Fri Aug 24 18:55:49 2007

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Toronto hopes to halt scoreless drought vs. United

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Toronto, ON (Sports Network) - Toronto FC will have just five minutes Saturday to solve D.C. United's defense if it hopes to avoid breaking the record for longest scoreless streak in Major League Soccer history.

Toronto, in its first year in MLS, hasn't scored in its last six games. Overall, the club hasn't scored in 552 minutes, which is just shy of Real Salt Lake's record of 557 minutes without a goal in 2005.

As if Toronto's offensive problems weren't enough for it to worry about, United has won four straight and is the hottest team in the league. In its last 431 minutes, D.C. has allowed just one goal - a penalty kick to New York's Juan Pablo Angel. That goal ended United's team record shutout streak at 362 minutes.

"We're not coming in every day saying, 'OK guys, it's been however many minutes without a goal,'" Toronto defender Marvell Wynne said. "We play each game just like another game. We're not thinking there's pressure on us."

You can count on D.C. putting the pressure on at BMO Field.

United needs a win - and a little help from New York - to move into a first- place tie in the Eastern Conference with New England. D.C. has beaten New England and New York during its winning streak to pull within three points of first.

"Everybody's playing well, and we're getting 'Ws.' We're getting three points. We're making a run at the top of the East and, really, the top of the league," D.C. defender Greg Vanney said.

Toronto (5-11-5) appears to be just a bump in the road for D.C.

Devastated by injuries, a problem compounded this week with the news striker Jeff Cunningham and midfielder Ronnie O'Brien are out for the year, TFC is winless in seven games and has just one win in its last 10.

Toronto has just four goals during that 10-game stretch, and two of those were in a 2-1 win over the league's worst team - Real Salt Lake. The only good news recently was striker Danny Dichio and defender Marvell Wynne returned to the field last week.

But Toronto coach Mo Johnston believes some of his players - a few who played long seasons overseas before stepping right into the MLS season - are wearing down. Dichio, Carl Robinson and Andy Welsh were playing with other clubs before joining Toronto.

Even worse? Johnston can't afford to rest any of them because of all the injuries.

"You can see sometimes, in certain parts of their play - they're playing a little bit sluggish, when we're away from home, certainly when the heat is there," Johnston said. "They obviously need a rest but it's very difficult to rest people when we've got so many injuries."

D.C. also recently suffered a major injury blow when midfielder Josh Gros, who had started 18 straight games, suffered a concussion and may be out the rest of the season. Gros has a history of concussion problems.

But United is much deeper than Toronto, and they've played well all season despite the absences of Jaime Moreno, Ben Olsen and Christian Gomez - among others - because of injuries or international absences.

One of the players D.C. can't afford to lose, Luciano Emilio, is questionable with a hamstring strain but the injury doesn't seem to be serious. He leads MLS with 14 goals.

Even if Emilio is forced to sit against Toronto, D.C. coach Tom Soehn thinks Moreno will play better down the stretch now that he's become the league's all-time leading scorer.

Moreno scored his 109th career goal in Wednesday's 3-1 win over New York, breaking a tie with Real Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis for first. All four of Moreno's goals this season are on penalty kicks, so he might be due for a few away from the spot.

"I am just glad it's over with. No matter who it is, and you see it in every sport, when you have something like that, lingering over you, just the relief of getting it over with," Soehn said. "I'm glad it's done and he deserves it. He's done a lot for this league. It's in the past now, and I hope he lights it up and does a lot with it."

Moreno scored the game-winner on a penalty kick in the teams' only previous meeting on May 19, a 2-1 United win.

D.C. (11-6-3) can't afford to overlook Toronto, though. When United was riding a seven-game unbeaten streak earlier this year it started backup goalie Jay Nolly at winless Real Salt Lake and lost, 2-1.

The loss was one of only three since the first month of the season for D.C., which is 11-3-3 in its last 17 games.