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In-form TFC meets East leaders DCU

Jun 26, 2015 - 6:24 PM Toronto, ON (SportsNetwork.com) - Two of the top four teams in the Eastern Conference will square off at BMO Field on Saturday as D.C. United tangles with Toronto FC.

United claimed its third win in five games on Wednesday in a 1-0 triumph over the Chicago Fire to move 10 points clear at the top of the conference, while TFC secured a fourth win in five matches by toppling Canadian rival Montreal, 3-1.

Toronto fell behind in the 19th minute to a nice goal from Ambroise Oyongo, but Greg Vanney's side took control of the game from there, scoring three unanswered goals to secure the win.

Sebastian Giovinco continued his impressive run with a goal and an assist in the win to give the Italian eight goals and six assists in the last 11 fixtures, while Michael Bradley also set up a goal and scored another.

"Giovinco created and was a nuisance the whole game; Michael was Michael, basically being a robot running up and down and I just tried to get on the end of the things," said TFC forward Jozy Altidore, who also found the net in the win over the Impact. "When we all do our job, more times than not, we'll be successful."

Toronto had its three-game winning streak snapped two matches ago by New York City FC, and Vanney was hopeful his team would offer up an immediate response against the Impact, which they did despite going down a goal.

"For me it was good that the group did not get down. I was highly irritated because I challenged them to make sure we get the first goal and we didn't," Vanney said. "They scored on a counterattack which is something we talked about. But at the same time I thought our response was a solid one. I thought we stuck with the game plan. Over the course of 90 minutes we have to believe that we can be the better team if we do what we're supposed to do."

DCU did what it needed to do on Wednesday as the team used a fantastic goal from Conor Doyle in the 73rd minute to edge the Fire, 1-0.

The match was first in a four-game road trip for Ben Olsen's men, and the boss was pleased with how things started.

"I thought we were a group. That's what you need to be on the road," Olsen said. "It's been awhile since we've won an away game. We understood that again, that it was going to take every one showing up and looking out for each other out there. I thought we were organized."

Olsen's team figures to get a much tougher test on the defensive end against Toronto if Giovinco, Bradley and Altidore are each firing in top form, making organization in the back essential.

But DCU has had success at BMO Field in recent years, winning five of their last seven visits to the ground.