TFC II will look to put their 1-0 defeat on Saturday at the hands of the Rochester Rhinos behind them, as they take on Saint Louis FC in a midweek clash this Thursday at 8PM.
Saint Louis FC currently sits 5th in the Eastern Conference standings with a record of 3-2-1. The team is coming off their second consecutive victory as they defeated Wilmington Hammerheads FC 1-0 this past Saturday.
The Opposition
Similar to their opponents in Rochester, TFC II faces a Saint Louis team that is one of the best in the league defensively. The team has allowed just 5 goals in the 6 matches they have played, ranking them in the top 3 in the league for least goals allowed.
With TFC II’s offense struggling as of late, midfielder Luca Uccello believes the team must capitalize on the chances they create.
“I think it takes that little bit of extra focus. In front of the net we have to be ruthless.”
“It’s just about taking our chances.”
TFC II coach Jason Bent also touched on the team’s need to maintain possession in order to create offensive opportunities.
“I think in the last game we were sort of in transition defensively then we get into the attacking third but we didn’t have enough sustained possession in their third in order to create more opportunities so that’s something we need to work on.”
Furthermore, coach Bent acknowledged the challenge they face on Thursday.
“They play a similar system to us so it’ll be a good test. I think it’ll be a tough game.”
INTERVIEWS: Jason Bent | Luca Uccello | Wesley Charpie
Maintaining Defensive Consistency
TFC II showed a vast improvement in their defensive game against the Rhinos and will look to maintain that level of defensive stability against Saint Louis FC and for the rest of the season.
Uccello provided media with his thoughts on their defensive effort this past weekend.
“Personally I think defensively we played sound. In the 90th minute unfortunately we kind of broke down.”
“If you look at our performance as a whole I thought we defended well and we also had chances to win the game so we were a bit unlucky.”
Defender Wesley Charpie also believed their defensive performance improved.
“Looking back I think it was good.”
“All of the week leading up to the game was [working on] defensive shape and keeping a tight block and keeping things in front of us.”
“I think we did well and coming into the next game we have to look to continue to be strong defensively.”
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Playing Disciplined
Lately TFC II has struggled to keep their composure and play disciplined. The team has finished their last three matches down a man.
Coach Jason Bent spoke on the disciplinary struggles the team has faced.
“A little bit of a mental breakdown and that can happen with young players but hopefully it doesn’t continue to happen.”
“As you can see over the last three games we haven’t finished with 11 people in the park and that’s a problem.”
The young Reds will look to take advantage of their opportunities in the final third against an expected tough defensive team in St. Louis, all while maintaining their defensive shape and playing a disciplined match.
TFC II takes on Saint Louis FC this Thursday, May 14th, at 8:00PM ET. Follow along on Twitter @TorontoFCII using the hashtag #TFCLive and watch the action via livestream at torontofc.ca/live
