TORONTO – Two months removed from their first matchup, much has changed for both the New York Red Bulls and Toronto FC.
Not only will the venue shift to BMO Field on Wednesday night (7 pm ET; TSN in Canada, MLS LIVE in US), but some key pieces from both sides will also be missing out on this crucial Eastern Conference showdown. For New York, breakout defender Matt Miazga will miss out after concluding his Olympic qualifying campaign on Tuesday night. Meanwhile Toronto’s Designated Player trio are in doubt after featuring for their international sides.
Michael Bradley was sent home after the USMNT’s loss to CONCACAF Cup loss to Mexico on Saturday night, but the midfielder is still facing a late fitness test to make Greg Vanney’s 18. Up top, both Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco played roles in Tuesday’s fixtures, with the American international featuring for the entirety of the first half against Costa Rica. Making his return to the Italian national team, Giovinco had a hand in both goals for the Azzurri en route to a 2-1 victory over Norway, logging 30 minutes in the process.
“We’re prepared to play against those guys and we’re prepared to play against a lineup that doesn’t include those guys,” head coach Jesse Marsch said. “Obviously there are different things to prepare for with different players, but on the road it’ll still be a tough game. We’re certainly not taking anything for granted.”
As has been the case all season, the Red Bulls will stay true to the tactics that have come to define them regardless of who is on the pitch. And while admitting that the potential absence of all three would be a big loss for the Canadian side, captain Dax McCarty keyed in on the MVP front-runner.
“The main threat that they’ve had all season has been Giovinco,” he said. “You can’t really deny what he’s been able to do this year. If he’s playing or not playing, it completely transforms how they play. But we’ve done the same thing all year whether we’ve had our full team available or not. We’re still going to play the exact same way whether [Bradley, Jozy and Giovinco] play or not; it doesn’t change anything for us.”
One certain change for New York will be the somewhat unexpected absence of winger Lloyd Sam. The 31-year-old earned his first cap for Ghana on Tuesday night in a friendly against Canada, making him unlikely to play a significant role, if any, in Wednesday night’s match. In his stead, Marsch revealed to MLSsoccer.com that Gonzalo Veron will be inserted in the starting lineup.
“It’s another opportunity for him to keep going within our group,” Marsch stated. “With all these different moments when we’ve lost guys due to injuries or call-ups, it’s a good opportunity for other guys that we believe in. It’ll be a good chance for Gonzalo to step on the field and go after the game.”
Sam’s absence will leave New York without one of it’s most explosive players, but turning to their bench has been hardly slowed down this Red Bulls side in 2015, and goalkeeper Luis Robles believes it will be more of the same come Wednesday night.
“Our confidence comes from more than just one player and whether they’re in the lineup or not,” he said. “One of the great strengths of this team is that there’s this deep belief in the locker room that no matter who gets called upon, they’ll be able to execute.”
