Giovinco, Kamara in clash of the titans
Goal-scoring leaders go head-to-head at BMO
As Sebastian Giovinco stepped on BMO Field Wednesday night just hours after a flight from Rome, the Italian striker was motivated by more than Toronto FC’s chance at clinching the franchise’s first-ever playoff victory.
“Quite frankly, he wants to win the scoring title and we all want him to win it,” Reds coach Greg Vanney said following the midweek match, a 2-1 win over the New York Red Bulls that did in fact secure Toronto’s spot in the post-season.
Standing in the Atomic Ant’s way is striker Kei Kamara, who visits Toronto on Saturday with his team the Columbus Crew for the Reds’ penultimate match of the regular season.
It’s a match billed as both a battle for the league’s most valuable player honour and for the Golden Boot, the trophy awarded to MLS’s top regular-season scorer.
The former honour is firmly within Giovinco’s grasp as the season winds down. Kamara is a contender, but the Italian’s all-around statistics — namely also leading the league in assists — make him a more complete player.
But the Golden Boot is still within reach for the Kamara, who has
“Quite frankly, he wants to win the scoring title and we all want him to win it.” TORONTO FC COACH GREG VANNEY ON SEBASTIAN GIOVINCO
scored twice against Toronto this season. And Columbus head coach Gregg Berhalter will do whatever he can to get his striker the trophy.
“We think it would be a great accomplishment for the team and Kei individually, so we’re all pulling for him and anything we can do in these couple games to get him there, we’re going to do,” he told the club’s official website this week.
But with a similar sentiment coming from TFC’s camp — Vanney thinks it’s fair to say Giovinco is having the best individual season in MLS history — expect the clubs’ third meeting of the season to be an attack-heavy match.
Toronto hopes its attack produces while the back line quells Columbus’s threats.
Six points are on the line given the tight race for positioning in the Eastern Conference. The Reds sit in second place going into the match but are only two points ahead of the fifthplace Crew.
The home team hasn’t managed a victory against Columbus yet this season, losing in March before draw- ing in July, but the Crew has struggled on the road.
A key for Toronto will be to shut down crosses from wide areas; Kamara has scored all his goals this season from within the 18-yard box.
“We need to be aware of where he is at all times,” Vanney said following training Friday. “We need to have presence on him; we can’t allow him the freedom to run in the box.”
That will be a tougher task given the loss of mainstay centre-back Damien Perquis to a hamstring injury.
Jonathan Osorio’s availability was also in doubt Friday after he was hit in the ear in the Red Bulls game, but captain Michael Bradley is expected back after missing Wednesday’s match with a mild groin injury.
After the team secured its place in history midweek, and with arguably the league’s best player expected back in its starting 11, Toronto is confident it can win its last two games and potentially earn a bye through the first round of the playoffs with a second-place finish.
“The sky’s the limit for us right now,” said midfielder Marky Delgado.