Who: Toronto FC II (2-7-2, 8 pts) vs. Charlotte Independence (5-3-2, 17 pts)
When: Saturday, June 4th at 7:00pm
Where: Ramblewood Soccer Complex, Charlotte, North Carolina
Livestream:tfc2.ca
Toronto FC II hit the road once more this weekend, making the long bus journey to the Ramblewood Soccer Complex in Charlotte, North Carolina where they will take on the Charlotte Independence.
The Young Reds will be hoping to get back into the win column with this trip. Their last game saw them at the Ontario Soccer Centre, losing 3-1 to the visiting Wilmington Hammerheads.
Coach Jason Bent wants to see more focus and mental toughness from his young charges.
“We're definitely disappointed, obviously, to know that we were up one goal; going into the second half we felt we were more than matching the opposition. We're playing well, but there are certain little moments that are costing us in games," said Bent.
"It's hard to transfer that over to our young pros that even though there are positives we're still losing games; none of use want to be losing games and we don't accept losing games. That has to be our mentality.”
He'll hope to instill this winning mentality into his squad and will be helped by the return of Malik Johnson and Brian James after their cameo appearances for the parent club on Wednesday night. They were part of the Toronto FC team that ran out 4-2 victors over Montreal Impact in the Canadian Championship.
Clement Simonin is also available after being loaned in from Toronto FC on Thursday as part of his recovery from injury.
“I want to help the young guys find their roles in the team," said Simonin. "Help them on the ball, off the ball and being a guiding voice in the back during the game”
“It's always important to win games regardless of the situation. There's always a chance to bounce and this weekend will be a good challenge for us.”
Charlotte should prove a stern test for the Young Reds as their recent form has been strong.
The Independence took on NASL's Carolina Railhawks on Wednesday night in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. They were up against it early, having a man sent off in the 29th minute, but managed to hold on to a 0-0 scoreline until full time. Coach Mike Jeffries would likely have preferred to end it there, as the extra half hour of play didn't go well for the USL side and they ended up losing 5-0 with more laps around the track than they had anticipated.
Malik Johnson is seeing this as a chance to come out hard and set a tempo that will leave Charlotte behind.
“It's going to be important for us to get the first goal, the first tackle, everything first so we can be positive throughout the whole 90 minutes," said Johnson.
They have three players who have scored 3 goals in the league so far, and all of them started the game on Wednesday. Enzo Martinez, a former Real Salt Lake draft pick, was the only one that was substituted in the game, his replacement being Jorge Herrera, the assist leader in the clubhouse. Expect Herrera to start as his engine is vital to keep the team moving upfield. We may see a debut for new signing Paul Clowes, Clemson standout and DC United draft pick, the exertions of midweek taking a toll on the regular roster.
Players to Watch
Jun Marques Davidson: The veteran midfielder started the game on Wednesday, but was the unfortunate recipient of the red card in the 30th minute. That means the former Vancouver Whitecaps stalwart will be fresher than expected, and his ability to shelter his back four will provide a challenge for the Toronto's forward men.
David Estrada: Estrada has MLS experience, having appeared in 41 games for the Seattle Sounders over three full seasons. He was in the USL last year with Sacramento and Orange County, notching three goals and six assists between the two sides and has two goals on this season already. He was subbed off at half time on Wednesday night, so will be ready to go on Saturday evening.
