By: Michael Crampton
Two great rivals set to lock horns for the first time ever in league play or two tired teams desperately searching for their first win of the season? Not exactly a glass half full versus glass half empty situation but Saturday’s lunchtime meeting of the Montreal Impact and Toronto FC comes at a rough time for both sides.
While it was far from unexpected Toronto’s elimination from the CONCACAF Champions League at the hands of Club Santos Laguna had to be as emotionally draining for the players as it was for supporters. Taking the lead twice gave a sense of what was possible that only made the mistake driven self destruction of the second half harder to endure. Now the team must immediately lift themselves for a match that will be vitally important to their supporters and possibly crucial to their 2012 MLS campaign.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
Montreal on the other hand head home after a completely unsuccessful three game road swing. The Impact had a highly competitive first half with the New York Red Bulls on the weekend, before ultimately succumbing to an unflattering 5 – 2 defeat, sandwiched between losses in Columbus and Salt Lake City. With only one point taken from their first five games the Impact have actually had a worse start to life in MLS than hapless TFC did in 2007. For a side that placed a premium on MLS experience in building their expansion squad as part of a plan for MLS readiness from day one that has to be a disappointing return.
Interestingly, had at least one of the two been off to a better start, the confrontation between TFC and the Impact might have provided a compelling evaluation of football philosophies. More than just the 4-3-3 formation he employs Aron Winter was ostensibly brought in to Toronto to create a specific culture at the club. The organization has made repeated assertions that Winter is part of a long term vision to play attacking possession based soccer with an emphasis on homegrown.
Alternatively, with the off season appointment of Jesse Marsch the Impact planted their flag squarely within the boundaries of the more traditional MLS style. Owner Joey Saputo seemingly decided that success in a North American league meant creating a team built to play North American football. Unlike Winter, who was brought in as much for the credibility of his European pedigree, Marsch was an MLS original who spent 14 years in the league as a player.
Marsch likes to set his Impact up in, prototypical for MLS, a robust 4-4-2. In the middle Felipe and Canadian international Patrice Bernier are both capable ball winners and comfortable shielding the defense. They’re provided further support from the flanks however as one would hesitate to call captain Davy Arnaud and Justin Mapp “wingers” since both could (or have) played centrally themselves. Arnaud is a true MLS stalwart and has already popped up in a variety of positions for the club while also managing to score their first ever goal in the league. It’s a midfield entirely capable of winning the battle with TFC’s particularly in the absence Torsten Frings.
In a story that will be familiar to Toronto supporters the susceptible part of the Impact looks to be their defense. With major signing Nelson Rivas yet to make an appearance for the team Tyson Wahl has been relied on at centre back and had become a major liability before being dropped for the game against Real Salt Lake. In Jeb Brovsky and Josh Gardner neither of the Impact’s regular fullbacks has looked particularly reliable either.
Of course, even predicting the centre back pairing for TFC isn’t easy. Shockingly, Ty Harden seems undroppable at this point but after Miguel Aceval’s calamitous night in Mexico does Winter return to Logan Emory? Or Is Adrian Cann worth risking on an ugly looking turf surface for his return to first team action? Could Richard Eckersley be shifted inside or will young Doneil Henry be the next in line to be handed an opportunity?
The passion of a rivalry, the expectations of supporters, and both teams’ need for a win will demand attack but in the end stopping the other side will likely prove more important. Ultimately the match will probably be decided by which side manages to get their defence more organized in time.