BOSTON – Three games in seven days for Toronto FC. That sums it all up right now.
But they say there’s a silver lining around every dark cloud. The dark cloud in this case was the disappointment of losing the Amway Canadian Championship semifinals to the Montreal Impact. No Voyageurs Cup for the Reds this year.
The silver lining is that the team will now be able to settle into a regular routine of playing, for the most part at least, just one game a week. Let’s not count that Manchester City friendly thrown into the mix.
Saturday programming alert: Watch New England Revolution vs. Toronto FC on Sportsnet 360 and Sportsnet World. Live coverage starts at 7:30 pm ET/4:30 pm PT. || Sportsnet World NOW || Broadcast schedule
With that horrendous start of seven straight road games to start the season done—eight if you count Montreal in the first leg of the Voyageurs Cup semifinals—it also means the team will now load up on home matches with five of their next six games a BMO Field after this weekend’s game against New England.
Ah yes, New England. Only one of the top teams in Major League Soccer this season, and on a current run of terrific form.
This game presents quite a challenge to TFC. The Revolution got off to a slow start losing two straight and going winless in their first three. But they now find themselves on an eight-game unbeaten streak, firing on all cylinders, and virtually injury free. And this a team that plays on artificial turf.
New England usually plays with a three-pronged attack, and it’s formidable. U.S. international Juan Agudelo patrols the left, with Canadian-born Teal Bunbury on the right. After missing three games with a shoulder injury, the report on Bunbury is that he has been dynamite on the right side after playing centrally for most of his career. U.S. international Charlie Davies plays in the middle.
You’ll remember Davies was involved in that serious car crash in 2009 which killed another passenger in the car. Davies was left with a broken leg. When it healed, his right leg somehow ended up an inch and a half shorter than the left. His recovery and how it affected his career is an interesting story that we’ll detail during Sportsnet’s game telecast Saturday evening.
The bottom line is Davies is healthy, playing well and leads the team with four goals. Combined with the other two, Davies will likely cause the Toronto backline fits.
For their part, TFC are still struggling with the same injuries that will force several regulars to the sidelines. Both Jackson and Robbie Findley made the trip but it’s unclear if they will be able to play.
Backup goalkeeper Chris Konopka figures to get his fifth straight start with Joe Bendik (who didn’t travel to Boston) still bothered by a nagging foot injury.
Toronto will have to figure out a way to put a halt to the lapses in defensive concentration that cost them both goals against Montreal.
New England, by the way, are fighting the same issue. Defending crosses has been the mantra preached by coach Jay Heaps this week. Both goals they conceded in last weekend’s draw against Orlando came from such plays.
And this being New England, our sideline reporter Arash Madani has come equipped with a pressure gauge to make sure the game balls are properly inflated.