21195129.xml

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<!DOCTYPE message PUBLIC "-//TSN//DTD Preview 1.0/EN" "MLS_Preview_XML.dtd">
<message>
<XML_File_ID>21195129</XML_File_ID>
<heading>AHV!MLSPREVIEW-CLB-TOR</heading>
<game_id>2958</game_id>
<schedule_id>2958</schedule_id>
<category>Previews</category>
<sport>SOC-MLS</sport>
<title>
MLS Preview from The Sports Network (ET)
</title>
<Game_Date>05/31/2014</Game_Date>
<Game_Time>05:00 PM</Game_Time>
<vteam id="991">Columbus</vteam>
<hteam id="981">Toronto FC</hteam>
<body>
                             Saturday, May 31, 2014
                              (All times Eastern)
 
<P>
                 Columbus (4-4-4) at Toronto FC (4-4-1), 5 p.m.
 
</P>
 
<P>
 Toronto, ON (SportsNetwork.com) - Toronto FC and the Columbus Crew will square
 off at BMO Field on Saturday in the second Trillium Cup match of the season.
 
</P>
<P>
 TFC  was victorious in  the first meeting between the two sides with a 2-0 win
 at  Columbus, but  the result sparked a  run of three straight defeats for the
 Canadian club.
 
</P>
<P>
 The  Reds appear to  back in form though, managing four points from their last
 two  league matches. They  most recently came back twice to get a point form a
 2-2 draw at Sporting Kansas City.
 
</P>
<P>
 It  was a tremendous point for Toronto given that the team was without several
 key players due to international duty. The Reds were also reduced to 10 men in
 the  match as  Steven Caldwell  was issued  a straight  red card  in the  63rd
 minute.
 
</P>
<P>
 "We  had three of our starting midfield out, so we had a lot of absences," TFC
 head  coach  Ryan Nelsen said after  the match. "We had three starting players
 out in three different positions and (SKC) had two out. So everybody's made (a
 deal) about their injuries and we've got a few out as well. Since the start of
 the  season  we've only  had to  pick a  starting 11,  the actual starting 11,
 once."
 
</P>
<P>
 Toronto  will  look to  get  Gilberto  going this  season.  He  has logged  10
 consecutive starts but is still searching for his first goal with the club.
 
</P>
<P>
 "We've  got to pick (Gilberto) up," Nelsen said. "We've all been through it as
 players  and  we've all been  through it in  jobs. And when  you move to a new
 country like that it's very difficult, and we forget he's only 24.
 
</P>
<P>
 "We  know  how good  of a player  he is  and it's  our job to  pick him up and
 obviously  get his confidence up and get him going and it will. Maybe we could
 get a penalty one of these days and he can get on the scoreboard."
 
</P>
<P>
 Like Toronto, Columbus has taken four points from its last two games.
 
</P>
<P>
 After an enthralling 3-3 draw with the Portland Timbers, the Crew ran out to a
 2-0 home victory over the Chicago Fire to put an end to an eight-match winless
 run.
 
</P>
<P>
 "I  think  we've been frustrated that  we've been playing well and not getting
 the results. We're still trying to focus on the product we're creating and how
 we're  playing," said Crew head coach Gregg Berhalter. "It's nice when you get
 results.  From that  standpoint were  happy.  I think  it was  a good  effort.
 Obviously we're missing some guys but we did a great job."
 
</P>
<P>
 Federico Higuain played a starring role the Crew's defeat of the Fire, but the
 striker will miss Saturday's clash at Toronto due to yellow card accumulation.
 
</P>
<P>
 "You  don't replace Federico, simple as that. We get someone on the field that
 can  play  their game and we're  not going to ask  someone to come in and play
 like  Federico  that would be foolish  of us," said Berhalter. "We're going to
 ask  someone to  come in and play  to the best of their ability. I'm confident
 that we are going to be able to get that out of someone."
 
</P>
 
</body>
<time_stamp>May 30, 2014, at 05:35 PM ET</time_stamp>
</message>