Battle of Orlando ‘good test’ for Reds
After holding MLS’s most potent offence to a 1-1 tie last week at New York City FC, Toronto FC faces one of the league’s stingiest defences on Saturday in Orlando.
Orlando City is tied with Seattle in conceding a league-low 0.40 goals a game. In comparison, Toronto ranks 25th, giving up an average of 1.80 goals an outing.
Orlando’s Peruvian international keeper Pedro Gallese is tied for the league lead with three shutouts, which matches his total in 19 games in 2020. The club has given up just two goals in five games, one of which came from a penalty kick, and has allowed just 15 shots on target.
Orlando (2-0-3) is also one of three unbeaten sides in Major League Soccer, along with the Seattle Sounders (5-0-1) and Nashville SC (1-0-4). Orlando’s five-match undefeated start to the season is a club record, erasing the previous mark of four in 2016.
“It starts with, I believe, the head coach, Oscar Pareja, who I know pretty well,” Toronto coach Chris Armas said. “Many many years ago, we played against each other in MLS.
“He sees the game both ways. So his team is creative and they attack and they’re good in transition going forward. But they’re a team that works hard, just the way he did. As much as he was an attacker, he also understands the other side … They’re a team that’s together. You can see it. They attack together, they defend together.”
With Toronto setting up shop in Orlando during the pandemic, Exploria Stadium serves as TFC’s home base. But Armas’s team will officially be the visitors Saturday.
“It’s going to be a good derby, let’s see it that way,” said Pareja, a former Colombian international who played more than 200 games for FC Dallas and the New England Revolution between 1998 and 2005.
Toronto midfielder Mark Delgado says being the visitors at their temporary home venue will be strange, especially with fans rooting against them.
“It is weird but it’s exciting. We get to play in front of fans, have the opportunity to beat them on their home turf,” he said.
And that playing surface is special, according to Armas. “It’s a putting green,” he said.
“We feel at home on any pitch but now we’re starting to relate to that one a bit more,” he added. “We’ll be up for it.”
Toronto has had a week to prepare after a congested schedule that saw it play four matches in 12 days. Armas, while speaking highly of the Orlando team, says it is vulnerable at times.
“It sets up to be a good one for us,” said Armas. “A good test. We’re looking forward to it.”
Toronto got a break Friday when Portuguese star Nani, Orlando’s captain, was suspended for two games and fined by the league’s disciplinary committee for “unwanted physical contact” with referee Alex Chilowicz in last week’s 1-0 win over D.C. United.
Toronto will be without Spanish playmaker Alejandro Pozuelo (thigh) for the 10th straight game in 2021. The stylish designated player was injured in the pre-season and has missed all of TFC’s league and Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League play.