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Earthquakes-Toronto FC Preview

Oct 9, 2009 - 3:58 PM By NICOLINO DIBENEDETTO STATS Writer

San Jose (7-13-7) at Toronto FC (9-10-8), 4:00 p.m. EDT

Toronto FC has shown significant improvement after back-to-back last-place finishes in the Eastern Conference in its first two seasons. The club will try to continue its push for its first playoff appearance by setting a team record for points.

Toronto will try to withstand three key absences in order to sweep the season series against the last-place San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday at BMO Field.

TFC (9-10-8) failed to reach the playoffs in its first two MLS seasons, finishing with a league-low 25 points as an expansion team in 2007. The club made some strides and totaled 35 points last year, but it still finished at the bottom of the East.

Toronto matched that point total with a 2-all tie at Chicago on Sept. 26. It's 11th in the MLS standings, three points back of New England for the eighth and final playoff spot.

Toronto holds the head-to-head advantage on the Revolution, who host Eastern Conference-leading Columbus on Saturday night.

To make up ground in the race this weekend, Toronto will have to overcome the absences of midfielders Amado Guevara and Carl Robinson and defender Marvell Wynne.

Guevara is with the Honduras national team for a pair of key World Cup qualifiers, while Robinson is out six to eight weeks after breaking bones in his face during a collision with a teammate during practice.

A thigh strain has ruled Wynne out for Saturday, and goalkeeper Stefan Frei is carrying a dislocated finger, making him doubtful.

"We are just waiting to see how quickly it heals," coach Chris Cummins told TFC's official Web site regarding Frei's finger. "He has got a lot more movement back now ... If Stefan doesn't make it, we have a very capable replacement waiting in the wings with Brian Edwards. I would have no problems if I have to put him into the team."

Edwards played six games as a rookie last year, going 2-3-1 with a 1.33 goals-against average and two shutouts. He hasn't played yet this season.

Toronto is expected to have defender Adrian Serioux back after he missed the last three games with a neck injury that hampered his aerial play.

"Heading makes up a big part of my game so it is very important to make sure I am ready," Serioux said. "I don't want to have to leave the game after five minutes if it's not right. It's a big game and we have to win every game from here on in."

Toronto has outscored opponents 10-4 while going 4-0-1 in its last five at BMO, improving to 7-3-3 at home on the season.

Toronto won its first meeting with San Jose 3-1 on the road July 11.

The Earthquakes (7-13-7) were eliminated from playoff contention with a 2-1 defeat to Dallas on Wednesday night.

San Jose, which is opening a season-ending stretch of three consecutive road games, will also have key players missing. Midfielders Arturo Alvarez and Ramon Sanchez will be with El Salvador's national team, and midfielder Simon Elliott will be playing with New Zealand.

The Earthquakes could give rookie forward Quincy Amarikwa a start after he netted his first goal against Dallas. A third-round pick out of UC Davis in January, Amarikwa has started only one of his 21 games, getting an assist in a 2-1 loss at Columbus on May 27 before being limited to 244 minutes as a substitute in his next 13 appearances.