New York Red Bulls Vs Toronto FC: 3 things to look for – Erickson Gallardo debut?
By Marko Babic
2. Toronto FC’s sudden depth on the wings
Over the past month, Toronto FC have used Targeted Allocation Money to bolster their attack by adding wingers Erickson Gallardo and Nicolas Benezet to the roster.
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Although he joined the Reds on July 9th, Gallardo has yet to debut for his new club due to his poor English, lack of familiarity with his teammates, as well as Greg Vanney’s system, and injuries to each of his quad muscles. Benezet, meanwhile, arrived on loan from French club EA Guingamp this past Tuesday. Nevertheless, the 28-year-old Frenchman expressed his desire to contribute against the Red Bulls despite having less than a week to integrate into the squad before match-day.
Toronto FC’s newest additions will be available on Saturday, however, their participation in the match will depend on Vanney’s demands of his wingers. Even though they are both right-footed and capable of playing on either flank, Gallardo and Benezet are very different players. According to Vanney, Gallardo is similar to Jacob Shaffelburg. The Venezuelan enjoys running at defenders and bursting beyond opposing backlines without the ball in order to latch onto through balls. In contrast, Benezet is more methodical. He tends to operate in the inside-channels when deployed out-wide, looking to outsmart opponents defensive ranks by playing passes beyond and through them.
Taking their differences into consideration, Gallardo could make his debut if Vanney wants to generate quick counter-attacks via long balls to wide areas, while Benezet’s skill set could come in handy provided the Reds’ take a more patient approach in possession. We will see how they — and the rest of the Toronto wide men — are used this weekend.