Toronto FC-Whitecaps FC Preview
The question now for Toronto FC may not be whether the ninth-year franchise can gain its first playoff berth but rather can it win the MLS Cup with the additions of Sebastian Giovinco and Jozy Altidore.
The Vancouver Whitecaps have made the playoffs twice in four seasons, though they have yet to advance.
Toronto will play its first seven games on the road, beginning with Saturday's contest against the Whitecaps in the lone 2014 MLS meeting between these Canadian rivals.
When Toronto added United States midfielder Michael Bradley and England forward Jermain Defoe last year, it appeared poised to end its postseason drought. That didn't happen because of a 2-8-3 finish that resulted in an 11-15-8 mark and seventh place in the Eastern Conference.
While Defoe has gone back to England, Toronto has increased expectations by adding two star forwards in Italy's Giovinco and the United States' Altidore.
Giovinco was previously with Italian champion Juventus before joining as a designated player. He was set to join Toronto in July before Juventus allowed him out of his contract early.
The 5-foot-5 attacking playmaker said that Bradley, who previously played in Italy with Roma, has helped ease his transition. Bradley has been named the club's new captain.
"He speaks Italian, so that makes me happy," Giovinco told TFC's official website through an interpreter. "I have someone who understands me."
Having someone who understands how he plays is important to Altidore, who returns to MLS after a dismal two-year run with Sunderland in the English Premier League in which he scored one league goal. The forward has formed a lethal combination with his U.S. teammate Bradley in the past, and he scored 15 goals in 37 regular-season games in his previous MLS stint with New York from 2006-08.
"The time at Sunderland was a difficult one for a lot of reasons," Altidore said. "A lot of things went on behind the scenes that made it very tough to get off the ground there."
Toronto's BMO Field won't be ready until May, resulting in this lengthy stretch on the road. TFC has dropped both MLS visits to Vancouver.
The Whitecaps went 12-8-14 in 2014 and grabbed the West's last playoff berth before losing 2-1 at FC Dallas in the knockout round. Vancouver lost in the same round by that same score in its other postseason appearance two years earlier to Los Angeles.
Pedro Morales won newcomer of the year honors for the Whitecaps as the Chilean scored a team-high 10 goals and added 12 assists to tie for sixth in the league. Uruguay striker Octavio Rivero is the club's major addition.
Vancouver employed a strong defensive system that featured former All-Star Steven Beitashour. Goalkeeper David Ousted led MLS with 13 shutouts.
The Whitecaps, who outscored foes 7-1 in winning their final four 2014 home games, are clearly motivated by the hype across the country that Toronto has received.
"I know we're going to come in and show them how we've been working and that we're ready, because everyone here knows that we're ready," Beitashour said.
These clubs drew in last year's lone MLS meeting. Toronto eliminated Vancouver on penalties in 2014 in the two-legged, Canadian championship semifinals.