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Toronto FC-Rapids Preview

Sep 4, 2009 - 7:57 PM By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN STATS Senior Writer

Toronto FC (8-8-7) at Colorado (9-7-6), 10:00 p.m. EDT

The Colorado Rapids will have to make do without their two best players as they take on a team they are battling for a postseason berth.

The Rapids won't have Conor Casey or Pablo Mastroeni on Saturday night when they host Toronto FC, which will be without playmaking midfielder Amado Guevara.

With this game falling on the same weekend as key World Cup qualifiers, each club will be missing a star player. MLS leading scorer Casey won't be available because of U.S. national team duty, while Guevara, who has a team-high five assists for Toronto, is out due to his commitment to the Honduran team.

Making matters worse for Colorado (9-7-6), Mastroeni has been suspended two games and fined $1,250 for endangering the safety of Houston's Andrew Hainault during last Sunday's 1-0 victory over the Dynamo.

"Pablo's given everybody around him somebody to aspire to," coach Gary Smith said. "Those players have seen a captain who's achieved a huge amount in a game. Put his body on the line, full the course."

Mastroeni will also miss Colorado's trip to Toronto next weekend for the finale of this home-and-home set.

The Rapids are one of four teams tied with 33 points in the race for the final three playoff spots in the league. Toronto has 31 points.

Colorado is already without midfielder Colin Clark, out for the year after suffering an ACL injury in training two weeks ago. The Rapids made a move Monday, acquiring veteran defender Drew Moor from FC Dallas for defender Ugo Ihemelu.

"In Drew Moor we're getting an experienced defender in a slightly different mold to Ugo," Smith said. "In Ugo you've got a pristine athlete with lots of pace, and a terrific kid at that as well. But I think with Drew you've got maybe a little bit more of a cultured defender. A little bit more capable on the ball."

Colorado is the best defensive team at home in MLS, allowing eight goals in 12 matches. The Rapids have scored nine goals in their last four home matches.

Facing a tough defense could be a problem for Toronto (8-8-7), which has not scored during its stretch of three straight road games. After losing 2-0 to Chivas USA on Aug. 22, Toronto earned a scoreless draw with Seattle last Saturday.

Toronto realizes it is getting a huge break with Colorado being short-handed Saturday.

"It's quite difficult to predict their team because obviously Conor's away, they're got a couple of injuries and they've got a new guy coming as well," coach Chris Cummins said. "We're going to try and concentrate on ourselves."