21 May 2008
Midweek Preview: Reds Host United
Posted by Drew Epperley under: DC United; Game Previews; MLS; Toronto FC .
Week nine in Major League Soccer gets kicked off a little early with a midweek game tonight up in Toronto as TFC plays hosts to current eastern conference cellar-dwellers DC United.
A lot has changed since their week two meeting in DC. Toronto hasn’t lost in their last five while DC hasn’t won just once in their last six outings. DC is giving up goals left and right while Toronto is riding a nice defensive streak as of late having allowed only one goal in the last four matches.
Some are saying tonight’s game is the start of a big week for DC United coach Tom Soehn. Some rumors flying around right now say the DC front office is giving Soehn this week to turn things around or he will get canned like Steve Morrow did yesterday in Dallas. These two clubs face off twice this week, with the second meeting back in DC on Saturday.
So what exactly does DC do to get back into the swing of things here? Toronto is a club DC has never lost to in the short history of the series between the two. Maybe that is a good thing for DC? But at the same time, United haven’t exactly found their ways on the road this season, or even dating back to late last season. Something will have to give tonight, that is for sure.
Morale is probably a key element tonight between the two sides. Toronto is riding high and DC is riding low. I have to think Toronto has the clear edge between the two sides in terms of play as of late. Toronto has looked very good at home this season and a midweek game against a club like DC will only give them more motivation to continue that solid play in front of the BMO Field faithful.
A lot has changed since that first meeting back in week two. DC won that game 4-1 on an afternoon that looked like all was right in the DC world and all was still bad in the Toronto world. Flip forward to today and Toronto clearly has changed while DC has done nothing more than inflate from that performance. I’ve said a few times how much I liked the moved that Toronto made after that DC game. They’ve worked out and will continue to do so tonight.
Toronto needs to get on the board first and keep their fans into the game. At best DC can hope for a draw here but they could surprise us if the ball bounces the right way. If Luciano Emilio can step up for DC I have a feeling the Black-and-Red will win but if he continues to not show up tonight then you can bet on Toronto. My bet is the ladder of the two. Toronto wins a close one but DC makes things interesting.
WVH Prediction: Toronto 2, DC 1
