With both teams rolling off derby wins, Toronto FC and the New York Red Bulls head into Wednesday's big Eastern Conference clash on a high (8 pm ET | TSN 4/5 — Full TV & streaming info).
The Red Bulls beat NYCFC on Sunday while TFC got the better of the Montreal Impact the day prior, aided by the return of Jozy Altidore and Michael Bradley as well as the debut of Omar Gonzalez.
Like rivalry matches tend to be, it was a hard-fought and competitive game. It was a similar type of match they'll be in for against the Red Bulls combative press, intended to create chaos and duels.
"One big thing is level of engagement," head coach Greg Vanney said after practice for how to deal with RBNY's vaunted press. "A team that wants to make the game fast, you've got to be locked in. You have to transition quick. Winning the transition game is a big part of what they're trying to do, so we have to be engaged. We have to be mentally and physically ahead of the game as much as possible, or you end up chasing things."
It will be Toronto's second game of three this week, something that star midfielder Alejandro Pozuelo doesn't mind one bit.
"I like to play three games in one week because I like to play better than training," Pozuelo said. "If we were to play twice every week, for me, it's nice. For the Red Bulls ... they don't play too much football. It's a different game with us. They have a very good team. It'll be difficult."
The Red Bulls have looked a bit different in attack this season, because club-leading scorer Bradley Wright-Phillips has been largely unavailable due to injury. In his absence, local product Brian White has stepped up. The 23-year-old has earned big praise from Vanney.
"There are some similarities between (White) and Bradley Wright-Phillips," Vanney said. "Their willingness and relentless to run on both sides of the ball, to lead the press defensively but also constantly create this threat ahead of the attack. He's just one of those guys that's always demanding the attention of center backs. Bradley is the same way."
Toronto, who started the season strong before fading a bit under injuries and international absences, have a full-strength roster to choose from again. Clinging to the final playoff spot in the East, Pozuelo thinks his side are poised for a good run of form.
"I think (we're one of the better teams)," Pozuelo said. "We have individuals for possession and we have a really good team, not only the 11 starters, we have good depth. We need to continue to work hard and we'll see over these 14 games."
