Right, the boys are in Canada and should by now be ready to take on the legendary Toronto FC in a vital match to regain our hon— Oh, right. It’s just Toronto FC, and we shouldn’t have too much trouble tonight, even though our road record has been more than a little suspect. Our previous trip to Canada this season ended in a bit of disappointment, as, you know, the match wasn’t played. That one was a bit miserable, truth be told.
So onward to Toronto, where we’ll face a team that is third-worst in league points (ahead of Chicago Fire and their fellow Canucks in Vancouver) and third-worst in goals scored. They’ve drawn 11 matches, lost 11 matches and won a grand total of three — these are the sorts of chances we need to take. Yes, Toronto has been “strengthened” by signing after signing, and that’s helped them to two draws in their last five, but, you know, I’m not particularly worried. (Hush, I’m very worried, but that’s my default state.)
What can we expect from our boys in Claret and Cobalt tonight? The midfield is a bit weakened by injury and perhaps fatigue, but our front line is as strong as it’s ever been. At the back, Jamison Olave is still anticipated to not be fit, so I imagine we’ll see another Borchers-Schuler combination with Wingert and Russell on the flanks, with Beltran on the bench this week, as he played with the reserves on Tuesday in a bid for fitness.
In the middle, Kyle Beckerman may start, but he did put in a 90-minute shift for the national team and could well use a break. Under normal circumstances, I’d expect that he’d be on the bench with Ned Grabavoy deep, but with Grabavoy out, Jason Kreis has a difficult decision to make. Will Johnson, Andy Williams, and Luis Gil should round out the midfield, with Luis Gil getting another chance after scoring his first MLS goal.
Up front, Saborio and Espindola should be partnered together as they continue looking to form an effective pairing. We’re starting to see players come back from injury, so perhaps a forward-heavy bench could be the case tonight: Paulo Jr., Cody Arnoux, and Chris Agorsor should each be fit and ready to play if called on.
So, the predicted lineup:
Rimando
Wingert - Schuler - Borchers - Russell
Beckerman - Johnson - Williams - Gil
Espindola - Saborio
And, as usual, that could all be wrong, so take it with a grain or three of salt.
Right, a few hours now and we’ll find out more. Come on you Claret and Cobalt!
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