What They’re Saying: #TFCvNE

Photo credit: Kari Heistad/capturedimages.biz

With the first of three contests between the Revolution and the new-look Toronto FC on tap for Saturday, let’s take a look at what players and coaches on both sides were saying leading up to it.

Revolution coach Jay Heaps:

“They’ve gotten a couple of early leads and those are different situations (where) possession is kind of a little bit of a…it’s what kind of possession you’re looking for. It’s a misleading stat at times. But for me, I think that they strike, and they have the ability to strike with (Jermain) Defoe, with Gilberto is another player who opens up for Defoe, and obviously Michael Bradley. So I think that they have those players that can beat you. But honestly, I think that, to be realistic, they haven’t had all those players together. I think their lineup has changed every game, so I think that also could be attributable to some of the struggles they’ve had – not having a consistent lineup.”

Toronto FC coach Ryan Nelsen (via mlssoccer.com):

“They’ve got some really good, exciting young players. Even last year, we had a good little battle with them so we expect a difficult game.”

“They’ve got some lovely midfield players who are technically very good and feel comfortable when they have the ball. But, then they feel very uncomfortable in other areas. We’ve got to look at their weaknesses and try to win the game.”

Revolution defender Andrew Farrell:

“They’ve got really talented players: Bradley in the middle, Defoe up top and (Julio) Cesar are a few of the guys they have there. They’re really talented: Defoe likes to get in behind, and he’s got the pace, and he’s also a world-class finisher. He can finish anything, and you have to contain guys like that. I think the team’s excited to take on another challenge.”

Toronto FC midfielder Michael Bradley (via mlssoccer.com):

“New England is a good team. They have some talented attacking players who can cause you trouble if you’re not organized or committed enough to close them down and making the game hard on them. Having said that, we’re confident in who we are and what we’re about. We’ve learned a lot about ourselves through these first six games and as we move into the next phase in the season, we feel ready.”