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Re: USA 8 July
Toronto FC goes for 2nd straight road win
Last Updated: Saturday, July 7, 2007
Roster revisions seem to have helped Toronto FC improve its play over the past month.
The lineup changes the Chicago Fire have had to make, meanwhile, may be the cause of the team's problems.
Forward Danny Dichio, left, leads Toronto FC with five goals this season.
(Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press) After finally earning a win on the road, expansion Toronto now faces the team against which it earned the first victory in team history when it visits the struggling Fire on Saturday night.
Forwards Collin Samuel and Jeff Cunningham both scored to lead Toronto (5-7-2) to a 2-1 win over Real Salt Lake on Wednesday night, giving the first-year franchise its first road win.
Samuel and Cunningham were not on the roster when the season started for Toronto, which is 3-2-1 since June 2.
Cunningham, who led the league with 16 goals last season, was acquired in a trade with Salt Lake on May 22. He has six goals in 14 games overall this season.
Samuel, from Trinidad and Tobago, was signed in late June by coach Mo Johnston shortly after he finished his contract with Dundee United of the Scottish Premier League. He scored Wednesday's decisive goal on a penalty kick in the 79th minute.
"The coach is still putting his group together — they're still making moves," Cunningham told the team's official website. "Each week you have to come out and show him that you deserve to be on the pitch. I've been given the opportunity so far, and hopefully I can continue to score and stay in the team."
Toronto will now try to win consecutive games for the first time since May 12-16. Its first win in that stretch was the first in franchise history, 3-1 over Chicago (4-7-3) on May 12.
The Fire have been terrible since May, going 1-7-2 after starting the season 3-0-1. Injuries and lineup inconsistency seem to be the biggest reasons for the team's fall into last place in the Eastern Conference, two points behind Toronto.
Chicago had five changes in the starting lineup Wednesday night in a 2-0 loss to Los Angeles.
Perhaps the most surprising switch was in goal, where Jon Busch made his first appearance since May 20, 2006, when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee while playing for the Columbus Crew. It was the first time this season Matt Pickens didn't start in goal for the Fire.
Bakary Soumare was unavailable because of suspension while fellow midfielder Brian Plotkin (foot) and forward Jason Monteiro (ankle) did not play because of injuries. While Soumare will be back, Plotkin and Monteiro are uncertain for Saturday's game.
Chicago will be without forward Chris Rolfe (ankle) for a ninth straight game.
© The Canadian Press, 2007
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