Toronto faces a tough test at the Toyota Park as they take on the second placed Western Conference side, FC Dallas. The strong side from Texas will not lack motivation after dropping back-to-back results to Portland and Colorado. Dallas were shocked 4-0 by a previously weak Colorado side, leaving defender Matt Hedges to say,”I told the guys, normally we get the loss out of our system, but this one, you have to remember how it felt. You can’t forget when you lose 4-0. You never want that to happen again.”
Toronto FC looks to change early season fortunes against Dallas
Meanwhile, Greg Vanney’s side have picked up just three points from a possible twelve. After a season opening victory against the Vancouver Whitecaps, Toronto has dropped results against Columbus, Real Salt Lake, and Chicago.
Michael Bradley is set to return to the Toronto line-up, just three days after the US National team played Mexico. He is poised to form a strong midfield partnership alongside former Ligue One midfielder Benoit Cheyrou. Bradley has a 89% passing accuracy, with 72% of those passes being made forward. The average pass length he makes is 18m. Cheyrou has a passing accuracy of 77%, with 88% being made forward. His average pass length is 20m. Bradley and Cheyrou make an average of 11 defensive actions a match.
Toronto have had questionable defending since the season started, and those questions will definitely be asked with veteran central defender Steven Caldwell missing the match through injury. Rookie French defender, Clement Simonin is set to miss the match as well. Damien Perquis will be available after fighting to be fit. Mark Bloom is still not available, while Warren Creavalle is suspended after receiving two yellow cards in the match against Chicago. Perquis, Justin Morrow and Nick Hagglund are likely to start in defence, with either Eriq Zavaleta, Marky Delgado, or Ashtone Morgan being the fourth defender.
Altidore, Findley and Giovinco will lead the attack. Bradley, Jonathan Osorio and Cheyrou will be the key cogs in the midfield.
The most important player returning to the line-up for FC Dallas will be centre back Matt Hedges. He has the highest average defensive actions per game on his team, with 14. Dallas struggled mightily at the back against the Colorado Rapids, the presence of Hedges will be key. Arguably Dallas’ best player, Mauro Diaz is likely to miss the match against Toronto this weekend. Dallas will have the talents of Blas Perez and Tesho Akindele, both have scored 5 goals amongst themselves. Castillo has also been a creative presence for Dallas, netting another goal and two assists in the young season. Holding midfielder Michel has created the most assists on the team. Look for Fabian Castillo to be a constant threat, as he leads Dallas in shots by a mile. He has 14 shots in the season, while Perez has 10 and Akindele has 9.
Toronto faces a stiff test to get a result against a strong Dallas side, but they will need to avoid facing a four-game skid this early into the season. Altidore and Findley will have to combine to overcome Hedges, while Bradley and Cheyrou will have to be their usual class. The biggest question mark for Toronto lies in defence. Can Perquis and the boys do it? Find out Saturday at 8:30 EST.
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