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MLS Preview: New England Revolution v. Toronto FC
The Revs look to shore up their lead in the East against a surprising TFC side that might be their biggest challenger come the fall.
Jun 27, 2008 1:33:56 PM
New England Revolution v. Toronto FC
When: 7:30 pm ET
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA
The Gist: New England returns home after seeing their 7-game unbeaten streak snapped in Salt Lake City last weekend. They host a Toronto side that has won just once in five trips south of the border this season.
Though the Revs haven’t been the best team at home -- just 3-2-2 -- they welcome several players back from international duty, most notably, midfielder Shalrie Joseph and striker Kenny Mansally. With a New England win, Steve Nicol will coach the MLS All-Stars for the second year in a row, while Toronto’s John Carver needs his side to win and Columbus to lose if he is to earn the same honor.
Why You Should Care: Surprisingly, these are two of the best three teams in MLS as we near the midway point of the season. Surprisingly, because Toronto is a part of that sentence.
Both teams play on artificial surfaces so one side should not have an advantage as a result. Where New England will have an advantage, however, is in the midfield with the return of Joseph and the likely return of playmaker Mauricio Castro from injury.
With Joseph back in the mix, Nicol can revert to his favored 3-5-2 after going with a 4-4-2 in the loss to RSL. Castro’s return means Steve Ralston will slide back into the middle of the field, and Mansally’s returns provides a poised presence that has been lacking in the Revs’ attack.
Meantime, Toronto welcomes back goalkeeper Greg Sutton. But more importantly, the Reds will have their own playmaker, Amado Guevara, fit to start the match. The offense spins around Guevara often, with other weapons like Laurent Robert and Rohan Ricketts providing craft and speed. Together, they could take advantage of a Revolution defense that has been in a “bend but don’t break” mode for the past few weeks.
In Danny Dichio and Jeff Cunningham, the Toronto strikeforce should find itself in dangerous spots, and this game’s result may depend on whether early MVP candidate Matt Reis is up to the task to yet again save the Revolution.
He’s So Hot Right Now: Danny Dichio. The lumbering forward nearly gave Toronto a win last weekend on a goal that was disallowed due to offsides in second-half stoppage time. Despite his size, Dichio gets himself into threatening positions, and could be the knockout punch against a New England team that has been outplayed in their last few matches.
Prediction: Toronto FC 2, New England Revolution 1
--Pat Walsh, Goal.com
When: 7:30 pm ET
Where: Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA
The Gist: New England returns home after seeing their 7-game unbeaten streak snapped in Salt Lake City last weekend. They host a Toronto side that has won just once in five trips south of the border this season.
Though the Revs haven’t been the best team at home -- just 3-2-2 -- they welcome several players back from international duty, most notably, midfielder Shalrie Joseph and striker Kenny Mansally. With a New England win, Steve Nicol will coach the MLS All-Stars for the second year in a row, while Toronto’s John Carver needs his side to win and Columbus to lose if he is to earn the same honor.
Why You Should Care: Surprisingly, these are two of the best three teams in MLS as we near the midway point of the season. Surprisingly, because Toronto is a part of that sentence.
Both teams play on artificial surfaces so one side should not have an advantage as a result. Where New England will have an advantage, however, is in the midfield with the return of Joseph and the likely return of playmaker Mauricio Castro from injury.
With Joseph back in the mix, Nicol can revert to his favored 3-5-2 after going with a 4-4-2 in the loss to RSL. Castro’s return means Steve Ralston will slide back into the middle of the field, and Mansally’s returns provides a poised presence that has been lacking in the Revs’ attack.
Meantime, Toronto welcomes back goalkeeper Greg Sutton. But more importantly, the Reds will have their own playmaker, Amado Guevara, fit to start the match. The offense spins around Guevara often, with other weapons like Laurent Robert and Rohan Ricketts providing craft and speed. Together, they could take advantage of a Revolution defense that has been in a “bend but don’t break” mode for the past few weeks.
In Danny Dichio and Jeff Cunningham, the Toronto strikeforce should find itself in dangerous spots, and this game’s result may depend on whether early MVP candidate Matt Reis is up to the task to yet again save the Revolution.
He’s So Hot Right Now: Danny Dichio. The lumbering forward nearly gave Toronto a win last weekend on a goal that was disallowed due to offsides in second-half stoppage time. Despite his size, Dichio gets himself into threatening positions, and could be the knockout punch against a New England team that has been outplayed in their last few matches.
Prediction: Toronto FC 2, New England Revolution 1
--Pat Walsh, Goal.com
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