The Basics
Philadelphia Union (3W-2D-8L, 11 points, 8th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Toronto FC (6W-4D-4L, 22 points, 3rd in East)
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What’s At Stake
Philadelphia’s last league match was a crushing 2-1 defeat at the hands of the San Jose Earthquakes, but they played well in an international friendly against Celtic on Wednesday and should have their confidence back for the match. The visiting Reds are riding an impressive eight-match unbeaten run and will want to extend that against the struggling Union.
Last Meeting
The two sides met earlier this year in a match that swayed back and forth. Toronto were able to take the three points on the back of two Dwayne De Rosario goals and a early first-half red card from Union captain Danny Califf. The match ended 2-1 as Jordan Harvey’s first-half leveler wasn’t enough to secure a road point.
Heroes & Villains
Dwayne De Rosario vs. Cristian Arrieta: The Canadian phenom torched the Union for two goals in their first meeting, scoring once from the penalty spot and once from a free kick. His set pieces will be key and the recently converted center back Arrieta will want to stay upright to keep the dead ball situations to a minimum.
Sebastien Le Toux vs. Stefan Frei: TFC’s excellent young goalkeeper will be tasked with keeping the ball out of the net on Saturday, with Le Toux being the main Union player trying to get him off his game. Quick and tricky, Le Toux could shake the confidence of Frei early, resulting in problems for him the rest of the match.
Stat That Makes You Go “Hmm...”
Of Toronto’s four draws on the season, three of them have ended in the dullest fashion possible: scoreless.
He Said It
“We will see how the game goes. We have been working on his fitness and he has been trying to push himself. I think he is coming along nicely. Are we going to start him? Most likely not. Is he going to see some minutes? Probably he will, but how much he plays will depend on the match.” – Toronto FC head coach Preki on new Spanish striker Mista.
