Soccer: Toronto FC Fighting Internally Before Whitecaps Clash

The comments by Dutch striker Danny Koevermans have spun Toronto FC into disarray ahead of their decisive Voyageurs Cup clash with the Vancouver Whitecaps tonight. Al Dannity previews an epic battle for the Amway Canadian Championship.

Two ways this can go for Toronto
Danny Koevermans dropped a pipe-bomb when he described Toronto FC, his own team, as the worst in the world. It’s easy to get frustrated as part of a 0-0-9 outfit but it’s a whole other thing to say something so incendiary in public. Aron Winter’s authority as the coach of the Reds will be under the microscope even more than usual tonight. The Koevermans situation leaves Winter with a tough choice. Stand by the player and look to inspire the team or cast out one of his most talented assets to try and rally support from the rest of the roster.

Winter has tried to calm matters but he knows that this story could poison the locker room. A scoreless draw tonight would be enough for the Reds to claim a fourth straight Voyageurs Cup. That would kill the story here and buy the Dutch coach time to try and salvage something from a lost Major League Soccer (MLS) season. Defeat however would increase pressure on the powers that be to cut Winter loose and bring in a new man to steer Toronto back towards relevance in MLS.

Big task for Whitecaps
Eric Hassli’s wonder-goal brought the Whitecaps back into this contest but they still need at least one more goal tonight. If the score remains 1-1 on aggregate after tonight, Toronto will win on away goals. Coach Martin Rennie has been quick to stress that his team won’t change much from their usual game plan. That means we can expect tight defensive play from Vancouver with the emphasis on creating quality chances to try and get that vital score in BMO Field.

Rennie knows what is at stake tonight. This championship offers the dual prize of bragging rights as the best in Canada and a place in CONCACAF Champions League. Both elements would play a big role in boosting the profile of the Whitecaps. Victory would send a statement that MLS in Canada is serious outside of Toronto. The prospect of playing Champions League games in B.C. Place will also be highly appealing to the Whitecaps’ management. Rennie will need to keep his players from getting overly distracted. The only objective tonight is winning. If the Caps can do that, then they can start thinking about all they will have won.

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