August has arrived and one of the more potentially interesting playoff races in MLS history is starting to heat-up in the Western Conference. As it currently stands only 8 points separate first place (and Supporter’s Shield leading) Real Salt Lake from the 8th place San Jose Earthquakes.
The Seattle Sounders, Toronto FC’s opponents this weekend for a rare Saturday evening home game, currently sit just outside the playoff positions in 7th in their conference but, when you take into account their games in hand, actually have a points-per-game that would put them in 4th ahead of the Los Angeles Galaxy. Even with the Reds coming off back-to-back victories for the first time in over a calendar year the Sounders will likely view a game in Toronto as a great opportunity to make up lost ground on their rivals.[PRBREAK][/PRBREAK]
Earlier in the season I referred to the Houston Dynamo as “the anti-TFC”. The Seattle Sounders are another club that title could be properly bestowed upon. Since joining the league in 2009, two years after Toronto FC, the Sounders have had one head coach, made four straight playoff appearances, and consistently played some of the more attractive football in MLS. If anything, the only thing TFC-like you could aim at them is their ability to win domestic cups!
2013 has been more of a struggle for the Sounders than previous seasons. A terrible start to the year, with a misfiring offense that just couldn’t seem to score, initially left Seattle well back of the playoff pack. Since the middle of spring, however, the Sounders have been winning more than they’ve been losing and the goals have started to flow.
The major news of the last week in MLS, the addition of American national team captain Clint Dempsey on a heretofore unheard of transfer fee in MLS, only adds to a star-studded attacking group that also features former Internationale and Newcastle player Obafemi Martins, Dempsey’s American national team teammate Eddie Johnson, and club captain Mauro Rosales. Injuries had largely prevented that trio from clicking in the early parts of the season but now, with the addition of Dempsey, you would be hard pressed to find a more dangerous quartet in the league.
With Toronto management failing to bring in the major attacking talents they targeted in the transfer window the Reds will have to rely on defense to continue to carry the team. With the exception of the back-to-back games where they conceded three goals against Montreal and Kansas City, Toronto has been able to hang around in games because they don’t often allow multiple goals.
That finally paid off in a first 1-0 victory last weekend but, even disregarding the goal line clearances that kept New England off the scoresheet, it should be concerning that TFC’s goal came from a play that didn’t involve a single pass between Reds teammates and was Matias Laba’s first professional goal. It’s hard to imagine Toronto’s stuttering offense keeping up with Seattle if the game becomes an open end-to-end shootout.
Even the return to availability of Robert Earnshaw is unlikely to spark much in the way of attacking initiative from Toronto. Since scoring 5 goals in TFC’s first six games of the season Earnshaw has cooled off dramatically. Once penalties are removed (which he converted but did not win), his 4 goals from open play in 1368 minutes is actually slightly less productive than the much derided Justin Braun’s 2 goals from 605 minutes. What Earnshaw does do is generate shots: he’s credited with 48 so far on the season, more than double the next best TFCer Jeremy Brockie’s 22. Considering that only 15 of those shots ended up on target, however, one has to question Earnshaw’s decision making around the box, and the fact that he is yet to register an assist in 2013 becomes less surprising.
The other major line-up question facing Toronto head coach Ryan Nelsen is whether or not to hand Spanish midfielder Alvaro Rey his first start in MLS. Rey made a substitute appearance against Columbus but the need to protect the early goal saw him held out of the match in New England. He looked bright in the mid-week friendly against Roma, and more or less single-handedly created the play that lead to the own goal that got Toronto on the board, but had to go off after a heavy tackle.
Considering that Rey is, to date, the only attacking player added by Toronto this summer (other than Academy graduate Manny Aparicio) there will be considerable pressure to get him on the field. Whether he can have the hoped for impact remains to be seen.