Toronto FC was back in training on Tuesday ahead of its home game against the New York Red Bulls this weekend.
Here are some news and notes from today’s practice.
ALTIDORE CLOSE TO RETURNING, SEBA MIGHT NEED MORE TIME
The Reds will most likely have one, and possibly both, of their top scorers back in the lineup this weekend.
Forwards Sebastian Giovinco (quad tightness) and Jozy Altidore (lower-body injury) sat out the last three games, including Saturday’s 2-1 road loss to the New England Revolution. But Altidore was back in full training on Tuesday, and coach Greg Vanney told reporters he’ll likely be available to play against New York.
“We’re building him up towards [Saturday],” Vanney said.
He later added: “It seems so [that he’ll be able to play versus New York]. We have three more training sessions to go, but the way he is moving around and trending, it looks like he’ll be ready to go.”
Giovinco took part in portions of Tuesday’s training session and is improving, but he remains questionable for the weekend. Vanney hinted that the Italian could feature on Saturday based on how he improves over the next few days.
“We’ll see how he progresses over the rest of the week,” Vanney offered.
Giovinco and Altidore, who between them have 28 goals this season, last played in TFC’s 4-0 win over the San Jose Earthquakes at BMO Field on Sept. 9.
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SUPPORTERS’ SHIELD IN SIGHT
Toronto sits comfortably atop the overall league standings with a 18-5-8 record and 62 points, and looks a sure bet to win the Supporters’ Shield, the honour that goes to the team that finishes the regular season in first place. Winning the Shield comes with the added bonus of home-field advantage throughout the playoffs, including the MLS Cup final.
Toronto can clinch the Supporters’ Shield on Saturday with a win over New York. They can also clinch on Wednesday if all of the following three results take place: 1) New York City FC loses to the Montreal Impact, 2) Atlanta United loses to the Philadelphia Union, and 3) the Vancouver Whitecaps lose or draw against the Seattle Sounders.
“Winning the Shield is important for the symbolism of being the best regular-season team. But the most important part of it is [clinching home-field advantage in the playoffs]. … That’s the significance of tying that down for our group,” Vanney explained.
TFC is also chasing history as it tries to eclipse the league record for most points in a single season — the LA Galaxy collected 68 points during the 1998 campaign. Toronto has three games remaining to break the mark.
CHEYROU, HAGGLUND COMING BACK
Defender Nick Hagglund and midfielder Benoit Cheyrou are both back in full training after being sidelined with long-term injuries, and are available for selection.
“By and large we’re back into a scenario where most guys are trending in the right direction to potentially be available for the weekend,” Vanney stated.
Cheyrou suffered a calf tear during a 1-1 draw at home against the Colorado Rapids on Jul. 22 and was originally ruled out for at least eight weeks. Hagglund was ruled out for six-to-eight weeks with a left knee sprain he suffered in a game versus the Portland Timbers on Aug. 12.
The return of Hagglund and Cheyrou gives Vanney more depth in defence and midfield, and also gives him different options for the remainder of the regular season and the playoffs.
OTHER INJURY UPDATES
Starting defenders Eriq Zavaleta (oral surgery) and Chris Mavinga (abdominal issues) missed Saturday’s game in New England. Vanney said both should be available for Saturday’s game against the Red Bulls.
Backup defender Jason Hernandez (hamstring) also sat out the contest against the Revs. Hernandez should be back in training this week, although he remains questionable for Saturday, according to Vanney.
LOOKING AHEAD TO NEW YORK
Saturday’s match at BMO Field is the final regular-season meeting between TFC and the Red Bulls. The teams battled to a 1-1 draw on May 19 in New Jersey, with Benoit Cheyrou scoring for Toronto.
While TFC have already clinched a post-season berth, New York is clinging to the final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. The Red Bulls currently sit sixth in the East with a 12-11-6 record, just three points ahead of Montreal.
The Red Bulls are winless in their last six games (four draws), with their last victory coming on Aug. 12. Coming off a 3-2 road loss to the Columbus Crew on the weekend, New York will host D.C. United on Wednesday before travelling to Toronto for Saturday’s match.
“They have a very tough end-of-the-season schedule. I was looking at it the other day, and I noticed they have a challenging finish to their season. They’re going to some tough places to play and they have some tough games,” Vanney said.
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