The list of playoff permutations and tiebreaker scenarios is a long one as the six teams battling for the two final postseason spots head into the final weekend of play. As far as Toronto FC is concerned, though, these breakdowns are just white noise as they prepare for their own task at hand. All of their work this season, all of their energy and determination is being marshaled towards their single remaining match on Saturday against the New York Red Bulls.
"It's funny, we have 30 games and yet it does come down to that 90 minutes," said TFC interim head coach Chris Cummins. "We're not worried about 'if they beat these and they do that or draw that' -- we've got to take care of our business. If the three points are good enough then great; if not, then we have to look at ourselves and say we let ourselves down at certain times of the season."
Going into the final match of the season, the Reds hold onto the eighth and final playoff spot by the skin of their teeth. TFC is one of four clubs (New England, D.C. United and FC Dallas) with 39 points, but Toronto is on top of the group because they have the most points collected from head-to-head matches against those other three teams. The clearest road to the playoffs for TFC would be if they win and either Dallas or Colorado fail to win, Toronto will be in the postseason.
Toronto could still make the playoffs if they lose at New York and then New England, Dallas, D.C. and Real Salt Lake all suffer defeat as well. But given the unlikeliness of that scenario and the increasingly convoluted further groupings of three or four teams that TFC might or might not beat in tiebreakers, it's best for the Reds to just think about winning on Saturday and then hoping that the chips fall where they may in regards to the weekend's other games.
"We have to go there [to New York] and get a result ourselves," Cummins said. "Once we get a result then we'll look at the others and if we just have one or two go for you, that'll allow you to get some more games in this season."
On paper, the last-place Red Bulls are the ideal opponent to be face in a must-win game. Toronto has already beaten New York twice this season, both times at BMO Field in June, and will achieve their first-ever triple against an opponent should they be successful on Saturday evening.
The Red Bulls that TFC faced in the summer, however, are not the team that they'll be facing this time around. In seven games under interim head coach Richie Williams, New York has posted a 2-3-2 record and collected eight points, compared to the 10 points they amassed in their previous 22 games under former head coach Juan Carlos Osorio.
"They have a lot of good players and the speed up front if Juan Pablo [Angel] plays," said Reds goalkeeper Brian Edwards. "Richie Williams has got them going up. They're certainly not playing like a team that has less than 20 points. They're going to want to close the season off well, they're playing for contracts and playing for the coach. They'll be fired up and we have to match it and give a little bit more."
Edwards will indeed be the man facing the New York attack, as the backup 'keeper will receive his third consecutive start in place of injured starter Stefan Frei. Edwards shone last Saturday, making nine saves to preserve the clean sheet in TFC's 1-0 win over Real Salt Lake. Even though Frei has been able to do more in training this week, Cummins said the choice was clear.
"[Edwards] doesn't deserve to come out of the team," Cummins said. "I would send the wrong messages if I took him out after doing so well. Stef knows that he needs to fight his way back into the team and he's disappointed to miss the final week of the season, but that's football sometimes. People come in and take the opportunities."
It will be a heady experience for sophomore 'keeper Edwards, but is he is no stranger to challenging situations. He was in net for Wake Forest when they won the 2007 NCAA Division I College Cup. the school's first-ever soccer title.
"Playing in big games does a lot for you as a goalkeeper," Edwards said. "You have to be able to handle the pressure and I think playing in that NCAA final and winning was a big experience for me. I'm really grateful for it and it's helped me in my professional career so far."
Fitness-wise, Marvell Wynne is the only likely scratch for the weekend, as the fullback was again heavily limited at training during the week while dealing with a thigh strain. Defenders Nana Attakora and Emmanuel Gomez both missed Tuesday's practice due to nagging injuries, but were back on Thursday. Cummins said that the duo was held out just for precautionary reasons to keep them fresh for Saturday.
Saturday's match will be the last ever played at Giants Stadium, as the Red Bulls will be moving to their own soccer-only facility next season. TFC is 1-2 all-time at the venue, winning their most recent visit to the Meadowlands on Oct. 4, 2009.
That result was one of just six all-time road victories for Toronto, as success away from BMO Field has remained hard to come by for the Reds. They are just 2-7-5 on the road this season, but given that a number of TFC supporters groups are planning to make the trip, there will more than a bit of home flavor for the Reds at Giants Stadium.
Given the circumstances, team scoring leader Dwayne De Rosario said he is ready to throw the team's away record "out the window" and focus on just that all-important final 90 minutes on Saturday.
"We have to go there thinking that it's a championship game," De Rosario said. "This is a one-off, we have to look at it like that. Our road record hasn't been that good but we have a good attitude since we're out to create history for the club. I know I am, the coaching staff is and the rest of the guys on the team are."
