheyrou are both on the mend from long-term injuries.
Cheyrou suffered a calf tear during a 1-1 draw at home against the Colorado Rapids on Jul. 22 and was originally ruled out for at least eight weeks. Hagglund was ruled out for six-to-eight weeks with a left knee sprain he suffered in a game versus the Portland Timbers on Aug. 12.
Vanney said he expects both players, who took part in light training on Monday, to return before the start of the playoffs. TFC’s regular season ends on Oct. 22.
“It’s just a timing issue of when we bring them back. It won’t be in the short-term, but they’re definitely making progress,” Vanney said.
LOOKING AHEAD TO MONTREAL
Wednesday’s match at BMO Field is the second of three regular season meetings between TFC and the Impact. Toronto earned a 3-1 decision in Montreal on Aug. 27, and TFC also bested the Impact in the two-leg final of the Canadian Club Championship.
They’ll meet for the third and final time of the MLS campaign on Oct. 15 in Toronto during the penultimate week of the regular season.
Overall, TFC has won six straight and is riding an 11-game unbeaten run (with seven wins). They’re also undefeated at home in 15 regular season games (with 12 wins), a streak that dates back to last October.
While the Reds look a sure bet to finish the regular season in first place and have already clinched a post-season berth, the Impact are fighting for their playoff lives. Montreal (10-12-6, 36 points) is seventh in the Eastern Conference, six points and one spot out of a playoff berth with six games remaining. The Impact are coming off a disappointing 3-2 loss at home to Minnesota United, and have lost their last three matches – this after winning four straight.
Another loss on Wednesday would put a major dent in their post-season aspirations, although it wouldn’t officially eliminate the Impact from playoff contention.
“In our league the margins [between winning and losing] are fine for a lot of times, and momentum is important. They had momentum, and we were fortunate to go there and get a result, and maybe that shifted the momentum a little bit,” Vanney offered.
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