TORONTO – Fresh off a pair of crucial wins down the final stretch of the season, Toronto FC will be boosted over their final five games by the return of top scorer Jermain Defoe.
The English forward had been sidelined for the better part of the last two months with a groin injury and had gone to the UK to visit a specialist. Feeling healthy once more, Defoe re-joined Toronto FC camp last week. TFC head coach Greg Vanney made sure not to rush Defoe back, though, leaving him off the team sheet last Saturday against the Portland Timbers. But Defoe took part in regular training this week, and Vanney says signs are positive.
“Jermain looks good,” Vanney told reporters at training. “He’s fit, he’s been training, not so much with the team last week, but he was reintegrated Sunday, and then he trained with the group [Tuesday]. He looks good. He’s just worked this week getting some more sort of soccer fitness and match fitness under him in terms of the training matches and sharpening up just a little more.”
The question is, will Defoe be fit and available for Toronto FC’s weekend clash at the LA Galaxy on Saturday (10:30 pm ET; TSN, MLS LIVE)?
“He looks great; he’s close to ready,” Vanney answered. “I anticipate he’ll be available, yes.”
Defoe’s firepower up top will certainly be welcome. With 11 goals in 16 games, Defoe provides Toronto with a proven scoring threat, one that could pose problems for the Galaxy. Currently sixth in the Eastern Conference but with a game in hand over the New York Red Bulls, who they trail by a single point, Toronto FC has already set club records for wins (11) and points (40).
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Still, the Reds need a strong final month of the season to make the postseason, and points against the Galaxy would provide a big lift. Vanney, however, says this match is not necessarily the most important for his club.
“This is one of those weeks where you have to look at three games," Vanney said. “We have a game in hand, and the Galaxy is our one Western Conference foe in the upcoming matches, so for me, it’s not the most critical match out there. For me, this is a game where we go and we have nothing to lose. We take our chances and see what we can come away with. The games that we really are looking at that we need to win are our Eastern Conference games down the stretch. If we do that, we’ll be in good shape.”
