Toronto FC playing for pride as the Reds face the Orange and Blue on Saturday

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There’s WKRP in Cincinnati and there may be FC Cincinnati.

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Each are good for amusing.

WKRP in Cincinnati is without doubt one of the funniest films ever, whereas this season’s FC Cincinnati is a joke.

However you understand what’s not enjoyable, not less than for Toronto FC followers? Unhappy-sack FC Cincinnati, a membership that spends a fraction of what Toronto does, truly has a greater document than TFC this yr.

Cincy is second general within the MLS, with simply three wins in 21 video games to choose up 17 factors. However, the Reds are final within the MLS, with 15 factors from 22 video games.

The league’s poor cousins ​​may have a household reunion Saturday night time at TQL Stadium to find out which of the 2 sides is simply awful, not horrible. Each have a mathematical likelihood of creating it to the knockout levels of the MLS Cup, which is very unlikely, so it is a very huge sport.

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For TFC coach Javier Perez, who took over the struggling Reds mid-season after Chris Armas was sacked, it was all about sustaining a optimistic angle amid a nasty season in historical past. Toronto’s 15 factors from 22 video games is the fewest they’ve ever had at this stage of the season, breaking the earlier low of 18 in 2011.

The Reds are with out quite a few key gamers due to damage (a situation that has occurred all yr), have misplaced 4 video games in a row and haven’t gained in seven.

Perez is the coach of the X and O groups, however the former head of Actual Madrid’s youth system on Thursday admitted that his greatest problem since taking up at Armas on July 4 has been to maintain his group. he was optimistic in all of the pitfalls they went by.

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“I like X’s and O’x, however the psychological half is an important side of the sport. There isn’t any doubt about it, at this degree,” Perez mentioned on a Zoom name.

Perez mentioned there have been many instances this yr when the group appeared able to get out of their wits, solely to fall right into a quagmire of disappointment, largely on account of gamers taking place with accidents – reminiscent of defending MLS champion Alejandro Pozuelo early within the season after which the group’s high three strikers Ayo Akinola, Jozy Altidore and Dom Dwyer, then.

And simply as younger midfielder Ralph Priso turned his personal man, having an enormous affect on the sport, the Toronto-born participant fell by with a season-ending ankle damage final month.

Nevertheless, Perez nonetheless maintains that his gamers didn’t take the difficulty, however admits that he has to put on his psychiatrist hat daily.

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“The psychological half, the psychological preparation for the sport, is an important factor and it is troublesome whenever you take a look at the desk and issues do not go your method,” he mentioned. “So one of many issues I need to ask the group, is simply to overlook in regards to the place on the desk for a second, and simply give attention to the sport. It feels like a cliché, one sport at a time, however it’s actuality, our actuality. It must be one sport at a time. “

“(However) I believe the mentality has been good, it has been optimistic. Nobody offers up,” added Perez. “All people is targeted, everybody desires to maintain combating. We knew we had been in a troublesome scenario, however solely we ourselves may get out of the outlet. And there are issues that must be fought all through the season and everyone seems to be concerned, which I actually respect and that makes our job that a lot simpler. “

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If there’s ever been a sport that is ripe for a begin, it is Saturday’s sport in opposition to Cincinnati, a membership that has misplaced three video games in a row and is on a 12-game winless streak with a 0-1 loss to Inter Miami. final Saturday.

Perez is predicted to have all of his gamers again from worldwide obligation (Olympic qualifying) for Saturday’s sport, though DP winger Yeferson Soteldo is already scheduled to play for Venezuela. on Thursday night time in opposition to Paraguay. Rejoining the group this week are Jonathan Osorio and Richie Laryea (Canada), Eriq Zavaleta (El Salvador) and Kemar Lawrence (Jamaica).

“After the sport (Thursday), Yeferson may have a protracted day of journey and he’ll include us to Cincinnati,” Perez mentioned. “However the plan is to get everybody again on the group and prepared.”

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The upcoming TFC has a really busy schedule, with six video games over the subsequent three weeks. And naturally, says Perez, all are must-win matches.

“It has at all times been a must-win for us since I used to be appointed head coach. It’s much more pressing proper now,” he mentioned. “It was a sport in opposition to an opponent (Jap Convention) the place we wanted three factors and that was the concept. We now have 18 spots to search for within the October 3 sport with Chicago. We now have very, crucial video games and I believe the group is in fine condition mentally. Everybody labored actually exhausting in the course of the worldwide break. We’re trying ahead (to Saturday).

“And what I can see as the sport will get nearer, we begin to really feel a bit little bit of strain, as a result of clearly we have to win, we want factors and we need to do effectively,” the coach mentioned. mentioned extra.

“We need to do the job. I firmly consider that everybody desires to do the correct job. We now have an excellent group of gamers who need to do their job proper. “