Toronto FC’s Leagues Cup continues on Sunday night when they welcome CF Pachuca to BMO Field.
With TFC taking the extra point in a shootout following a 0-0 draw against the New York Red Bulls last weekend and the Mexican side’s shootout victory against the Red Bulls on Tuesday after a 1-1 draw, both sides have already advanced to the knockout round.
Still, it’s not every day that the reigning Concacaf Champions Cup winners come to Toronto.
“There's an excitement,” said John Herdman on Saturday. “The players know that this is a good test for us. This is the current Concacaf champions, so when you look at the quality they have in Solomón Rondón, etc. we know this is going to be a big game for us, a good measuring stick in this tournament.”
“If you're going to go far in this tournament, you've got to be able to show your mettle early and it's going to be important for our players to test themselves,” he continued. “We’ve qualified to the next round, it’s the first time our club has done that, but this game is still going to be important.”
“The players want to win, they want to compete,” Herdman added. “And, for our fans, to have a big team here, the players want to show the fans where we're at.”
Said Nicksoen Gomis: “Everyone's excited to be honest because it's a cup.”
“Personally, I've never played against a Mexican team, so I'm looking forward for that one,” he continued. “Everyone's excited, we’re going for the win.”
Having already secured progression, this match will decide positioning when the Round of 32 kicks off next week. Toronto’s group, East 6, is linked with East 3, where Tigres UANL and Inter Miami CF have advanced, first and second, respectively.
Should TFC top their group they will face Miami; a second-place finish books a date with Tigres. Dates have yet to be set for either match up.
“If it's Miami in Miami, it's an exciting opportunity with the players they have, the quality – our players get excited for those games,” said Herdman. “And then if it's a home game against Tigres, we know the fans will be absolutely loving that one. They're a good team and it'll be a great test for us – and we'd love to do that one in front of the fans as well.”
“There's still a bit to play for, particularly an opportunity to play at home, but you can never push too far in these moments,” he continued. “We've made some allowances this weekend with how we'll manage the squad through the game and test ourselves – that's important, to see where we're at and players want to do that in relation to the champions – as well as be ready for what's coming next.”
Gomis knows who he wants to face: Tigres and their French striker.
“[André-Pierre] Gignac, I want to play Gignac,” said the defender. “I've been looking at him [since] when he was at Marseille, when I was younger. He played for France in the Euro, he’s a big player. I would like to play against him.”
Herdman will take either, but relishes the opportunity to play the game at BMO Field.
“We'd like to play at home, but it's also an excitement to play Miami as well,” he said. “We did okay down there. We conceded three goals, but the lads knew it was a lot closer, so to get another opportunity to go there would be cool.”
“You know that you're going to have to play a Miami at some point in this tournament if you're going to progress,” Herdman added. “One way or the other we'll be ready and if I’m a TFC fan I want to see them at home against Tigres.”
When the knockout round kicks off the action will come thick and fast. After a gruelling stretch in MLS play, it has been a luxury for TFC to have full weeks of training between these first two Leagues Cup matches.
“Typically when you're in that run of games, you're in a real tactical phase and recovery phase, this week and last we balanced the squads in training, give players a chance to show themselves, to compete, players that have been pushing for opportunities to play” Herdman explained. “That was part of our analysis, to look into those areas that you don't get the chance to see when [players] get maybe 5, 10 minutes off the bench.”
“This week was hot, we call it ‘hot training,’ where they really get a chance to compete and lay a glove on each other and push the levels. At times there's been some emotion, which has been great,” he continued. “It's been a balance of getting ready for Pachuca and letting the players show themselves and get to today where we’re selecting an XI that’s based on merit, who's been stepping up, and who earned that opportunity to play.”
The side is feeling deeper and stronger with Jonathan Osorio and Richie Laryea back from Copa América, a relatively clean bill of health, and the addition of defender Henry Wingo, who may make his debut on Sunday.
“We’ve had some good results recently, we'll show it tomorrow [and] in the next games,” said Gomis. “We’ve all got a goal: to make the playoffs. We're going for it.”
“We're going to win the Leagues Cup as well,” he added. “We’re getting healthy and getting back really strong.”
There is a freshness that comes from leaving the weekly grind of the regular season and heading into a cup competition.
“It is [refreshing]. It’s just different than the league,” agreed Gomis. “You play against different teams, it's a different setup, penalties. It's not the same atmosphere. It's different.”
The two sides have not yet crossed paths in Concacaf or Leagues Cup action, but TFC and Pachuca did meet once before: a July friendly back in 2008 where the Mexicans won the Carlsberg Cup 4-3 on spot kicks following a 1-1 draw at BMO Field.
“We've had a look at some of their games. They're very consistent in their style of play, their form has been consistent and they’ve got Rondón back, such an important player for them,” observed Herdman. “He’s their talisman and a central figure to how they play. As he starts to build more chemistry after being away for the Copa América, we'll see another level from Pachuca.”
“They’re an exciting team. We've enjoyed scouting them,” he continued. “They’re a good team, they're really aggressive, on the front foot; it’ll be the type of game our fans will enjoy: both teams going after each other.”
It will be Gomis’ first experience against Liga MX opposition.
He knows what to expect: “High Intensity, pressing, aggressivity, and then hunger.”
“I've played against Paraguay with France, the national team a couple years ago, and it was tough,” he closed. “Really aggressive pressing and then yeah, lots of fouls.”
