In this edition of Oppo Research, Hudson River Blue spoke with John Molinaro of TFC Republic to learn more about Toronto FC, New York City FC's opponent at BMO Stadium on Saturday. Here is your NYCFC vs Toronto FC preview.
• League Form: W-D-D-D-L
• Record: 1W, 4D, 4L | 7 points, 14th place
• Scoring Leader: Deandre Kerr and Federico Bernardeschi, 2 goals
• Assist Leader: Federico Bernardeschi, 2 assists
1. Toronto is better than the record shows
Hudson River Blue: It took Toronto eight matches to earn its first win of the season, most recently defeating Salt Lake 1-0 on the road. The club could miss the playoffs for the fifth straight season. What does Toronto need to do to fix itself and be competitive again?
John Molinaro: I think they’re much better than the record indicates. They gave up 12 goals through their first five games of the season. But in their last four matches, they have three clean sheets and have conceded just once, and have taken points from three of the best teams in MLS: Vancouver, Miami, and Minnesota. They haven’t been blown out in any of their nine matches; they’ve been competitive in all of them. So, they are improving. I also think it’s far too premature to talk about them missing the playoffs with only nine matches played. They’re a good side that remains a work in progress. To be truly competitive, they need to get the attack going and be far more dangerous in the final third of the pitch.
2 Toronto's two new signings are still settling in
HRB: Toronto added striker Ola Brynhildsen from Danish Superliga side FC Midtjylland, but he hasn’t seen much pitch time this season. The club also brought in Canadian winger Theo Corbeanu, who scored the game-winning goal against Salt Lake. How do you assess the team’s two signings?
JM: Brynhildsen has dealt with injury and fitness issues, so he hasn’t had a chance to really get going. When he plays, you can tell he’s a smart player with his runs on and off the ball. I think he has the potential to be a dangerous player for Toronto. Corbeanu started the first two games of the season, and then fell out of favor. But he’s enjoyed a resurgence the past few weeks and scored his first career MLS goal in the win over RSL. He shows a lot of promise, but he’s lacked consistency since joining TFC on loan.
3. Nine matches, but only three home games
HRB: In three home games, Toronto remains winless at BMO Field and has scored just one goal. What do you think is causing the home struggles?
JM: Of the nine games they’ve played so far, only three have been at BMO Field, and two of them came against Minnesota and Vancouver. So, I think it’s a bit of a stretch to suggest they’re struggling at home with such a small sample size and when you consider the quality of the opposition. No doubt, TFC would love to have more home points on the board from their three home games. But this team is in rebuild mode under a new coach so it’s going to take some time for the results to come on a regular basis and for the team to find its footing and get into a rhythm.
4. The X-Factor: Sean Johnson
HRB: What’s the X-factor that could decide this game?
JM: Sean Johnson. He’s been outstanding for TFC over the last four matches and I don’t think it’s a stretch to say this has been the best run of form he’s had since joining the Reds as a free agent. He’s made some huge saves and kept them in some very tight games. Toronto wouldn’t have won in Salt Lake City or taken points off Miami, Minnesota, and Vancouver without Johnson in goal.
5. Predicted score, Starting XI
HRB: Prediction time: Starting XI? Final score?
JM: 1-1 final score.
