TORONTO – The final third of the MLS season is underway and teams vying for a playoff spot are threatening to leave Toronto FC behind.
Injuries, suspensions and a crowded schedule have been some of the sources for TFC's troubles in recent weeks. However, the lack of offensive production in the midfield has been a problem throughout the season. It was evident again Saturday night in the club’s scoreless draw with Real Salt Lake that stretched the club’s MLS winless streak to three matches.
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After hovering between the sixth and eighth playoff seed, the Reds have dropped to ninth as Colorado, Seattle and San Jose have all moved up the standings in recent weeks.
Preki lauded his team’s effort against the league’s No. 2 club on Saturday. However, he was visibly frustrated at the quality of the midfield service.
“The service could be better,” Preki said during the postmatch news conference. “It’s an area we’ve had trouble with from the start. We need to get better in the final third of the field, but we keep working on it in training.”
Balls move up from the back, but are often lost or sent wayward between the midfield and the final third of the field, leading to visible frustration from the strikers.
With injuries to strikers Maicon Santos and Chad Barrett, there’s a greater sense of urgency to generate more offense from the midfield.
While Dwayne De Rosario has excelled in the attacker-midfielder role with a team-leading nine goals, Nick LaBrocca, Martin Saric, Jacob Peterson and Julian de Guzman have not contributed much on offense.
Ironically, de Guzman has registered stellar performances in the past as an attacking midfielder for the Canadian National Team. In both the 2007 and 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cups, TFC’s first Designated Dlayer showed an ability to not only find teammates, but also to score timely goals with both feet.
But when asked about moving the 2007 Gold Cup MVP further upfield to help the offense, Preki said de Guzman doesn’t feel comfortable in the role.
On a positive note, right back Dan Gargan, who returned from a one-game suspension, looked good in a right midfield role in the first half, with three shots on goal. With the improved play of Maksim Usanov, Preki may keep Gargan in the midfield to add more offensive spark.
Preki’s commitment to defense and fitness has created a midfield that is difficult to play against and can hold opposition attackers for long stretches of a game. But it may have come at the expense of some much-needed offensive creativity.
The outlook for Toronto doesn’t look good, with six of the club’s final nine games away from BMO Field, with the next two matches coming at FC Dallas on Sept. 4 and against Chicago on Sept. 8.
Toronto are a woeful 1-7-1 on the road. With the upcoming international absences of De Rosario and de Guzman with the Canadian National Team, the pressure will be even greater on the midfield to produce.
“It comes down to how many players we’ll have,” said Preki on his focus for the coming week. “Some are going, but none are coming. We only have one win on the road. We need points, so we’ll have to start winning some time.”
