Toronto FC will be faced with the tough task of traveling to Rio Tinto Stadium to take on Real Salt Lake this Saturday. Coming into the game Toronto sits in eighth place in the Eastern Conference, one point up on last place Kansas City who have three games in hand on Toronto. Real Salt Lake on the other hand sits in fourth place in the Western Conference and have four games in hand over both the Galaxy and the Sounders who sit in first and second place respectively. Real has only lost one home fixture on the season and have an astounding 30-3-12 record at Rio Tinto Stadium since 2009.
An already tough task will get even tougher for Toronto as they are missing many key players heading into the clash with Real Salt Lake. Toronto just recently learned that defender Adrian Cann would miss the rest of season with an ACL injury that requires surgery. He is added to a list that already includes defender Dicoy Williams, midfielders Julian De Guzman, Tony Tchani, and Jacob Peterson, and forward Alan Gordon. As if the injury news was not already bad enough, Toronto learned during the week that midfielder Alen Stevanovic would be returning to his parent club Torino in Italy and will no longer be available for head coach Aron Winter. While Toronto’s injury list was piling up, Real Salt Lake was graced with the news that they would be getting Alvaro Saborio back from international duty with Costa Rica and midfielder Jean-Michel Alexandre back from suspension. This makes the hope of getting a point this Saturday sound like a very daunting task for Toronto FC.
One of the few glimmers of hope for Toronto can be taken from the fact that they have had the whole week off to practice and prepare for Saturday’s clash, while Real Salt Lake had to travel to Chicago this Wednesday for a mid-week clash with the Fire. The short rest could prove beneficial for Toronto as they just might have a bit more left in the tank for Saturday’s clash, which could show later on in the second half. The key for Toronto will be to stay strong on defense and be quick on the counter. They will have to capitalize on the few opportunities they get because it will be very tough for them to break down Real’s tough back line coupled with the always strong Rimando who is a very tough keeper to beat. On the opposite side of the pitch, Toronto’s keeper Stefan Frei has been their most consistent player. He will need to be sharp to give TFC any hope of coming away with points in this game. He will also need plenty of help from his back line which has been shaky to say the least this season.
Toronto will more than likely go with a 4-3-3, with five defenders in the starting XI, one of which will take on a defensive role in the midfield. The stating XI will, in my opinion, include Eckersley, Borman, Harden, Henry, Yourassowsky, Sturgis, Gargan, Santos, Cotera and Soolsma, with Frei of course in goal. The big question for TFC is who will step up and lead the attack? With Gordon out, they will need to rely on someone else to join Maicon Santos on the goal front. Toronto has been hard pressed to find the back of the net this season on the road, notching a total of five goals in seven games. It certainly won’t get any easier as Real Salt Lake have conceded only four goals at home on the season, tied for fewest in the league (excluding Sporting KC who have only played two home games this season). It will prove to be a tough fixture this weekend for Toronto and we will find out early on in the match as to whether or not they are up to the task. A loss could see Toronto into last place in the conference, a spot they have become all too familiar with. Kick-off is scheduled for 9 PM Eastern Time, so make sure to tune in if you have the chance.
Follow me on Twitter at @thealexmoretto
Image courtesy mlssoccer.com
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