INTERVIEWS: Defoe | Gilberto | Orr | Julio Cesar | Nelsen
It may be a men’s recreational squad with zero former professionals and a lot of girth around the waist, but my Sunday league team knows what it’s like when your best player up front is missing.
Creating rhythm is tough, creating any sort of legitimate chance on goal is even more difficult. When your best striker is absent life gets harder.
It was smiles all around at Toronto FC training on Thursday for good reason. A week of rest was the cure for what ailed Jermain Defoe. The English dynamo, the big ticket signing this offseason, will be available against the New England Revolution on Saturday at BMO Field.
Yes, there were smiles, but intensity was also present. An intrasquad game took on new meaning when assistant head coach Jim Brennan announced the 1-1 tie between green and orange would be decided by a golden goal.
Green, led by Michael Bradley, Kyle Bekker and Jonathan Osorio in the middle were the more dangerous side for the majority of the scrimmage, but something was lacking up front. The "X-factor" if you will.
An excellent link-up play between Osorio and Bradley was left wanting in the opposition box when Defoe provided the quintessential flick on. Osorio finished the play and green celebrated with a dogpile by Chris Konopka’s goal. Nick Hagglund, orange’s lone man back, lay crumpled on the ground, wrought with grief. Bekker jokingly claimed orange lacked heart. Again, this was an intrasquad game.
The smiles returned soon after, and more jokes were exchanged. This team is coming together quickly. You can see it in their interactions. In the way players approach each other with words of advice, encouragement or sometimes, lighthearted ribbing.
Bradley Orr, orange’s best player on the day, wasn’t surprised. He’s seen it all season.
"The mood is solid, the spirit is there and that’s never wavered even when we’ve been beat," said the veteran defender.
"That’s what will be the difference between us and everyone else, that togetherness. Because there will be times in the season, like everyone has, that will end in disappointment."
It’s the type of statement we hear in professional sports quite often. We get along great, the team is bonding, we like each other and so on. But Orr wasn’t finished.
"The attitude is so great and that’s what will set us apart, I really do believe that."
Handling the Revs attack
New England comes into Toronto feeling good about themselves after a 2-0 win over Sporting KC that saw the Revs take three points with two goals in added time.
Teal Bunbury scored his first goal of the season against Sporting, and is looking to build on the promise that saw him taken fourth overall in the SuperDraft years back.
Bunbury and Lee Nguyen are in fine form, but this team will go as far as Diego Fagundez will take them. He’s struggled to start the year, but last week’s result saw his frustration begin to erode as New England was able to wage attack after attack against a very solid SKC side.
TFC’s tape study left Orr with a similar vibe.
"They’ve got some very technical players," he said. "They seem to be hitting it off with each other, we know there’s a big threat there."
Set piece defending was a focal point of practice this week, and the return of Doneil Henry comes at an excellent time.
Northern Uprising
The Raptors are getting a lot of people in these parts excited and that includes several Toronto FC players.
When asked if he could envision Maple Leaf Square jammed packed for a Toronto FC playoff game, Dwayne De Rosario’s eyes lit up.
"Seeing the atmosphere, we want that same feeling," said the squad’s biggest Raptors fan. "Our fans deserve it, the soccer community deserves it. If we can embrace the fans in special moments like the playoffs you see what can happen."
We The North, indeed.
