Physical versus mental.
Wednesday night's Nutrilite Canadian Championship finale is not without its storylines, the biggest of which seem to be Vancouver's advantageous schedule and Toronto's psychological (and numerical) edge based on a fortuitous away goal scored a week ago.
Both are legitimate talking points.
The Whitecaps have seemingly placed all of their proverbial eggs in this competition's basket, resting key players ahead of last week's first leg and now looking to make full use of a week's rest for the entire squad since that 1-1 draw at Empire. TFC, on the other hand, are dog-tired, having traveled the continent non-stop since late April.
So who is in the driver's seat?
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If you believe Teitur Thordarson, his 'Caps side are in the better position heading into the showdown at BMO Field. His players have been wallowing in relative bliss over the past week, enjoying three days off to do absolutely nothing before returning to the grind of preparing for a cup final.
A quick recap of the first leg would seem to confirm Thordarson's assertion. The Whitecaps were clearly faster, stronger, and more eager than their Ontario-based counterparts last week, over-running a heavy-legged TFC side that struggled to put two passes together.
Given the events of the seven days since -- Toronto flying into Denver to play at altitude against a very good Colorado Rapids club while Vancouver enjoyed the trappings of a well-deserved mini-vacation -- things should be pretty much the same when the whistle is blown for the second leg, right?
Not so fast.
While the Reds are likelier far worse-for-the-wear than their left coast cousins, Toronto does hold a significant mental edge. You see, while Toronto were undoubtedly under siege from their oh-so-desperate-to-finally-win-the-V's-Cup opponents in the first match, they still managed -- somehow -- to not only keep themselves in the game, but to also score a huge goal to keep terms level.
In fact, they're better than level, at least where the aggregate scoreline is concerned.
The 1-1 draw was as good as a victory for TFC, and not only in the "moral victory" sense. Maicon Santos' deft flick past Jay Nolly not only deflated a surging Whitecaps side that had been battering Toronto's backline for most of the second half, but it also provided a lift to Santos and his teammates, who now know that despite Vancouver throwing the proverbial kitchen sink at them, they still had what it took to get out alive.
And alive, they are.
Now the stage shifts to Toronto's lake shore, where TFC have not been anywhere near dominating, but they will surely get a lift from the friendly, red-clad crowd. Playing just 72 hours after they slugged it out against the MLS Cup Champs a mile above sea level, the Reds will need any mental advantage they can get.
This may be a giant red herring, as Vancouver's physical edge may prove too much to handle. Still without bruiser Alan Gordon, and now looking likely to miss Jacob Peterson as well, Toronto could simply be in too rough a shape to handle the 'Caps inevitable uptempo strategy.
We'll all know for sure at around 10:00pm Eastern.
Regardless of who wins, it looks to be a doozy.
Toronto FC v. Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Wednesday, May 25, 2011. 8:00pm EDT / 5:00pm PDT
BMO Field. Toronto, ON.
Watch: Rogers Sportsnet ONE, sportsnet.ca, NCC Official Site
Listen: FAN590.com, TEAM 1410 AM (Vancouver), teamradio.ca