• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Rapids-Toronto FC Preview

Sep 12, 2009 - 1:07 AM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

Colorado (10-7-6) at Toronto FC (8-9-7), 4:00 p.m. EDT

If Toronto FC is going to mount a run at a playoff spot, it will have to solve its recent scoring slump. Signing Julian de Guzman and returning to BMO Field could help.

A day after making de Guzman the team's first designated player, Toronto looks to avoid getting swept in a home-and-home series with the Colorado Rapids on Saturday afternoon.

TFC (8-9-7) is winless in three games (0-2-1) while getting outscored 3-0 after falling 1-0 at Colorado (10-7-6) last Saturday. All three contests, however, have come on the road, where the club is 2-6-4 compared to 6-3-3 at BMO.

That rough stretch has dropped Toronto into 11th place in MLS, two points back of New England, Real Salt Lake and Chivas USA for the last of four wild-card spots.

"(Scoring) has to come from all areas. It can't just come from one or two people," said midfielder Dwayne De Rosario, who leads the team with nine goals. "We can't leave it up to one or two guys. A lot of guys have the potential and ability to score goals on this team.

"We're trying. The commitment I don't think is there. There's six games left. It's not that we're out and we still have a good possibility of getting back into it. But if we give up now, it's pointless."

If TFC continues to struggle scoring goals, it might be in better position to prevent them after Friday's signing of Toronto native de Guzman. The 28-year-old defensive midfielder, who has four goals and 40 caps for Canada, is expected to be available Saturday if his international transfer certificate is approved in time.

"This is a dream come true for me, to be part of a professional team at this level in Toronto," de Guzman told a news conference. "I'm home again. Couldn't ask for anything better."

The acquisition of de Guzman would give Toronto a key central midfielder capable of winning balls, while transitioning play to De Rosario.

De Guzman was the first Canadian to play in Spain's La Liga, spending the last four seasons with Deportivo La Coruna while being named the club's player of the year in 2007-08. Prior to joining Deportivo, he spent five seasons with FC Saarbrucken and Hannover 96 of Germany after being brought to Europe by France's Olympique Marseille when he was 16.

To make room on the roster, the team announced Wednesday that forward Danny Dichio, who had 14 goals in 59 games over three seasons, was retiring to take a position as an ambassador and youth coach.

Toronto has won both home meetings with the Rapids, who are 0-3-1 on the road since a 3-2 win over New York on May 30.

Colorado, though, has won consecutive games at home and is two points back of second-place Los Angeles in the West.

Conor Casey is looking for another strong performance after finding the back of the net in the 51st minute against Toronto for his fourth goal in four games. The forward leads the league with 12 goals.