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Toronto FC has won three straight even though it hasn't started its attacking trio of Sebastian Giovinco, Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore in that span.
The club could have those stars back together on the field as it tries for the franchise's first four-game win streak Saturday night at home against a New York City FC team that has won consecutive MLS games.
Bradley missed Toronto's last game, a 2-1 victory at Eastern Conference-leading D.C. United on June 6 while he was away with the United States national team. Altidore, second on the team with five goals, made a surprise return off the bench after a two-game absence due to a hamstring injury.
Those U.S. teammates will likely start Saturday, with Bradley returning to his role as an attacking midfielder to support forwards Giovinco and Altidore. They last started together May 16.
"I think it gives him more freedom to find where he needs to get the ball and then also as the players around him, we're able to support him and support Seba and Jozy and the players going forward," midfielder Collen Warner said about Bradley's role in the midfield.
Bradley's primary aim will be to get the ball to Giovinco, who has team highs of seven goals and six assists. The Italian star has three in each category over his last four games after scoring both goals against D.C.
Coach Greg Vanney gave Toronto FC (6-5-1) some time off with the two-week gap between games. His team starts a three-game homestand that comprises the next eight days.
"I don't like the fact that we lost momentum and that we didn't have a match to keep that rhythm going," Vanney said. "At the same time, it was good for us to kind of get a break to sort of relieve some of the stress a little bit."
The extra rest could be a factor since New York City FC (3-7-5) was forced to play 120 minutes before losing on penalties to the New York Cosmos in a U.S. Open Cup match Wednesday. Several regulars saw action for coach Jason Kreis.
"It's good and bad," Kreis told the club's official website. "It's good we have another match we have to focus on very quickly, but it's bad because we had to play 120 minutes on turf and then play again on Saturday."
The defeat took away some of the good feelings from New York City's wins by 2-1 at Philadelphia on June 6 and 3-1 at home over Montreal last Saturday.
Spanish star forward David Villa will be on full rest after he did not play Wednesday. Villa scored last weekend to take over the team lead with four goals.
This will mark the first time that international stars Giovinco and Villa will be on the field together. Villa never faced Juventus - the Italian club with which Giovinco spent the majority of his career - and his lone action against Italy's national team was in 2008 before Giovinco made his debut with the senior national team.