not some guys coming, some guys going - around was much better. Guys are more comfortable with each other. I felt the way they reacted after the Kansas City game was tremendous."
In keeping with that stability, Johnston hinted his lineup for Wednesday's game with Houston would be very similar to his starting XI last Saturday against Chicago. The one difference is that Alecko Eskandarian will start at forward after missing Saturday's game with a calf injury. Eskandarian replaces striker Danny Dichio, who received a mandatory one-game suspension for receiving a red card on Saturday.
In order to keep his team from burning out over this difficult stretch of the schedule, Johnston said TFC's training would be, in general, "lighter" than usual.
The team has been "looking at the opposition on video, tinkering with what we're doing on free kicks and corner kicks, stretching out," Johnston said. "We've been keeping warmed up. We don't want to go overboard with a game just ahead."
Johnston will need his team in good form on Wednesday with the defending MLS Cup champions coming to Toronto. Houston is coming into the game fresh, having not played since a 3-1 win against Colorado on May 5. Dynamo's record is an ordinary 2-2-1, but Johnston isn't taking the opposition lightly at all.
"I have a lot of respect for them," the TFC coach said. "For four or five years, they've been one of the best teams in MLS. We'll have a good gauge after the game in terms of where we really are as a team."
Johnston pointed to Houston's grueling preseason schedule as a reason for the club's early struggles. As MLS Cup champions, the Dynamo competed in the CONCACAF Champions' Cup and made it to the semifinals before falling to eventual winners, Mexico's CF Pachuca.
"They were a team who was in midseason form in February," Johnston said. "They've been pushing because of this Champions Cup. Then all of a sudden, they went to Mexico and got knocked out. They came back and it's a little bit difficult to get back into that groove again ... but they're starting to get it back. They're a team that can win this championship again."
Johnston is also concerned about a Dynamo player who may steal a bit of hometown advantage from TFC --- Houston forward Dwayne De Rosario. The Scarborough, Ontario native and Canadian national team member (not to mention two-time MLS All-Star and finalist for league MVP) has played every minute for Houston in 2007 and scored twice.
"He's a huge threat," Johnston said. "He's really good on set pieces and he can score the unpredictable goal. You've always got to be wary of him for 90 minutes. He's proved it throughout his career in MLS, from the very first time when he came off the bench and scored the winner in the [2001] MLS Cup Final in extra time."
Toronto is scheduled for two more days of training after the Houston game before hosting D.C. United in the final match of the week. As if the players didn't have enough incentive to perform well, they might have a break in training to look forward to if their coach is satisfied with their effort.
"No matter what the [game] results are, I'll probably give them Sunday and Monday off," Johnston said. "They've been working hard."
Mark Polishuk is a contributor to MLSnet.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Soccer or its clubs.
