Match Day 7 - Philly @ TFC Friday May 4 8pm - All my instincts, they return

[OgtheDim]

I see the light and the heat
In your eyes
Oh, I want to be that complete
I want to touch the light
The heat I see in your eyes

*********

Have at It People

[ensco]

This is a big, big game for us. Statement game.

Aketxe gets some proper work in this week with the first team configuration, and shows his stuff.

4-1 TFC.

[michaeltfc91]

We really need an update on the injury list:
OUT - Moor, Hagglund
Not sure - Mavinga, Morrow, Zavaleta, Hernandez, Altidore
Am I missing anyone?

That's a lot of defenders

[ScarboroughRed]

Wonder how far along is Zavaleta and Hernandez is. Getting at least one of them match fit would be huge. Along with Morrow. Would be really confident with 2 out of the 3.

[C.Ronaldo]

Wonder how far along is Zavaleta and Hernandez is. Getting at least one of them match fit would be huge. Along with Morrow. Would be really confident with 2 out of the 3.

Hernandez was injured?

[ScarboroughRed]

Match fitness really. I think if he was 100% ready he would have started against Chicago

[OgtheDim]

Molinaro with the injury updates

https://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/toro...mpions-league/

[Auzzy]

We really need an update on the injury list:
OUT - Moor, Hagglund
Not sure - Mavinga, Morrow, Zavaleta, Hernandez, Altidore
Am I missing anyone?

That's a lot of defenders

Moor out 2-3 months with a quad tear, crap! Hagglund still away for a "couple more weeks" at least.

Altidore will also be away for a few weeks with a "mild hamstring strain."

Mavinga & Morrow supposedly available again "soon." Zavaleta about a week or two away from return.

My prediction: starting lineup vs. Philly pretty similar to the one vs. Chicago, with GvdW & Bradley in central defense. If tests show either Mavinga or Morrow ready to go this week, they'll come on for the last 15-20 minutes to ease them in.

Vazquez may start again & be subbed after about 60 minutes.

Late season ending with MLS Cup; short off-season; early re-start with very important games right from the beginning; trips & training all over the continent; various field conditions from the frozen tundra in Colorado to the muddy swamp at BMO Field -- we're paying the injury price big-time. BMO Field will be continued crap for one more month until June; hopefully the new grass goes down well & doesn't cause more problems. And I hope we don't get any more big-time injuries before then.

(Injury & other info from John Molinaro's article https://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/toro...mpions-league/ )

[Hugh Jazz]

I'm fine with the same line-up that went against Chicago. 6 days without traveling or playing in games will be huge for a lot of those players. When we played Philly last August I thought it was one of our most comprehensive victories ever (only 3-0 scoreline), they were chasing shadows most of the game. Let's hope for more of that.

[ScarboroughRed]

I'm fine with the same line-up that went against Chicago. 6 days without traveling or playing in games will be huge for a lot of those players. When we played Philly last August I thought it was one of our most comprehensive victories ever (only 3-0 scoreline), they were chasing shadows most of the game. Let's hope for more of that.

Agreed, for about 60 minutes with that crazy line up we ran Chicago off the field, for the most part. Philly isn't that much better than Chicago too.

With everyone fully rested and Vazquez having a few more days to get match fit, hoping for a good bounce back game.

[Detroit_TFC]

I'd expect a favorable outcome from this game as the players continue their recovery.

[Fort York Redcoat]

Philly made a statement win at home vs DC. This will be a real contest with all those injuries above.

[Graeme]

Just guessing here (I think there will be at least one surprise healthy player starting):

----------------------Bono----------------------
--Auro---VDW-----------Bradley---Morgan---
---Hasler--Delgado---Vasquez---Osorio-----
---------Giovinco-------Altidore---------------

Bench: Irwin, Morrow, Mavinga, Tefler, Chapman, Hamilton, Ricketts

Mavinga in for Hasler or Vasquez at 70 minutes with Bradley moving into midfield...

[Voodooman]

Well Jozy is out as well. So if CCL was telling I expect to see Hamilton up there with Giovinco than.

[paul-collins]

Well Jozy is out as well. So if CCL was telling I expect to see Hamilton up there with Giovinco than.

On Saturday they had Atkexe in the midfield and Seba as a lone striker instead of Hamilton in. I'd be ok with that again but if Hasler is in, would he be able to move up top? He plays striker for his country...

I'd be happy for Hamilton to get the minutes, also.

[OgtheDim]

The updated injury report, as per Molinaro

Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/JohnMolinaro/status/992082658908815360

[michaeltfc91]

The updated injury report, as per Molinaro

Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/JohnMolinaro/status/992082658908815360

-------------Bono
Auro------VDW-----Hernandez-----Morgan
Aketxe----Bradley-----Delgado-----Osorio
-------Giovinco-----Vasquez

Subs - Irwin, Hasler, Telfer, Chapman, Fraser, Ricketts, Hamilton

Still pretty weak right now, but we HAVE to win, no excuse

[woolly]

Easier to list who's available instead of who's injured.

[magmadragon]

The updated injury report, as per Molinaro

Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/JohnMolinaro/status/992082658908815360

Does this mean Hagglund is back?

[Cas87]

Does this mean Hagglund is back?

No Hagglund is a long term injury (4-5 months I believe when he was first diagnosed).
The list Molinaro gave in the tweet is mainly the short-term injuries.

[Graeme]

In that case....

Just guessing here (I think there will be at least one surprise healthy player starting):

----------------------Bono----------------------
--Auro---VDW-----------Bradley---Morgan---
---Hasler--Delgado--Aketxe-Vasquez---Osorio-----
---------Giovinco----------------------

Bench: Irwin, Hernandez, Taintor?, Tefler, Chapman, Hamilton, Ricketts

Hernandez in for Hasler or Vasquez at 70 minutes with Bradley moving into midfield...

[Gringo Starr]

It's crazy, as of today we are dead last in the standings trailing the sounders on GD. Hope the league enjoyed their head start cause the Reds are coming, the climb starts tomorrow. I'm thinking 3-1

[portu]

Well Jozy is out as well. So if CCL was telling I expect to see Hamilton up there with Giovinco than.

The only year in this decade Jozy hasn't been injured is 2012, and in some years he's been injured multiple times and not one of them whilst at TFC has been a contact injury. No matter what he or the club does, whether that's seeing different doctors, changing his diet and exercise plan, limiting his minutes, etc, the one guarantee every year is that Jozy is going to be out for a significant period. The club and Jozy have failed to remedy the issue.

As much as I love the guy, I'm fed up with the injuries. At one point or another, the club needs to realize it can do better than Jozy for that DP slot.

One more thing: How come the media isn't holding the club accountable on this? Is it just considered acceptable that the same player is always suffering from lower body non-contact injuries, even after a significant preventative effort?

[OgtheDim]

Just a note on that - I think the only player not injured since the beginning of last season is Bradley. Jozy has been out about the median amount of them all.

He's supposedly back in a couple of weeks.

[Oldtimer]

Judging by tickets available, I expect this game to have below average attendance. I'm not sure why. Is it that casual fans are just looking at TFC's current place in the standings?

[Voodooman]

Judging by tickets available, I expect this game to have below average attendance. I'm not sure why. Is it that casual fans are just looking at TFC's current place in the standings?

I think casual fans distracted by the playoffs in the other sports and just don't know.

[C.Ronaldo]

Just a note on that - I think the only player not injured since the beginning of last season is Bradley. Jozy has been out about the median amount of them all.

He's supposedly back in a couple of weeks.

yah, MB is worthless, over paid,....blah blah blah

[C.Ronaldo]

No Hagglund is a long term injury (4-5 months I believe when he was first diagnosed).
The list Molinaro gave in the tweet is mainly the short-term injuries.

Haglund need to take some multi vitamins and see someone that can list the curse

[Don Julio]

I think casual fans distracted by the playoffs in the other sports and just don't know.

I was literally having breakfast this morning and my wife and I were discussing what we should do tonight. After a minute she checks her calendar.. "Oh shit, there's a game tonight!" It's just not normal to have Friday night matches..

[ensco]

Judging by tickets available, I expect this game to have below average attendance. I'm not sure why. Is it that casual fans are just looking at TFC's current place in the standings?

I don’t think it’s the Leafs/Raps, or the standings.

This is our seventh home game, and the weather has been lousy for the first six. It doesn’t look that great for tonight. I gave up my SSH in part because of this - I mostly don’t want to go to games early or late in the year (playoff games excepted of course).

Too many games, and too many games in bad weather. Back in 2007 our first home game was April 28. (It was pretty crappy weather that day.)

Also just plain old fatigue. TFC has been a massive priority for most of last six months.

Also ask anyone not a regular on this board to name a Philly player. (Someone I know thinks CJ Sapong is the name of a sex club in Bangkok.)

(The pitch being bad affects my interest a bit too. Makes everything random. )

Looking forward to a genuinely nice night at BMO, soon I hope.