TORONTO – It can be argued there is no distinct advantage in the two-legged Eastern Conference semifinals.
Outside of Toronto FC having to beat the Philadelphia Union in the midweek in the Knockout Round of the Audi 2016 MLS Cup Playoffs, both teams are on equal footing, each hosting a home game – the first coming Sunday at BMO Field (7 pm ET, FS1 | TSN 1/4 in Canada).
Is that fair? NYCFC coach Patrick Vieira isn’t concerned.
“It doesn’t matter at all,” Vieira said. “I think what’s important is that we have a week to prepare ourselves, they had to play midweek so the momentum of course is for them. They won the last game they played, we won the last game we played.”
Vieira said he sees a lot of similarities between the teams. Both are playing some of their best soccer at the right time and both enter the Eastern Conference semifinals fairly healthy, with Sebastian Giovinco back for TFC and Frank Lampard returning for NYCFC.
“Both teams I believe are in a really good period and it’s going to be a really good game of football because both teams have a lot of individual talent, both teams are well organized and it will be one system against the other one,” Vieira said. “The team that respects the game plan and is brave to play the way they know will have more chance of winning the games.”
Of course, Toronto FC are coming off winning their first-ever playoff game and that will undoubtedly provide a spark, as will what is expected to be a raucous sellout crowd at BMO Field.
“I think they play with a lot of confidence,” Vieira said. “Winning against Philadelphia will boost their confidence, they are in a really good period, all the players back from injury and it will be tough, but we’re also going to make it really difficult for them.”
NYCFC captain David Villa also isn’t worried about who is home for the first leg and who hosts the second.
“We’re not thinking about this,” Villa said. “We accept the condition always, the cold weather, the hot weather, the time of the schedule, my thinking is always the same – for two teams it is the same conditions. Of course we needed to travel yesterday, but this is no excuse. They travel the next week.”
This is the first time Villa will be in a two-legged elimination series since competing for Atletico Madrid in the 2014 UEFA Champions League. It was the semifinals and Villa was facing Lampard’s Chelsea.
“It was very difficult elimination games,” Villa said. “In the first game in Madrid we drew 0-0 and in the next game they scored first and we turned the result in the second half. It was very good for us.”
Villa hopes the same is true for NYCFC against Toronto FC.
