Toronto FC-Orlando City Preview

Toronto FC coach Greg Vanney is convinced his club will lock down defensively as it continues a stretch of playing its first seven games on the road.

That improvement better come quickly with Kaka and Orlando City FC looming as the next test Sunday night.

Toronto (1-4-0) won't play its first home game until May 10 with BMO Field undergoing renovations. It has dropped four straight since beating Vancouver to open the season, most recently falling 3-2 to Dallas last Saturday.

Dallas scored 29 seconds into the match and three times in the first 27 minutes before Sebastian Giovinco netted goals in the 83rd and 89th minutes. Toronto has scored eight goals, but the 11 it has conceded are among the most in MLS.

"We've proven through (the amount of goals we've scored) that we can attack," Vanney said. "Now it's just getting our collective mindset on protecting ourselves defensively. We will absolutely get it right, and when we do we'll be a championship-caliber team."

Vanney also believes the amount of road games to start the season will have a benefit.

"It's an opportunity for us to look at ourselves and see what we're made of," Vanney said. "Teams before us have started on the road with seven or so games, and none of those teams came home with what they'd like to call successful starts. We fully believe through the challenges we're going to address our issues and get better."

The next concern is shutting down Kaka, the international star making an impact in his first season in MLS. He has three of the six goals scored by Orlando City (2-3-2) and assisted on another.

"He works his way around the field and finds gaps," Vanney said. "... If he gets on the ball and faces forward he can do some damage."

Kaka turned 33 this week and is enjoying the style of play in his first stint in North America.

"I am gaining confidence all the time," Kaka told the team's official website. "I think we can be a very good team, and while I know there is pressure on me to do well, it is a good pressure. It is motivation for me."

Orlando couldn't get much going last Saturday, though, falling 3-0 to Columbus.

This marks its first home game since falling 1-0 to D.C. on April 3. The club has scored only one goal at home while going 0-2-1.

"This week will be very important for us," Kaka said. "It's time to show what we can do at home."

Orlando will be without forward Rafael Ramos, who must serve a one-game suspension after being issued a red card in the 34th minute against the Crew.

Coach Adrian Heath is hoping his defense will step up, as Toronto poses plenty of offensive threats in Giovinco, Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley.

"Toronto's a big club, and they're a very experienced group," Heath said. "They have people who have been through the mill."