Minnesota vs. Toronto: 3 things to watch for

The Loons travel to Toronto to take on Toronto FC on Saturday. Sebastian Giovinco is set to make his return, so it will be an uphill battle for Minnesota.

Here are 3 things to watch for when Minnesota heads to Toronto to take on Toronto FC.

Fatigue

Toronto played against the Crew in Columbus on Wednesday night, earning 3 points thanks to a late winner by Tosaint  Ricketts, to seal a 2-1 win. The question is, how will Toronto respond when they face Minnesota on short rest?

One thing Toronto has going for them is the fact that Sebastian Giovinco is set to make his return, and will be well rested for this match. The former Juventus man can do things that no other player in the league can do, so Minnesota will need to contain Giovinco if they hope to leave Toronto with a result.

The Johan Venegas situation

On Wednesday, reports out of Minnesota United’s training session said that manager Adrian Heath told midfielder Johan Venegas to not come to training, and to take a couple of days off to “clear his head”.

Now, whether he’s simply preoccupied with the recent birth of his child, or he’s upset about not starting the Kansas City match remains to be seen. If it’s the latter situation, the Costa Rican international could soon find himself on the trading block if his attitude does not improve. It will be interesting to see what comes of this situation and whether Venegas sees any action against Toronto.

Next: Minnesota United: 3 key takeaways vs. SKC

Minnesota injuries

Goalkeeper Bobby Shuttleworth, who suffered a broken nose against SKC, is still expected to play against Toronto but will need to wear a protective mask. Shuttleworth has had several good starts in a row for the Loons, so having him in-goal is big for Minnesota.

Another injury note is midfielder Rasmus Schuller, who has been dealing with the hip injury, which has caused him to miss the last 3 matches. However, the Finnish international has returned to training this week, but his status for Saturday is still up in the air.

If Schuller is able to go, it could push Ibson to the bench, and have him resume his previous role of being a second half sub. It will be interesting to see if Schuller can go against Toronto, and if he can, how Adrian Heath will use him.