NY Red Bulls vs. TFC: The WTR Game Thread

NEW YORK RED BULLS vs. TORONTO FC
Saturday, September 29th, 2012, 7:00pm ET
Red Bull Arena, Harrison, NJ

TV: GOL TV Canada
Referee: Fotis Bazakos (9 MLS games, 1.9 YC/gm, 2 PKs)
Conditions: Partly Cloudy, 18°C, Wind NNW 10km/hr

Wake up boys, we're in the dump again -- can't get a taxi, it's bucketing rain.
Heading downtown with nothing in my brain, trying to catch my breath.
...
A sweet disorder never served me as well, as a tape recorder and a worn-out Dell.
Time to reorder, man I feel like hell -- I wonder what's on TV?

- "Hotel Majestic", Fountains of Wayne

Five games left in this season, and we've got one of them this evening in Harrison, New Jersey. Exciting times, I know -- with not much left to play for, and discontent rampant in the stands, we as TFC supporters really have little to cheer about. Sure, there was that win in El Salvador against a team already eliminated from further Champions League play, and there is that matchup in Torreon -- but seriously, who's counting any more?

Well, at least we here at Waking the Red are. The Red Bulls are fighting for playoff seeding, and like the previous league opponent (Los Angeles) will be looking for three points to put a little distance between themselves and DC United -- but they're going to have to do it without Wilman Conde, Rafa Marquez, or any defender you'd recognize. They do have Australian Tim Cahill, who's made some difference -- while Sebastien Le Toux, well, the jury's still out on him.

Oh, and Bill Gaudette may be injured. Which may just make this one all the more interesting. But can TFC capitalize on that one, given our own situation? Eric Hassli was reported as out for this one, and maybe the whole season, but we'll have Darren O'Dea at the very least, whose absence in the game in El Salvador wasn't exactly missed. But now he's got Thierry Henry to deal with, and not some defender from Aguila.

Join us later for all the latest game news when it hits the twitter machine, and during the game for commentary. How interesting will this one get? A bottom team on the way home from El Salvador, versus a playoff-bound team desperate to avoid the wildcard round. It's a classic in the making for sure, so make sure you join us.