TORONTO — As Toronto FC coach Paul Mariner said earlier this week, it could not have come at a worse time.
But in a fashion that is typical of the Englishman, he’s keeping a stiff upper lip and simply getting on with it.
Toronto hosts English Premiership giants Liverpool on Saturday at Rogers Centre in an international friendly, an occasion that marks the Major League Soccer club’s eighth game in 25 days.
Saturday programming alert: Tune in to Sportsnet (all four regions) to watch Toronto FC host Liverpool in an international friendly. Coverage begins with a live pre-game show at 3:30 pm ET/12:30 pm PT.
TFC is coming off a 2-1 win over the Colorado Rapids Wednesday night, and the players would dearly love to have the weekend off in order to rest and recuperate after such a gruelling stretch. But duty calls against Liverpool, and Mariner is not using the poor timing of this contest as an excuse to have his team leisurely go through their paces Saturday.
"I think everyone knows we’ve had a very interesting or month or so, (but) we want to give them a show. I don’t think we want to let ourselves down. I know the players absolutely will not let themselves down," Mariner stated.
Still, few of TFC’s regulars are expected to be in the starting line-up. Mariner plans to start players who have seen little action this season, and include members of the team’s youth academy in his roster.
Among those who might take to the pitch include four teenagers who were on the bench Wednesday: goalkeeper Quillan Roberts, midfielders Matt Stinson and Oscar Cordon and forward Keith Makubuya.
"This is an ideal opportunity for us to see what we’ve got. The game is the biggest teacher," Mariner said. "It’s much better than training. You can learn so much about your players."
Roberts, the team’s 17-year-old backup goalkeeper, hasn’t played a single minute this season but is expected to make his team debut against Liverpool.
"It’s exciting; finally getting to represent my club, especially in Toronto with a big crowd and against a big club," Roberts stated. "I’ve worked towards this since pre-season …. going into games I know I’m (the backup), so I just wait for my chance."
Stinson offered: "For me it’s just a game. It’s going to be a good experience to play against world class players, and that’s what I’m taking out of it."
There is an underlying danger in this friendly, namely injuries. With TFC missing several starters right now (Danny Koevermans, Adrian Cann, Jeremy Hall) the last thing they want is anybody else to get injured against Liverpool.
But Mariner warns the worst thing a player can do is be cautious on the pitch. Instead, they have to maintain their natural level of competitiveness, pointing to midfielder Terry Dunfield as an example.
"The players are not going to be missing around," Mariner said. "I saw the other night Terry go in for a ball into the box and he got hammered. He knew he was going to get hammered but he was brave enough to put his head in there. If he goes in half-hearted, he probably gets hurt.
"It’s part of the professional psyche that if you up let down you probably are going to get hurt."
Dunfield concurred: "It’s like training or any other game. You go out there to run and (compete). If you give anything less then you’re asking for it."
The Canadian midfielder also views this game as a chance for TFC to build on its momentum. Mariner replaced former coach Aron Winter on June 7 with Toronto coming off its first victory after setting a league record with nine straight defeats to start the season. TFC lost its first contest under Mariner but has since gone 4-2-4 under the Englishman.
"He said when he first took over, let’s put some pride back in the shirt. We’re getting there; I think we’re getting closer to what we want to do," Dunfield said.
One TFC player who is especially looking forward to Saturday is Richard Eckersley.
The English defender is a product of Manchester United’s youth system and played two games for the senior team. He’s also from the Manchester area, and the prospect of facing United’s traditional rival in Liverpool is very special.
He also wants Toronto FC to prove that MLS teams can hold their own with the biggest clubs in the world.
"You’re representing MLS. It’s huge for us. If we can put on a good show, everyone will have a bit more respect for us," Eckersley stated.
Local soccer fans hoping to catch a glimpse of Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard will be disappointed.
World Football Challenge, the promoter of Saturday’s friendly, announced that several of the Reds’ top stars did not make the trip to Toronto due to FIFA regulations surrounding mandatory vacation dates after international tournaments.
That means a lot of the players who competed in Euro 2012 won’t feature against TFC, a list that includes Gerrard, Glen Johnson, Martin Kelly, Jordan Henderson, Stewart Downing, Andy Carroll, Fabio Borini and Pepe Reina.
This will no doubt leave a sour taste in fans mouths, especially after a version of Liverpool’s squad list distributed by Toronto FC and appearing on MLS’ official website on Wednesday included all of the aforementioned players.
Liverpool is also missing three players who are away on Olympic duty: Luis Suarez, Sebastian Coates and Craig Bellamy.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers hopes fans will understand the situation.
“I think (we) have a lot of big players here. We have some of the core of the group that’s going to be very important for me. We’ve got some stars of the future,” Rodgers said.
“Of course, we have some players that aren’t here, but there’s a purpose and a reason why they’re not here. They need to recover and recover well. I don’t think it takes anything away from the players I’ve got here. I’ve got top international players, players that are multi-skilled, and players that will fight for the shirt.”
NOTES: A Toronto FC official told sportsnet.ca that 34,000 tickets have been sold for Saturday’s match. Ticket prices range from $35 to $145… TFC returns to MLS action on July 28 when they host the Houston Dynamo… Saturday’s contest will be Brendan Rodger’s first match as manager of Liverpool. Rodgers was appointed as the Reds’ new coach last month…