Goals have been hard to come by for both Toronto FC and Minnesota United this season. But if their brief head-to-head history is any indication, a matchup between the two could be just what the doctor ordered when they square off on Saturday in Saint Paul, Minn.
The two sides, who will face off for only the fourth time, have combined for 19 goals in their three previous meetings, with at least five total goals in each contest.
Overall, Minnesota (5-6-4, 19 points) has scored 14 goals on the season, tied for third fewest in MLS. The Loons have scored once in each of their past four matches after being shut out in three of the previous four. The home pitch hasn’t been much of an advantage for the Loons, who are 1-1-4 as the hosts this season.
There could be some good news for the club, however, as star midfielder Emanuel Reynoso could be on the matchday roster. The Argentine, who ended a four-month holdout on May 6 and had his MLS suspension lifted on May 16, hasn’t played since the MLS Cup playoffs last October. He led United with 10 goals last season.
“He’s getting frustrated,” coach Adrian Heath said Wednesday. “He wants to play, but we have to be mindful of the fact that he hasn’t played and done an awful lot for a long time. But no, he’s not far away, that’s the best way to describe him.”
Toronto (3-5-8, 17 points) settled for yet another draw in its last outing, a 0-0 final against the Chicago Fire on Wednesday. The Reds, who have scored 15 goals on the season, have now been shut out in five of their past six contests.
“We’ve been tested,” coach Bob Bradley said. “We’ve been tested on the fact that we’ve had a lot of close, tight games where we certainly could have taken more points than we did. We’ve had a lot of days where we don’t give much away and overall we play all right but don’t create enough. And I say over and over that our margin becomes really small.”
Veteran forward C.J. Sapong has recorded at least one shot attempt in six of his seven matches with the club and is third on the team with 13 shot attempts. He scored in his Toronto debut on April 29 but has not tallied since.
–Field Level Media