Heading into game two of the Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic, Toronto FC seems to have given observers more questions than answers.
Following what has been widely described as an "uneven" opener against local side Orlando City, TFC did much to unsettle the previously calm minds of its fans. Most glaringly, the defenders brought in to right the many wrongs on the porous backline looked anything but ready for a season that is now looming ominously on the horizon.
The big South American pair were vulnerable to the long ball/speed combination that is so prevalant in soccer in this part of the world, setting off alarm bells that Toronto may not be as set as they seemed just days before (when no one had actually seen them play).
If that's the case, then what now?
Well, how about another preseason game, this time against BK Hacken?
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Despite sounding like the after-effects of a lost battle with a Whopper, the Swedish side will challenge the Reds on the pitch rather than the drive-through. Hacken will ostensibly be a tougher test than Orlando was, which may be a scary thought given how easily the third-division champs tore through Toronto's work-in-progress defence at times.
But that's what these games are for, to provide a real challenge ahead of the season proper, and with the CONCACAF Champions League on the minds with everyone involved with TFC, look for Aron Winter to play his starters a little longer than the 62 minutes he gave his first choicers over the weekend.
One starter who may not be pushed as hard as the others, however, is Danny Koevermans, who exited Saturday's match early with a slight hamstring strain. The big Dutchman has already dismissed the substitution as precautionary, but he admitted to Gol TV Canada that he may not train as vigourously as his teammates for the duration of the team's time in Florida.
While Koevermans heals up, another TFC big man has returned as Ryan Johnson rejoined his club after playing in a couple of friendlies with Jamaica. Johnson was, by all accounts, very active while on international duty, scoring in the latter game and setting up the game-winner in the first.
His sharpness and match fitness could bring a welcome change of pace to a Toronto side that looked disjointed and out of ideas over the weekend, especially after Koevermans was forced to prematurely end his time on the pitch.
Defensively, one has to wonder if Winter tries a different centre back pairing against Hacken. While Miguel Aceval and Geovanny Caicedo are the presumed starters, someone like Ty Harden, who has shown he can play well when paired with a competent partner, may see more action as the TFC staff looks to find the right combination ahead of March 7.
Even further back, Stefan Frei had a great game against Orlando and looks to have sealed up the proverbial number one shirt. With that said, we all saw how Winter liked to platoon his 'keepers last year, so it wouldn't be the biggest surprise to see Milos Kocic get a shot in goal tonight.
Mostly, what the coaching staff will be looking for is a bit more sharpness and cohesiveness between the reworked lineup. Fitness will come naturally, but understanding amongst teammates is not something that shows up overnight, so an increased focus on getting the players familiar with one another should be the key goal for tonight.
Another thing to consider is that a win against Hacken will likely give TFC an extra match in the Disney tournament (by virtue of advancing to either the final or consolation final), something that could end up being a positive for a side still struggling to gel.
So while winning may not be of utmost importance tonight, it certainly couldn't hurt.
Toronto FC v. BK Hacken
Tuesday, February 28, 2012. 6:00pm EST.
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Lake Buena Vista, FL.
Webcast: MLSsoccer.com
Rudi Schuller contributes Toronto FC, MLS, and Canadian national team content to the 24th Minute. He is MLSsoccer.com's beat writer for all things concerning Canada's men's national teams, and he has spent time as soccer editor for Reuters' online publications. He has also contributed to Goal.com and other soccer media. Follow Rudi on Twitter, @RudiSchuller.