The dog days of summer.
It's a term usually reserved for those stifling hot days in which everything is seemingly slower. People move about with a bit more pensiveness than usual, the water is calmer, and even the air itself seems to be too lazy to care.
For Toronto FC, the dog days of summer can describe just about every league match from early August onward, as the days get shorter and the matches become increasingly meaningless. Now in their fifth year, TFC can count 2011 among those dog days, where they are still mathematically eligible for the post-season, but everyone knows it's not going to happen without a miracle.
Things get magnified when they play against teams mired in a similar malaise.
[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
The San Jose Earthquakes are definitely one of those teams. A terribly un-entertaining bunch who haven't won a league match since early June, the Quakes are arguably worse off than TFC right now. In the standings they are still above the Reds, although much of that is due to a strong month of May (which no doubt seems like eons ago for San Jose supporters).
The two sides last met back in April, with the result being a 1-1 draw at Buck Shaw Stadium. Since then, both teams have gone through significant overhauls, although -- like the rest of the league -- San Jose's was nowhere near the scope of Toronto's.
Most notably, the teams exchanged players (and some other intangibles) between them. Toronto got Ryan Johnson, an international spot and some allocation money for Alan Gordon, Jacob Peterson and former TFC darling Nana Attakora.
And, despite what Peterson will tell you, TFC came out of that deal looking like bandits.
Johnson has become something of a revelation for the Reds since heading to Southern Ontario, fitting in seamlessly with Aron Winter's vaunted formation. Meanwhile, Gordon and Peterson have spend most of their time injured, and Attakora has been an unmitigated disaster in the extremely limited time he's suited up for Frank Yallop's side.
Of course, this game is about more than those players, but there is no doubt that the returnees will bear the focus of the TFC faithful (while Johnson will surely want to stick it to his old team in the same fashion that countless players have done to his current club).
In a match between two relative bottom-feeders, it's easier to focus on individual storylines rather than the "bigger picture" of league play. No storyline is likely going to affect the game more than the one day of rest that TFC got, after having played 45 minutes of their Champions League game versus Dallas on Wednesday night, then playing another 90 the following morning against the same team due to a ridiculous electrical storm.
With many of Toronto's veterans logging time on both days, will there be anything left in the tank on Saturday night? It was always going to be tough to get up for a team like San Jose given the circumstances (that neither are likely to make the playoffs regardless of what happens), and having less than 55 hours rest will make it that much tougher.
Untimately, what we'll see Saturday is a haggered Toronto FC versus an all-round awful San Jose Earthquakes.
Thank God the CNE is in town.
Toronto FC v. San Jose Earthquakes
Saturday, August 27, 2011. 7:00pm EDT.
BMO Field. Toronto, ON.
Watch: GolTV Canada, MLS MatchDay Live
Listen: Sportsnet Radio FAN 590, FAN590.com
Rudi Schuller contributes Toronto FC and Canadian national team content to the 24th Minute. He manages the Euro File here at Canadian Soccer News, and is MLSsoccer.com's beat writer for all things concerning Canada's men's national teams. Follow Rudi on Twitter, @RudiSchuller.