The second leg of the Eastern Conference Semifinals is this Sunday at 6:30 PM on TSN 4 & 5. 

Here are Terry Dunfield's three keys to the match: 

First 20 Minutes

It was a little bit surprising how much respect Patrick Vieira gave to Toronto FC by picking such a defensive side for the first leg at BMO Field. I expect Vieira to revert to his more customary attacking 4-3-3 philosophy on Sunday. That is the setup that produced a league-high 62 goals in the regular season for NYCFC. City now need two goals and I expect them to throw everything at TFC in what they hope will be a frantic, high-tempo first 20 minutes. Defensive-minded midfielders Federico Bravo and Mikey Lopez could be replaced by more attack-minded Frank Lampard and Tommy McNamara. Fullbacks Ronald Matarrita and R.J. Allen will now be given full license to bomb forward. If TFC can weather the early NYCFC storm and come through unscathed it should quiet the 30,000-plus crowd and allow the Reds to grow into the game.

Defending a Two-Goal Lead

It’s often said that 2-0 is the trickiest lead in soccer. Defensively, TFC must find the right balance of when to press NYCFC and when to sit back. Pressing effectively will limit the quality of NYCFC’s service into their front three and can lead to turnovers in dangerous areas. But there will likely be times when NYCFC will have sustained possession. In these stretches, TFC will have to be sure their defensive blocks are organized and difficult to break down. Also, absorbing a bit of pressure can also work as an advantage for TFC, who are very dangerous on the counter-attack, using their defensive shape as a springboard. Most important is that all 11 TFC players are cohesive and, when they do get an opportunity in front of goal, they are clinical.

Michael Bradley and the Back Three

The bigger the game the better TFC captain Bradley plays. Containing NYCFC is no easy feat so the mere fact that David Villa was subbed off last game and TFC goalkeeper Clint Irwin went largely untroubled is a massive compliment to the back three and Bradley. On the tight Yankee Stadium pitch, NYCFC will put TFC's rearguard under pressure, so Bradley’s ability to screen the back three, track strikers and pick up second balls is going to be vital. Toronto’s twin athletic towers Nick Hagglund and Eriq Zavaleta need the same no-nonsense defensive performance that gave NYCFC's attackers zero space in the first leg. They must remain proactive and fully committed in One V. One situations. Drew Moor must also continue to read the game intelligently, put out fires when needed and pick up any balls that are played in behind him. I loved the balance and distances between the back four  in the home leg, and winning this battle against NYCFC's attackers once again is going to be key to TFC advancing.