Frings is back, Cann is back and the time for excuses is over. While it is still just April, Saturday’s game is as big as it gets at this point in the season. With five losses in five games, Winter’s club will hope to pick up their first points of the season when the Chicago Fire come to town on Saturday.
Returning to the lineup for the first time since the team’s season opener in Seattle on March 17, is midfielder and team captain, Torsten Frings. He will join Adrian Cann in the lineup, the first time both players will be on the pitch together. It should make a whirl of a difference at the back end. The team already noticed a difference last week, limiting Chivas to just four shots on goal (none in the second half).
Winter now has the ability to field his ideal starting XI. It is the first time all the squad’s key players have been at his disposal at the same time. The squad will likely feature Eckersley, Cann, Aceval and Morgan at the back; Frings will ideally replace Dunfield as the central mid, while a combination of Silva, Avila and Lambe will fill out the midfield. Up front, Plata, Koevermans and Johnson will be looking to break the team’s goalless drought at BMO Field.
After losing a franchise record fifth straight game last week, Winter said he hopes the team can build off the momentum of last week’s second half. Goals have been scarce for TFC, however, the chances have not. Based on their efforts up front the last few games, it almost feels as though all the club needs is one goal and the floodgates will open.
Luckily for Toronto, they will be facing a Fire team that they have fared well against at home. They have six goals scored in their last two home dates with Chicago, coming in a 2-2 draw last year and a 4-1 win in 2010. Toronto has three wins and a draw in six home games against the Fire, the only draw coming last season when TFC blew a 2-0 halftime lead.
While TFC is off to a disastrous start to 2012, the Fire have come out of the gate a bit slow as well. They have picked up five points in four games, but have just one point in two road games. They managed a 1-1 draw with the Impact in Montreal while losing 2-0 at Colorado. Both teams will be looking for firsts when they clash at BMO Field on Saturday. TFC will be looking for their first points of the season while Chicago will be looking for their first road win against a very desperate Toronto side.
With a win on home turf Saturday, Winter can put this horrid start behind him and begin focusing on winning games. Winter stressed Frings’ importance to the club early in the season when he suffered the injury. Saturday we will see just how valuable he really is to this team.
Prediction: Toronto 2-0 Chicago
(image courtesy of torontofc.ca)
