The Philadelphia Union visit Toronto to take on the former Eastern Conference leaders. Toronto is just one point off of NYCFC, but with 2 games in hand, the Canadians could easily retake that pole position. The Union, however, will look to spoil Toronto’s party Saturday as Philadelphia are on the hunt for a home berth in the playoffs. Unfortunately for Philadelphia, Toronto is playing extraordinarily well currently, while the Union has been struggling on the road. The Union are coming off a tough 2-1 loss in Portland, where the Union played well enough to earn a result, but didn’t have the edge to hold off the former MLS champions. Meanwhile Toronto is coming off of a 3-3 thriller against NYRB, where Toronto equalized through two late goals from the in form Jozy Altidore.
The Union will certainly need to buckle down should they want a result on the road. Toronto is finally playing to their expected potential, with stars such as Michael Bradley, Sebastian Giovinco, and most importantly Jozy Altidore playing frighteningly well. Despite these 3 stars, Toronto is much more than a 3 man team. The supplementary players such as Will Johnson, Marco Delgado, and Jonathan Osorio have flown under the radar as guys a top team can count on in big games. Toronto won’t have to change much to keep up it’s form. Should the injured Sebastian Giovinco return to play, as he is expected to, Philly will have a lot to deal with.
Philadelphia have played positively on the road, and never have been afraid to try to get a win. Unfortunately results haven’t been in the Union’s favor on the road, as the team just cannot extract the same results as when it is at home. Perhaps the Brazilian midfielder Ilsinho will be ready for the game Saturday, as the Union will need his flair and trickery. Alongside Tranquillo Barnetta, and Chris Pontius, the Union midfield is capable of beating any midfield. The biggest thing, however that has held the Union from more goals is the lack of a goalscoring forward. CJ Sapong has proven himself a goalscorer in the past. But this season he has struggled to find the back of the net consistently. Meanwhile midseason transfer Charlie Davies has yet to make a real impact, while Fabian Herbers has shown why the team put so much faith in the rookie. Herbers might not get the nod, but has been playing well for Philadelphia, and along with Keegan Rosenberry and Josh Yaro, have proven why the Union drafted the 3 rookies. There is no doubt that these 3 have been some of the best rookies this year, and the best draft class the Union has brought in to the team.
The game will be played on Saturday at 5 PM EST in Toronto.
