Marc Narducci: Union wary of winless Toronto FC

The Union finally will be facing an opponent they don't have to look up to. In the standings, that is.

On Saturday, the Union (2-6-2) will play the one team that they are ahead of in the 10-team Eastern Conference when they visit Toronto FC.

Only in Major League Soccer can a team coming off a midweek victory be winless.

Huh?

Toronto is 0-9-0 in MLS games, but it beat the Vancouver Whitecaps, 1-0, on Wednesday to claim the Voyageurs Cup for the Canadian championship. MLS teams often play in nonleague tournaments during the season. The Union will compete in the U.S. Open Cup, another non-MLS tournament, on Tuesday at PPL Park in Chester against the Rochester Rhinos of the USL Pro League.

Still, Toronto hasn't won in MLS and one has to wonder if this puts even more pressure on the Union.

Defender Sheanon Williams made an excellent point when asked how tough it would be facing a team that is desperate for a W.

"We need wins as well," Williams said. "We can't really take anybody for granted."

That is the important thing. The Union, with more than a quarter of the 34-game schedule played, can't keep sinking in the standings. There will be much greater challenges, and even though they are on the road, they can't let these opportunities for a win slip away.

The only way to get momentum is to begin winning, and the odds are better against a winless team than, say, the first-place New York Red Bulls.

Actually, the Union played well in losing a 3-2 decision to New York, having to play a little more than a half while a man down, but that's another story.

Team manager Peter Nowak keeps talking about how the Union are playing better, but there comes a time when that better playing brings in better results.

For instance, the Union were sleepwalking through the first half in Saturday's 1-1 draw with FC Dallas. Trailing, 1-0 at halftime the Union played a much better second half and got the equalizer on Gabriel Gomez's goal in the 56th minute.

"The second half, after we discussed things in the locker room, gave the players confidence, and that is how we're supposed to play," Nowak said.

That's fine, but the game is 90 minutes, and when the Union continue to waste half the time getting started, that's not a good sign.

Like the Union, Dallas (3-7-4) is a playoff team from last year that has struggled.

Nowak believes the Union, with so many new faces, is beginning to adapt to his system.

"How we play, the way we play, is more important than anything," Nowak said.

Actually, that's not totally the case. Yes, Nowak wants an attacking style that puts pressure on teams, and it's an enjoyable brand of soccer to watch.

The one problem is that the defense at times forgets to get back in position, making the Union susceptible to counterattacks.

Right now, there's only one way to approach Saturday's game. Even though it's on the road, one point won't be enough. And despite Toronto's record, nothing but a victory should be satisfying.

"Anytime you go up against a team in a situation where their backs are against the wall, they will fight and scratch and do everything they can to get that first one," Union midfielder Brian Carroll said.

Yes, Toronto is a desperate team, but so are the Union.

The Union can only hope that this winless-in-the-MSL opponent might come in a little overconfident after its most recent victory.