Toronto FC-Galaxy Preview
Toronto FC coach Greg Vanney believes his team may be hit hardest by the Gold Cup with four starters missing while the Los Angeles Galaxy will be without a pair due to that tournament.
Robbie Keane and Sebastian Giovinco ensure that some stars will still be on display when these teams match up.
Los Angeles' Keane is the reigning league MVP and Toronto's Giovinco may eventually earn that honor as they meet Saturday night, with the Galaxy seeking to stretch their unbeaten run in this series to 10 games.
With the Gold Cup starting next week, numerous MLS players will be with their national teams. United States stars Michael Bradley and Jozy Altidore are not with Toronto FC (7-6-2) while midfielder Jonathan Osorio and fullback Ashtone Morgan are with Canada.
"To lose two designated players and then to lose two other starters who have played significant minutes on the season, I would say it's amongst the most devastating of any teams in the league," Vanney said.
Los Angeles (7-6-7) will be without U.S. players in defender Omar Gonzalez and forward Gyasi Zardes, who is tied with Alan Gordon and Juninho for the team lead with four goals. Juninho has scored in three straight.
The Galaxy can count on the presence of Keane, who was third in the regular season with 19 goals a year ago before struggling with a groin injury this season and being limited to three.
Keane could eventually be supplanted as league MVP by the spectacular Giovinco, who is among the league leaders with eight goals and seven assists in his first MLS campaign.
Giovinco has taken a league-high 86 shots and has been fouled 42 times to rank among the most in MLS. TFC believes that the Italian star has been targeted by some rough treatment from opponents.
"Whether it's Sebastian or any player in the league, we want those players to feel like they have the freedom to express themselves as attacking players," Vanney said. "That's what people come to watch, good attacking soccer."
Los Angeles started a stretch of three games in eight days with home wins by 5-1 over Philadelphia on June 20 and 5-0 over Portland four days later before last Saturday's humbling 3-1 defeat at San Jose.
"We've only got ourselves to blame," Keane said. "This was a kick up the back side to us that maybe (we're) getting a bit carried away with ourselves scoring a lot of goals. We have to be concentrated at all times. We just weren't at the races tonight."
Los Angeles is 4-0-5 against Toronto since losing both 2008 meetings. Keane scored twice and Gordon added a goal in last year's lone matchup, a 3-0 win Oct. 4.
The Galaxy used a makeshift lineup to post Wednesday's 1-0 victory at San Jose in the U.S. Open Cup. Jose Villarreal had the goal and could start Saturday in place of Zardes after coming off the bench in his last three league matches.
"We have to prove to (coach Bruce Arena) that we can do it," Villarreal said. "We just have to compete out there, and show that we're young guys and we're going to fight till the end."