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USL - USA (Match Preview: Toronto FC II at Pittsburgh Riverhounds)

Who: Toronto FC II (1-2-3) at Pittsburgh Riverhounds (2-3-2)

When: Wednesday, May 3, 7:00 PM

Where: Highmark Stadium

Live steam: tfc2.ca

The Young Reds close out their three-game road-trip on Wednesday night in Pittsburgh. TFC II will also look to extend a franchise record-tying 310-minute shutout streak. The Reds have played to three consecutive scoreless draws.

“Before the season we talked about working at reducing the amount of goals conceded,” said Head Coach Jason Bent, “We’ve made a concise effort to be far more solid defensively.”

That defence will be tested on Wednesday. The Riverhounds are coming off a 1-0 victory over the Harrisburg City Islanders. Historically, Toronto FC II has not faired well against Pittsburgh. All-time the Young Reds are 0-4-1 against Pittsburgh, and 0-2-0 at Highmark Stadium.

When asked what his team needs to do to get a result on Wednesday Bent remarked, “We have to take the confidence from the last couple of games, we have to continue with our defence play and we have to capitalise on the chances we get.

“We have to find that cutting edge in the final third,” said keeper Angelo Cavalluzzo. “We had a couple of chances against Louisville if we can start finishing those I think we’ll start getting three points.”

Jason Bent should have a full squad to pick from on Wednesday as there are no new injuries to report.

Players to Watch:

Corey Hertzog: The forward has scored four goals so far this season. Last year, Hertzog found the back of the net 13 times, while adding four assists for the Riverhounds. The native of Reading PA was selected 13th overall in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft by the New York Red Bulls. After two seasons in NY, Hertzog signed with Vancouver, where he made seven appearances in 2013, scoring his lone MLS goal against the San Jose Earthquakes. 

Kevin Kerr: The Scottish midfielder is in his fifth season with Pittsburgh. The native of Munster, Germany played in both his birth country and the Netherlands before coming state side in 2013. The midfielder is currently second in the USL in chances with 17. Kerr has completed 257 passes and added one goal while starting all seven games for the Hounds.  

Sporting Kansas City vs. New York Red Bulls | 2017 MLS Match Preview

Sporting Kansas City vs. New York Red Bulls
2017 MLS Regular Season
Children’s Mercy Park – Kansas City, Kansas
Wednesday, May 3 | 8:30 pm ET
WATCH: MLS LIVE

It hasn’t been sexy, but Sporting Kansas City keeps getting it done. SKC has endured their share of offensive struggles in 2017, but their backline has been the best in the league, allowing just three goals in their opening eight matches – good for a miniscule 0.38 goals against average. That stinginess has pushed them up the table, with Sporting sitting in second in the West and fourth in MLS with 15 points after easily dispatching Real Salt Lake 3-0 on Saturday.

One of the three teams they trail? That’d be the New York Red Bulls. Jesse Marsch’s crew have overcome some early struggles to rise into second in the Eastern Conference, winning their last three matches – all home games against East foes, including a 2-1 win against Chicago on Saturday – to improve to 5-3-1 on the year. Their resurgence has been powered by a return to the 4-2-3-1 formation, which should matchup interestingly with Sporting’s 4-3-3 at Children’s Mercy Park on Wednesday night.

Sporting Kansas City

After a sluggish offensive start took some of the shine off of their outstanding defensive performances, Sporting’s attack finally looks like it’s woken up. After being shutout in three of their first four matches, Sporting have scored seven in their last four, including three on Saturday against RSL.

Forward Dom Dwyer is starting to click into gear, too – he found the back of the net on Saturday to pick up his third goal in his last four matches. Perhaps even more importantly, offseason signing Gerso Fernandes looks like he may be finding his feet. The Portuguese Designated Player scored Sporting’s third against RSL – he has the potential to give defenders fits and draw attention away from Dwyer, who’s been left isolated up top too often in the past few years.

“The way Dom works up there, it's always going to open up some spaces, and now he has got some guys to work around him,” SKC’s Benny Feilhaber said after Saturday’s match. “Gerso is a guy that is flying all over the place and he gives that little bit of fear in the defense to have to drop. He can get in behind. I think the offense is coming along but as always, there is room for improvement and I think we can get better."

• Suspensions: None
• Int’l Duty: None
• Injury Report: OUT: Diego Rubio (Torn ACL)

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): GK: Tim Melia - Graham Zusi, Ike Opara, Matt Besler, Seth Sinovic - Ilie, Roger Espinoza, Benny Feilhaber - Gerso, Dom Dwyer, Jimmy Medranda

Notes: Graham Zusi’s assist last Saturday was just his second in his last 15 regular season MLS appearances.

New York Red Bulls

Aside from MLS-leading Orlando City SC, New York are the hottest team in the league, winning their last three matches to climb into second in the Eastern Conference. Similar to Kansas City, defense has led the way during the Red Bulls’ winning streak, with New York allowing just one goal – a well-taken strike on Saturday by the Fire’s Nemanja Nikolic – in their last three games and only conceding twice in their last four.

The attack has been keyed by a rotating cast of characters, with star striker Bradley Wright-Phillips and second-year winger Alex Muyl pacing the club with two goals each in their last three games. While they’re hot, the Red Bulls will be at a disadvantage on the road on Wednesday – Kansas City are 10-0-3 in their last 13 regular season matches at Children’s Mercy Park, and they won’t have to pile travel on top of their already short turnaround.

• Suspensions: None
• Int’l Duty: None
• Injury Report: OUT: Gideon Baah (broken leg), Mike Grella (knee injury), Aurelien Collin (abdominal strain); QUESTIONABLE: Sal Zizzo (calf strain)

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): GK: Luis Robles - Connor Lade, Damien Perrinelle, Aaron Long, Kemar Lawrence - Tyler Adams, Felipe - Alex Muyl, Sacha Kljestan, Daniel Royer - Bradley Wright-Phillips

Notes:Counting the playoffs, Bradley Wright-Phillips has scored six goals against Sporting Kansas City. All six came in the 2014 season.

All-Time Series

• Overall: Series tied 20-20-13
• At Sporting Kansas City: SKC lead 14-9-5

Referees

• Referee: Allen Chapman
• Assistant Referees: Danny Thornberry, Nick Uranga
• 4th Referee: Edvin Jurisevic

Toronto FC vs. Orlando City SC | 2017 MLS Match Preview

Toronto FC vs. Orlando City
2017 MLS Regular Season
BMO Field – Toronto, Ontario
Wednesday, May 3 | 7:30 pm ET
WATCH: TSN (Canada) | MLS LIVE (USA)

Orlando City SC have stolen a lot of the headlines in the Eastern Conference so far this season, and with good reason. The Lions are the East's early success story, surging to the top of the Supporters Shield standings and averaging a staggering 2.57 points per match behind six goals – in only seven games – from forward Cyle Larin.

But after a slow start that saw them win just one of their first six matches (OK, so they only lost one over that span too), Toronto FC's 2016 MLS Cup runners-up are starting to find their groove. They've won two in a row and climbed into fifth place in the East, tied with New York City FC on 13 points each but behind those two clubs on the total-victories tiebreaker.

With both clubs stealing three out-of-conference points over the weekend – Orlando City over Colorado and TFC over Houston, both by 2-0 margins – each side will bring plenty of momentum, if not a lot of rest, into Wednesday night's matchup at BMO Field.

Toronto FC

The Reds' rise has (no surprise here) come as a result of Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco hitting the one-two scoring stride that TFC need to function at their best. Altidore has five goals on the year after his brace against the Dynamo, and Giovinco is starting to climb the charts with three goals in the last four games.

And when the two combine up top, as they did against Houston in one of the prettiest combinations you'll ever see, they can give opposing defenses fits.

The Reds have a slight advantage going into Wednesday's match, in addition to the obvious one of playing on their home pitch. They played Houston on Friday, while Orlando City beat the Rapids on Saturday. That gives their defense an extra day to recover, which is important if Lions coach Jason Kreis runs out Larin for the midweek match.

• Suspensions: None
• Int'l Duty: None
• Injury Report: OUT – D Chris Mavinga (quad injury), D Drew Moor (cardiac arrhythmia); GK Clint Irwin (hamstring strain), D Ashtone Morgan (stress fracture in foot), D Jason Hernandez (calf injury)

Probable Formation (3-5-2): Alex Bono –  Eriq Zavaleta, Nick Hagglund, Justin Morrow – Steven Beitashour, Marky Delgado, Michael Bradley, Victor Vazquez, Raheem Edwards – Jozy Altidore, Sebastian Giovinco

Notes: Toronto have only lost once in their last 10 regular season MLS matches (4W-5D). They have conceded multiple goals in five of those games, and kept four clean sheets. … Jozy Altidore (five in four) and Sebastian Giovinco (four in five) have a combined nine regular season MLS goals in nine appearances against Orlando. 

Orlando City

As if things weren't going well enough already for the Lions, Kaká is back – and already contributing, after sitting out the early going with an opening-week hamstring injury.

The Brazilian veteran scored off the bench in Saturday's victory over Colorado teaming up with Carlos Rivas – who didn't start for the first time this year but also found the net as a substitute – to provide all kinds of pressure on Colorado's defenders. Granted, the Reds are better across the backline, but that's still not a happy prospect for even the stoutest defense.

Speaking of D, has anyone noticed that the Lions are the second-stingiest team in the league? Led by returned expat Jonathan Spector, Orlando City have conceded just five times this year. Still, if the Reds come full-strength on Wednesday – and there's no reason to believe that they won't – the Lions will have their hands full with Giovinco, Altidore and assists leader Victor Vazquez.

• Suspensions: None
• Int'l Duty: None
• Injury Report: OUT – D Kevin Alston (knee); DAY-TO-DAY – D Rafael Ramos (hamstring injury), D Jose Aja (hamstring injury)

Probable Formation (4-1-2-1-2): Joe Bendik – Scott Sutter, Tommy Redding, Jonathan Spector, Donny Toia – Antonio Nocerino – Will Johnson, Cristian Higuita – Matias Perez Garcia – Cyle Larin, Giles Barnes

Notes: In seven previous trips to Canada, Orlando has only won one regular season MLS game (3L-3D). Their 0-0 draw in Toronto on September 28 of last year was their first clean sheet in Canada in franchise MLS history. … Orlando allowed only one shot on target against Colorado last weekend. This ties the franchise MLS record for fewest shots on target faced in a single game (it has happened four other times in Orlando’s MLS history). 

All-Time Series

• Overall: Toronto 4 wins (15 goals) … Orlando 1 win (5 goals) … Ties 1
• At Toronto: Toronto 2 wins (9 goals) … Orlando 0 wins (1 goal) … Ties 1

Referees

• Referee: Baldomero Toledo
• Assistant Referees: Gianni Facchini, Peter Balciunas
• 4th Referee: Silviu Petrescu

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