The grind continues.
Toronto FC are back in action on Saturday night with the visit of FC Cincinnati to BMO Field.
Nearing the midpoint of Phase Four, the visit of one of the premier sides in the Eastern Conference comes at an interesting time.
After back-to-back losses to NYCFC and Nashville SC, TFC rebounded with a pair of emphatic victories, defeating CF Montréal 5-1 in MLS play last Saturday and following that up with an 8-1 win over CS Saint-Laurent in the second leg of their Canadian Championship quarterfinal series on Tuesday.
Cincinnati sit at the top of the East, a single point off the pace of Inter Miami CF, but with a game in hand. Pat Noonan’s side come to town in excellent form, having won their last six matches.
A clash with the class of the conference will be a good measuring stick for Toronto.
“Cincinnati are a real championship team,” said John Herdman on Friday. “They're consistent and they have the levels of concentration that puts them where they are in the table.”
“The points-per-game doesn't lie, the standings don't lie,” he added. “They're a top, top team.”
When the two met back on the opening day of the season at TQL Stadium in Ohio, resulting in a scoreless draw, it was quietly a statement game for TFC. It said last year was last year and this team was not that one – they refused to be pushovers for the defending Supporters’ Shield champions.
In the midst of Concacaf Champions Cup duty and building into the season then, Cincinnati are a different beast now.
“The first game of the season down their place we were able to take a point out of them,” recalled Herdman. “But they've improved since then.”
“Miles Robinson in there with [Matt] Miazga, that’s a tough back-three. [Wide attacker Luca] Orellano, [towering striker Kevin] Kelsy, who they've just brought in as well to replace [Aaron] Boupendza while he's out,” he listed. “They've recruited really well.”
“They've been able to tick that machine over from last season, they haven't really skipped a beat,” Herdman added. “But what I've seen over the last five/six weeks is that doggedness in their defending. Their defending is probably the best in the league I've seen.”
But so too are Toronto, jockeying for position in that group of five teams just off the pace of those top two.
TFC were able to keep Cincinnati’s dangerman Luciano Acosta off the scoresheet back in February – a feat not many teams have achieved. Deybi Flores’ stunning debut performance played a big part in limiting Acosta, forcing him to drop deeper and deeper, drift wider and wider, to get on the ball.
The Argentine has been involved in 16 of Cincinnati’s 19 goals this season with seven goals and nine assists through 14 appearances.
Acosta has a goal or assist in his last eight matches and has been limited just three times this season.
Toronto know shutting him down will be key on the night.
“Acosta has consistently been the best in MLS for two/three seasons,” levelled Herdman. “84% of their goals and assists come through him. To have that big of an influence on a team is phenomenal and he does it every week.”
“We've been developing the ‘Acosta rules,’” he continued. “You can develop them, but applying them is two different things.”
“We had them in game one and we were able to manage elements of Acosta; Sean Johnson made some brilliant saves that day as well,” Herdman balanced.
“Tactically, you think you can do certain things and then when the game kicks off you've just got to hope, to some degree, that he'll have a little bit of an off-day.”
“But at the same time you've got to push him into that, trying to starve him of the ball if you can, and then some of the key passes that he wants to make you've got to be clued into them at the right time,” he added. “Easier said than done.”
Playing a sixth game since May 4, the midpoint of this crucial stretch is fast approaching.
Following Cincinnati TFC hits the road for two straight in short order: against the Philadelphia Union on Wednesday and D.C. United next Saturday. After that Toronto will have a two-week break before kicking off the second part of Phase Four on June 15 against the Chicago Fire at BMO Field.
The players will get a well-deserved break after D.C.
“After this period of time, I think everyone needs an emotional and mental reset,” said Herdman. “Coming out of two back-to-back away games, the lads will be a week away from home. Having lived that life, moving from a hotel, flying to another place when you want your own bed and you're back in another hotel, it’s draining. They’ll get some time off.”
Before then, Cincinnati.
TFC will be without Federico Bernardeschi, suspended for yellow card accumulation.
“Massive blow,” said Herdman. “He has been our most consistent attacking performer this season.”
“We've had players out, Lorenzo [Insigne], Oso [Jonathan Osorio] has been in and out the squad, Prince [Owusu] has started to hit his form, but Fede hasn't skipped a beat since the season started and after he scored his first goal has been unreal,” he considered. “A big loss because it changes the dynamic on our attacking play, moving that opposite-opposite rhythm, where once you open him up on that wide right that maverick ability comes out and you know something is going to happen as soon as he gets the ball.”
“We've had to adapt a little bit this week to that, but still feel like we've got enough threat with Lorenzo and Tyrese Spicer, Prince, Osorio, Derrick Etienne Jr, Jahkeele Marshall-Rutty, DK [Deandre Kerr]. There's threat there,” closed Herdman. “He's a big blow, but next man up.”
